With just three short weeks left before the winter break, we wanted to send along a quick heads-up about what’s happening in Year 5.  

We've been encouraging the boys to continue building their independence and responsibility. This includes packing their own school bags, keeping track of their belongings, and remembering to bring home any assigned homework, books, and their agendas. These habits help them develop important organizational skills, stay prepared for learning, and begin taking ownership of their daily routines.

In inquiry, we are continuing our unit Where We Are in Place and Time, with a focus on Indigenous peoples in Canada and the features of their societies. Students are exploring how Indigenous communities lived historically and how their cultures continue to thrive today. We're discussing relationships with the land, traditional knowledge, community structures, and the diversity among First Nations, Métis, and Inuit groups. The boys have also been learning why it's important to study history—how understanding past societies helps us appreciate different perspectives, recognize continuity and change, and make informed choices for the future. They've been engaging thoughtfully with maps, stories, and secondary sources to deepen their understanding and appreciate the rich cultural heritage of Indigenous peoples.

In math, we are digging deeper into our work with fractions, learning how to add and subtract fractions using visual tools such as fraction circles and number lines. These models help students build a strong conceptual foundation before moving toward more abstract strategies. We're also working on interpreting remainders in a variety of problem-solving situations. Students are learning that the context of a question helps determine whether a remainder should be ignored, rounded up, or expressed as a fraction, and they are practicing explaining their thinking clearly.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. Please reach out if you have any questions.

Hailey Verity, Lisa Brooks, Paul Faggion

Year 5 Teachers

Our Year 5 students are nearing the end of their woodworking unit and are excited to put the final touches on their charcuterie boards. They're completing their last rounds of sanding before their designs are engraved, and will soon begin oiling and conditioning their boards for a beautiful finish. Students will also be creating their own custom wrapping paper to take their board home for the holidays. 

As the temperatures start to drop at Norval, things start to slow down, giving students time to reflect, create things, and even just listen to the leaves crunch under their feet. 

This time of year Norval sees smaller groups, which means the students have the whole property to themselves and the opportunity to build significant connections with their peers.

Year 3 “Connection to Land” 

The land we walk and play on has so many meanings to so many people. On Orange Shirt Day, the Year 3s came up to Norval to take a deeper dive into how we connect to the land under our feet and its diverse history. They took part in an orange ribbon reflection, the water walk and made Moccasin Identifier stencils.

The Year 4 Fall Trip 

To start their first trip of the year, the Year 4s hiked to find their magic spots in the Norval forest. Here, they took some time on their own to sit and observe nature around them. These spots are special because each season the students come back to Norval, they return to their spot, and are given time to soak up the beauty of nature around them. Following this, they learned about the rock cycle and how certain sediments can be used to make art. Finally, on their final day, they took on the Great Norval Challenge, their first experience with the Norval low ropes course. 

The Year 5 Sustainability trip

Planting trees, extracting honey, and making apple cider, the year 5’s were as busy as bees for their 3-day trip this year. It wasn’t all work, though; after a restful sleep in our Stephen House bunks, they also got to cook their lunch over a fire and hiked to our newest trail we share with the town of Halton Hills.

Y2’s Simple Machines

Wedges, pulleys, and screws! The Year 2s got to experiment with how these tools work and learn how they can make our everyday lives easier. From lifting a heavy object to drilling holes, the students put into practice their understanding of these concepts and came out with real-world, hands-on knowledge.

SK’s Emotions

Not all Norval trips happen at Norval; sometimes we bring Norval to the main campus, especially for groups like the SKs. This November, the SKs were introduced to their new unit about emotions at the main campus free play forest. The frustration of learning a new game or the sense of gratification of finally getting it right, they explored that emotions are not bad, but understandable.

Year 3 Forces

The Year 3s also got a visit from the Norval teachers. In closing off their unit on forces, they put their knowledge to the test and took on several challenges that got them thinking creatively on how different forces, such as buoyancy, friction, and gravity, can be applied to solve problems. 

This holiday season, the Prep community is proud to support Thorncliffe Park Public School, the largest elementary school in North America with 1,350 students from Grades 1–5. Approximately 95 per cent of students speak a first language other than English, and many are newcomers to Canada. For these families, adjusting to Canadian winters can be especially challenging.

Winter gear and grocery gift card drive

To help support Thorncliffe families during the colder months, we are collecting:

Winter gear 

New or gently used winter clothing for children in Grades 1–5, focusing on:

• Snowsuits, winter coats and snow pants

• Boots, hats, mittens and scarves

Clothing sizes: 5–12
Boot sizes: 10–6

Donation boxes for winter gear will be located in the Bitove Lounge.

Grocery and restaurant gift card drive

Gift cards help families purchase essential groceries and household items throughout the winter. Local stores most frequently used by Thorncliffe families include:

• Food Basics

• Iqbal Foods

• Dollarama

• Shoppers Drug Mart
  
  

A drop box for gift cards will be available at the UCC reception.

Every item and every gift card will directly support a child or family in our neighbouring community. Together, we can make a meaningful difference this holiday season.

Riley Carter

Community Engagement and Service Learning Coordinator

Once again, we are excited to offer a year-end trip for our Year 7 students to the Niagara Region. The trip will be June 3–5, 2026. All Year 7 families will be emailed the Niagara Trip letter, including the permission form, on Friday. Please complete the permission form at your earliest convenience.

Please review this document for a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the trip, the packing list, and the draft itinerary.

Sincerely,

Gareth Evans
Assistant Head of the Preparatory School | Middle Division

Please see the below clubs and flyer for a list of our January to March offerings!

Harry Potter Mystery Club
Step into the magical world of Hogwarts with our Harry Potter Mystery Club—an exciting after-school adventure designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving. Through interactive games, hands-on activities, and STEM-based challenges inspired by the wizarding world, your sons will decode clues, brew “potions,” engineer magical creations, and unravel weekly mysteries. It’s the perfect blend of fun and learning, where imagination meets innovation and every young wizard can discover the magic of STEM!
SK to Year 3, Wednesdays from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Cost: $249.99
Please email Brent Crawford to register.

Global Music Explorers

Join us on a musical journey around the world with Global Music Explorers! In this dynamic after-school club, students will dive into diverse musical styles and traditions, discovering how rhythm, melody, and culture connect people across the globe. Through hands-on activities, pattern recognition, and interactive sound exploration, your sons will become active participants in this universal language—learning, creating, and experiencing the rich tapestry of world music in an engaging and inspiring way.
Year 4 to 7, Wednesdays from 4 to 5 p.m.
Cost: $249.99

Please email Brent Crawford to register.

Warm Wishes, 

Brent Crawford

After School Program Coordinator

Festive Marketplace is just around the corner on Friday, Dec. 12. 

There are many ways you can support Festive including volunteering. Find out more on our Festive website!

Festive online auction begins tonight

The Festive Auction begins tonight at 8 p.m. and ends Friday, Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. To view and bid on auction items, click here.

Donate auction items 

Year after year, the success of our auction comes from the generosity of our community. We're still accepting auction items and are updating the online auction daily.

Do you have items or experiences you’d like to donate? We're looking for auction items at all price points. If you have something you'd like to donate, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email. If you’re ready to donate an item now, please donate here.  

Monetary donations

You can now donate money to the auction via the UCC donation page and receive a tax receipt for any donations of $20 or more.

At UCC Giving, once you’ve entered your gift amount, select “Other” in the "Designation" field, and then type “Festive Auction” in the "Other Gift Designation" field. Our Festive Auction Team will pool donated funds to buy popular auction items, like electronics. Donate money to the auction here.  Thank you for donating to Festive!

Festive Marketplace Bake Sale | Calling all Bakers

One of many highlights at the Market is our Festive Bake Sale. We’re looking for cookies, cupcakes, squares, brownies, loaves or anything else you’d like to contribute, including gluten-free baked goods. All items should be nut-free.

For those who don’t have time to bake, reach out to your local bakery. We’re grateful for any and all homemade and store-bought baked goods.

Please complete this form to let the Bake Sale Committee know what you’re planning to bring. 

For further information about the bake sale, including volunteering and drop off information, please see here.

Purchase | Lucky Draw Tickets

Don’t miss the chance to win an incredible gingerbread UCC Clock Tower, or a pair of Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Tickets.

Get your tickets on Friday, Dec. 12, all day, at the PPO table at Festive Marketplace.

Tickets are $5 each, or 3 for $10. Winners will be announced at Festive Marketplace on Friday, Dec. 12 at 4 p.m.

Donate | Snowball Grab

An annual favourite! Tickets are $5 each, and every “snowball” is a winner with gift card prizes in the $5 to $50 range, as well as the grand prize of Apple AirPods. We are collecting gift cards for the Snowball Grab at the Prep and the Upper School Reception desks. Please drop off gift cards in the collection boxes marked “Snowball Grab”. 

A special thank you to Jennifer MacGregor and Michelle Way of Chestnut Park Real Estate Brokerage, our key sponsors for this year's Snowball Grab. Thank you for your generous donation!

Festive musical performance schedule

Always a highlight, UCC’s student musicians will be performing holiday songs and musical arrangements they’ve been preparing for Festive. Plan your visit around the following student musical performances:

• 9:45 to 10 a.m. Year 3 singing

• 10:40 a.m. to 12 p.m. Year 6 and 7 various performers

• 12:35 to 12:50 p.m. 5F and 5V singing

• Check back soon on our Festive website for the Upper School performance schedule