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Dear Prep families, 

We are looking forward to welcoming Primary families tonight for the welcome back information evening! At UCC, we value a partnership between families and the school. We know that you have hopes and dreams for your children and have an incredible capacity to support their learning and wellbeing. In your child’s education, families and school staff are equal partners; and when this occurs effectively, learning improves for students. These information evenings are essential in establishing our deep commitment to this partnership approach. We look forward to seeing you there!

Looking ahead to tomorrow and next week, we wanted to share a few updates and reminders:

• Tomorrow is the Terry Fox Run! We are grateful to the Prep and Upper planning team who have designed a whole school rally point with students of all ages running together, as well as special community time assemblies to mark this important day. Please note that there will not be space for parents to come and observe the run on campus; however, we will be sure to take lots of pictures and share them. As well, there will be a BBQ lunch for all students after the run.  

• We've had a few questions about UCC spirit wear Fridays. Linked here are the guidelines. Please note that students can wear any school appropriate closed-toed shoes on UCC spirit days.

• Rowan’s Law is officially scheduled for the last Wednesday of September; however, the Prep school will be observing it on Thursday, Sept. 28. There will be a community time assembly on that day, and students will honour the day by wearing purple shirts.  

• On Friday, Sept. 29, we will be marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by wearing orange shirts and having a virtual assembly.  

• Many SK–Year 2 parents and guardians may have noticed that we have some repairs that need to be done on the playscape. We have been in touch with the company, but it will take a bit of time. Thank you for ensuring your children are avoiding the unsafe areas that are marked by caution tape. We appreciate your flexibility and patience. 

Your partners in learning,

Sarah Fleming, David Girard and Gareth Evans

The Prep Leadership Team

Message from SK 

We've had such a wonderful start to the year with our group of SKs! At this time, our main goals have been to begin getting to know each student as an individual and to ensure they begin to feel a sense of belonging in their new class and school. 

These goals also happen to coincide with our first unit of Inquiry, which will explore our identities as individuals and how we come together to form an identity as a class. We're thinking about what we love about ourselves, what makes us unique, what similarities and differences there are among us, what strengths each of us bring to the classroom, and how we are better together. The book that anchors the unit is All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold. We read this book last week and discussed how “all are welcome” would be a theme for our year. We created a collaborative mural to represent how we can work as a team in our SK community. 

The students have really begun to feel comfortable in the space and gain confidence in navigating our materials. This class of SKs seems particularly imaginative. They're showing their creativity as they act out restaurant scenarios in the dramatic play area, make rockets and buildings out of construction materials, and make everything from shelves to musical instruments with loose parts in our SK Maker Space. It has been a joy to discover this about the class and we look forward to seeing where this imaginative group will lead our whole-class inquiries in the future.

We've also been meeting many new teachers and visiting new spaces as we build the SKs sense of belonging in the school. P.E. has been a daily favourite and they've also enjoyed getting to know the music room, the art studio, the library, and more.

We've loved settling into the school year with this creative, collaborative and caring group and we look forward to continuing to see them grow and thrive in their new environment. We've also loved getting to know our community of families! Thank you in advance for your continued support and collaboration throughout your child’s SK year as we continue to build our relationships with you. 

Anna Crawford 

SK Form Advisor

Message from Primary French

On their first day of French, SK students embarked on a journey of learning about the French language and culture. They started with the story of a young boy beginning his first day at school, a story that resonated with them. It was heartwarming to witness their enthusiastic greetings, as they joyfully exclaimed, “bonjour, Monsieur Dupré!” Additionally, they introduced themselves, proudly stating their names in French. Their excitement was palpable as they eagerly repeated numbers from 1 to 12, demonstrating their readiness to explore further. During their first unit, our young learners will continue to enrich their vocabulary and develop their language awareness through a variety of French books, songs, and vocabulary games. Bienvenue à UCC, chers élèves de SK!

In Year 1, our students have embarked on an exploration of French vocabulary. Our introduction of foundational vocabulary uses the AIM’s Gesture Approach. This learning experience involves gestures, active collaboration and repetition. This approach allows gestures to directly connect with the meaning of words, eliminating the need for translation and facilitating memorization. Vocabulary and language acquisition will lay a strong foundation for our students as they will engage in the study of our first story later this term. Bonne chance en première année, tout le monde!

As we welcomed our Year 2 students back to school, we placed a strong emphasis on oral communication during the first week of classes. We began by reviewing essential vocabulary and language concepts. This helped our young learners to regain their fluency in the French language. In the upcoming unit, we will practice colours and place prepositions using interactive games and songs. Throughout all of our activities, our primary goal is to prioritize oral communication skills. Bonne deuxième année, les enfants!

We're thrilled to share the great start our Year 3 students have had in the French class so far. Many students are exploring a new language, and we have been focusing on a fundamental skill: embracing the challenge of not always immediately understanding the language. Our young learners have already learned a few strategies to overcome language barriers. They are encouraged to be patient and persistent, knowing that the language acquisition is a gradual process. In our first unit, the students will learn about the geography, climate and culture of Senegal, setting the stage for an exciting story called L’arbre ungali. Bon travail et bonne année à tous!

Following a brief review session, which included self-introductions, a review of numbers, colours and essential language concepts, our Year 4 students have embarked on the study of a story called L’aventure de Stéphanie. Stéphanie is an 11-year-old girl who is a resident of a small town in northern Quebec. The townsfolk decide to organize a Festival du Voyageur. This cultural background will naturally guide our students towards a project centred on this aspect of the Canadian Francophonie. Throughout term 1, our students will also focus on developing reading comprehension strategies and communication skills with our reader called Le Voleur, and new episodes of our audiovisual program Rémi. Allez les grade 4, c’est parti!!

Guillaume Dupre

Primary French Teacher

Update from Mathematics 

Curriculum: Students in Year 6 and 7 have begun their first units involving geometry and measurement in year 6 and algebra in year 7. The focus is on building conceptual understanding through investigations and problem solving and applying that understanding to increase procedural fluency. 

Resources: Students are using Desmos (online) as their primary resource. Students explore concepts through investigations and classroom discussions regarding their noticings. Additionally, students have access to lesson plans, practice exercises and challenge resources on their Brightspace course pages. Please have your child share these with you so you can assist them in making the most of those resources. 

Teaching and Learning: To ensure a balance between procedural fluency and conceptual understanding and to build confidence in our students’ mathematical abilities, the math team strives to incorporate learning through exploration, rich tasks, problem-solving, effective student discourse and appropriate use of technology. You might notice our students are engaged in challenging problems, investigations and making use of online tools such as Google forms, Desmos and Gizmos. 

Upcoming contests (to be confirmed):

Riyaz Ismail

Subject Learning Leader for mathematics

Year 7 | Toronto Public Health student immunization clinic

UCC will be hosting the Toronto Public Health (TPH) vaccination clinic on Monday, Nov. 6 at the Prep School for Year 7 students that require catch-up opportunities.

Vaccinations that will be made available at the clinic:

● Meningococcal* — to prevent meningitis 

● Human papillomavirus — to prevent cancers 

● Hepatitis B — to prevent liver cancer 

A reminder that under Ontario’s Immunization of School Pupil Act (ISPA), all students are required to be up-to-date with Meningococcal vaccines or have a valid exemption. Hepatitis B and HPV vaccines prevent cancers and are voluntary for school attendance. 

Students were given a consent package to bring home this week that included a vaccine pamphlet and a consent form. 

To prepare for the clinic, please remember to:

1. Read the Hepatitis B, HPV and meningococcal vaccine pamphlet.

2. Complete and sign the consent form, and have your child return it to their teacher or the Prep Health Centre by Friday, Sept. 29, even if you do not want your child to be vaccinated. For more information about how to complete the consent form, please review the SIP Checklist.

For more information about these vaccines, please talk to your doctor or call Toronto Public Health at 416-338-7600.

Thank you for your ongoing support to keep our students and school community healthy. For any additional information, please email health.centre@ucc.on.ca.

UCC Health Centre

SIGN UP | Hopes and Dreams Conferences on Friday, Oct. 6

Hopes and Dreams Conferences (formerly Settling in Conferences) take place on Friday, October 6. This is an opportunity for families to meet with their child’s Form Adviser to discuss how the year has started and begin to build the family-teacher partnership. Our "Pick A Time" system will open on Monday September 11 at 3 p.m. for families to choose a time to meet online with the Form Adviser. It closes at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, October 2. If you don't sign up for a conference during this window, you will need to reach out to your child’s Form Adviser personally to choose a remaining time slot. Click here for instructions on how to use Pick A Time. Please note that these conferences can be booked either in person or virtually.

REMINDER | Cell phone and smartwatch expectations

If students have cell phones or smartwatches and bring them to school, they are expected to leave them turned off and with other valuables in their locker from the time they arrive at school until they are dismissed. Students who leave these devices unsecured will have them confiscated, and they will be returned to students at the end of the day. There is no need for a phone/smartwatch before or during school. After dismissal, students in Years 6 and 7 may use their phones/smartwatches in the Bitove Lounge while waiting for pickup. These devices will be immediately confiscated if used in a prohibited area (basement of Prep, Prep locker rooms and washrooms).

To contact your child during the school day, please call or email the form adviser. If your child needs to contact you, they may use the phone in the Prep’s main office. 

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SAVE THE DATE | Year 7 Graduation is on Tuesday, June 18

Our Year 7 graduation ceremony will take place on Tuesday, June 18 at 6 p.m. in Laidlaw Hall and will run for approximately 75 minutes. The ceremony will be followed by a reception in Massey Quad. Students will be asked to arrive at the Upper School at 5:30 p.m. 

An official invitation and details will be provided closer to the date.