Snack Program Updates, Upcoming Parent Education Events, Halloween Reminders, Diwali Celebrations, An Announcement from Natural Curiosity & More!
JICS at a Glance
We've condensed the important highlights for your convenience:
Upcoming Parent Education Events with Alyson Schafer
More Information & Registration Below
Celebrate Diwali with us at JICS - Please send in photos of your families Diwali Celebrations!
Halloween Reminders
Updates from the Cross Country Meet!
An exciting announcement from Natural Curiosity
Moments from this week!
Topics covered in this post:
(Click to navigate straight to a section)
1. Snack Program Update
Please note that the Kids Cuisine Santé snack program for students in Grades 1-6 will end after October. The snack program for Nursery, JK, and SK students will continue as usual.
We appreciate Kids Cuisine Santé's partnership and their commitment to providing healthy, high-quality food for our students. Families currently registered in the Grades 1-6 snack program will receive further information directly from Kids Cuisine Santé regarding future registrations and any applicable reimbursements.
We will continue with the Kids Cuisine Santé hot lunch program as usual.
2. Upcoming Parent Education Events
November 18: The Four Goals of (Mis)behaviour and an Intro to Alyson’s Parenting Tool Kit
Join us for in-person parent ed event with Alyson Schafer at JICS with free onsite babysitting
Parent Social: 5:30-6:15pm
Alyson’s Presentation: 6:15-7:30pm
Where: JICS Lab School, 45 Walmer Road
November 25: "Ask Me Anything" with Alyson Schafer for JICS Families
When: 7:00-8:00pm
Where: Zoom
3. Halloween at JICS
Parents, please join our JK to Grade 6 Halloween Celebration Assembly on Friday, October 30, at the witching hour of 9:00am, in our enchanted gym. Our music teachers, Suzanne and Russell will lead us all in some spooky songs and together we will make some Halloween magic!
For our little pumpkins in the Nursery, there is a morning of magical activities awaiting them in their own cozy classroom! Charlotte will share more information soon.
Children (and parents) are all invited to dress up in costumes.
The school doors will open at 8:35am as usual and the children are asked to make their way to the classroom. Once everyone is accounted for, each grade will fly/slither/float into the gym together.
There are many internet articles that provide helpful and culturally sensitive Halloween costume advice. Search: Halloween culturally insensitive costumes.
We are looking forward to making some wonderful memories on this special day!
Halloween 2025!
4. Halloween Candy
With Halloween and the winter holidays fast approaching, we want to share ways that can help make our school a safe and more inclusive place for students with food allergies. We prefer that students do not eat candy while at school. We avoid sweet treats, preferring wholesome snacks whenever possible. However, there is a place for sweets in our diets and parents may choose to occasionally pack individual portions in student lunches or snacks from home. Students are not permitted to share candy, treats, or gum with others. In preparing your child’s lunch and snack, please be certain that all ingredients listed are free of nuts and nut warnings.
5. Celebrate Diwali with us at JICS!
Diwali, the joyous Hindu festival of lights, is a cherished tradition here at our school. Our entire school community eagerly anticipates this special occasion each year, and we are truly grateful for the unwavering support of our parents. This year, we are delighted to announce that we will come together to celebrate Diwali on Friday, November 6. (More details coming soon.)
In the spirit of this vibrant festival, we kindly request that all JICS children come dressed in colourful attire, which may include kurtas, salwar kameez, dupattas, or lehenga choli. Of course, we also encourage everyone to express themselves through their preferred clothing choices throughout the festivities.
While Diwali spans five days in most of India (from Friday, November 6 to Tuesday, November 10), the main celebration falls on the third day (November 8). At JICS, we aim to decorate the school with vivid decorations, illuminating diyas, and crafting inviting flower-petal rangolis. It is a privilege to have such a wonderfully diverse community, where people from all backgrounds come together to embrace and share in the festivities.
If parents are interested in helping us to plan the assembly, please be in touch with Shama. Thank you to parents who have already been in touch!
If you have photos of you and your family celebrating Diwali that you are comfortable sharing with the school, please send them to Simone. Your photos will be shared with the whole school during our Diwali assembly on November 6th.
6. Financial Support
The JICS Lab School is committed to needs-based financial support that will both enable increased diversity and retain current Lab School families. Tuition support is available to current students entering Grades 3-6 in the 2027-2028 school year. Application and assessment of financial need is made through an arms-length, confidential application to Apple Financial Services, and decisions are made by a sub-committee at the JICS Lab School. All applications and requests are confidential.
The deadline for applications to Apple Financial is November 10.
If you are interested in donating to the JICS Lab School Endowment Fund, please see here or speak with Richard Messina.
7. Cross Country Running Meet
We are so proud of our Running Team, who have been training diligently for weeks. On October 15th, they represented JICS at the Grade 4–6 TDSB South Conference Cross Country Meet at Winston Churchill Park and performed exceptionally well. We are thrilled to share that 8 students advanced to the Conference Finals on the 20th, with 3 students going on to qualify for the City Finals this coming Monday. Congratulations to all our runners and thanks to our coaches, Luke, Judith, Rachel, Lock, Georgia, and Shauna.
Congratulations to all of our runners!
8. Natural Curiosity Receives the Outstanding Contribution to Education Award from the Ontario Principals’ Council’s
We are thrilled to share that Natural Curiosity has been named the recipient of the Ontario Principals’ Council (OPC) 2026 Outstanding Contribution to Education Award! This honour recognizes Natural Curiosity’s impact on public education in Ontario, particularly its work connecting environmental and Indigenous education. Through our resources and collaborations with Indigenous educators and partners, we support school leaders and educators in advancing learning that responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action. We’re honoured to be recognized by the OPC and grateful to the educators and partners who make this work possible.
Natural Curiosity joins an inspiring group of past recipients, including astronaut Dr. Chris Hadfield, Senator Murray Sinclair, Egale Canada, and last year’s recipient, unlearn.
Haley Higdon and Richard Messina accepted the award at the OPC’s Annual President’s Dinner on October 21, 2026.
Upcoming October Events
Islamic Heritage Month
Fri 30 – Halloween at JICS
Upcoming November Events
Hindu Heritage Month
Mon 2 to Fri 6 – Treaty Week
Fri 6 – Diwali Assembly (JK to Gr 6)
Tues 10 – Due date for applications to Apple Financial for 2027-2028 tuition support
Wed 11 – Remembrance Day Assembly (JK to Gr 6)
Wed 11 – Parent/Teacher Interview Afternoon (sign-up info coming soon)
Fri 13 – School closed. Daycare open to registered users. Parent/Teacher Interview Day (sign-up info coming soon)
Mon 16 – Midterm Holiday. School closed. Daycare open to registered users.
Wed 18 – Parent Education Event with Alyson Schafer: The Four Goals of (Mis)behaviour and an Intro to Alyson’s Parenting Tool Kit, 5:30-7:30pm
Thur 19 – Last day of MA CSE Block 1 Teacher-Candidates in JK to Gr 2
Wed 25 – Parent Education Event with Alyson Schafer: "Ask Me Anything" 7:00-8:00pm (Zoom)
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