Oct 31

PA All Parents Meeting, PT Interviews, Parent Ed Opportunities

JICS at a Glance

We've condensed the important highlights for your convenience:

RSVP to PA All Parents Meeting - Monday, November 4 at 7:30pm
Sign up for Parent Teacher Interviews! Links below
Register for full-day Daycare on school closure days - Nov 8 & 11
Claim a complimentary ticket to the Growing Strong Minds Conference

Topics covered in this post:

(Click to navigate straight to a section)

Diwali
PA All Parents Meeting - Monday, November 4
Parent Teacher Interviews: November 6 & 8
School Closed - Friday, November 8 & Monday, November 11
Parent Education Opportunity: Growing Strong Minds Conference
Islamic Heritage Month
Natural Curiosity Self-Guided Learning Series
Japan Trip - Professional Development
Happy Halloween
Upcoming November Events

1. Diwali

Wishing you a Diwali filled with joy, sweet memories, and laughter. May the warmth of this festival bring health, wealth, and happiness to your homes, and may Goddess Lakshmi bless you and your loved ones abundantly. Happy Diwali!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made our Diwali assembly special with your presence and participation. We are especially grateful to parents Priya, Reena, Saumya, Indira, and Sona, our talented student solo-dancer, student Diwali experts, and dedicated JICS faculty members Krista, Walker, and Jessica.

2. PA All Parent Meeting

November 4, 7:30pm | Virtual Meeting

All JICS parents are invited to join us virtually for the first Parents’ Association ALL Parents Meeting of the academic year on Monday, November 4th at 7:30pm. The PA and the school will share important updates! Learn about PA initiatives, Principals’ school report, PA budget and plans for the remainder of the year.

Parents Association All Parents Meeting

November 4, 2024, 7:30–8:30 p.m.|Zoom

3. Parent Teacher Interviews

November 6 & 8

Below are the links to sign up for your Fall interview with your child’s/children’s teachers. More information about parent teacher interviews can be found in last week’s POST.

Classroom Teachers (20 min)

Nursery: https://signup.com/go/FtLJzMf

JK: https://signup.com/go/JvDdmzk

SK: https://signup.com/go/ynECGZh

Grade 1: https://signup.com/go/RxEqAgV

Grade 2: https://signup.com/go/pwNPzOM

Grade 3: https://signup.com/go/XCnDFKF

Grade 4/5 Z: https://signup.com/go/BmnSZyu

Grade 4/5 R: https://signup.com/go/SCDKGqt

Grade 6: https://signup.com/go/jWLjLGZ

Specialty Teachers (5 min)

Primary French (JK-Gr 2): https://signup.com/go/ADQHjPY

Junior French (Gr 3-6): https://signup.com/go/NwMbTpn

Primary Music (JK, SK): https://signup.com/go/wBKitji

Junior Music with Russell (Gr 1-6): https://signup.com/go/ROqUEJy

Junior Music with Jayda (Gr 1-6): https://signup.com/go/nKnzbNQ

Art (JK-Gr 6): https://signup.com/go/VAeqBfW

Phys Ed (JK-Gr 6): https://signup.com/go/tZzRCgf

Drama (JK-Gr 6): https://signup.com/go/pcXhFMm

Library (JK-Gr 6): https://signup.com/go/dsTFiZc

4. School Closed - Friday, November 8 & Monday, November 11

On Friday, November 8, the JICS teachers and staff will engage in Parent-Teacher Interviews.

We hope everyone enjoys the Midterm Holiday on Monday, November 11.

The Daycare will be open on November 8 and 11 (7:45am to 6:00pm). Please contact Anne Marie, Daycare Director if you are interested in registering your child: ics.after.school.daycare@gmail.com

Information about the school calendar for 2024-2025 can be found on the JICSfamily website.

5. Parent Education Opportunity

We invite parents eager to deepen their understanding of youth mental health to attend the Growing Strong Minds Conference, a full-day event on November 14th, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Marriott Toronto Eaton Centre. Our champion, Dr. Eric Jackman, serves as the chair of the Strong Minds Strong Kids Psychology Foundation, with whom JICS has a longstanding partnership. This conference offers a unique chance to learn from leading psychologists and experts in the field. Attendees will gain evidence-based insights and strategies to help children build resilience, foster well-being, and thrive.

Conference Highlights:

In-depth sessions led by top psychologists and mental health professionals
Practical, evidence-based tools for supporting youth mental health
Networking opportunities with like-minded parents and professionals

A complimentary lunch will be provided during the conference. JICS has reserved a limited number of complimentary tickets for interested parents; please register below for a spot. Additional details on the conference are available here.

Exclusive to JICS Parents: You are also invited to join the “JICS Table” at the Growth Gala Dinner, hosted by the Strong Minds Strong Kids Psychology Foundation, beginning at 5:30 p.m., immediately following the conference. We look forward to your participation in this enriching event!

Growing Strong Minds Conference - Complimentary Parent Tickets

November 14, 2024, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.|Marriott Toronto Eaton Centre

6. Islamic Heritage Month

In honour of Islamic Heritage Month, in the latter half of October, classes were steadily working to help build a school mosaic to celebrate harmony and cohesiveness, in the style of the recognized and illustrious tradition of geometric design in Islamic arts and culture.

Led by Furqan (Grade One Intern) and Zarfishan (SK Intern), with support from Zohra (JK Intern), Faiza (First Year Student Teacher, JK) and Tara, students were provided with paper polygon tiles to build decagrams and stars, mimicking shapes and designs commonly found inside and outside of mosques, intricate designs on Qurans, textiles, and more. They were invited to design a pattern or draw what they felt represented them on the tiles, and the result was a beautiful, celebratory work of collective art! Like each tile, we are unique, invaluable pieces of a much larger, wonderful mosaic. We are so grateful to all who contributed, to the Muslim members of our community who enthusiastically and generously shared about themselves and their heritage during this project and throughout the month, and we are thankful to be in community with each other throughout the year. Shukran! (thank you!)

7. Natural Curiosity Self-Guided Learning Series

Designed for self-guided learning, this free program includes a 5-part video series that provides an introductory exploration of Natural Curiosity’s four-branch environmental inquiry framework, deepened by Indigenous perspectives.

The first video of the 5-part instructional video series provides an overview of the Natural Curiosity pedagogy, developed at the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study Laboratory School, OISE-University of Toronto. It references the leading resource, Natural Curiosity 2nd Edition, alongside its authors and leading practitioners to define environmental inquiry, and how it relates to Indigenous perspectives.

Self-Guided Learning Series

8. Japan Trip - Professional Development

Chriss Bogert, Robin Shaw, Judith Kimel, and Zoe Donoahue are part of the International Association of Lab Schools (IALS) group touring lab schools in Japan. This tour provides a unique opportunity for participants to engage in cross-cultural exchanges and gain insights into Japan's innovative approaches to education, strengthening global connections within the IALS network.

Here are some photos from their time in Tokyo at Ochanomizu Women's University (Elementary School, Kindergarten, Junior High School, and High School) and Takehaya Elementary School of Tokyo Gakugei University.

9. Happy Halloween

Enjoy the photos of our spooky day. The day was filled with goblins, ghosts, and other excitements. Thanks to JICS music teachers, Suzanne, Russell, and Jayda for leading us in Halloween songs at our assembly and to Paige in reception for transforming the school’s entrance.