We understand that mornings can be a whirlwind and that despite even the best routines, items like lunchboxes, laptops, or gym bags are occasionally left behind. To ensure our school remains a safe environment and to help our students grow into accountable young adults, we would like to share a reminder of our protocol for items being dropped off during the school day.

Our priority is safety and supervision

The safety of our students is our primary concern. Our Prep reception team serves as the gatekeepers of our main entrance. For security reasons, it's neither feasible nor safe for our reception team to leave the main entrance unsupervised to deliver forgotten items to classrooms. Maintaining a presence at the front desk ensures we can monitor visitors and manage access to our campus effectively.

The educational "why"

Beyond logistics, there is a significant pedagogical reason for our policy. We believe that experiencing natural, yet non-catastrophic consequences serves as a vital learning experience.

When a student forgets an item and has to navigate the result of that oversight, they develop problem-solving skills and a greater sense of responsibility for their belongings. These moments help students build the resilience and organizational habits they will need in school and in life.

Happy New Year! We've had a wonderful transition back to school. The students have jumped right back into their routines with great energy and are already making impressive strides in their learning.

Math: Money and multiplication

We've officially wrapped up our unit on money. The students did a great job learning to use various combinations of coins and bills.

• Real-world practice: Since we often use cards or phones to pay these days, physical cash can feel a bit foreign. Students are encouraged to count the contents of coin jars at home, it’s a fantastic way to reinforce these skills!

• New unit: We are now moving into multiplication and division. 

Inquiry: From machines to mapping

We've transitioned from our study of machines to a new unit on Mapping. The boys are currently exploring:

• Coordinates and legends

• Finding north and understanding scales

Language: Structured literacy

Our literacy work is focusing on syllable types (open, closed, vowel-consonant-e, vowel teams, and r-controlled vowels). The students are making excellent progress in decoding complex words, even outside of story context. Sharing a chapter book together is a wonderful way to build comprehension and a love for storytelling. A quick trip to the library to pick up a new series is a great weekend activity for the whole family!

Thank you for your continued support!

Warmly,

Carly Crippin

This update finds us in our new Math-Science learning space, a wonderful update to our community. The two new lab spaces are modern, flexible, and inspiring. Fully equipped with plenty of flexible seating and work areas, multiple screens and projectors, and increased storage, we are very excited to be teaching and learning in these new spaces. A huge thank you to the donors who made these spaces possible.

Physical and Health Education (PHE) Canada recently released their new Strategic Plan, including their updated Mission, which states, “PHE Canada empowers the Canadian Physical and Health Education Community to ensure students have the knowledge, skills and attitudes to lead resilient, active, and healthy lives.” 

The release of this document offers a reminder to us in the Physical Education Department to reflect on the role we play in the broader community; to think about what we are striving to achieve in our work with the younger students at the College. This is something we reflect on regularly as we consider changes to our programme, and our basic philosophy is this: students should be active and engaged in meaningful activities as much as possible in order to facilitate the development of their physical literacy.

As I describe our approach, it is useful to make a contrast with what are considered ‘traditional’ approaches in physical education (frequently criticised as being too performance-centred and, consequently, favouring those students who are already competent, and marginalising the less experienced). As I expand upon the ideas that are central to our philosophy, I will contrast these with the ‘traditional’ approaches.

We believe that the development of Physical Literacy involves students being able to react to their environments in a variety of contexts (as opposed to the traditional approach of teaching isolated skills practice and then expecting students to apply these skills effectively). For example, in our Year 6-7 gymnastics units, we ask our students to devise a sequence based on their own preferences and capabilities (while developing their understanding of concepts such as form, control and dynamism); in the younger grades, the entry point for team games are the games themselves, with students developing applied skills (e.g. throwing and catching) while they play, rather than in isolation.

The activities we choose to include in our programme are made more meaningful when they are considered to be vehicles for learning rather than the object of learning. The Year 6 Gaelic Football unit, for example, focuses on the nature of skill development which can be applied broadly, rather than a traditional approach which seeks to teach students how to play a specific sport; low-organisation games in the younger grades are vehicles for the development of co-operative and organisational skills as well as providing the repetition of basic skills (e.g. locomotion, sending and receiving). Activities that are specific to one particular sport (which a student might never play again) can feel meaningless; activities with broader applications can feel relevant and engaging.

Finally, the idea that students should be active and engaged in a physical education class is an obvious one, but we are conscious of trying to maximize this. Where traditional approaches might have students waiting in line for a turn, or playing in 10 versus 10 games (in which some students will rarely touch the ball), we seek to use activities that increase student involvement, e.g. 6-net soccer with a large number of balls in the younger grades, or playing multiple small-sided games as the students get older. The way we group students also serves to increase engagement, changing them regularly to encourage the expansion of social connections, sometimes choosing similar-ability groups to allow a suitably challenging environment, and sometimes encouraging leadership by having ‘experts’ supporting their less-experienced classmates.

While PHE Canada hopes that students will lead active and healthy lives, our PE and Games programmes ensure that our students are active within the school day every day; our hope is that their experiences will motivate them, and give them confidence, to be active when they leave the Prep.

Mark Baxter
Physical Education Learning Leader

So many new skills in Year 6 and Year 7 design!

Year 6 | Automata: Spin a Tale

Our Year 6 designers are currently immersed in the Automata: Spin a Tale unit, where they are transitioning from the conceptual phase to the final creation. Before the break, students created cardboard prototypes of an automaton toy, each designed to represent a personal story or memory. After reflecting on their initial prototypes, they are now meticulously planning the changes needed for their final wooden version. Students are building essential technical skills, including learning proper orthographic drawing techniques, which they are currently applying to create detailed blueprints for their final designs.

Before they begin construction, students will participate in safety lessons on the proper use of all the necessary tools and equipment. They will also learn the digital skills necessary to design laser-cut items for their final automaton. Following this, they will move into the building phase, where they will bring their carefully planned wooden automata to life.

All Lost and Found items will be laid out in the Prep basement across from the Hixon Family Design Lab from Monday, Jan. 26 until Thursday Jan. 29. Please come check out the display and retrieve any missing items. 

Any unclaimed uniform items are donated to the Used Uniform Sale, and non-uniform items are donated to charity. 

The best way to find lost items is to label them!  Check out our Mabel's Labels PPO Fundraising link here.

One of our most popular PPO events is coming back in February! The Used Uniform Sale happens in the hallway of the William P. Wilder ’40 Arena & Sports Complex and is an amazing way to shop sustainably, get great deals and fundraise for UCC. The event is volunteer-run and all proceeds go back to the PPO to support and fund future events.

Wednesday, Feb. 4 | 2:30 to 4 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 5 | 8 to 9:30 a.m.

Donations: Please drop off gently used uniform items in the Used Uniform blue box under the main staircase of the lower level at the Prep. Please no stained or ripped clothing.

Volunteers: The Used Uniform Sale committee is looking for volunteers with a couple of hours to spare. Help is needed to sort and organize donations at the sale or to assist in the teardown. Please sign up here if you can help out. Your time is greatly appreciated!

The PPO is celebrating Valentine's Day with a delightful bake sale, the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 11, in the Bitove Lounge. Please have your son bring in baked or store-bought donations during morning drop off. To ensure inclusivity, please ensure all baking is nut-free, and we'll also feature a dedicated gluten-free table of treats. 

If you know what you are bringing/purchasing, let us know here.

Would you like to volunteer and spend a few hours with us? Click here to sign up.

Don't forget to send your child with some money for the bake sale. A budget of $2–$5 should secure them a delightful treat or two!

Should you have any questions or need further information, feel free to reach out via email.

A big thank you from your PPO Bake Sale Team,

Amelia, Jennifer and Stephanie

UCC, the PO and PPO are delighted to welcome Jake Ernst (MSW, RSW) back to UCC on Tuesday, Feb. 3, for an evening information session on parenting in the age of AI. 

Jake is a registered social worker, psychotherapist and the Clinical Director of Straight Up Health, a family mental health clinic in Toronto. Jake’s parent presentation, Raising Capable Kids in the Age of AI, explores how rapid advances in AI and technology are quietly reshaping childhood, not just how kids learn, but how they develop emotionally, socially and relationally. Jake’s presentation will look at the everyday experiences kids are losing when technology does the heavy lifting, including play, risk-taking, problem-solving, group belonging and sitting with uncertainty. He will connect these losses to the social and emotional muscles children need for real life, like frustration tolerance, empathy, adaptability, and emotional regulation. Parents will leave with a clear framework for what kids still need to experience offline, practical ways to reintroduce those experiences at home and at school, and reassurance that raising capable kids in an AI-driven world is less about banning technology and more about intentionally protecting their natural growth. 

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 3
Time: 7 to 8 p.m. (doors will open at 6:30 p.m.)
Location: Weston Hall at the Prep School

This presentation is relevant to all parents with kids from SK to Year 12. All UCC parents and caregivers are invited to attend.

Click here to register.