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As Year 12 students prepare for and begin exams, students in Years 8 through 11 continue to synthesize their learning and get ready for the final months of school. Monday’s Principal’s Assembly was dedicated to the UCC Barton Lecture, with its focus on the leadership of community and social service initiatives and that aims to heighten student awareness of issues and programs in local, regional, national and international communities, and to expose students to representatives of communities other than their own so that we might learn to accept our differences with greater understanding. Students heard from Architect Barry J. Hobin, whose firm practices initiatives like the "You Give, We Give" campaign, which matches donations to local charities supporting vulnerable populations. Students also benefited from the reflections of students who travelled on service trips to Peru and Costa Rica over the March break, and the passion of student leaders of Relay For Life.

On Monday, we celebrated Varsity Day, with our spring sports teams competing in a series of matches under beautiful sunny skies. Congratulations to our rugby, baseball, tennis, badminton, and lacrosse teams for proudly representing the College!

Students, faculty and staff are getting ready for Relay for Life, which takes place today and is the school’s largest student-led fundraising event. The team is already on their way to their target with donations of $130,000. The Upper School Leadership team took part in an ice bucket challenge this past week as well, in honour of raising funds for and awareness of the Canadian Cancer Society.

UCC’s Jazz Night was another tremendous showing of student skill and hard work, which was followed by the Synapse Conference, a COSSOT event which centred on the themes of neuroscience and mental health, including guest speakers from around the Toronto area.

Important | IB Exam timing update

This information was shared with students last week.

We've made a change to the start time for the Tuesday, May 20 afternoon exam. It will now begin at 12:45 p.m. (12:30 p.m. in your seats) rather than 1:15 p.m. as previously communicated.

Also, please note that the Monday, May 19 exams are on Victoria Day. While it is a holiday in Canada, IB exams are scheduled. 

Year 12  Leaving Ceremony | Reminder to RSVP and FAQs

You can click here for frequently asked questions about the ceremony.

Please click on the invitation below to RSVP to the ceremony. Seating will be tight, and before we start assigning requests for extra seats, we encourage all families to send in their RSVP by May 12. Thank you for your attention to this request.

UCC welcomes Dr. Niigaan Sinclair

During his time at College, Dr. Sinclair will work directly with our Year 10 students in their Civics and Citizenship course as they engage in their final unit of inquiry, which focuses on reconciling our collective past and honouring our shared promise of a better future for all members of our community. Learners in their classes have been engaged in a unit of inquiry which has surfaced many thoughtful questions and curiosities. Inspired by the work of Catherine Berger Kaye (a thought leader in the space of service learning), We will be “moving ideas into action”. Learners will be designing their own workshop as they decide and develop an agenda for Dr. Sinclair based on the knowledge gaps their learning presents.  His presence, optimism, and belief in open and safe dialogue, we hope, will not only deepen our students' understanding of these complex topics but also challenge and inspire all of us to reflect on our roles in this national journey.

During his visit, Dr. Sinclair will also be engaged with teachers to support curricular development and will have time to connect with all students during a “lunch and learn” on May 9 in Room 127. All students are invited to attend this session and should they wish to submit a question for Dr. Sinclair they have been invited to do so using the following form: Question submission for student "Lunch and Learn" with Dr Niigaan Sinclair .

This visit is made possible through the leadership of UCC educator, Joanne Hogan, whose vision and commitment to this work continue to shape our school’s approach to pluralism and social learning.

We look forward to sharing reflections and learnings from Dr. Sinclair’s visit in the weeks to come.

Co-Curricular Theatre: Student-directed play 

Hudson Kennedy will direct the short play The Man Who Turned into a Stick for a one-time performance on Friday, May 9 in the Manucha & Bellamy Studio Theatre. The show will be just under half an hour and will begin at 7 p.m. Admission is free. 

The Man Who Turned Into a Stick, by Kōbō Abe, begins with a man mysteriously transforming into a stick, which is then discovered by two hippies while two agents from Hell who observe and discuss the event. It is an avant-garde production that blends an absurdist premise with realistic characters to take its audience through an exploration of modern society's dehumanizing effect, and the often futile struggle to resist it.

UCC at CIS Drama Festival at the Stratford Festival

Year 8 | Toronto Public Health second vaccine clinic 

Dear Year 8 Parents,

This is a reminder that on Thursday, May 29, Toronto Public Health (TPH) will be holding their second vaccination clinic at UCC from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vaccines that will be available are Hepatitis B, Meningococcal, and Human Papillomavirus Vaccines to Year 7 and 8 students.

The location will be in the Prep Dining hall.

Please make sure your child eats breakfast the morning of the clinic and to wear short sleeves. If your child is unwell due to fever, and cannot receive their vaccinations, please notify the Health Centre as soon as possible. Any missed vaccinations that happen on the clinic date, do have options to receive their vaccines in the community. Students in grades 9 to 12 can get their vaccines through a TPH community clinic ,  appointments are required and can be booked online. Or through their doctors’ office, where your Physician can order the vaccine directly from public health.

A final reminder that the meningitis (Men-C-ACYW-135 vaccine) vaccination or a valid exemption is required for students 12 years of age and older for school attendance. If your child has not received Menactra, or it has been over five years, Toronto Public Health does recommend a booster. Hepatitis B and HPV are optional.

Additional information and consent forms can be found here:

• School immunization consent form  

• Hepatitis B, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), and Meningococcal vaccine fact sheets

• Student and Parent check sheet

• SIP Facts and Checklist

• Frequently Asked Questions

• Translation insert

If you wish to review what your child received at the last TPH clinic in the fall, you can do so directly on the Toronto Public Health Website. Questions or clarification on attending the vaccination clinic can be directed to the Health Centre.

Thank you all for your cooperation!

Health Centre Team

Upper Health Centre ext. 2270

Register | Community Reads PPO/PO Book Club

We are looking forward to another Community Reads session on Thursday, May 8, from 6–7 p.m. This event will take place in the Macintosh Library at the Upper School. Please register here.

A PO and PPO initiative, we are encouraging any and all UCC parents/guardians to pick up a copy of The Tech Solution by Canadian Harvard-trained psychiatrist Dr. Shimi Kang.

Dr. Kang is an expert in the area of technology and psychology and shares many useful insights for parenting in the digital age in her book. The book is available at Indigo or online from Dr. Kang. We look forward to seeing you there for a rich and meaningful discussion!

UCC Parent Grad Social

Year 12 parents, please join us in raising a glass and saying some final farewells at the UCC Parent Grad social. This is a parents’ only event and takes place while the boys attend their Leaving Class Dinner at UCC. It's the end of an era and we look forward to celebrating with you!  

Event details:

Thursday, May 22 

5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The Badminton and Racquet Club

25 St. Clair Ave. West

Cash bar and light snacks will be available.

RSVP here

Note: Parking is limited, so please consider taking an Uber, subway or parking in one of the many nearby lots. 

RSVP | Years 9 to 11 parent socials

For Year 9 to 11 parents, the UCC PO warmly invites you to an evening social with other parents in your son’s year. It’s an opportunity to meet, reconnect and celebrate the school year before we all break for the summer. Cash bar and light snacks will be available.

Location: Toronto Lawn Tennis Club, 44 Price Street, Toronto

Please find your son’s year below, and follow the link to RSVP. We hope to see you there.

Year 9 Parent Social 

Tuesday, May 13, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

RSVP here by Monday, May 5

Year 10 Parent Social  

Wednesday, May 14

RSVP here by Friday, April 25

Year 11 Parent Social

Wednesday, May 28

RSVP here by Wednesday, May 21

Year 12 | Important: laptop return deadline is May 23

A reminder to Year 12 parents/guardians, that students must return their school-owned laptop and the Apple 30W power supply and charging cable before they graduate.

It's recommended that Year 12 students return their school-issued laptop and power supply after their last exam, but the devices must be returned before the Leaving Class Ceremony on May 23. Both the laptop and the power supply must be dropped off at the Upper School Help Desk between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on weekdays. The deadline is Friday, May 23 at 3:30 p.m. Students must ensure all files are backed up. 

The laptop must be returned in its case, in good condition. Any damage beyond normal wear and tear that is not covered under AppleCare+ for Schools will be billed to the UCC student account. Stickers must be removed from the laptop to avoid potential charges due to excessive sticker residue.

Please return the Apple 30W power supply and cable that was issued with the laptop. We only accept the small Apple branded 30W power supply. If the Apple branded power supply and charging cable is not returned, a replacement charge of $74 will be billed to your UCC student account. 

Access to students Google Drive will be removed on July 31, 2025. Their Gmail account will remain active until Oct. 14, 2025.  After Oct. 14 the UCC Google account will be deleted, and there will no longer be access to any stored emails.

Students are responsible for backing up all their files that are on your hard drive before returning the laptop. Once the laptops are returned, they will be wiped immediately, and there will not be another opportunity to access the files. Students can use Google Takeout to move content from the UCC Google environment before July 31, 2025.

Thank you in advance, and do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Kathleen Peak
Executive Director, Information and Innovation