Apr 22, 2021

Tuition, Anti-Black Racism, Earth Day

Topics covered in this post:

Welcome back!
Tuition Payment 2021-2022 School Year
Anti-Black Racism
Happy Earth Day
PHOTOS: SK Earth Week Structures Challenge
PHOTOS: Nursery children
Upcoming April Events

1. Welcome back!

We are delighted to reconnect with the children this week. The pandemic has been a long and challenging journey for all of us, with many unexpected developments along the way. As we continue with distance education (JK to Gr 6), we want to thank parents for the resilience, flexibility, and understanding you have shown throughout the past year.

We do not have an end-date to distance education, but we know that our primary focus is the wellbeing of the children. No academic content trumps a child’s mental health when learning in school or when learning from home for distance-education. Now, more than ever, we are counting on our partnership with parents to inform each other of concerns about any child’s wellbeing so that we can work together to support the child.

2. Tuition Payment 2021-2022 School Year

The second tuition payment is due on April 30, 2021. This payment is non-refundable and representing 50% of the balance tuition balance.

Please make cheque payable to The University of Toronto.

The school office is open weekdays 8:00-3:00pm for in-person tuition cheque drop off.

If you prefer to mail the cheque, please allow enough time for it to arrive by April 30.

JICS Lab School

45 Walmer Road

Toronto, Ontario

M5R 2X2

Attention: Nancy Boudreau

Nursery 2021-2022 Tuition is $16,807

A non-refundable deposit of $5,000 was paid at the time of acceptance.
50% balance due April 30 = $5904 (non-refundable)

Full Day (JK to Grade 6) 2021-2022 Tuition is $26,114

A non-refundable deposit of $5,000 was paid in January 2021.
50% balance due April 30 = $10 557 (non-refundable)

The final tuition payment is due on the first day of school in September.

3. Anti-Black Racism

The April 20th guilty verdict of former policeman Derek Chauvin convicted of the murder of George Floyd is a milestone in the fraught racial history of the United States and is a rebuke of law enforcement’s treatment of Black people. While we at the JICS Lab School celebrate the verdict and have hope that it highlights that Black lives matter and that police must be held accountable, as well as helps a grieving community, we recognize that the systemic racism that allowed George Floyd to be murdered continues to exist in the U.S., in Canada, and in our very own community.

We are deeply saddened and angered by the news of shootings that have taken the lives of a Black 20-year-old man, Daunte Wright, and a Black 16-year-old teenager, Ma’Khia Bryant, within the last ten days. The JICS Lab School, in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, denounces the abuse of power and brutality by police and praises the courage of those who exercise their right to protest in the face of risk to their safety and freedom.

The JICS Lab School is committed to educating its members to recognize, resist, and unlearn racism and dismantle the structures and barriers that perpetuate all forms of oppression and marginalization. As a school we believe that human rights, inclusion, and respect are the fundamental values that must continue to guide our actions and create a safe and welcoming community for all.

4. Happy Earth Day

On this special day we are sharing the Thanksgiving Address, as told in the book: “Strong Stories Kanyen’keya:ka: The Thanksgiving Address” by Michelle Corneau, Kanyen’keya:ka (Mohawk). This book can be bought from Native Canadian Center of Toronto Book Store, 16 Spadina Rd, or from GoodMinds publishing company, located at Six Nations.

The Thanksgiving Address is from the Haudenosaunee People.

This is a short version of a much longer address that can take hours or sometimes days to tell.

The Thanksgiving Address is used to begin important meetings or gatherings in the Longhouse.

We give thanks to our Mother the Earth. Thank you for gifting us all that we need to live.

We give thanks to the water. Thank you to the streams, rivers, oceans, and rain for gifting us fresh water to drink.

We give thanks to all the fish. Thank you for the food and nutrients and for keeping the waters clean.

We give thanks to all the sacred plants, above all sage, cedar, sweetgrass, and tobacco. Thank you for helping us to feel better.

We give thanks to the insects, thank you for your hard work and dedication to keeping the earth healthy.

We give thanks to all the food plants, especially corn, beans, and squash. Thank you for gifting us yummy things to eat.

We give thanks to all the fruit plants, above all the strawberry. Thank you for representing the unity of the Six Nations.

We give thanks to the trees, above all, the maple. Thank you for gifting us sweet sap in the spring.

We give thanks to all the animals. Thank you for gifting us food and clothing and teaching us many important lessons.

We give thanks to the birds. Thank you for sharing your beautiful songs throughout the seasons.

We give thanks to the winds. Thank you for blowing and keeping us cool in the summer.

We give thanks to Grandmother Moon and the stars, thanks for giving us light in the night-time.

We give thanks to our Elder Brother the Sun, thank you for the light that makes things grow and for keeping us warm.

We offer our thanks and greetings to the Creator. Thank you, Creator.

Children in Nursery West were invited to paint the Earth, asking for blue and green paint following the reading of What’s Up, What’s Down by Lola M. Schaefer.