THIS WEEK IN BOARDING

Dear UCC Boarding Families:

We're sure your student is getting excited with the new UCC school year on the horizon.

When everyone is settled in, there will be 86 students living in Seaton’s and Wedd’s. No doubt new students are feeling some trepidation about their first days at UCC, but rest assured that UCC faculty, staff, and returning students will help them adjust. 

These new students would be no different than veteran students who are a year or two removed from the same situation. We look forward to welcoming our 32 new boarding students and we have a large crew of veteran boarders that have volunteered to return early to be part of the orientation program. 54 veteran students and 17 faculty members living on campus are equally committed to making sure that the new student transition is smooth.

“New to Blue” Schedule

All new boarders are expected to move into Seaton’s or Wedd’s House between 9 and 10 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 3. New students will participate in our New2Blue boarding orientation program beginning Sept. 5 and running through Tuesday, Sept. 6. The orientation program for new boarders includes a trip to Norval, our outdoor education centre.

Parents (and siblings) and/or guardians should plan to be on campus on Sunday, Sept. 3 from 9 a.m., through lunch, and to the end of dinner (approximately 8 p.m.). You will have the opportunity to meet your student’s Senior House Adviser, meet teachers who are driving the co-curricular program, as well as attend meetings with representatives from the Health Centre, the Wernham West Centre for Learning, and Aramark Food Services. On Sunday students will also pick up their MacBook Air computer and you will have an opportunity to visit The Blues Shop for school supplies, UCC crested items and the clothing sale if you haven’t purchased your child’s uniform online yet.

A special thank you to the veteran senior boarders for making their way back to residence to assist with the delivery of the “New2Blue” program. Heads of House and Prefects will return on Friday, Sept. 1 for leadership training.

 
All other veteran volunteers for New2Blue must return by Saturday, Sept. 2 at 5 p.m.  

The second part of this message is meant to serve as a reminder for all boarders and parents that the UCC school day isn’t complete when classes are dismissed at 3:40 p.m. We are eager to return to the daily routine where students can resume their favourite after-school activities but also challenge themselves to step outside their comfort zone to try new activities.

We’ve successfully integrated a program to provide students with a healthy outlet from academic study at the end of the school day. It’s our goal to have all students develop new skills and experiences that will lead to healthy lifestyle development, and the opportunity to meet new friends in the day and boarding communities. It would be appreciated if every family could have a discussion about the co-curricular activities that your student could pursue during the coming school year. 

The boarding program requires every student to participate in a major co-curricular activity during two of the three terms. The details of this expectation are as follows:

● All students must participate in a major co-curricular activity in two terms out of three. School sports, theater, music (jazz, wind and strings), clubs (debate, Model UN, World Affairs Conference) and service (Horizons tutoring) can all add up to the time requirement needed to fulfill the co-curricular expectation.

● All students must participate in a co-curricular activity that has a daily after-school commitment during the fall term; some students may choose a full commitment for each of the next two terms, but everyone must create a plan that demonstrates full commitment in at least one of the two remaining terms. The only exception to this rule will be for students with a demonstrated track record of participating in a major co-curricular commitment in the winter and spring terms.

Senior House Advisers stand by the reasons we believe students need two terms of co-curricular involvement:

● Time-management and organizational skills will be enhanced.

● A healthy balance of work and exercise will be achieved. We believe students work better in the evenings when they’ve removed themselves physically and emotionally from the daily academic schedule.

● A healthy change of pace helps students sleep and work better because they can develop a true passion for an activity that gives them a reason to get moving each day.

● Participation in a major after-school activity allows boarders to develop new friendships with day students.

● Entry to university has never been so competitive. Strong academic results won’t guarantee entry to schools or programs of choice. Queen’s University, Western University, and the University of British Columbia are examples of Canadian universities with programs that require student essays to be written as part of the application process. Participation in a major co-curricular activity gives students an opportunity to write strong supplementary admission essays about their well-rounded development and why they’re a good bet for long-term success.

The Senior House Advisers are excited about the prospect of helping your student’s development inside and outside the classroom. We need to be clear that participation in the after-school program isn’t an option. We track the participation of each student during the fall term. If a student doesn’t meet the UCC boarding expectation, there will be communication with the family. At the end of each school year we review co-curricular participation as a criterion for promotion to the next grade level.

We know some students will feel anxious about the prospect of making a major after-school commitment. The senior house advisers have much experience guiding students along this path. A graduating boarder once wrote the following as a closing statement in the College Times yearbook: “I could have learned calculus anywhere; it was boarding and the co-curricular program that have given me friends for life and an appreciation for the value of stepping outside my comfort zone to try something new.” 

New and returning families should read through the UCC Boarding Family Handbook to understand the student experience while living in Seaton’s and Wedd’s. Please email your student’s Senior House Adviser, Amit Morris (Seaton’s) and Anna Blagona (Wedd’s), if you have any questions regarding the content in the Boarding Family Handbook.

Sincerely,

Emma Kanga, Director of Residential Life

Andrew D. Turner, University Counsellor for Boarders