Upper School February 19, 2026
Upper School February 19, 2026
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Friday, Feb 20
👕 UCC spirit wear dress day
Wednesday, Feb. 25
World Affairs Conference
No classes for Years 9 - 12
Year 8, WAC excursion to Norval
Friday, Feb 27
👕 UCC spirit wear dress day
Leaving Class 2028 (Year 10 Students Entering Year 11) Course Selections for 2026-27 closes at 4 p.m.
Founder's Cup 2026 at 4 p.m.
Upper School Leadership Team
Students and colleagues returned to the rhythm of school life following the long weekend, full of energy and enthusiasm, as well as renewed focus generated from the Three-Way Conferences. Tuesday was a special Principal’s Assembly dedicated to deliberating Founder’s Day, and included remarks from our Service Steward, as well as the VP of Advancement and Principal McKinney, reflecting on UCC’s history, purpose and values. Special guest speaker Charlie Sims ’80, the recipient of this year’s John D. Stevenson award for volunteerism, highlighted the importance of actively contributing to institutions we care about so they may thrive.
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.
Keynote Speaker: Colonel Chris Hadfield
Colonel Hadfield is an astronaut, leader, author, and speaker on leadership, technology, and change. As a former Commander of the International Space Station, having flown three space missions and completed two spacewalks, and as NASA’s Director of Operations in Russia, he brings years of experience to his work, sharing his expertise with young audiences. A renowned engineer and leader, Hadfield has contributed to the construction of numerous space stations and has received impressive awards from institutions such as NASA and the Order of Canada. Currently, Colonel Hadfield is also involved with the upcoming Artemis II mission to the moon, where CSA Astronaut Jeremy Hansen is part of the crew.
Keynote Speaker: Martin Kon ’89
Martin Kon, an Upper Canada College alumnus and Branksome Hall parent, is the President Emeritus and former COO of Cohere, a leading data-security-first AI company valued at over $7 billion, with offices
in Toronto, Montreal, San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, and Seoul. Before joining Cohere, Martin served as CFO of YouTube, overseeing global strategy, finance, business operations and
analytics. He previously served as Managing Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Head of the Global Communications, Media and Technology Practice at Oliver Wyman.
For more information about the conference schedule and a full list of this year’s speakers, please visit the WAC website. This year’s lineup includes thirteen speakers who will present on this year’s theme, Power in Perspective. Students in years 9-12 will participate in person and will have opportunities to meet plenary speakers and connect with students from across the GTA. Additionally, a live broadcast of the keynote addresses will be available for viewing for those joining the conference internationally.
We look forward to a meaningful day of learning and the exchange of ideas.
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.
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,
MYP and Personal Project Coordinator
The electrifying production of Chicago delivers glitz and glamour with a catchy score and show-stopping choreography. Follow the ambitious Roxie Hart and the cunning Velma Kelly as they navigate media sensationalism and legal maneuvering in the jazz-soaked "City of Big Shoulders." With classic hits like "All That Jazz," this Tony Award-winning musical is an intoxicating tale of murder, greed, and celebrity that remains as relevant as ever.
To provide all families with an opportunity to see the show, there will be four identical performances: 3 evenings and 1 matinee.
Performance times: February 25, 26 and 27 at 7 p.m. and February 28 at 2 p.m.
Location: Steven K. Hudson Family Theatre, The Bishop Strachan School
Tickets for students and families: Reserve here
BSS and UCC staff are welcome to reserve one (1) complimentary ticket.
Your ticket(s) will be emailed to you after your order is placed. Please allow up to 24 hours for your order to be processed. If you do not receive your ticket(s) within 24 hours of ordering, please email performingarts@bss.on.ca.
On Friday, Feb. 27 at 4 p.m., students, staff and families will come together at UCC to raise much-needed funding for Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital through the second annual student-run Founders Cup charity volleyball tournament! This year, we're expanding and bringing together 8 schools: UCC, BSS, Havergal, Crescent, RSGC, Branksome, St. Mikes and St. Clements.
To donate and sign-up, please click here.
Your support of Founder's Cup will help Holland Bloorview continue to transform care for children through groundbreaking research, important advocacy, and life changing medical care. 100 per cent of funds raised go directly to Holland Bloorview.
The Slaight Family Foundation and Holland Bloorview Board of Directors will TRIPLE MATCH every donation! This generous support means every dollar donated makes 3 times the impact!
Founders Cup empowers students to transform their talents into action through student-led events that create measurable, real-world impact.
Everyone is invited to cheer on your favourite team and join family-friendly events, including a pizza-eating competition, dodgeball, family feud and card writing for children at the hospital.
Thank you for supporting the Founders Cup!
Lincoln Dugas-Nishisato, Class of 2027 and Founders Cup Executive Team
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 8 to 12 students at UCC are invited to participate in this year’s Ontario Model United Nations (OMUN) conference, taking place on April 11 and 12. Hosted annually by UCC’s accomplished MUN Club, OMUN provides an engaging opportunity for delegates from across the GTA and beyond to develop research, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and leadership skills through meaningful debate and dialogue on contemporary and historical global issues.
All experience levels are welcome. Do not miss this chance to get involved! Register here by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 20.
Katherine Maloney, Teagan O’Halloran, Carys Owen, and Meaghan Higginson
MUN Faculty Advisers
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!
Sign Up Now
Follow these links for PO position descriptions and the self-nomination form. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the PO, please email Mary-Lea Ruscetta, PO Past President. Reach out, describe your interests and we’ll find the best position for you.
We're grateful for your support and hope you’ll join us next year!
UCC Parents’ Organization
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.
All items are sold by the PO with proceeds going back to the school to enhance student experiences.