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, 

Jordan Small

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!

Dave Borden

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 

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

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.

• Year 9 RSVP – Monday, Jan. 26

• Year 8 RSVP – Tuesday, Jan. 27 

• Year 12 RSVP – Tuesday, Feb. 10
  
  

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. 

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.