Wednesday Afternoon Program (WAP)

The Wednesday Afternoon Program (WAP) is an optional, non-academic extracurricular program offered to students from Junior Kindergarten (JK) to Grade 6 on Wednesday afternoons throughout the school year.

At the JICS Lab School, regular academic instruction does not take place on Wednesday afternoons. This time (Wednesday afternoons) is reserved for teachers, specialty educators, and administrators to engage in professional development, curriculum planning, and student-focused discussions — what we often call our “it takes a village” approach. These sessions allow us to align on curriculum, support each child’s well-being, and strengthen our shared vision as a faculty. By investing in this dedicated time together, we ensure that your child’s classroom experience is richer, more cohesive, and ultimately more beneficial.

2026-2027 Overview

The Wednesday Program begins on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 and ends on Wednesday, June 16, 2027, totalling 36 sessions, split into 3 terms.

REGISTRATION DATES: Monday, August 31 to Thursday, September 3, 2026.

OPT-OUT DEADLINE: Thursday, September 3, 2026.

There is no fee for the WAP. The program is fully funded by the school budget.

For enquiries about the Wednesday Afternoon Program, please email Specialty Programs Teacher, Victoria Sandic: victoria.sandic@utoronto.ca

Victoria oversees the Wednesday Afternoon Program and is available in the school office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Registration OR Opt-Out is REQUIRED

Grades 1–6: Students who wish to participate in the WAP must be registered through the Extra Ed website, where they will select their program choices. Registration will take place Monday, August 31 through Thursday, September 3, 2026 (see below).
JK and SK: Students will automatically be registered in the WAP unless opted out.
ALL students (JK to Gr 6) who choose not to participate in the WAP must officially OPT-OUT:
- Families may choose to use Wednesday afternoons for private lessons or family time. Children not participating will be dismissed at 12:45pm, following lunch.
- Please note: there is no reimbursement for opting out.

Opting Out

Please assist us in ensuring all children are safe and accounted for.

If you do not wish for your child to participate in the WAP, kindly fill out the Wednesday Afternoon Program Opt-Out Questionnaire in your Parent Portal.

Parent Portal - WAP Opt-Out

The deadline to opt-out is Thursday, September 3, 2026.

You may choose to opt out for 1, 2, or all 3 terms. If your plans change throughout the school year, please contact Victoria Sandic.

If opted out, your child will be dismissed at 12:45 pm on Wednesdays, following lunch.

2026-2027 Program

Program Provider: WAP programming is provided by Extra Ed, a Toronto-based enrichment provider.

Program Structure: The school year is divided into three terms. Following lunch recess on Wednesdays, students participate in engaging, developmentally appropriate activities that encourage creative, physical, and social exploration in a relaxed and supportive environment.

Student Groupings:
- JK and SK: Students remain with their full class cohorts and participate in play-based programming designed for their developmental stage.
- Grades 1–6: Students participate in multi-age groups within their respective divisions (Primary: Grades 1–3; Junior: Grades 4–6). Programming and groupings change each term and are designed to encourage collaboration, exploration, and active participation.
Activities: A detailed list of activities will be shared below prior to registration. Students in Grades 1–6 will be placed in small, multi-age groups and participate in one program per term. JK and SK programming will be designed for the whole class and will include developmentally appropriate play and outdoor time.

Instructors and Supervision: Activities are led by Extra Ed instructors and supported by teacher candidates, providing students with safe supervision and engaging programming.

Location: WAP activities take place at the JICS Lab School, unless otherwise noted.

Schedule: WAP runs across three terms:
- Term 1: September 16–December 2, 2026
- Term 2: December 9–March 10, 2027
  No program on December 23 or December 30.
- Term 3: March 31–June 16, 2027

Dismissal: Students participating in WAP are dismissed at 3:30 p.m. For JK and SK, we kindly ask families to pick up their children before 3:25 p.m.

Early Pick-Ups: If your child needs to be picked up early from WAP or will be leaving at the 12:45 pm dismissal time, please notify BOTH:
- The School Office: labschooloffice@utoronto.ca
- The Specialty Programs Teacher: victoria.sandic@utoronto.ca

WAP Registration

Grades 1 to 6 students who wish to participate in the WAP must be registered through the Extra Ed website, where they will select their program choices.

JK and SK students will automatically be registered in the WAP unless opted out.

Registration will be open:

Monday, August 31 to Thursday, September 3, 2026

IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

Students will have the opportunity to CHOOSE which programs they participate in.
During registration, we ask that parents select their child's TOP 5 choices from the list of programs. Each student will participate in 3 of their selected 5 programs.
Depending on demand, not all programs listed may end up running during the year, while others may be repeated each term with different groups.
The year is divided into 3 terms. Your child will participate in 1 program per term.
A final program schedule along with groupings will be sent out by Friday, September 11.

STEPS TO REGISTER

Click the REGISTER button above
Fill out the required information
Select your child’s TOP 5 choices from the listed programs
Submit your registration
- Note - you must select 5 programs per child for registration to be considered complete.

PROGRAM OPTION DESCRIPTIONS

Grades 1-3 Programs

Grades 4-6 Programs

2026 - 2027 Schedule

Term 1 (11 sessions): Wednesday, September 16 - Wednesday, December 2

Term 2 (12 sessions): Wednesday, December 9 - Wednesday, March 10

*No programming Dec 23 & 25 - Winter Break*

*No programming Mar 17 & 24 - March Break*

Term 3 (11 sessions): Wednesday, March 31 - Wednesday, June 16