Spring Term, World Water Day, JICS Newsletter, Dissemination & Professional Development, Parent Teacher Interviews, "All Parents" Meeting, & More!
- 6 days ago
- 10 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
JICS at a Glance
We've condensed the important highlights for your convenience:
World Water Day at JICS - Wear BLUE tomorrow!
Spring Hot Lunch Order Deadline - April 1!
Read-a-thon is coming to an end
JICS Centennial Golf Tournament - Register!
JICS was featured in the IALS Journal Special Edition: Children's Voice
Professional Development & Dissemination of information
"All Parents" Meeting - Wednesday April 15 at 7:00pm (zoom)
Topics covered in this post:
(Click to navigate straight to a section)
1. Chag Pesach Sameach!
Passover 2026 begins before sundown on Wednesday, April 1, and ends after nightfall on Thursday, April 9, 2026. This eight-day festival celebrates the Exodus from Egypt with family gatherings, the Seder meal, and the tradition of eating matzah while avoiding leaven.
Wishing our families a peaceful, joyous, and blessed Passover.
2. Spring Term
The children returned following the Break with contagious energy and engagement. We are looking forward to the Spring Term! Stay tuned for announcements about annual student and community events that typically take place during this time of year.
3. Wear BLUE for World Water Day - March 27!
World Water Day, held annually since 1993, is a United Nations observance focused on the importance of fresh water. It celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2.1 billion people around the world living without access to safe drinking water. A central goal of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: ensuring water and sanitation for all by 2030.
Each year, UN-Water selects a theme for World Water Day. In 2026, the theme is Water and Gender. This theme highlights that when people lack the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, inequalities deepen, with women and girls often bearing the greatest burden.
At JICS, we will mark World Water Day on March 27. Students from JK to Grade 6 will visit stations throughout the school on Friday morning to reflect on the importance of water and our role in protecting it. We are fortunate to have volunteers from U of T’s Trash Team running activities about our local watershed and microplastics in our lakes. Students will also learn from Audrey about the history of the Water Walk, from Krista and Ben Porchuk in the courtyard about our pond, and from Jessica about the Watermark Project.
4. JICS Winter Newsletter
Just before March Break, we distributed the Winter Edition of the JICS Newsletter in hard copy. We hope you and your child had a chance to read and enjoy it, with highlights from each classroom and articles written by members of the Student Newsletter Club.
The Newsletter is published each term. While it is typically shared electronically, we piloted a printed edition this term. If you have misplaced your copy, you may request another from Paige or access the archived online version here. The password can be found in the most recent email
We would greatly appreciate your feedback. Please take a moment to complete our brief survey here.
5. JICS Read-a-thon - Celebrating 32 Years!
March is a special month for the JICS Library! This year marks the 32nd annual READ-A-THON Fundraiser! Read-a-thon forms will be sent home soon. Students are encouraged to set personal reading goals, read each day, and collect pledges for their efforts. Funds collected at the end of the month will go toward replacing lost and broken books, purchasing new books, and supporting authors, illustrators, and storytellers to visit with students.
We are so grateful to our supportive community! Donations of $25 or more will be rewarded with a personalized book plate placed in a new library book.
Additional information for parents can be found on the JICS Website: Here!
6. JICS Centennial Golf Tournament
We’re excited to share that registration is now officially open for the JICS Centennial Golf Championship — Fore the Future!
On Tuesday, June 16, 2026, we will gather at Angus Glen Golf Club to celebrate 100 years of the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study transforming not only individual lives, but the broader landscape of education.
From pioneering research that shapes classrooms across Canada to generations of graduates who've become educational leaders nationwide — JICS hasn't just educated children, it's revolutionized how we think about learning itself.
What awaits you:
Championship golf on the exclusive South Course at Angus Glen
Curated gourmet food and beverage experiences throughout the day
Premium contests, prizes, and friendly competition
Evening reception, awards presentation, and celebration
Networking with fellow changemakers
That electric JICS community energy
Tickets Now Available:
Foursome – $2,000 A full day of championship golf for four, including shared carts, curated on course food and beverage stations, and evening reception tickets for each golfer.
(Player names may be submitted at a later date.)
Individual Golfer – $600 A full day of championship golf, including a shared cart, curated on course food and beverage stations, and evening reception ticket.
(Individual golfers will be paired for a competitive and enjoyable round.)
Evening Reception – $100 Join us starting 6:00 PM for cocktail hour, followed by reception, awards, and celebration.
All skill levels are welcome — whether you're ready to show off your swing or picking up clubs for the first time, this day is about coming together as a community!
Sponsorship Opportunities:
Sponsorship offers a unique opportunity to elevate your brand, host clients or colleagues, engage your team, and align your organization with a century-long legacy of educational excellence.
Ideal for companies looking to build relationships, reward teams, fufill
social responsibility goals and demonstrate community leadership.
Hole Sponsorship — $3,000
Foursome included for 18 holes of championship golf
Logo signage displayed at your sponsored hole
Opportunity to host your own on-course activation or contest
Recognition on event signage, website, and social media
Advertisement in the souvenir program
Specialty Hole Sponsorship — $3,500
(Hole-in-One, Longest Drive, Closest to the Keg, Putting Contest, etc.)
Foursome included for 18 holes of championship golf
Exclusive branding at a high-engagement specialty hole
Opportunity to run a signature contest or activation
Recognition on event signage, website, and social media
Prominent advertisement in the souvenir program
For organizations seeking elevated visibility or multiple foursomes, premier sponsorship packages range from $7,500–$15,000, including Title, Gold, Cart, Beverage sponsorships and experiential activations.
For customized partnerships, corporate matching, or sponsorship inquiries, please contact reesa.barkhouse@utoronto.ca.
Your Impact Matters:
Your participation supports the JICS Endowment Fund for economic diversity – making a profound difference for families who would not otherwise be able to send their child to the Lab School. At JICS, diversity is not an aspiration, it is a moral imperative and an essential component of a meaningful education.
As a laboratory school committed to improving public education through research and knowledge mobilization, having a student population that reflects a broad range of lived experiences is critical to the integrity and impact of our work.
Your participation directly strengthens that mission.
7. Second 2026-2027 Tuition Payment Date
The second tuition payment is due on April 20, 2026. This payment is non-refundable and representing 50% of the balance tuition balance ($13,915). Please make your cheque payable to the University of Toronto.
Shama is available in the school office each school day, 8:00am to 4:00pm. She is happy to receive post-dated cheques in advance of April 20.
The final tuition payment is due September 1, 2026.
8. Spring Hot Lunch Order Deadline - April 1
"Dear Parents,
The Spring Hot Lunch Ordering is now available! Spring term is April 7 - June 24.
Please note that credits have already been applied for the snow days this past Winter term to the Spring prices for those respective days. There is nothing that you need to do regarding getting a credit for a snow day.
Regards,
The TLM Team"
9. Final Days with Teacher Candidates
Beginning in September, we had Teacher Candidates from the OISE MA in Child Studies & Education (MA CSE) Program in our JK to Grade 6 classrooms. Today is the official last day for the Block 2 Teacher Candidates (1st year students) and we say good-bye to the Winter Interns (2nd year students) on Thursday, April 2. We are grateful for their support in our classrooms and for learning alongside us about what is best for children. We wish them success as they continue their development as future teachers.
10. Dissemination: Serving Our Public Purpose
The JICS Lab School continues to play a leading role in shaping elementary education and advancing teacher education both locally and internationally. Our commitment to knowledge mobilization and innovation is reflected in our active participation in global research communities and professional exchanges.
From April 21–23, a JICS team: Richard (Principal), Chriss (Vice-Principal), Judith (Inclusive Education), and Jessica (Grade 2) will attend the International Association of Laboratory Schools (IALS) Conference in Jyväskylä, Finland, hosted by the University of Jyväskylä Teacher Training School.
Richard will present research examining how teacher secondments (temporary placements in which public school teachers work at JICS while remaining employed by their home boards) support both professional growth and system-wide educational improvement. Drawing on interviews with former secondees (2004–2020), the study highlights how these experiences foster student agency, equitable pedagogy, and authentic collaboration, while also identifying challenges related to reintegration and systemic barriers. The session will offer practical strategies to strengthen secondment models for educators, lab schools, and partner institutions, aligning with the conference theme of research–practice partnerships.
Jessica will present A Cross-Community Approach to Knowledge Building, showcasing a multi-year collaboration connecting JICS students with peers in Tarragona, Spain through the Knowledge Forum platform. Her research highlights how cross-age, cross-community dialogue supports deeper conceptual understanding: younger students contribute ideas grounded in lived experience, while older students extend and refine those ideas. Emphasizing student voice and agency, Jessica will demonstrate how learning beyond the classroom fosters empowerment, pride, and motivation, while also illustrating the innovative pedagogical design required to sustain meaningful knowledge-building communities.
Chriss will present on The Role of Teacher Researchers at the JICS Lab School. Grounded in the JICS’s long-standing commitment to studying children’s learning and development, this work highlights how research is embedded in daily classroom life. JICS teachers engage as co-designers, collaborators, and investigators developing research questions, documenting learning, analyzing data, and experimenting with pedagogical approaches. This dual role strengthens the School’s capacity for innovation and ensures that teaching remains dynamic, evidence-informed, and responsive to the lived experiences of children.
Judith will present a poster that explores how generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Co-Pilot can support writing development for students in Grades 4–6 within inclusive education. It highlights common challenges, such as difficulties with spelling, organizing ideas, and getting started with writing, and identifies the specific AI prompts that have been used with teacher guidance. This type of AI writing support aligns with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) by offering multiple ways for students to plan, express, and edit their writing, ultimately building their confidence and independence.
11. Professional Development
Our commitment to providing exceptional learning experiences for JICS students and mentoring teacher candidates remains unwavering. Through a balance of self-directed inquiry and collaborative professional learning, our staff continuously deepen their expertise in child development and pedagogy.
This commitment extends beyond our school through international professional learning opportunities. From April 24–27, Richard and Chriss will participate in an international study tour of laboratory schools in Brno and Prague, Czech Republic, organized through the International Association of Laboratory Schools.
In Brno, the program will include school tours led by students, classroom observations, and professional dialogue with educators. A central focus will be the Labyrinth School’s “learning ecosystem” model, which emphasizes collaboration and participation across multiple levels of the school community. Participants will also engage in reflection sessions and cultural programming designed to deepen cross-cultural understanding and professional exchange. The tour brings together educators, researchers, and school leaders from around the world including participants from Japan, Jamaica, the United States, Canada, and the Czech Republic creating a rich opportunity for dialogue and shared learning.
During this period of international engagement (including both the IALS Conference and the Lab Schools Tour) we are pleased that retired JICS teacher Zoe Donoahue will serve as Acting Principal from April 20–28, ensuring seamless continuity of leadership within the school.
This experience exemplifies how JICS approaches professional development as both local and global leveraging international partnerships to strengthen practice, inspire innovation, and advance research-informed education.
12. IALS Journal Special Edition: Children's Voice
The International Association of Laboratory Schools (IALS) Journal is a peer-reviewed, open-access Journal that fosters academic discourse on topics relevant to laboratory and university-affiliated schools. Articles in the IALS Journal offer perspectives on educational trends, including the history and future of lab schools, innovations in curricula and programs, lab school administration, and teacher education. We invite parents to enjoy this Special Edition of the IALS Journal, Honouring Children’s Voices and Perspectives in Research and Learning.
13. Parent Teacher Interviews: April 15, 17
The Spring interviews are an opportunity for a conversation with your child’s/children’s teachers who will share observations about your child’s/children’s academic profile as well as their social emotional development. More information and interview sign-up links will be shared in next week’s POST.
14. Parents' Association "All Parents" Meeting - Wednesday, April 15 at 7:00pm (Zoom)
Please mark your calendars for our upcoming “All Parents” Parents’ Association meeting. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn how our school community has been enriched through parent involvement, both through volunteer efforts and through initiatives supported by your contributions and donations to the PA.
We will also share details about upcoming events, including Grandpals Day and Hot Dog Night, and provide information about PA Executive positions that will be open for the coming year.
Further details, including the Zoom link, will be shared in next week’s post.
15. The Natural Curiosity Program
JICS’ Natural Curiosity program plays a crucial role in advancing the Lab School’s public purpose by supporting educators with understanding the importance of Indigenous perspectives in environmental and all education.
Please take a look at their March Newsletter which highlights exciting news, upcoming events and more resources to support environmental education and incorporating Indigenous perspectives. This month's newsletter also includes great Educational Resources and activities for Maple Syrup Harvesting.
Upcoming April Events
Passover (April 1 to 9)
Thur 2 – MA CSE Winter Internship final day (JK to Gr 6)
Fri 3 – Good Friday. School and Daycare closed.
Mon 6 – Easter Monday. School and Daycare closed.
Fri 10 – International Day of Pink
Fri 10 – Holy Friday (Orthodox)
Mon 13 to Fri 17 – La Semaine de la Francophonie (JK to Gr 6)
Tues 14 – Vaisakhi
Wed 15 – Parent/Teacher Interview Afternoon
Wed 15 – 7:00pm JICS Parent's Association "All Parent" Meeting (zoom)
Fri 17 – Parent/Teacher Interview Day. School closed. Daycare open.
Mon 20 – Due date for 2nd tuition payment (50% of balance)
Mon 20 to Fri 24 – International Association of Lab Schools Conference, Finland: Richard, Chriss, Jessica, Judith.
Wed 22 – Earth Day
Tues 28 to Fri March 1 – Grade 6 trip to Camp Wanakita
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