Deadline
Students entering Year 11 must have course selections ​and ​online parent/guardian approval completed by Friday, Feb. 27 at 4 p.m. The course request system will be closed at this time. 

Year 11 student course selection instructions

Parent/guardian approval process

Please use the following steps to complete the approval process: 

Review student choices in their Bluenet account.

Approve course selections by ​the dates above.

• Login to Bluenet with your parent/guardian account.

• Click the yellow banner at the top of the page alerting you to the school form.

• Click the ​REVIEW​ button next to the ​appropriate course selection approval for 2026–27 form​. There are three separate forms — one for each year level.

• Follow the prompts on the form in order to submit your approval. Only one parent/guardian needs to approve the ​course selection form​. 

• You will receive a message upon submission of your approval.

If you would like to discuss your student’s choices before approving them, please contact one of the following:

MYP Coordinator, Emilia Martin, students entering Year 9

University Counsellors:

• Alison Champ, Bremner's and Howard's 

• David Hanna, Jackson's  

• Stephanie Rose, McHugh’s, Mowbray’s, Martland’s (L–Z) 

• Nili Isaacs, Orr's, Scadding's, Martland’s (A–K)  

• Andrew Turner, Seaton's and Wedd's 

Thank you for your ongoing support as we prepare for the 2026–27 academic year.

On Wednesday, Feb. 25, Upper Canada College and Branksome Hall will co-host the annual World Affairs Conference at UCC. The day will feature a dynamic program of presentations from a diverse range of speakers, including keynote addresses by Canadian astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield and Mr. Martin Kon ’89, UCC alumnus and Branksome Hall parent.

We are excited for the Year 8 special WAC-Day excursion on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

All Year 8 students will be heading to the Norval Outdoor School for a Winter Leadership Fun Day. They'll enjoy Norval’s famous maple syrup-themed lunch, participate in leadership activities indoors and winter fun activities outdoors. The day will include:

• Self-management leadership session 

• Giant marble run 

• Cross-country skiing

• Snow shoeing

• Tobogganing

It's important that students dress appropriately (i.e. snow pants, hats, gloves). Please reach out to any of us if you are in need of one or more of these items.

• Norval Winter Fun Day Information

• Winter fun day trailer and what to pack video

• Norval winter clothing list

Students will depart by bus at 8 a.m. from the north parking lot. We will return to UCC between 3 and 3:30 p.m. If the buses are going to be more than 15–20 minutes late, we will send out a communication to families. 

Students are permitted to bring their phones on the bus, though our gaming policy still applies and they will be asked not to use them during programming at Norval.

Many thanks for your support,

Mr. Evans, Mr. Jugoon, and Ms. Levene

At UCC, we often speak about student agency, but rarely do we see it manifested as powerfully as in the recent work of Lincoln Dugas-Nishisato and Daanyal Alam, two inaugural Systems Transformation Pathway students. 

As part of their intervention on Toronto’s water systems, these two Year 11 students stepped into the role of educators, designing and delivering a sophisticated mini-unit for our Year 8 Academic Foundations classes. Their goal? To help younger students look beneath the surface of global issues using Systems Thinking.

While many students are familiar with the generative powers of Artificial Intelligence, Lincoln and Daanyal identified a critical, often overlooked gap: the environmental cost. They led the Year 8s through an inquiry into how massive data centres require significant water resources from Toronto’s watershed for cooling, a perfect example of a complex, modern system with competing stakeholders. Their mini-unit aligned perfectly with the digital and AI literacy lessons our Year 8 have been studying as part of our bespoke programming. 

Lincoln and Daanyal didn’t just present facts; they taught our younger students how to think. Using the Washington Monument case study, they demonstrated how "zooming in and out" helps reveal the root causes of a problem.

The Year 8s were then challenged to map out "reinforcing causal loops," identifying how AI usage drives further demand and where the "leverage points" exist to create meaningful, lasting change.

To bring these abstract concepts home, the duo collaborated with Mr. Dellandrea and the Advancement Team. They shared never-before-seen information regarding UCC’s planned Rogers Building, allowing the Year 8s to conduct a stakeholder analysis on a project happening right in their own backyard. This exercise proved that the skills taught in the classroom are the very same ones used by professional leaders to shape the future of our school.

We are incredibly proud of the leadership, academic depth, and poise Lincoln and Daanyal demonstrated. They have produced a video recap of their "Systems Transformation" unit, which we encourage all families to watch to see our students in action as the next generation of changemakers.

Watch the Systems Transformation recap video

"We are extremely proud of what we achieved in the short timeframe and very much enjoyed sharing systems thinking with the Year 8s." — Daanyal and Lincoln

With pride and gratitude, 

Emilia Martin 

MYP and Personal Project Coordinator 

The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) is a provincial assessment that measures whether students are meeting the minimum standard for literacy across all subjects up to the end of Grade 9. Successfully completing the OSSLT is one of the 33 requirements for earning the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). 

OSSLT Assessment details:

• Date: Thursday, April 9

• Time: 8:30 to 11:45 a.m.

• Location: Hewitt Athletic Centre

• Arrival: Students are asked to arrive by 8:15 a.m. to ensure a smooth start.

What to expect on the test

The OSSLT is a computer-based assessment consisting of two sessions (Session A and Session B). The test includes a mix of “selected-response” (multiple choice, drag-and-drop, and drop-down menus) and “open-response” (written) questions.

The sections include:

• Session A (65 min) Reading: Students will interact with real-life narratives, information paragraphs, news reports, and dialogues. They will be asked to understand explicitly stated information and to make connections and inferences.

• Session B (75 min) Writing: Students will demonstrate their skills through multiple-choice questions on grammar and punctuation, as well as longer written pieces, such as an opinion essay supported by reasons and relevant examples.

How we are preparing students

To ensure that all students feel confident and prepared, targeted instruction will be integrated into two MYP Seminars and two English classes. Our preparation focuses on:

• Skill development: Analyzing various text types and practicing structured opinion writing.

• Platform familiarity: Ensuring students know how to use the online tools, such as the built-in text-to-speech, high-contrast view, and digital "rough notes" area.

• Test-taking strategies: Time management and strategies for breaking down complex prompts.

Student readiness checklist

• Fully charged laptop: As the test is entirely online, students must bring their laptops with a full charge.

• Practice at home: EQAO provides an official Online Practice Test that mirrors the actual platform. We highly encourage students to explore this at home to become familiar with the digital tools.

• Watch the intro video: You can view a short overview of the assessment here: What to Expect on the OSSLT.

• Save the date: If you have any commitments scheduled for Thursday, April 9, we kindly ask that you consider rebooking. Students who miss the OSSLT will not have another opportunity to write the test until the following year. 

We are committed to supporting your child through this milestone. If you have any questions about readiness, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Upper School office.

The Academic Team 

Jordan Small, Director of Academics 

Liz Kennedy, Director of the WCfL 

Leigh Berndsen, Registrar
Emilia Martin, MYP & Personal Project Coordinator 

The Medical Society will be hosting a short presentation for students interested in pursuing medicine. This session will focus on IB subject choices and academic pathways that can help prepare for medical studies. 

Students in Years 8, 9 and 10 who are beginning to consider future academic pathways are encouraged to attend. The session is designed to provide general guidance and an overview of common routes into medicine, including both direct-entry and undergraduate pathways. 

Date: Thursday, Feb. 26

Time: 1:50 p.m. (Flex Time) 

Location: Room 317  

All interested students are welcome. 

All Year 9 parents and guardians are invited to the rescheduled Year 9 coffee morning on Tuesday, March 3, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Foster Hewitt Foundation Lounge (in the Wilder Arena). Please RSVP here.

The ABC Improv Comedy Night originally scheduled for Monday, Feb. 23, will be rescheduled to a later date.

We look forward to sharing updated event details after March Break. 

We sincerely appreciate everyone who has already purchased tickets. The ABC team will be in touch with you directly with further information. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please email the ABC team.

The self-nomination process for the 2026–27 Parents’ Organization (PO) is now - but closes next Thursday, Feb. 26.  We'd love for you to get involved!

Volunteering is a great way to meet other parents and guardians, stay current and support our students. In-person meetings give you the opportunity to connect with volunteers from Years 8 to 12. Plus, joining the PO is a great way to stay current on what’s happening in the Upper School.

PO Goals and Initiatives 

Our primary goal is to foster community engagement through social, informational and fundraising initiatives — from planning speakers of interest to our community, parent get-togethers and sales of used uniforms, spirit wear, grad frames and rings, to organizing Festive Marketplace. There’s a volunteer position for everyone!

Show your school spirit at games and events with UCC Blue Army clothing and gear, for sale on UCC Marketplace. Our online shop is stocked with hoodies, toques, t-shirts, trucker hats and water bottles. 

Get Blue Army gear here. 

All items are sold by the PO with proceeds going back to the school to enhance student experiences.