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Students and colleagues emerged from the long weekend with new energy and enthusiasm, evident in classes as learning resumed and in the many clubs, teams and arts groups reconnected. Friday was an exciting day for our community, beginning with an engaging assembly that profiled several student club updates including those from Quiddity, Model UN and DECA, as well as student elections; student leaders expressed pride and accomplishment related to their respective initiatives and growth. Individual house representatives then participated in the first ever house rowing competition, a CAS project led by a Year 12 student and sang a memorable rendition of Farewell to Nova Scotia. 

The Hewitt Athletic Centre witnessed a lot of school spirit with the cheering on of our basketball teams in CISAA playoffs. The varsity basketball team faced off against Crescent in front of a packed house, winning a nailbiter to advance to the league finals. The U16A and U16B teams were equally successful, winning their games and moving on in the playoffs. Select Year 8 students enjoyed fun activities with their peers at BSS, building a sense of belonging and memories with new friends.

Then, on Monday, Feb. 26, the Principal’s Assembly closed the 2024 Black Excellence Month, with powerful presentations led by Dean Kiyinhi and Harrison Amber, as well as a celebratory dance competition among UCC colleagues. Year 9 families then joined members of the programming, CAS and Health Services team to hear highlights of the year so far and look forward to exams.

Winter assembly highlights

Please see a few program highlights here — including a range of special speakers and activities — that will inspire curiosity, reflection and joy. Event details will be added as they are confirmed, and please also take notice of select assemblies in the winter and spring where we can invite a certain number of Year 12 parents to attend by RSVP.

Outstanding success at DECA Provincials 

On Feb. 10, at the Ontario DECA Provincial competition, a team of 30 UCC students led by Faculty Advisor Erann Zlotnick, competed to qualify for the International Career Development Conference (ICDC), or DECA Internationals. DECA is the biggest North American high-school business competition, consisting of events ranging from marketing service roleplaying to financial literacy examinations. 

We left provincials with 11 medalists winning 18 medals and seven provincial champions qualifying for ICDC. They will be representing UCC on the international stage in Anaheim, California this April.

This is the most successful year ever for UCC DECA. Sending seven students out of 30 to ICDC is unprecedented. For context, only the top 5% of competitors in each event qualify. 

However, with days and nights of mock exams and practice role playing, the UCC DECA club has defied these odds with an incredible medalist-to-competitor ratio. 

Upper Canada College will be proudly represented by Year 11 students Benedict Wang, Unmol Sharma, Matthew Li, Dennis Lu and Daniel Xing and Year 10 students Jayden Lin and Derek Gu in Anaheim, CA, on the international stage, from April 25 to May 2, 2024. 

Wish us luck! 

The DECA Team

Year 9 | Parent information evening slides

On Monday, Feb. 26, Year 9 parents gathered in person for an information session and social. Here are the slides from that evening. Also, any parents who are interested in presenting at the "School of Life" experience week from June 11-13 should fill in this interest form and will be contacted at a later date to discuss details.

Thanks,

Lindsay Rielly
Year 9 Coordinator

SIGN UP | Optional Year 11 trip to Norval

Based on themes of resilience, survival and leadership skills, we are for the first time offering a Norval trip experience immediately following the exam period for the Year 11 students from Monday, June 17 to Tuesday, June 18 (2 days and 1 night) and will consist of leadership skill building through problem-solving and physical challenges outdoors. Before settling on an exact itinerary, we would first like to gauge interest. Please let us know by completing this form if your student is planning on attending. We will finalize details based on the number of participants 

SIGN UP | Golf team meeting

If students are interested in trying out for the UCC golf team, please encourage them to meet in Room 207 on Monday, March 4 at 1:30 p.m. If you have any questions please email Mr. David Crawford.

From the wings

SPRINT Entrepreneurship Competition

The SPRINT Entrepreneurship Competition is taking place at UCC this Saturday, March 2. This is a student-run conference/competition that started three years ago and is an entrepreneurial ecosystem and innovation challenge for student entrepreneurs who want to bring their novel and impactful ideas to life. Students participating in SPRINT will meet and be mentored by industry leaders. This year, we will host several investors, founders, and professors to help, judge, and mentor the students. In teams of four or individually, students make and present a set of deliverables and a short business pitch to a panel of experts to evaluate the feasibility of their ideas and presentation skills. The grand prize includes a summer finance internship at Scotiabank, a top financial firm in Canada. 

World Affairs Conference 2024: Minds in Motion

This is just a reminder for students to sign up for the 2024 World Affairs Conference (WAC). The World Affairs Conference is an annual event hosted by UCC and Branksome Hall. As Canada's oldest and North America's largest student-run conference, we are excited to welcome students for another round of exciting plenaries and keynotes with speakers such as Bob Rae (Canadian Ambassador to UN), Bruce Kuwabara, O.C. (Architect), Esko Aho (Former PM of Finland), Francisco Sagasti (Former President of Peru) as well as many others. Information about our much anticipated keynote speakers will be announced soon. Stay tuned through our website and Instagram!

This year, WAC will take place on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, and is mandatory for students in Years 9 through 12. Students who wish to get lunch from UCC that day need to indicate that option on the WAC website before registration closes. Please note that lunch will be served in the Hewitt Athletic Centre due to an increased number of students in the building for the conference. Once you set up your account, you will also be able to pick your favourite plenary sessions as soon as the selection process is open.

Roll WAC!

The WAC Executive Team

Year 8 WAC day permission forms (available on BlueNet)

Year 8 students will participate in one of two engaging wellbeing and learning activities on Wednesday, March 6. 

For both excursions, students will depart by bus from Upper Canada College at 8:30 a.m. from the north entrance. We will return to UCC by bus between 3:30 and 4 p.m. If the buses are going to be more than 15–20 minutes late, we will send out a communication to families. 

Students are permitted to bring their phones on the bus, though our gaming policy still applies and they will be asked to not use them at Norval and during activities at Six Nations of the Grand River.

1. Norval permission form will be sent out via Bluenet

A Winter Fun day or Spring Maple Syrup Festival depending on the weather. A cookout-style lunch will be provided by Norval. Students will be outside for this experience and they are asked to dress for the weather.  

• Winter fun day trailer and what to pack video

• Norval winter clothing list

• Early spring clothing list

2. Woodland Cultural Centre permission form will be sent out via Bluenet

Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford, Ontario. Students will participate in a number of meaningful workshops including a traditional games workshop, a Six Nations land claim workshop, and a Wampum Belt Craft workshop. During this trip, students will be joined by Barry Hill ’62 who will provide information about special places of interest. Students are asked to bring their own lunch and a few extra snacks, as well as a water bottle.

The number of students that can attend each experience is roughly equal, and are organized by house:

Bremner's - Six Nations

Howard's - Six Nations

Jackson's - Six Nations

Martland's - Six Nations

Seaton's and Wedd's - Six Nations

McHugh's - Norval

Mowbray's - Norval

Orr's - Norval

Scadding's - Norval

Thank you!

Brent Evans, Alvin Jugoon, Gillian Levene

Celebrating Greek Heritage Month (March)

In celebration of Greek Heritage Month, we are excited to announce that The Hellenic Culture Club, along with their parent volunteers, will be hosting our second annual Panegyri (Greek Festival) on Thursday, March 28, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Upper School Student Centre. Building on the success of last year's event, we anticipate this year's festival to be even more vibrant and engaging!

The Panegyri will feature a variety of activities, delicious Greek cuisine and informative tables. 

Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks as we finalize the schedule and offerings for the day. We encourage all members of the UCC community to mark their calendars and join us for this cultural celebration and create lasting memories together. 

OPA!

Christos Paschalidis
Hellenic Culture Club Supervisor