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Dear Prep Families,

We were thrilled to receive our copy of the You See UCC 2024–25 Yearbook the other day. We want to acknowledge our dedicated student yearbook team, supported by Mr. Cooper, in their efforts to create this record of our time together as a Prep community in 2024–25. We hope it sparks special memories for your son of classmates and teachers, of many things learned, of special events, and highlights from the many activities students participated in outside the classroom, including clubs, athletics and the arts.

Yesterday, we gathered as a community for our final whole school Prep assembly. We reflected back on the year, said farewell to teachers who are departing the school, announced our Colour House Captains for 2025-26, and enjoyed some student musical performances. Please enjoy the final assembly video created by Ms. Yim here. We also had the chance to come together as a Prep community for a Celebration of Holi and the annual Kraftchek Bolt, which was the perfect way to end the school year!  

As this year draws to a close, it's an important time to acknowledge the adults who work so hard to support student learning and make sure we all have a safe, clean and welcoming school to come to each day. Thank you to our teachers, and all those in all parts of the school — the dining hall, security, housekeeping, our ASP programs and more — who take care of student safety and wellbeing. An important thanks also goes to our families for their ongoing partnership and support of our common goal, an outstanding learning experience for each student where they gain the knowledge and skills to be their best self.

We look forward to celebrating graduation with our Year 7 students and families next week. To all in our Prep community, we wish you all a wonderful summer filled with time outdoors, lots of reading and connecting with family and friends.   

Your partners in learning,

Sarah Fleming, David Girard and Gareth Evans

The Prep Leadership Team

Year 7 Niagara trip

We want to extend a huge thank you to our Year 7 parents for all of your incredible support during our recent trip to the Niagara region. It was truly a memorable and engaging experience for our students, providing a fantastic way to conclude their time at the Prep School. 

We are continuing to have active conversations with EduTravel and Hilton Hotels regarding our compensation as a result of the necessary switch in hotels. Thanks again for your understanding; we'll be in touch as soon as we have more information to share.

Update on Middle French

Year 6: Exploring the World of Le Petit Nicolas

In Year 6, our students immersed themselves in the timeless and beloved Petit Nicolas novels, a cornerstone of French children's literature. Written by René Goscinny, one of France’s most celebrated authors (also famous for co-creating Astérix), and brought to life with illustrations by Jean-Jacques Sempé, these stories capture the humour and innocence of childhood through the mischievous adventures of Nicolas and his friends. Since their first publication in the 1950s, Le Petit Nicolas books have been cherished in France for their playful, honest and often hilarious portrayal of school life and family relationships.

Beyond the novels, students engaged with a series of Le Petit Nicolas video adaptations to build their listening comprehension skills in an authentic context. It was incredible to see our students confidently apply the strategies we’ve been developing throughout the year to make sense of spoken French at native speed.

Some of the key comprehension strategies students used included:

• Identifying familiar words and cognates to anchor their understanding within complex sentences.

• Listening for key words and repeated phrases to predict and infer meaning.

• Using visual cues and tone of voice to support comprehension when vocabulary was challenging.

These strategies empowered our students to move beyond word-for-word translation and instead focus on the big ideas and emotions of the text. This shift is critical in helping them become independent French readers and listeners.

Year 7: Solving Mysteries in the Périgord

Our Year 7 students have just wrapped up their exciting unit on Énigme en Périgord, a mystery novel following the adventures of twin siblings as they spend the summer in Brântome, a picturesque village in the Périgord region of France. Known for its stunning medieval architecture, charming waterways, and its nickname "the Venice of Périgord," Brântome offered a rich cultural backdrop that brought the story to life.

To complement their reading, students explored authentic French media, including newscasts about France’s renowned paid holidays (les congés payés) and short news clips highlighting the Brântome region. Listening to native French speakers at full speed, using regional accents and colloquial expressions, was initially intimidating. However, our teachers consistently reinforced one key message: don’t give up. With practice, persistence, and the right strategies, students can break through those initial barriers.

In Year 7, we introduced more advanced listening comprehension strategies, such as:

• Training their ear for transition words and linking phrases to follow the flow of conversation.

• Tuning into context and background knowledge to make educated guesses when specific vocabulary was unfamiliar.

• Focusing on tone, mood, and speaker emotion to capture nuance and implied meaning beyond just words.

By the end of the unit, it was inspiring to see our students confidently piecing together meaning from authentic French dialogue and developing the resilience needed to thrive in real-world language settings.

Peter Labancz
Middle Years French Teacher

Important | Access to Seesaw

Prep Report Cards

Report cards will be released to parents via Bluenet on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 25 at approximately 4 p.m. For instructions on how to access report cards, please click here.

The purpose of the report is to summarize learning thus far with teachers' observations of your child’s progress and to identify skills and concepts we are working on together. Accomplishments, areas for improvement, and next steps will be provided. In addition to subject levels, comments on your child’s adoption of the IB learner profile and IB Approaches to Learning skills (ATLs) will be included. 

We encourage you to discuss the report with your child to assist with goal setting.

REMINDER | Year 7 Graduation 

As mentioned in previous editions of Heads Up and indicated on our calendar, the Year 7 graduation ceremony will occur on Tuesday, June 17 at 6 p.m. in Laidlaw Hall and will run for approximately 75 minutes (and will be recorded). A reception will follow the ceremony in Massey Quad.

Students are asked to arrive at the Upper School at 5:30 p.m. wearing First Dress. An official invitation has already been emailed to Year 7 families.