Upper School January 22, 2026
Upper School January 22, 2026
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Friday, Jan 23
👕 UCC spirit wear dress day
Year 12 exams
Monday, Jan. 26
Year 12 exams
Year 9 Parent Coffee Morning
Foster Hewitt Foundation Lounge
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 27
Year 12 exams
Year 8 Parent Coffee Morning
Foster Hewitt Foundation Lounge
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 28
🕓 Student late start
Thursday, Jan 29
Year 12 exam make-up day
Friday, Jan 30
👕 UCC spirit wear dress day
Year 12 exam make-up day
Upper School Leadership Team
This year’s Winterfest pep rally and games were a huge success! The Blue Army generals were out, flag in hand, cheering on our teams. The pep rally was led by our Year 12 students, who enjoyed their final Winterfest at the College as students. A video montage celebrated our successes so far in the winter season and inspired the community to bring energy, pride, and sportsmanship into the Winterfest games. The atmosphere in the gym and arena captured the very best of our school spirit: student-led, inclusive, and deeply connected to our shared traditions.
Monday’s Principal’s Assembly continued the theme from last week, dedicated to healthy habits and new beginnings, focusing on healthy tech use. Faculty and students shared observations about some of the challenges, opportunities, and strategies related to student use of cell phones, computers, and social media. Year-level representatives from 8-11 modelled stewardship by presenting on research and personal experiences to their community. In advising, Year 8s and Year 11s came together to have some mentoring ("buddyship") conversations, continuing to strengthen the bonds that were built during the Week Without Bells.
At the Principal’s Assembly on Monday, January 26, we will mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day. We are deeply honored to welcome Holocaust survivor Esther Fairbloom, who will join us to share her remarkable story of survival and resilience.
Born in 1941 in the Tarnopol ghetto of Poland, Esther was hidden as an infant in a Catholic orphanage after her parents recognized the growing danger. Tragically, her parents were later murdered, and Esther grew up with no memory of her original name or birthdate. After the war, she was adopted by her aunt and uncle, eventually moving to Canada where she navigated the complexities of her identity and later reunited with a long-lost sister in Israel. Today, Esther is a dedicated speaker who has participated in the March of the Living twelve times.
We are also pleased to welcome back former UCC teacher Ms. Rachel Metalin from the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, who will facilitate the assembly and conduct an on-stage interview with Esther.
This is a rare and significant opportunity for our students to hear first-hand testimony from a survivor, fostering a deeper understanding of history and the importance of remembrance.
Thank you to everyone who attended the MYP Course Selection Information Evening on Thursday, Jan. 15. We hope that the information shared offered valuable insight into what to expect for your student next year.
For any parents unable to attend, please review a recording of the evening presentation as well as the slide deck used during the session.
Sincerely,
Director of Academics
Our Year 9s have had a highly successful first term, and it's time to celebrate!
In the words of Josh Vandermeer, one of the Year 9 Class Representatives, the 189 students who make up the year have “excelled academically and athletically, forming new bonds and relationships that will last for the rest of their formative years at the College, thus kindling the year’s sense of community and belonging.”
Click here to read some of the first term's highlights as well as information about upcoming programming and events.
UCC’s Outdoors Club is running a cross-country skiing/skating/snowshoeing trip to Arrowhead Provincial Park from Feb. 27-March 2 (no experience in the activities is necessary). We'll be camping in ‘hot tents’ and cooking over campfires.
The trip will be supervised by Mr. Borden and Mr. Kiddell. For more information on the trip, here is an informational letter, and here is the trip’s agenda (which includes a map).
If your child is interested in attending, please complete the permission form here. Permission forms are due by 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10. The trip can only accommodate 12 students, and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so I suggest getting your permission form filled out soon if you are interested.
Thank you!
The course selection site for the 2026–27 academic year opened Tuesday, Jan. 13 for students entering Years 9, 10 and 11. Students will make selections in their Bluenet account.
Deadlines
Students must have course selections and online parent/guardian approval completed as follows:
Friday, Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. | Year 8 students entering Year 9
Friday, Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. | Year 9 students entering Year 10
Friday, Feb. 27 at 4 p.m. | Year 10 students entering Year 11
The Bluenet course request system for each year will be closed according to the schedule above.
Parent/guardian approval process
Please use the following steps to complete the approval process:
Review student choices in their Bluenet account.
Have your son log in to their Bluenet account and view selections.
There are specific directions available in a link in their Bluenet view.
Any course a student wishes to change can be deleted by using the "trash can icon". Then add the preferred course.
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 below:
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.
How to Survive Being in a Shakespeare Play by Don Zolidis
Thursday, Feb. 5 and Friday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Manucha & Bellamy Studio Theatre
Year 8-9 students from UCC and BSS are excited to present a comedy that will make you think differently about Shakespeare’s top hits. In this creative adaptation of some of the Bard’s best known works, tragic figures find themselves on stage wearing ridiculous outfits, saying things in iambic pentameter, and wondering how they can escape their ultimate fate. Romeo and Juliet put their heads together and find a solution to their family feud. Julius Caesar successfully evades the conspirators. Lady Macbeth hires a smart lawyer. Even King Lear finds a way to cope with heartache after his greedy daughters shut him out of the castle.
We hope you’ll join us for this fun, family-friendly play!
Running time is approximately 65 minutes, and tickets are $10.
To reserve a seat, please email Heather Crawford.
Step 1: Login
Important login notes:
Title field: MUST be Parent/Guardian
Parent and student names MUST match the names in Bluenet
The year-level field MUST only be a number 1-12 or SK (do not write “year”)
Fill out the details on the page then click the "Log In" button.
A confirmation of your appointments will be sent to the email address you provide.
Step 2: Select a date
Click on the date you wish to book.
Unable to make all of the dates listed? Click "I'm unable to attend".
Step 3: Select booking mode
Choose Automatic if you'd like the system to suggest the shortest possible appointment schedule based on the times you're available to attend. To pick the times to book with each teacher, choose "Manual". Then press "Next".
We recommend choosing the automatic booking mode when browsing on a mobile device.
Step 4: Select availability
Drag the sliders at the top of the screen to indicate the earliest and latest you can attend.
Step 5: Choose teachers
Select the teachers you’d like to book appointments with. A green tick indicates they’re selected. To deselect, click on their name.
Step 6: Book appointments (automatic)
If you choose the automatic booking mode, you'll see provisional appointments which are held for 2 minutes. To keep them, choose "Accept" at the bottom left.
If it wasn’t possible to book every selected teacher during the times you are able to attend, you can either adjust the teachers you wish to meet with and try again, or switch to manual booking mode.
Step 7: Book appointments
Click any of the green cells to make an appointment. Blue cells signify where you already have an appointment. Grey cells are unavailable.
To change an appointment, delete the original by hovering over the blue box and clicking "Delete". Then choose an alternate time.
You can optionally leave a message for the teacher to say what you’d like to discuss or raise anything beforehand.
Once you’re finished booking all appointments, at the top of the page in the alert box, press "Click here" to finish the booking process.
Step 8: Completion
All your bookings now appear on the My Bookings page. An email confirmation has been sent and you can also print appointments by pressing "Print". Click "Subscribe to Calendar" to add these and any future bookings to your calendar.
To change your appointments, click on "Amend Bookings".
Do you have LEGO collecting dust in the depths of your basement? Ready to give it a second life?Bring it in and drop it off in the collection bins in the Upper School!
We're collecting LEGO in preparation for next year's A-Day and to support a variety of school programs.
What happens to the LEGO?
Your donations will be used at the much-loved A-Day LEGO table and in class activities. The majority of the LEGO will then be donated to programs that ensure it continues to inspire creativity, play, and new ideas.
Thank you for your support!
Hello UCC Community,
As you all know, winters in Toronto can be long and cold. This year, we have a chance to make it warmer for those who need it most. From Jan. 26 to Feb. 11, we’ll be hosting the second annual Drive 4 Supplies in partnership with the charity Ve’ahavta, with donation bins set up in the Main Foyer.
We are looking to collect winter clothing and hygiene supplies. The full list is below:
🧤Men’s and Women's Clothing
Coats, boots
Sweaters
Sweat pants
Gloves, hats
🪥Toiletries and Hygiene Supplies
Body wash, shampoo, deodorant, razors
Toothbrushes, toothpaste
🛌Other
Cases of water
Sleeping bags,
Blankets (not duvets),
Hand warmers
Backpacks
💳Gift Cards
Tim Hortons or McDonald’s gift cards
If you have any of these items, new or gently used, please donate all items you can. Let's work together to help keep Toronto warm this winter!
Best,
Rohan and Nikhil Gupta | Year 11 students
Hello all,
My name is Jake Browman, I am a Year 10 student and I am organizing an art supply drive for my personal project. The art supplies will support local seniors who have limited access to creative materials. Many seniors benefit greatly from art making, which supports mental wellbeing, self-expression, and social connection.
This drive will collect new or gently used art supplies, and by contributing, you're helping make creativity more accessible for seniors living at the Carefree retirement home.
When: The drive will take place from Monday, Jan. 26, to Friday, Jan. 30.
Where: Donation boxes will be located in the front foyer.
What: Pencil crayons, stickers, canvases, crayons, paints, paintbrushes, and bristle board.
Thank you,
Jake Browman, Class of 2028
Please save the date for the following Year-level Parent and Guardian Coffee Hours, which will be held in the Foster Hewitt Foundation Lounge (William P. Wilder ’40 Arena & Sports Complex) from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
We look forward to seeing you there!
UCC graduation frames are available to order until Feb. 1. There are four styles of frames available:
Class composite
Diploma frames
Standard Portrait frames
House Portrait frames
Frames are available for viewing in the basement next to TUBS and the Lower Dining Hall. To order your frames, please visit the UCC Marketplace. Questions can be directed to Karinne Chan.
Coming up on Monday, Feb. 23, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., the Arts Booster Club (ABC) is hosting an Improv Night for UCC students and families, Years 8 to 12.
Not only have we booked a professional improv group with roots in Second City, but some of our talented UCC students may also perform. So be prepared for an evening filled with fun and laughter.
Save the date! Tickets are $35 each and will go on sale next week.
The ABC is a group of parent volunteers whose aim is to highlight the Arts at UCC through promotions, support and events. Thank you for your support and we hope to see you there!
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.