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Dear Upper School Families,

Our thoughts remain very much with the family and friends impacted by the tragic news of a recent death of one of our students. As an Upper School community, we have engaged and are preparing for both supportive messaging and mechanisms for our students as they return to school next week. As I’ve observed numerous times over recent years, our community will come together at this difficult time in the most supportive and remarkable ways. Once again, our students will make us proud.

This week, we have seen the return of colleagues to the school and have engaged in extensive preparations and professional learning. The energy and dedication of our staff and faculty is inspirational; our students are so very lucky to have these caring and committed individuals working to ensure they feel welcome and supported. As much as we as colleagues and professionals enjoy the company and working with one another, we eagerly await the return of all our students on Wednesday, Sept. 6.

Please allow me to take this opportunity to share some important details before the arrival of students next week.

Student Timetables

Student timetables will be available for access in Bluenet on Monday, Sept. 4. 

New Student Orientation

We are excited to welcome new Day and Boarding students on Tuesday, Sept. 5! Please see the section in this publication of Heads Up for all new students beginning their Upper School learning journey, which includes helpful tips and contact information. Please know that students will be given House t-shirts and ties on this day. Students who are Mentors, Prefects, or Heads of House will have received communication in their UCC email outlining expectations around attendance and arrival time on this day. At 3:00 p.m., students who have not received their laptops can do so in Room 127. The session runs from 30 - 45 minutes in length.

Uniform

The Upper School uniform is outlined in the Family Handbook and at a quick glance can be found here.

SchoolPass Attendance App

The Upper School is excited to continue with the use of the SchoolPass Attendance App, which will be used to communicate student absences or late arrivals to the College. The app will eventually replace the attendance email and voicemail systems.

Please refer to the instructions for using the app found here. For any login issues, please contact usattendance@ucc.on.ca.

*The SchoolPass App is currently available only to Upper School families.

Advising

The adviser is the key point of contact for the family of the advisee as well as an advocate and support person for the student during their time at the Upper School. Generally, students keep the same adviser from Years 9–12, however, if your student is in Year 9 or will otherwise be working with a new adviser, the new adviser will be reaching out via email to introduce themselves prior to the start of the school year. 

Introduction to the Diploma Programme

Year 11 students will participate in an introduction to the Diploma Programme (DP) during the afternoon of the first day of classes. Our Diploma Coordinator will provide an overview of the components of the two year-program along with valuable insight into achieving success during the two years. 

Please note, the Upper School Curriculum Night will take place on Monday, Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m. We look forward to welcoming all parents on campus at this time. 

Kind regards,

Dr. Jeff Aitken
Head, Upper School

Upper School family calendar and student schedules

The Upper School family calendar is now live on Bluenet (login required). Click here for instructions on how to access and subscribe to calendars. 

Student schedules for the 2023–24 academic year will be published on Bluenet on Monday, Sept. 4.

New Student Orientation Day on Sept. 5

We look forward to welcoming all day and boarding students new to the Upper School on Orientation Day, Tuesday, Sept. 5. Please check the New Student Orientation Schedule for an overview of the day’s program and additional resources. In addition, see the FAQ for answers to popular questions.

New students will obtain access to their lockers on Orientation Day. Their Senior House Adviser will assign them a locker in their House locker room next to their mentor’s locker. It's recommended that they bring a combination lock with them in order to keep their belongings secure. 

New students: Laptop pick up on Sept. 5

At 3 p.m., students who have not received their laptops can do so in Room 127.  The session will be 30 to 45 minutes in length.

Years 8 and 9 laptops

Dear Year 8 and 9 Families,

School laptops are an important tool in the day-to-day life of our students. It is critical that school laptops are used appropriately as a tool for learning. Year 8 and Year 9 laptops will continue to be managed by the College with restrictions against non-academic software. These restrictions must be in place to ensure the smooth functionality and security of the laptops. Students will still have the access rights to connect the laptops to their home wifi and printing environments. While on campus, students are expected to use the technology as guided by the College rules and regulations, as per the Family Handbook, and guidance from the Student Support Advisory Council.

Students will be supported with a formal digital citizenship program exploring topics such as online interactions, cyberbullying, and digital privacy. These measures also allow the College to manage and support students in the unlikely event of future school disruptions.

Please know that your student’s computer will be equipped with all of the necessary software and programs to successfully support their academics. Any software that is required for learning will be made available through the College’s software distribution process. Moving forward, students will only be able to use Chrome as a browser, and they will not be permitted to download software that would give access to VPN, social media, or gaming software.

These changes to the management of the devices will be implemented over the next week in preparation for the return to class.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter and we appreciate your support in ensuring students have the best environments for learning success.

Best Wishes,

Gillian Levene, Assistant Head, Student Life Year 8 

Joe Smith, Assistant Head, Student Life Year 9 

Jim LaPlante, Executive Director, Information and Innovation

Year 12 | Information regarding the academic calendar 

Dear Year 12 Students and Families,

The school calendar will be released shortly and we want to draw your attention to the placement of an important element in our academic year — Year 12 internal mid-year examinations. These exams will be held from January 29 to February 14, 2024. 

It’s a longstanding practice for the College to hold Year 12 internal mid-year examinations. They offer a valuable opportunity for students to consolidate and demonstrate their learning and serve as important practice and preparation to support their success on the final, externally set IB examinations in May. These exams were historically placed in December; however, through consultation with and feedback from teachers and students over the last few years and with the advice of our faculty chairs, University Counselling team, Centre for Learning, and IB DP Coordinator, we have made the decision to shift the timing of the Year 12 internal mid-year exams to late January/early February this year and in future.

This change to the timing of the exams was trialed with last year’s Leaving Class and received much positive feedback from students and families. The late January/early February timing is beneficial for a number of reasons:

• It supports student learning and exam success by providing more instructional time in Year 12 courses and a focus on preparation for the internal exams ahead of the sitting in late January/early February;

• It alleviates some of the pressure Year 12 students have typically faced in December by removing high-stakes exam-based assessments from that time period and allowing students to focus in December in the lead up to the January report card on more project-based tasks. It also creates more opportunity for the important work of postsecondary/university applications, which is in full flight in December, with time for students to receive support from our University Counseling team;

• It is closer to the final IB examinations held in May and therefore more timely and helpful preparation for that experience and a better predictor of student success; and

• It honours the input received through consultation with students, staff and faculty as to what will be most supportive of our Year 12s and their learning.

Further details about the program and experience of the coming year will be available in classes, at Curriculum Night and during information evenings that will be held in the days and weeks ahead. We are looking forward to welcoming our Year 12s back to school next week and to supporting them in this exciting and important culminating year of their UCC journey.

Warm regards,

Dr. Julia Kinnear
Academic Dean

Dr. Jeff Aitken
Head, Upper School

From the wings

Click here for a sneak peek at the exciting things happening on the stages of Upper Canada College.

UCC musical instruments

All musical instruments must be returned to the Music Department on Tuesday, September 5, 2023. 

Mr. Gomes

UCC Parents' Organization website 

The Parents' Organization is proudly marking its second year of hosting its own website. The UCC PO website was designed to foster an increased sense of community by offering an additional tool to assist families in navigating the resources available to the Upper School community. 

The website highlights information about the PO including upcoming PO community events as well as Upper School resources,  student leadership opportunities, exam tips for families,  and opportunities for Student Service. In addition, parents can find ways to get involved at the college by visiting the volunteer section. 

You can access the site by clicking uccpo.ca, or using the QR code below. For privacy reasons, a username and password are required.

Username: UCCPO

Password: Blue&white1829

The PO would like to thank UCC students Phelan Niu ’25 for updating the PO website, and Gordon Liang ’24 and Gabe D'Souza ’24 for creating a newer soon-to-be-released version of the PO website.

SIGN UP | New year, new volunteer opportunities for parents

UCC’s vibrant parent community is one of the many special things about the College. No matter how much or how little time you have, the Parents’ Organization (PO) can find a volunteer opportunity for you. 

The PO assists with events such as Association Day (Oct. 14), Festive Marketplace (Dec. 8) and more throughout the year. 

If you’re interested in getting involved, please click here. For questions and more information, please email communityengagement@uccpo.ca.

The Used Blues Shop (TUBS) Sale

The Used Blues Shop (TUBS) is hosting its annual back-to-school sale right after Labour Day. 

Dates:

Tuesday, Sept. 5, from 2–4 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 6, from 8–9:30 a.m.

Where: 

Upper School lower level hallway (near the Lower Dining Hall)

The sale will feature gently used uniforms and spirit wear. All purchases will be charged to a student’s account. Students are welcome to shop on their own, and parents are welcome but are asked to first sign in at reception. Please bring a shopping bag.

Donations are welcome. If you have questions, please email TUBS.