Select a link to jump to an article.

Dear Prep Families,

This week we held a special Prep assembly where we were able to gather with all teachers and students in Year 3 through 7 to honour and commemorate the installation of a beautiful and meaningful Indigenous acknowledgement mural in the Wilder Library. The assembly included oral knowledge sharing by the mural’s artist, Philip Coté, traditional ceremonies and sharing by other special guests in song, drumming and dance. Our students were a very attentive and respectful audience and were highly engaged in learning more from our guests in the question period that concluded the assembly.

This work of art that now resides in the Prep is the product of an eight-year-long relationship between Mr. Coté and our Prep students and teachers and a part of the College’s ongoing work toward meeting its commitments to Truth and Reconciliation. Over the last eight years, Mr. Coté has held workshops with a few hundred students, sharing cultural teachings, Indigenous history of the land and specific Indigenous art styles. Many of the teachings are represented in the resulting mural. The idea for a mural originated in a Year 5 Design class as students explored the question “How might we spur the UCC community to think more deeply about the past and present Indigenous significance of this land?” One of the top ideas, which was eventually presented to Principal Sam McKinney, was for a mural created by an Indigenous artist.

Mr. Coté shared with Prep art teacher Monika Kastelic the following statement which captures well the significance of this collaborative art project: “Allowing an Indigenous narrative to physically live on a landscape is reconciliation in action.” The placement of the mural in the Wilder Library is an intentional choice to situate a physical representation of Indigenous knowledge and worldview in a place traditionally viewed as a knowledge centre and the heart of the school. The mural will serve as a reminder for our community that there are many forms of knowledge—not only different perspectives, but also different ways knowledge is presented and shared. We look forward to this mural being a talking point and an accessible launch pad for inquiries and discussions about Indigenous perspectives and knowledge. There are plans in the near future to create audio recordings and additional learning resources that will honour Philip Coté’s story and the legacy of this art piece for years to come. 

Other highlights of the current week include celebrations of student learning such as our Year 3 Forces Fair and the final preparations for upcoming holiday musical performances including at Festive Marketplace this Friday, the Festival of Lights concert on Sunday and the Year 6-7 Winter concert next week. Thank you to our students and teachers for the diligence and energy they are bringing to all our learning activities and of course to families for supporting these last few busy and exciting weeks prior to the break. As noted below, PLT will be serving hot chocolate to families during drop-off next Friday, Dec. 15. We hope many of you will stop by and say hello.

And finally…the moment we have all been waiting for! We are absolutely delighted to share with you the news of the arrival of the newest member of our UCC community, Sarah Fleming’s daughter, Josephine. Sarah and Jo are doing well. Sarah is incredibly grateful for the well wishes of the community and is looking forward to visiting the Prep with Jo sometime in the near future.

Your partners in learning,

Julia Kinnear, David Girard and Gareth Evans

The Prep Leadership Team

Year 4 | Update

We hope this message finds you doing well and preparing for the holiday season!

As we approach the last few weeks of the first term, we would like to inform you about the exciting topics and events happening in your child's education. Here are some key points to keep in mind:

In Unit 5 of our math curriculum, we will embark on an exciting journey into division and touch on some grade-five concepts. Our primary focus will be mastering the art of dividing 4-digit numbers by 1-digit numbers using mental strategies and long division. As we progress, we will delve into more intricate concepts, such as two-digit division, and introduce the traditional long-division method and the notion of partial quotients.

Throughout this unit, we will explore different division methods, including using the area model and algorithms. We'll learn how to represent and solve problems involving dividing three-digit whole numbers by two-digit real numbers, making connections between these two methods. Additionally, we will emphasise the importance of expressing any remainder appropriately, ensuring that your child learns how to perform division while effectively communicating their solutions.

We hope to foster a deep understanding of division methods and their connection to real-world scenarios. By following this curriculum, we aim to ensure that your child stays on the right track in their mathematical learning journey, building essential skills that will serve as a foundation for their future mathematical endeavours.

We encourage you to continue discussing and encouraging your child's reading and research about their assigned god or goddess. This project is an engaging way for them to explore ancient mythology and culture. Visiting the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) to explore some ancient civilization displays could be a valuable educational experience.

If your child has known absences coming up as the holidays approach, kindly report them to the prep attendance and their form advisor.

Mark your calendars for an exciting Friday, Dec.—our Festive Marketplace. We encourage you to plan some time to visit and explore the various vendors and performances in Hewitt Athletic Centre.

Join us for a holiday celebration on Sunday, Dec. 10, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Upper School. It promises to be a delightful event that brings the school community together.

The first significant paragraph writing assignment will come home the week of December 7. This assignment was essential to your child's language development and will showcase their progress.

We are gearing up for an exciting unit of inquiry in science, focusing on matter with a particular emphasis on the changing of states. This curriculum aligns with the Ontario science expectations and will provide valuable insights into the world of science.

Stay tuned for details about our year-end skating party, which promises to be a fun activity during physical and health education (PHE) class.

Please be aware that we will have a half day on December 21, and classes will resume on January 9 after the holiday break.

Lastly, this is the longest stretch that the boys will be at school for this year; congratulations on making it through the challenges that inevitably come with school, family, and other commitments through this busy time. 

Thank you and be well, 

Michael Bushey and Mark Ferley

Year 4 Form Advisers

Year 5 Design | Update

Year 5 students are approaching the end of their fabrication unit. Throughout this unit, the students have diligently followed the design cycle to create and craft charcuterie boards for their families, perfectly timed for the upcoming holidays.

We recently had the pleasure of hosting Bernard von Bieberstein, a local reclaimed wood designer. He shared valuable insights with the Year 5 students, delving into woodworking techniques, entrepreneurship in owning his own business, and fostering a designer's mindset. The students enthusiastically engaged with him, asking insightful questions about his design process, and they found great inspiration in his work.

Additionally, we'd like to extend our appreciation to Ms. Kathy Tran, our Design Lab Technician. Her unwavering support throughout this woodworking unit has been instrumental in guiding and assisting the children. We are truly grateful for her expertise and dedication!

Joanna Martin
Technology Integrator and Design Teacher

Middle science | Update

Dear Prep Families,

The warmth of fall is changing into the cooler air of the winter as we continue to explore a range of topics in our science labs. Please find below a summary of the Year 6 and Year 7 science programs.

Year 6

Students have been diligently working through their second unit of study, Heat and the Environment, where they have had the exciting opportunity to learn through a variety of hands-on labs. Year 6 students showed great focus and determination when working with the bunsen burners, where they were investigating the “heating curve of water.” This required teamwork, constant communication, and precision in order to gather accurate temperature readings. Students took the temperature of icy water every minute until it reached a boil, all while managing the flame and stirring constantly. 

Students are now competing in a classroom competition to create the most efficient insulated can. They are working in pairs to determine which order of materials will conserve the most heat when boiling water is poured into the can. May the best design win!

In the new year, families of Year 6 students can look forward to their child getting some experience in the kitchen! They will be learning about sustainable food practices and following a recipe in order to analyze its impact on the environment.

In our current unit, Atoms and Elements, we are studying the fundamental principles of atomic structure, including electrons, protons and neutrons. The idea of chemical change was introduced with a demonstration of “elephant toothpaste.” (Please use this link to see a video of the demonstration.) Next, we explored the structure of the atom using this simulation; students were able to explore the role played by electrons, protons and neutrons in the atom. Our exploration of the atom continued as we created Bohr and Lewis-dot diagrams to visually represent the electron configuration of elements, using the 2-8-8 rule to fill the orbitals.

We completed our study of atoms with an introduction to ionic bonding and the naming conventions for ionic compounds. Don’t be surprised if the next time your child is thirsty, they ask for a large, cold glass of dihydrogen monoxide (or H2O).

Sincerely,

Kerry Dupuis and Sydney Frank

Science Teachers

Whole School holidays at Lonsdale

The Prep will be actively celebrating Holidays At Lonsdale during the week of Dec. 11. Please see the table below for information on how students are encouraged to dress throughout the week. In addition, the PLT is excited to serve hot chocolate to families during drop-off on Friday, Dec. 15. Please feel free to park at the arena and join us for a short chat or grab your hot chocolate to go!!

Special Note: If a student chooses not to participate in a special dress day, they should wear their regular school uniform. Details can be found in the Family Handbook. Also, special dress days at the Prep may differ from those at the Upper School.

Norval Outdoor School | Update

Now, at the end of November at Norval Outdoor School, winter is comfortably settling in for its great exhale — similarly, the Year 4 classes joined in meditating and resting on the passing of time during their annual sit spot hike and reflections. As October concludes, the season simultaneously calls for great excitement, and in this spirit the Year 4s accomplished high-action challenges by navigating off-the-ground teamwork ‘low ropes’ courses to compliment their Norval Rocks! programming. In their geology study at Norval, the Year 4s tested mineral samples against the Mohs Hardness Scale, and applied this knowledge to crushing the red Norval shale with mortar and pestle into powdered pigments. Strung up to the rafters of the sugar shack on a string, these artworks fluttered alongside the falling leaves of the sugar maple forest.

Into November, the warm autumn sun gathered the Year 5s at Norval. 5B joined their grade cohorts in exploring the seasonal harvests. They inquired to the Norval honeybee hives about the status of the hive, and pressed fruits from the heirloom apple orchard into warm apple cider. Together, in a service project hike, the Year 5s celebrated a longstanding collaboration with the municipality of Halton Hills to open a Credit Valley Trail. It was nothing short of historic to see UCC students servicing their school and community among the iconic red pine plantations known to many UCC alumni. At this time, Norval welcomed many wonderful students from visiting schools to share in the experiential knowledge of the great outdoors.

It was as refreshing as the brisk morning air on main campus to return to UCC for the Year 3 Forces of Nature program in which students harnessed the powers of nature within their control! The students adventured into the Where the Wild Things Are free play forest with their chosen toy buddies. Students imaginatively sent a toy buddy on a carnival-inspired adventure into physical forces. The Year 3s learned and played on jolly activities, such as the zip line tour where students have to gently land their buddy at a target platform using a pre-set zipline, or the stunt driver ramps in which students land their buddy in a target bucket using wooden ramps. Other activities included an exploration of centrifugal force through the Spin-o-Tron and experimentation of different planks and fulcrum positions in order to create a teeter-totter to launch their airborne buddy. 

As autumn falls and begins to freeze, we join our UCC students in reflection to the teachings of the fall; to take time together, to celebrate a community in its challenges and successes, and together prepare for the gifts and gusts of winter. 

Hannah Riding
Norval Outdoor Instructor

Skating party dates

Dear Prep Community,

During the last week of school, we will use time during PE or Games class to skate with our friends and enjoy some holiday music and hot chocolate courtesy of the PPO. Please see below for the schedule and ensure your child brings warm clothing (they will wear PE gear if appropriate), skates, a helmet and gloves for that day.  

Monday, Dec. 18

12:35-1:35 p.m. — SK skating party

12:35-1:35 p.m. — Year 1 skating party

12:35- 1:35 p.m. —Year 2 skating party

1:35- 2:35 p.m. —Year 3 skating party

1:35-2:35 p.m. — Year 4 skating party

2:35-3:35 p.m. —Year 7 skating party

Tuesday, Dec. 19

9:45-10:45 a.m. — Year 6 skating party

10:45-11:45 a.m. —Year 5 skating party

Thank you,

Victoria Altomare
Director of Athletics

DONATE | Holiday Hamper program

This year, we are thrilled to introduce a new initiative, the Holiday Hamper program, aimed at bringing the joy of the festive season to those in need. We have committed to sponsoring twenty families at Sprucecourt Public School. Each UCC form class will take on the heartwarming task of sponsoring a family, ensuring the magic of the holidays becomes a reality. Emphasizing the spirit of giving without seeking recognition, our donations will be carried out anonymously. We believe in instilling a sense of fulfillment in our students, teaching them that the joy of giving back is a reward in itself. Together, we aim to make a meaningful impact and spread the true essence of the holiday season. 

On the document below, please scroll across the bottom and find your child’s form class. You will then see a shopping list for the family they are sponsoring. If you would like to support this initiative, please sign up on the document. Important notes:

• Please involve your child in this initiative, have some fun with them! Take them shopping for someone else, let them pick out the item!

• Gifts must be in your child’s form class no later than Friday December 15

• Please attach a gift receipt to the gift

• Please send the gift in wrapped (gift cards do not need to be wrapped)

• If all gifts have been accounted for on your child’s class page, please do not hesitate to buy extra grocery gift cards to Loblaws — the Principal has shared there is an immense need for this

Lastly, I am looking for parent volunteers to help deliver the gifts on Monday, Dec. 18. If you are interested please email me.

UCC Holiday Hampers 2023

Many thanks in advance for your support of this initiative. It feels good to give, especially around the holiday season!

Riley Carter

Community Engagement and Service Learning Coordinator 

ASP Update

Please note that there will be no aftercare on Thursday, Dec. 21 as there is early dismissal for the holidays.

The schedule and registration for January ASP clubs will be available in next week's edition of Heads Up.

Support the PPO Toy Drive