Upper School August 21, 2025
Embedded Files
Select a link to jump to an article.
Upper School Highlights
Upper School Highlights
Tuesday, Sept. 2
🕓 New student orientation day
Wednesday, Sept. 3
🕓 First day of classes
Thursday, Sept. 4
Curriculum Night, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 5
👕 UCC spirit dress wear
Year 9-11 course change requests open
The Week Without Bells
The Week Without Bells
Hello Upper School Parents,
As a reminder as we head into the fall, one of the major experiences in our school calendar is The Week Without Bells, an experiential learning program in which all students in Years 8–11 travel, collaborate, and explore curricular and co-curricular themes.
For the 2025–26 academic year, UCC has partnered with ALIVE Outdoors, our Norval Team, and AdventureWorks, to deliver an exciting week of camp programming for students in Years 8–11, scheduled from Tuesday, Oct. 14 to Friday, Oct. 17.
ALIVE Outdoors works with well-established camps familiar to UCC, including Camp Timberlane (for Years 8 and 11) and Camp Wanakita (for Year 10). Meanwhile, the Norval Team and AdventureWorks will deliver exciting programming for Year 9 students at Olympia Sports Camp.
During this week, Year 12 students will remain on campus, focusing on completing Diploma Programme-specific tasks and working on their university applications.
Please note:
A non-refundable deposit of $575 will be billed to Year 8-11 student accounts on Sept. 15.
The balance of the program fees (approximately $575) will be billed after the trip concludes.
All students are expected to attend. If your child is unable to attend due to medical reasons or a mandatory prior commitment, please contact Gillian Levene (Year 8), Joe Smith (Years 9 and 10), or Damion Walker (Year 11) by Sept.12.
Year 8 to 11 families: permission forms are now live in BlueNet with a Sept. 30 completion deadline
Please be aware that there will be no alternative programming on campus during The Week Without Bells as the faculty will also be at the various camps. We're excited for the busy months ahead as we kick off the school year and look forward to the many opportunities of 2025–26!
*Please note that families currently receiving financial assistance for the 2025–26 academic year will receive prorated assistance for this program fee.
Kind regards,
Joe Smith, Gillan Levene and Damion Walker
Assistant Heads, Upper School
New Student orientation and resources
New Student orientation and resources
We are excited to welcome new students to the Upper School on September 2! Please see this link for important information sent to families in July, which includes:
An overview of Orientation Day activities
Items to bring
A welcome video
Uniform information
A facilities map
Frequently Asked Questions and key contact information sheets
Important fall event dates
New boarding students, please note that your move-in date is August 31. Please refer to the Boarding Life Section of this issue of Heads Up for more detailed information on orientation.
All the best,
Gillian Levene
Assistant Head, Student Life & Community
Save the date | Curriculum Night
Save the date | Curriculum Night
Please join us for the Upper School Curriculum Night on Thursday, Sept. 4, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Curriculum Night provides families with the opportunity to learn more about their child’s academic program and meet the teachers who will be guiding them throughout the year. During the evening, you will hear about course content, expectations, and approaches to learning, while also gaining insight into how we can work together to support student growth and success. Instructions for accessing your personalized timetable as well as the schedule for the evening are outlined below.
How to access your Curriculum Night timetable:
On September 4, log on to the portal.
Scroll down to your child's Curriculum Night Timetable. Click to download, view, or print the PDF.
Upper School Curriculum Night
6:30–6:40 p.m. — Meet in your child's advising group location
6:50–9:00 p.m. — Follow all classes as per your personalized schedule. For convenience, the bell will ring after each “class” to remind you.
*Empty spaces in your timetable represent a spare or a break.
Each course’s slide deck presentations can be found on your child's BrightSpace course page in case you are not able to join Curriculum Night this year.
*If you have more than one child in the Upper School, we suggest you review their timetables to determine the teachers you wish to visit.
If you have any questions prior to the evening, please do not hesitate to reach out to Joe Smith, Assistant Head, Upper School, Student Life and Programming.
Pastoral Care Supports 2025–26
Pastoral Care Supports 2025–26
Over the past few years, student support teams have been reviewing pastoral (holistic, social emotional support) opportunities in our student programming, to enhance our mentorship programs and a sense of belonging. This process included consultation with a number of key voices, such as students in Years 8 through 12, advisers, our wellbeing and pluralism coordinators, the Health Centre and WWCfL, as well as conducting research of Canadian and international schools.
We are excited to implement updates to the structure of our advising and house system to strengthen support for students on their Upper School journey.
The updated pastoral supports will take two forms: newly-designed vertical (inter-grade) house groups and changes to our existing horizontal (same-grade) advising groups. The vertical groups will be called “pods”. Year 11 mentors and year 8 mentees will form the core of each pod. Students from other year levels will make up the rest of the pod. Pods will meet once per month during a scheduled House Meeting. The programming for these groups will seek to leverage the opportunities created by older and younger students meeting regularly in the same space and create a safe environment for mentorship and bonding between year levels.
We will continue our existing year-level advising groups, which will meet every Tuesday morning during Community Time. This year, we will also add co-advisers as another trusted adult to the year 8, 9 and 10 advising groups. We targeted the MYP year levels for additional advising support, as students in Years 8 to 10 would benefit from increased pastoral support in their formative years at the College before the start of the Diploma Programme. This structure will enhance holistic pastoral care, expand adviser diversity (including non-teaching staff), foster internal mentorship and succession planning, and promote bonding that strengthens student relationships and leadership opportunities.
We look forward to sharing communications during the year that highlight these elements of our programming!
Dress Code updates
Dress Code updates
Shorts
The dress code outlined in the Family Handbook has been updated to provide additional guidance on shorts. Wearing shorts is permitted as long as they are tan or beige. As stated in the Family Handbook, students should wear "beige, tan, or navy well-fitting khaki pants or bottoms. Shorts must be tan or beige."
Note for Year 12 families:
Over the past few months, the UCC Parents’ Organization (PO) and the Board of Stewards have collaborated to design specialty clothing items for the Class of 2026.
Grad Wear — Grad wear is now available to order. Please read the article at the bottom of this issue for more details on ordering grad wear. Last date to order is September 10.
Leaving Class 2026 Quarter Zip —As part of a pilot dress code initiative, the Class of 2026 will have the option to wear a specially designed Leaving Class 2026 quarter zip. Ordering details will be shared with students in the coming weeks.
2025–26 Textbook ordering information
2025–26 Textbook ordering information
New and used textbook purchases can be made directly through the University of Toronto (U of T) Bookstore rather than at the College. Textbooks are ordered using the U of T Bookstore’s online ordering system, available here. The online ordering system is active from August 1 through to the end of the school year. Textbooks and course materials can be purchased online to be shipped to your address, or you can shop in person at their downtown location at 214 College Street. You can also request to have your order delivered to other University of Toronto campuses for pick up, this includes U of T Mississauga (UTM) or U of T Scarborough (UTSC). Click here to check the hours and addresses.
Boarding students may request that their orders be shipped directly to the College for distribution upon arrival in September. Please add the school address to the shipping address when the order is completed. The address is: 200 Lonsdale Road, Toronto, ON M4V 1W6. This option is for Boarding students only.
If your course is not listed, there is no required text to be ordered. Any course materials needed will be communicated by your student’s teacher in the first week of school. U of T Bookstore will ship your order immediately. Publisher back-ordered books will ship as soon as they’re available.
It’s important for you to place your order as early as possible to help ensure your student has the textbooks needed to start the school year. Ordering early gives you the best selection of used books.
Orders will be shipped by UPS. It’s very important that you include a delivery address where someone will be available during business hours to sign for your shipment. Please consider using a business address rather than your home address for delivery, where appropriate.
Payment can be made by debit or credit (VISA, Mastercard, American Express).
Additional information
A stock of UCC books will be carried by the U of T Bookstore throughout the academic year and may be ordered at any time. They can easily handle book returns if a student changes a course, and the books must be unmarked and in pristine condition to receive a full refund. There will be no restocking fee on books returned by Friday, October 10. For assistance, please contact U of T Bookstore directly at uppercanadacollege@uoftbookstore.com.
For Upper School students, please refer to the Course Requests tab in Bluenet for a list of student course enrolments. This is viewable in both the Student and Parent/Guardian Bluenet accounts.
Course change requests
Course change requests
Please note the following key dates and information about the course change process for the 2025–26 academic year.
Students should reach out to a university counsellor to begin a conversation. See contact information below.
There is also a late course change process that begins after the end dates below. At that point, students will have spent more time in their courses, and therefore, the request to move from one course to another can be more complex. A discussion centred on potential impacts will be led by the university counsellor and will involve the student and parent, course teachers, adviser and the Wernham West Centre for Learning (WWCfL) as required.
Course change dates
Students in Year 9 and 10
Begins: Day 3 (September 5)
Ends: Day 2 (September 17)
Students in Year 11
Begins: Day 3 (September 5)
Ends: Day 2 (October 14)
Course changes must be approved by a parent/guardian and a student’s university counsellor.
University Counselling Office:
Mr. Hanna — Jackson’s
Ms. Isaacs — Orr’s, Scadding’s and Martland’s(A-K)
Ms. Rose — McHugh’s, Mowbray’s and Martland’s (L-Z)
Mr. Turner — Seaton’s, Wedd’s
Ms. Champ — Howard’s, Bremner’s
Wernham West Centre for Learning: High Performance Support (HPS)
Wernham West Centre for Learning: High Performance Support (HPS)
Dear UCC Parents and Guardians,
We're excited to announce a new initiative from the Wernham West Centre for Learning: High Performance Support (HPS). This new layer of support is designed for students who are balancing a rigorous academic schedule with a demanding high-performance pursuit, whether it's an activity through UCC or a personal passion outside of school.
Our goal is to provide a holistic and integrated support system that acknowledges the unique demands placed on these students. We'll work to ensure their academic success and overall wellbeing remain a top priority.
Caitlin Dobie, our School Counsellor and Coordinator of High Performance Support, will serve as the main point of contact for HPS students and their families. Caitlin will help students navigate their unique learning needs and develop effective strategies for managing their academic commitments alongside their high-performance responsibilities.
We are also pleased to welcome Athena Hu, our dedicated High Performance Teacher Intern. With a specialization in Math and Science, Athena will provide instruction and academic support for students who miss classes due to their high-performance activities. She will offer small group sessions and, when possible, individualized support during convenient times such as before or after school, or during flex periods.
It's important to understand that UCC does not have a "High Performance Program" that offers bespoke academic schedules. Instead, HPS provides specialized support and flexibility to help students find balance between their commitments and academic work.
High Performance Support is available to students who have an in-depth pursuit outside of school that requires a significant time commitment. This includes:
Student-athletes competing at an elite level (provincial, national, or international) with a minimum of 12-15 hours of weekly training under a certified coach. This can be a seasonal or year-round commitment.
Student-artists with a rigorous rehearsal and performance schedule that requires considerable time away from school.
Students who are already receiving support through the Wernham West Centre for Learning will continue to do so. The HPS is an additional service for those who meet the specific criteria outlined above. Students who do not meet the HPS criteria may still receive support from the Wernham West Centre for Learning and/or Student Services.
We're confident that this new support system will help our high-performance students thrive both in their chosen discipline and in their academic lives at UCC.
Liz Kennedy
Director, Wernham West Centre for Learning and Student Services
Caitlin Dobie
School Counsellor and Coordinator of High Performance Support
Order | UCC puffer jackets
Order | UCC puffer jackets
Get ready for the fall season with the UCC Crested Puffer Jacket, featuring the UCC crest on the left chest. They’re perfect for layering on chilly days.
The jackets are 100% polyester for durability and water resistance, and are available in Youth and Adult sizes, with distinct Men’s and Women’s styles for the best fit. Each jacket includes a removable snap hood and elastic cuffs for a snug, comfortable feel.
We’re aiming for a mid-October delivery, so you’ll have your jacket in time for the colder weather. Jackets are $110 each, and the order deadline is Friday, September 12. Click here for more details and to order.
Save the date | Annual Used Uniform Sale
Save the date | Annual Used Uniform Sale
Get set for school with The Used Blues Shop (TUBS) Annual Used Uniform Sale.
When:
Tuesday, September 2, from 2 to 4 p.m.
Wednesday, September 3, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Where:
Upper School lower-level hallway (near the Lower Dining Hall)
The sale will feature gently used uniforms and spirit wear. All purchases will be charged to a student’s account. Students may shop on their own. Parents are welcome, but asked to first sign in at reception. Please bring a shopping bag.
Donations are welcome. If you’re interested in volunteering or have questions, please email TUBS.
Order | Class of 2026 Grad wear
Order | Class of 2026 Grad wear
Grad wear for the Class of 2026 is now available to order, but only for a limited time. The deadline for ordering is Wednesday, September 10.
For pick up orders at UCC, there are two delivery dates in September, depending on when your order is received. Home delivery is also available, for an additional fee.
For more details, and to order items, visit the UCC 2026 Grad wear online store.
Sign up | Volunteer with the UCC PO
Sign up | Volunteer with the UCC PO
The UCC Parent’s Organization (PO) is a great way to become more involved in the school community, and there are many occasional volunteer roles to choose from. For example, take a shift at our used uniform sale, A-Day, Festive Marketplace, or in the The Used Blues Shop (TUBS). Sign up to be an Arts Booster Club (ABC) or Blues Booster Club (BBC) parent. Or, volunteer in the library.
Occasional volunteer role descriptions can be found here. If you’re interested in volunteering, simply complete this form. Choose your area(s) of interest, and we’ll take it from there.
Thank you!
Report abuse