Nov 28, 2019

Book Night, Lates

Topics covered in this post:

JICS Book Fair and Book Night – December 5
Why Being On Time for School Is Important
Note from Trash Team
Girls basketball Team Victory
Upcoming November Events
Upcoming December Event

1. Book Fair and Book Night – December 5

We look forward to seeing you all on Thursday, December 5 for our annual Book Fair (9:30-4:00pm) in the foyer of 56 Spadina and Pyjama Book Night (6:00-7:30 pm) in the gym. The book fair and pyjama party are a celebration of books and an important fundraiser for our Library program! More information here. Tickets for our exciting raffle prizes will be on sale 8:20-9:00 am in front of the school beginning December 3. Good luck!

2. Why Being On Time for School Is Important

Being on time for school sets a child up for a successful day at school. Not only is punctuality an important life skill, it also communicates respect for the classroom community, the teachers, and each child’s own learning. Being late adversely affects a child’s connection to the learning that is taking place in the classroom. Arriving after class time has begun means missing part or all of the lesson and instructions. This can make it challenging to transition and settle when entering into a room where the other children are already engaged in work. It also creates a disturbance for the other students, and draws the focus of the teacher away from the class. Sometimes arriving late throws a child off as they realize what they have missed, and may affect their sense of well-being.

Our hope is for all JICS Lab School students to have the best possible start to their day. We find that it is ideal for children to have time in the morning to gather with friends and chat, sharing news with each other, and to be ready and waiting when the teacher draws the class together as the school day begins. The optimal time to arrive is between 8:30-8:45 when the children are supervised on the playground. Teachers pick up their students and bring them in together at 8:45am. Any student arriving in the classroom after 8:50am is considered late.

Morning can be a challenging time of day for families. Alyson Schafer, renowned Adlerian parenting expert, suggests that parents of older children release responsibility for their child’s participation in this process. This approach requires parents to calmly get themselves ready and be waiting by the door for their child – leading by example rather than prodding from behind, a strategy which Alyson describes in another article. For some children, providing a simple checklist of what they need to accomplish each morning with a clock or a timer may help them achieve independence. Sometimes what’s needed to maintain a calmer routine is for the morning process to start 15-30 minutes earlier for the whole family! And of course, everyone is better able to cope in the morning if they’ve gotten enough sleep the night before. This great website has information about how much sleep children should be getting each night.

However you choose to organize the morning, it is in your child’s best interest to make being on time for school a priority. Thank you for your understanding and assistance.

3. Note from JICS Trash Team

Dear Jackman ICS Families,

This week we asked the members of the Trash Team (JICS student club) to think of helpful tips that families can keep in mind as preparations for various holidays and celebrations begin. In your planning, please consider:

Making your own treats
If your tradition is to have a tree, think about using a reusable tree, instead of cutting down a fresh one
Make your own decorations using natural materials or repurpose other items
Aim to provide eco-friendly gifts
Wrap gifts in themed cloth/fabric that can be reused every year, rather than purchasing single-use gift wrap

If even one of these ideas, or similar ideas, can be adapted, it’s a step in the right direction!

Thanks,

JICS Trash Team

4. Girls’ Basketball Team Victory

Tuesday, November 26 was an exciting day for Jackman Jets Athletics! The JICS Girls Basketball Team participated in an all-day tournament organized by the Toronto District School Board at Palmerston Public School. The tournament featured teams from Palmerston P.S., Hillcrest P.S., and Jackman ICS.

The JICS Jets won all of their games and are moving on to the TDSB quarter finals on Friday, November 29 at 1:15pm in our gym playing Ossington Old Orchard P.S. Good luck, Jets! Thanks to coaches Ben and Michael for your early morning practices with the support of Christel, Marcia, and Nadia.