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Dear Prep Families,

With the holiday season upon us, we would like to take this opportunity to highlight the value of community, and specifically the connections the boys make between the Prep School and the Upper School. In the Prep, we want the boys to feel connected as a class community, as a Prep community, and as a UCC community as a whole. The way we strive to do that is by designing whole school connection points throughout the school year, and also by creating opportunities for Upper School students to come to the Prep to mentor, learn and play with our younger learners.  

Over the past month, we have had a number of opportunities that we want to highlight:

Year 4 math: Mr. Ferley invited former students down to support Year 4 students in small groups in math!  The Upper School boys coached and supported Year 4 students as they worked to solve problems.

Years 3–5 recess: Upper School students joined the Year 3–5 students outside at morning recess. They brought games and joined the boys in their regular recess activities.  

Lang Scholars: The Lang Scholars visit the Year 7s during Flextime to share their leadership experience while at UCC. This includes memorable moments, unexpected challenges and key characteristics that many leaders embrace. The Prep is always grateful for them visiting our year 7 students.

We deeply value the connection between the Upper School and Prep School boys, and know how much the Prep School students look up to the boys that visit. We will continue to focus on these whole school initiatives and work towards developing relationships and connections across the school!  

Over the past week, we have also had celebrations of student learning such as our Year 3 Forces Fair and the Year 2 Simple Machine interviews. The boys are in their final preparations for upcoming holiday musical performances including at Festive Marketplace next Friday, the Festival of Lights concert on Sunday and the Year 5–7 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. 

In closing, please enjoy the Middle Years Assembly video from the assembly today!

Your partners in learning,

Sarah Fleming, David Girard and Gareth Evans

The Prep Leadership Team

Year 7 | Dance 

The Prep is hosting a dance and activities on Friday, Dec. 6, from 7 to 9 p.m. All Year 7 students are strongly encouraged to attend. The Prep also invites students from Havergal, BSS, Branksome Hall, St. Clement’s, St. Mildred’s, Crescent, Sterling Hall, and Trafalgar Castle. Students must not invite guests.

To ensure students' safety and appropriate conduct, UCC Year 7 form advisers and Stewards from the Upper School will be chaperoning the dance from 7 to 9 p.m. Please arrange your child’s transportation to and from this event within this timeframe. The pickup time is critical.

While all Year 7 Prep students are invited, we must receive a completed permission form to generate our guest list and collect relevant information in case of an emergency. 

If you haven’t already done so, please complete this permission form for your child.

Sincerely,

Gareth Evans

Assistant Head of the Preparatory School: Middle Division

Update | Year 5 

Dear families,

As the school year progresses, we are thrilled to share some exciting learning highlights in the classroom. We focus on building caring, kind communities that foster academic growth, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the world around us. Below is an overview of our current and upcoming units in mathematics and Inquiry.

Mathematics — Unit 3: Fractions
In this unit, students build on their foundational knowledge of fractions from previous grades. They are learning to interpret fractions as division and use visual models to make estimates. Key skills include adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers, checking the reasonableness of answers, and exploring strategies to solve “fraction of” problems. These activities emphasize reasoning and problem-solving, allowing students to build confidence and fluency with fractions.

Our next mathematics unit is Decimal Concepts and Coordinate Grids. Students will extend their understanding of the base-10 place value system to include decimals. They will read, write, and represent decimals through thousandths in various ways and learn strategies to compare, order, and round decimals. Additionally, students will be introduced to the first quadrant of the coordinate grid and apply whole-number algorithms to add and subtract decimals.

Inquiry — Indigenous Peoples
Our current Inquiry unit explores the central idea that people have different perspectives that influence interactions. Students are engaging in meaningful discussions and research to examine:

• The cultural, social, and economic structures of Indigenous peoples.

• The deep connections Indigenous peoples have with the environment and their communities.

• Contemporary expressions of Indigenous culture and the continuity of traditions.

• How history is interpreted and understood from multiple perspectives.

This unit encourages students to develop a deeper appreciation and respect for Indigenous cultures, both historically and today.

Looking ahead, we will transition to a new Inquiry unit focused on the human body. Through this unit, students will explore the central idea that the human body’s systems are complex, interconnected, and impacted by choices. It promises to be an engaging and interactive experience, filled with hands-on learning activities.

We encourage you to talk at home about what your child is learning. These discussions reinforce classroom experiences and foster curiosity and family connections.

As the December break approaches, we—Paul, Paige, and Lisa—wish you and your family a happy and healthy holiday season.

Thank you for your continued support in making this a meaningful and enriching year for our students. We look forward to seeing you in 2025!

Warm regards,
Paul Faggion, Paige Colalillo, and Lisa Brooks
Year 5 Form Advisors

Update | Year 5 Design 

We are pleased to share the exciting progress and outcomes from our fabrication/woodworking unit in Year 5 Design! Over the past few months, students have immersed themselves in the Design Cycle, culminating in the creation of a custom charcuterie board — a personalized gift for a family member or friend just in time for the holidays.

Highlights of the unit include:

• Empathy Driven Design: Students began with empathy interviews, learning to think like designers by asking thoughtful questions to understand their "client's" needs and preferences.

• Sustainability Inquiry: Through research and discussions, students explored the importance of sustainability and compared local versus imported wood options.

• Material Research and Budgeting: Students selected wood types based on their research and worked within a budget to shop for materials.

• Tool Mastery: Students were introduced to tools such as saws, rasps, sanders, and the drill press, learning to measure, cut, and sand their boards with precision.

• Prototyping and Engraving: After sketching their designs, students engraved prototypes and finalized their engravings on the laser cutter.

• Finishing Touches: Boards were carefully oiled and conditioned, ready to take home. Stay tuned!

This unit highlighted collaboration, creativity, and attention to detail, with students embracing each step of the process to deliver thoughtful designs. We are so proud of their hard work and can't wait for you to see their final product!

Finally, we would like to extend our appreciation to Ms. Amy Yin, our new Design Lab Technician. Her support throughout this woodworking unit has been instrumental in guiding and assisting the children. 

Joanna Martin
Innovation and Technology Coach | Design Teacher

Update | Norval

As the sun begins to slip over the horizon, like a penny slips out of our pocket, we fondly recollect on autumn at the Norval Outdoor School. The ides of October were filled with seasonal thrills as the Year 5s took to Norval. Pride Week kicked off with the raising of the rainbow Progress Pride Flag. 

Year 5s completed low ropes and team-building challenges. They paired this with a rotation to visit the Norval Beehives and the Norval Orchard. Year 5s tasted the fruits of their labour in apple cider pressing and savoured the honey after extracting it from the honeycombs. The Year 5s completed their trip by touring the land with a sustainability focus; they learned about the environment through the group challenge known as the ‘Envirogame’ and hiked to the new UCC and Halton Hills Trail. See you all again in February and March, 2025!

MYP Design | Final videos and logos

Our Year 6 and Year 7 designers have wrapped up their first units of the year!

Year 6: Media and My Message

Our Year 6 students explored the art of video creation. After developing their photography and editing skills, and practicing visual design principles, they collaborated to create powerful videos that promote wellbeing within our community. Keep an eye out for these inspiring videos, which are currently being displayed on screens around the school. 

Year 7: Personal Identities: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Through their first unit, Year 7 students went on a journey of self-discovery. They imagined their future selves and then crafted personal vision statements and unique logos to reflect their aspirations and values. Here is just a small sample of the creative personal representations that a few of our students created:

After completing their final designs, our Year 6 and Year 7 students worked through Criterion D - Evaluating. This final stage of the design process encourages students to critically reflect on their work, identifying areas for potential improvement. This phase of the MYP design cycle helps our designers develop a growth mindset that they can transfer to all of their learning across subject areas.

Sarah Barclay

Prep MYP Design Learning Leader

Food drive

C.O.T.H. food drive continues at the Prep! Each homeform has been assigned two high-need items. Students can either choose to donate either item independently or partner with a classmate to share the cost of an item.  

Thank you to all the families who have already participated! The food drive will run until Friday, Dec. 13. Please consider donating and participating in this initiative.

Festive Marketplace | Prep musical performances

Of course, parents are invited to visit Festive Marketplace any time during the day. But you can also plan your visit around student performances. The Café is located by the main stage, so you can enjoy a hot beverage and socialize while listening to the student musicians. 

• Year 5, 9-9 a.m.

• Year 4, 10-10:10 a.m. 

• Years 6 and 7 (selected students), 11:15 a.m. -12:15 p.m.           

• SK, Year 1 and Year 2, 12:45-1 p.m.

• Year 3, 2:45-3 p.m.

Festive Marketplace | Pre-order pick-up

A reminder that all pre-orders of Festive gifts can be picked up on Thursday, Dec. 12 from 8–9 a.m. and 2:30–3:30 p.m. inside the Arena entrance. Please note that all orders are custom and non-refundable. Questions can be sent to marketplace@uccprepparents.ca.

Year 7 Niagara Region trip 

Once again, we are excited to offer a year-end trip for our Year 7 students to the Niagara Region. The trip will be June 4–6, 2025. All Year 7 families were emailed the Niagara Trip letter yesterday. The letter includes a link to the permission form.

Please review this document for a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the trip, the packing list, and the draft itinerary.

Sincerely,

Gareth Evans

Assistant Head of the Preparatory School | Middle Division