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It has been a busy and positive return to school following the Week Without Bells, including some special programming around school. Students participated in their second Fun Friday of the year, which included a variety of activities including House Trivia and the inaugural Halloween Scavenger Hunt, popular with many students including the Y8s and their Y11 mentors. The Wellbeing Council joined students in Years 3 to 5 at the Prep for some outdoor activity games, and much fun was had. 

On Friday, Oct. 18, the Sustainability Council hosted another fulfilling service afternoon at Cedarvale Ravine as a part of UCC's ongoing collaboration with Toronto Nature Stewards and Don't Mess with the Don. Twenty-four students and four staff participated, removing hundreds of invasive trees and helping to restore the ravine's delicate ecosystem in the process. A second afternoon will be organized in May. 

On Monday, Oct. 21, students and colleagues celebrated the opening of Pride Week with a Principal’s Assembly, where the community heard from a recent alum who reflected on their experiences at UCC, a panel discussion that spoke to questions canvassed from the student body, and a presentation on, as our Pluralism Steward articulated, “notable figures from various disciplines, from art to economics, who, through their work and lives, broke barriers and challenged societal norms in relation to queer identity.” 

Make-up | Photo day on Oct. 25

Students who have missed having either their grad photos or their year-level photos taken can have their picture taken on Oct. 25. While our photos do not go into the yearbook, they are used for internal purposes such as preparing Prize Day or Election Day slides and appearing on our security cards. It's important for students to have their photo taken.

Building a culture of consent 

For the past two years, UCC has collaborated with external experts to deliver engaging, activity-based programming for Upper School students to deepen their understanding of the concept of consent as we work to build our students’ emotional intelligence and capacity to develop and sustain healthy relationships. The goals of our program are to: 

1.  Build skills to foster, promote and maintain a culture of consent amongst students. 

2. Challenge negative social expectations related to consent and masculinity.

3. Develop advocacy and ambassadorship to enhance leadership in our community.

This term, we will provide developmentally appropriate consent education to all students in Years 8–12:

Year 8 | Dec. 10, 2024 — Being yourself at UCC

Year 9 | Dec. 3, 2024 — Consent in our everyday lives

Year 10 | Oct. 29, 2024 — Depictions of consent in the media 

Year 11 | Oct. 22, 2024 — Understanding healthy relationships 

Year 12 | Oct. 24, 2024 — Safe transition to postsecondary and sexual violence prevention

There will also be a presentation for parents and guardians of students in Years 11 and 12 on safe transitions to postsecondary life and sexual violence prevention. Please join us on Monday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. in Room 127 for a presentation and conversation with Lexi Koster on building a culture of consent and deepening our understanding of sexual violence prevention. Lexi Koster is a Child Life Specialist and Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist, passionate about creating spaces for open dialogue. Over the past seven years, Lexi has spoken with more than 20,000 students internationally to foster safer and more compassionate communities. Lexi's work has been recognized by the University of Toronto, The Ohio State University and several independent schools across Canada. 

Please RSVP if you plan to attend. 

Years 11 and 12 Stewards' Dance 

We are thrilled to be hosting the Stewards’ Dance for all Year 11 and 12 students this year on Friday, Nov. 1. The Stewards’ Dance is hosted and planned by the Board of Stewards with faculty supervision. The dance will take place on UCC campus from 8–10:30 p.m. and the theme is “Hollywood.” 

Each UCC student in Year 11 or 12 may bring one guest from another school, but by no means should they feel like they have to. 

If your child plans on attending the Stewards’ Dance, parents must fill out this form. Guests from another school need to fill out the guest form. Students will be billed $25 per ticket. Students will also be receiving a copy of these forms through their school email.  

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. 

Sincerely,

Andrew MacDougall
Assistant Head of the Upper School—Student Life and Leadership

Register | Three-way conferences on Nov. 12 and 13

Registration is now open for three-way conferences at the Upper School.

We are pleased to introduce our new registration platform for three-way conferences, SchoolCloud.

Key features include an integrated schedule, automatic reminders, a countdown timer and an "up-next" notification. The platform also offers built-in video conferencing, ensuring greater privacy for your family. 

Nov. 12 | Virtual only: Each virtual meeting will be five minutes, with a short break in between using the SchoolCloud program. 

Nov. 13 | In-person only: Each meeting will be five minutes long with five minutes of travel time in between meetings.

Please do not book more than one appointment per teacher.

Preparing for your appointments

Once you have scheduled your appointments, please check your email inbox for a confirmation from SchoolCloud with your credentials. This will ensure you are able to join your appointment at the scheduled time(s). If you do not see the email, you may need to check your Spam folder, depending on your email settings. 

Note:

• When registering, you will need to enter your name and your child’s name exactly as it appears on Bluenet. 

• Please ensure your device has been restarted recently to avoid technical difficulties.

Click here to schedule your three-way conference meetings

The registration link will remain open until Monday, Nov. 11 at 12 p.m. 

Generally, only one parent/guardian books all the meetings, as they will then invite the other parent/guardian to join. For more information on how to do this and how to sign up for meetings, please visit the Bluenet Resource Board.  

Questions?

For technical assistance, please email Sandra Fulford or call 416-488-1125 ext. 2213.

Recording | Graduation Pathways Parent Night on Oct. 23

Please click here to view the presentation.

Please click here to view a recording of the evening.

UCC's Battle of the Bikes

Dear UCC Community,

I’m thrilled to announce a special fundraising event on World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14, in collaboration with JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) to support type 1 diabetes research. 

My name is Charlie Walsh, and as a Year 12 student living with type 1 diabetes, this cause is incredibly close to my heart. As a student-athlete with type 1 diabetes, there is no way I would be able to participate in activities and sports, or even live the life that I live, without all the research, technology and innovation that JDRF has helped fund. This fundraiser means so much to me, and I hope it will inspire our community to come together and help spread awareness about type 1 diabetes. 

Event Details:

• 10 spin bikes

• 10 houses

• 10 teams

• 50 athletes go head-to-head for UCC’s Battle of the Bikes

Format: This is a relay-style spin bike challenge featuring ten spin bikes. Each house will nominate one participant per grade (five total across Years 8-12), and participants will take turns riding for five minutes each. The house that rides the furthest in 25 minutes will win a prize and earn house points! 

Fundraising: Support your house! Donations can be made directly under each house team's page here: donate. This friendly competition aims to see which house can raise the most funds for T1D research.

How you can help:

1. Donate: We kindly ask parents who are looking to contribute to donate here. Ensure your donation is credited to your son’s house.

2. Sponsorships: We have exclusive opportunities to showcase your company and demonstrate your support for this important cause. If you or someone you know is interested in sponsoring, please don't hesitate to reach out to me.

Drive for Supplies on behalf of Ve’ahavta 

Hi UCC Community,

We are Nikhil and Rohan Gupta, Year 10 students.

As we approach the winter months, homelessness continues to be a significant issue in Toronto. There are more than 10,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night. Sadly, many are without essential items such as warm clothing, blankets and personal hygiene items.

We are excited to launch a UCC "Drive for Supplies" on behalf of Ve’ahavta. Ve’ahavta is a non-profit, Toronto-based Jewish humanitarian outreach organization dedicated to promoting positive change in the lives of people who are marginalized by poverty, irrespective of faith or background. Ve’ahavta distributes essential items such as food, clothing, hygiene items, and medical supplies to those in need. 

From Monday, Oct. 28 to Thursday, Nov. 7, we will be collecting clothing and supplies donations in the Bernick Family Foyer. Here is a list of the most needed items. Clothing can be new or used.

1. Men's pants 

2. Men's hoodies, sweaters, and long sleeves 

3. Winter coats

4. Winter boots

5. Hand and foot warmers

6. Blankets and sleeping bags

7. Medical supplies (gauze, bandages, alcohol wipes, Polysporin)

8. Shampoo and deodorant (unused)

9. Razors (unused)

10. Socks (unused) 

In addition, please donate any old or unused cell phones. These will be distributed to those in need. 

Please donate any and all items you can to help make this drive a success! 

Sincerely,

Nikhil Gupta '27 and Rohan Gupta '27

Upper 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, Nov. 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Upper families will have the opportunity to purchase winter dress uniforms and facilitate exchanges or returns. 

Patti Cawker-Chiang 

Blues Shop Manager 

Save the date | Take Our Kids to Work Day

UCC supports "Take Our Kids to Work Day", an annual career exploration event, held every November, where Year 9 students across Canada spend the day in the life of a working professional. 

This year it will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 6.