Select a link to jump to an article.

Dear Prep Families,

We look forward to seeing many of you this evening at our PPO-hosted Prep Parent Social in Weston Hall! We love having families engaged and on campus! Unfortunately, Sarah is travelling this week and will be unable to attend; however, David will attend on behalf of the Prep Leadership Team.  

Yesterday during Community Time buddy classes met to talk about their authentic selves. They had conversations about what makes them unique, and what they are proud of, and then they created bookmarks together with all the colours of the rainbow. At the Prep, we really value the community that is built when we are able to connect with buddy classes.  

We also had a Middle Assembly this week, and the spirit of Diwali was celebrated with a student presentation in which the participants dressed in vibrant traditional dress, setting a joyful tone for the event. A Year 7 student performed a captivating song on the guitar, showcasing his passion and talent for music. The assembly also recognized outstanding student achievements, highlighting the demonstration of strong character within athletics. In addition, our community service leaders encouraged students to get involved in upcoming initiatives. Lastly, students were invited to share their ideas and feedback regarding the upcoming school renovation to foster a sense of ownership, ensuring their voices are heard in shaping their learning environment. We also gave the students a preview of the new Middle Math and Science Learning Community renovation that is being planned and have offered an opportunity for students to join a focus group where they will be able to give feedback on the project! Some of the most interesting features in the Chen Innovation Lab come from student input, so we are very excited to hear what they suggest. Click here to see the assembly video that was shared yesterday — we know these are a real highlight for everyone to see!   

Your partners in learning,

Sarah Fleming, David Girard and Gareth Evans

The Prep Leadership Team

See your students work on Seesaw

Seesaw serves as our digital student portfolio platform for students from SK to Year 5. This platform provides an insightful glimpse into your child's educational journey, allowing them to express their creativity by sharing a wide range of activities, videos, and assignments assigned by their teachers. To help you get started, we invite you to watch Seesaw’s Get Families Started Video.

You can download the Seesaw app onto your device, or visit the web portal and sign in to connect with your child’s class account. If you are not already connected, please follow the link and instructions that your child’s teacher has sent to you.

Once you are connected, you will receive notifications every time your child shares their work in their digital journal. You also have the opportunity to provide feedback by commenting at the bottom of their posts. We encourage families to leave meaningful and constructive comments to support students in becoming reflective learners.

Should you have any questions or require assistance, please contact Joanna Martin.

Halloween at the Prep

Halloween is an exciting time for children. At school, we make plans with the belief that the day should be safe, fun and productive.  

Students may wear a costume, casual orange and black clothes, or regular uniform on Oct. 31.  It’s best that students wear running shoes with their costume. Wearing casual clothes underneath is also wise as students often take their costumes off at noon to preserve them for evening activities. 

The wearing of costumes should be age-appropriate. No large props or weaponry, please, as they prove challenging in a school context.

Please remind students that in preparing their costumes it is not a competition and that we encourage them to make use of regular household materials to construct a costume with some flair and creativity. 

This year we are going to have an SK–Y5 parade with students safely visiting stations held by Ms. Fleming, Mr. Girard, Mr. Evans and other members of the faculty. Students will collect candy to bring home. A huge thank you to the PPO for supplying the candy!  

Years 6 and 7 will also receive a candy treat package supplied by the PPO that teachers will distribute.

Please speak with your form adviser if you have any questions.

With our thanks and excitement for Halloween,

David Girard and Gareth Evans

Assistant Heads of the Preparatory School

Halloween candy

Dear Families,

This is a quick reminder about Halloween treats that will likely be coming into the school.  Please remember we try to provide an allergen safe school for all students and staff. Please do not bring in any food or treats that may contain any nuts. All treats or foods that are coming into the school must be labeled as nut-free. 

Thank you very much for your attention to the safety of all members of our community!

Nurse Judy and Nurse Hannah                                 

Prep School Health Centre

Community Service Council update

Thank you to the UCC Prep community for bringing in your old sunglasses, glasses and frames. More than 180 pairs of glasses were collected for the Beaches Lions Club and they will process them and distribute them to communities in need. In the past three years, UCC has donated more than 780 pieces of eyewear!

The Community Service Council enjoyed visiting classrooms and sharing this initiative with the Prep. Two students, Dean and Jayden, share their experiences:

"I wanted to help fundraise glasses for the initiative and become a more involved member of the Community Service Council. As a result, I chose to do my best and asked my family members if they had glasses that they could donate explaining the initiative and what it does. They were extremely inclined to donate and gather all the glasses they could even ask more of their family members for them. This was also a great opportunity for me to connect with all those family members. I collected a total of 32 pairs of eyewear. This drive was an amazing opportunity to work with different people to help promote the initiative and educate myself more on this issue." 

— Dean Sepa (7G)

"At first I did not know what to expect from this initiative. As it went on, I started feeling like it was starting to become much more meaningful, as I am a person who wears glasses and knows what it feels like to not have any. Life is much harder without glasses for me and many others around the world. Because of this, I decided to volunteer at the Eyewear Drive Booth at A-Day. I really wanted to teach others about how something that you don't use could really help someone who needs them. With this great opportunity to do something meaningful, I went to the booth at A-Day, helping others understand the true meaning of the eyeglass drive and the number of people who are affected by it. It was a really fun and meaningful experience running the A-Day Booth." 

— Jayden Shi (7J)

Thank you again to students, families, and teachers who participated! We look forward to the next initiative — The Candy Drive (Nov. 1–7) — we will be collecting Halloween candy for families who will not have a traditional Halloween this year.

Jayden Shi (7J) and Dean Sepa (7G)
The Prep Community Service Council

Prep uniform purchasing

DGN-Kilters will be conveniently stationed on campus with their mobile sales van, located just outside the William P. Wilder ’40 Arena & Sports Complex on Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Prep families will have the opportunity to purchase winter dress uniforms and facilitate exchanges or returns. Prep colour house t-shirts and hoodies will also be available.

Patti Cawker-Chiang 

Blues Shop Manager