It has been an action-packed week in the Upper School. The Personal Project Showcase, a culminating experience of MYP students, took place in the Student Centre last week with MYP, with students showcasing their diverse collection of projects, ranging from a homemade pinball machine to cookbooks to websites and everything in between. Last Friday students participated in the first Fun Friday of the spring, engaging in activities of their choice such as sewing, basketball, chess, and more! Friday night saw a packed house for the Year 8/9 dance and social, with UCC students welcoming students from other COSSOT schools for games, food, and dancing. 

Our final Arts Assembly of the year took place on Monday, with performances from across the arts on full display, including scenes from upcoming student plays, a performance from our intermediate jazz band, and a collection of student artwork on the big screen in Laidlaw Hall.

Nuit Bleue on April 11

Join the UCC community on Thursday, April 11, 2024, at our Nuit Bleue Arts Showcase as we celebrate film, visual art, theatre and music.

Nuit Bleue begins at 5 p.m. with theatre performances, short film productions and visual art exhibits. The evening will culminate with musical performances from 7–9 p.m.  

The evening program is as below:

IB Final Exams

DP culminating exams begin on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Year 12 students will attend classes up to and including Monday, April 22, 2024 (Day 9). In between there are two exam preparation days dedicated to student review. No classes are scheduled on these days but students are welcome to reach out to their teachers for support.

IB final examination schedule

Year 12 | Laptop return

As we approach the end of the school year, we'd like to inform you about the process for returning the MacBook Airs and their power supplies. An email has also been sent to all Year 12 students.

Year 12 students must return their laptops and power supplies before graduation. Both items must be dropped off at the Upper School Help Desk between 8:00 AM and 3:30 PM on weekdays. The deadline is Friday, May 17th, 3:30 PM. Please ensure all files are backed up. 

The laptop must be returned in its case, in good condition, and without damage. Any damage beyond normal wear and tear not covered under AppleCare will be billed to the family's UCC account. Kindly remove stickers from the laptop to avoid potential charges due to excessive sticker residue.

Please return a working Apple 30W power supply designed for the MacBook Air (M1 chip). If you do not return the Apple branded power supply, a replacement charge of $80 will be billed to your account. 

Students are responsible for transferring all their files from the laptops before returning them. Ensure all files are in the UCC Google Drive. Google Takeout can be used to export the files from the UCC account to a preferred location. Once the laptops are returned, they will be wiped immediately, and there will not be another opportunity to access the files. Rest assured, we will securely erase the hard drives. Your UCC Google Drive and email accounts will remain available until the end of October 2024, but we recommend exporting the files before the end of summer.

Year 12 student UCC Gmail and Drive accounts will remain active until Oct. 31, 2024. This allows students ample time to transfer important documents and update any important email contacts. After this date, the UCC account will be deleted, and there will no longer be access to any stored files or emails. Use Google Takeout  to move content from the UCC Google environment.

Look for a reminder about the account deletion of your UCC email accounts in early October 2024.

Thanks in advance, and do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Kathleen Peak

Executive Director, Information and Innovation

Student learning surveys

As part of UCC’s Strategic Directions, as stated under Strategic Priority 1 (Learning), “to collect, analyze and interpret data for the purposes of decision making and improving teaching and learning.”  It is our belief that quantitative and qualitative feedback given by students to faculty on a more regular basis will support and improve learning and teaching.

Please allow me to take this opportunity to continue the topic and conversation around subject-specific student learning surveys. A topic I’ve presented and discussed previously with the Parents Organization. 

In the interest of quality learning and teaching and as part of the faculty growth and evaluation process, we have traditionally and intermittently surveyed students during the school year on topics like relationships, classroom climate and academic expectations. Over the past two years we have been piloting surveys in a more formal way by partnering with Panorama Education. Leadership teams and survey committees have worked since September 2021 to investigate current research and thinking, as well as the ways in which subject specific student learning surveys might benefit and improve learning and teaching as well as professional growth for teachers. 

In last year’s pilot, 24 research-informed and tested questions frame four broad topic areas: classroom environment; teacher/student relationships; pedagogical efficacy; and subject rigour. No demographic information is included in the survey. Last year, a group of approximately 40 teachers and their students engaged in the trial of the survey during the months of April and May 2023. Information and feedback from that process and trial has informed next steps, which is a full role out of the learning surveys over the next two months. 

Once surveys are complete, the data is anonymously presented to the individual faculty member, faculty chair and head of school through a secure portal. The reports will allow faculty members to discuss the results with their faculty chair to support professional growth, as well as potentially inform departmental improvement.   Students will receive general information from advisers and then an invite for the surveys via email to be completed over a four week period from mid April to mid May. 

Please encourage students to share with you their experience with the survey and the information discussed. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me on this topic or others. 

Warm regards,

Jeff Aitken

Head of the Upper School

Year 10 | Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test Reminder 

We are sending a reminder about the upcoming OSSLT that Year 10 students will write on April 18 from 8:30 to 11:45 a.m. in the Old Gym. Students with accommodations will write in rooms 230 and 231. Please ensure your laptop is fully charged and arrive by 8:15 a.m. to be seated and settled in. 

REMINDER | Year 8 IDU at Norval 

We are reminding everyone about the upcoming Year 8 Norval trips taking place next week. Students will travel to Noval with their science sections. Please check the weather in the morning to ensure proper dress.  

Science sections visiting Norval will depart the UCC campus at 8 a.m. returning by 5:30 p.m. to maximize time at our outdoor facility. Families will be notified via email if a bus is more than 30 minutes late for pick up or drop off. 

Science section schedule (to find your student's science section, please look at the Bluenet timetable). 

• Tuesday, April 16: Science sections 2 and 3

• Wednesday, April 17: Science sections 1 and 7

• Thursday, April 18: Science Sections 4 and 5

• Friday, April 19: Science Section 6

Warmest regards,

Scott Bruce, Science Teacher and IDU Leader 

Brent Evans, Norval Outdoor School Director

David Holt, Art Teacher and IDU Leader 

Gillian Levene, Assistant Head, Student Life and Community 

Emilia Martin, MYP & Personal Project Coordinator 

Solar eclipse experience

Upper Canada College orchestrated a memorable outing for its 220 Year twelve and boarding students, offering them a unique opportunity to witness the celestial spectacle of a solar eclipse in Hamilton, Ontario. Amidst the anticipation and excitement, the science department, led in this initiative by science teachers Eric Shore, James Weekes, Joe Bush and Suzanne Monir, organized a carefully planned excursion, ensuring both educational enrichment and safety for all participants. Though heavy traffic and cloudy weather threatened to damper the event, occasional glimpses of the partial eclipse between the clouds elicited many shouts of excitement from the protective eyewear-clad students on the bus. Miraculously, cloud cover broke right as students arrived in Confederation Beach Park, treating them to an awe-inspiring view of the eclipse. Against the backdrop of the darkened sky, the students marveled at the cosmic phenomenon, deepening their understanding of astronomy and the wonders of the universe. Views of the sun’s corona, solar prominences and a 360° sunset were beheld with cheers by students and teachers alike. Data collected by enterprising students showed a noticeable drop in temperature which was felt by all in the suddenly chilly afternoon breeze.

This immersive experience not only fostered a sense of wonder and curiosity but also strengthened the bonds within the school community, leaving an indelible impression on all who were fortunate enough to witness the celestial event together.

Drop off used solar eclipse glasses

Now that the solar eclipse is over, please consider dropping off your used solar eclipse glasses at the upper school or prep school front desk. Solar eclipse glasses cannot be placed in your blue recycling bins, so rather than ending up in landfills, let's donate them! Please drop off your undamaged glasses; we will pass them along to Astronomers Without Borders. The organization will donate your glasses to young people in South America to view an eclipse occurring there later this year. Let's help to make astronomy accessible to all!  

Earth Week at the Upper School—April 22–26

Earth Week is coming up very soon and the whole community is invited to get involved by using their Creativity for Change. Please see the Upper School’s schedule for the week below. There is something for everyone, from creating a sustainability-focused film for the Sustaina-Film Competition, to making a smoothie using a bicycle, viewing a brand-new documentary, walking, cycling, or taking public transport to school, designing a bee hotel, getting dressed up in thrifted fashions, recycling e-waste, unwanted clothing, linen, and shoes, cleaning up or simply going outside! 

In particular, we’d like to call families’ attention to the following three events: 

E-waste and clothing drive

Families, please consider supporting us by doing some spring cleaning as follows: 

E-waste drive in partnership with the Toronto Zoo

For the second year in a row, UCC is partnering with the Toronto Zoo to collect e-waste in support of great ape conservation. The Zoo will accept monitors, TVs, computers, notebooks, servers, wire, aluminum, keyboards, computer mice, electronic scrap, small appliances, laptops, tablets, iPods, radios and, of course, cell phones. Read more about acceptable items here. Bins for the drive will be located in the Bernick Family Foyer all week. 

House competition clothing drive 

The Sustainability Council has also organized a house competition to collect donations of unneeded clothing, linen and shoes for the Oasis Clothing Bank. You can read more about accepted items here. Bins will be located in the Bernick Family Foyer all week. Please donate generously! 

Cycles + Smoothies—Earth Week Pedal Power 

On Tuesday, UCC families are invited to bring in your bikes for a tune-up with Matteo’s Mobile Bike Repair, the top Google-rated mobile bike repair service in Toronto for the past 10 years, as well as the only pedal-powered team in the industry. Tune-ups are FREE* and take approximately 15-20 minutes — first come, first served! Be sure to bring in a mug as well so that you can enjoy a FREE bicycle-powered smoothie with our honoured guest Michael Sacco from ChocoSol. This event will take place in the Design Lab (Room 302) on Tuesday, April 23, from 4–6 pm. *Please note that any parts required will be at your own expense. Sign up here.

Sustainable movie night — Screening of 2040

Please join us for a screening of award-winning director Damon Gameau’s 2019 documentary, in which “he embarks on a journey to explore what the future could look like by the year 2040 if we simply embraced the best solutions already available to us to improve our planet and shifted them rapidly into the mainstream.” Here is a link to the film’s trailer. The film will be screened on Thursday, April 24 from 4–6 pm in Room 127 and will be followed by a short discussion hosted by our Sustainability Steward Bill Sun. Refreshments will be served. 

REGISTER | Upper School Comedy Night

The Parents' Organization’s Arts Booster Club Comedy Night has returned by popular demand! Professional stand-up comedians are performing at UCC on Tuesday, April 16 for one night only. Upper School students and their accompanying trusted adults will enjoy light food and beverages in the Student Centre before a live comedy show in the David Chu Theatre. Funny man Greg Eckler ’87, long time writer for the Rick Mercer Report, will emcee this evening of food and levity. 

Date: Tuesday, April 16

Time: 6:30–8:30 p.m.

Venues: UCC Student Centre and the David Chu Theatre  

Tickets: $50 each. Seating is limited so get your tickets here!

BLUES BEAT HUNGER — Spring food drive 2024

Neil Heatherington, CEO of Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank, will be delivering this year's Barton Lecture in the UCC Upper School Assembly on Monday, April 29.

With this special visit in mind, Service Steward Emerson McQueen has mobilized the Community Service Council to organize and run the first UCC Upper School Spring Food Drive. Starting on Monday, April 15 until Friday, April 26, Upper School students will begin collecting food donations in the foyer as we did back in November. Once again we will be partnering with Churches on the Hill Daily Bread Food Bank (COTH), located just a few blocks away from UCC campus. COTH serves between 1,100 and 1,200 people each week. Today COTH needs our support more than ever. Rising inflation, especially in food prices and housing, is causing more households to rely on COTH to meet their needs. In fact, across Toronto one in ten residents use food banks to survive. 

You can help out by bringing in food donations to the bins located in the Bernick Family Foyer. Our goal is to collect a pound of food for every student, so please help us support this important cause. COTH has provided us with a list of the items that are in the highest demand, and we’ve allocated them by house. We also ask that everyone consider donating baby formula (Enfalac or Kirkland brands) and diapers (sizes 4-6) to support the infant program at COTH. 

Please place your listed objects in the house-labeled bins present:

Bremner's — white or brown rice

Howard's —peanut butter (large size) 

Jackson's —low sugar cereals like Cheerios (large size)

Martland's —canned fruit

McHugh's —large flaked oats (not instant)

Mowbray's— dried beans (i.e. red kidney beans, chick peas, black beans, etc.)

Orr's — canned tuna and salmon

Scadding's — salted crackers

Seaton's and Wedd's —dry pasta (large size)

The clients of COTH are very thankful for your support and generosity!