As we approach our formal reporting periods, we want to provide our Prep families with a clear guide to understanding how we assess and communicate your son’s progress. At Upper Canada College, assessment in the IB Middle Years Programme is designed to foster growth and reflection rather than just assigning a grade.

Understanding the 1–7 Scale and Criteria

Unlike traditional percentage-based systems, the MYP uses a criterion-based approach. This means students are evaluated against specific learning objectives rather than being compared to their peers.

• The 8-Point Criteria: Each subject is broken down into four specific criteria (e.g., "Knowing and Understanding" or "Thinking Critically"). Each of these is measured on an 8-point scale. Please see the table below for a list of criteria assessed in each subject. 

• The 1–7 Final Grade: On formal report cards, these criteria scores are used to determine an overall subject grade on the IB 1–7 scale.

Beyond Academics: ATL Skills

A critical component of your son’s report card is the assessment of Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills. While the IB uses the "ATL" terminology, these are essentially the same "success habits" known as Learning Skills and Work Habits in the Ontario curriculum.

Just as an Ontario report card evaluates how a student manages their time or works with others, our ATL framework tracks how students develop Thinking, Communication, Social, Research, and Self-Management skills.

We prioritize these skills because they are the foundation for academic success; a student cannot reach a Level 7 in Science without first mastering the organizational skills to manage a lab or the research skills to verify data. By aligning our IB ATLs with Ontario’s provincial standards, we ensure that our students not only master subject content but also develop the executive functioning skills required for success in the Upper School and beyond.

How We Collect Data (The Triangulation of Learning)

To ensure a well-rounded view of your son’s progress, teachers gather data from three different sources:

1. Observations: Capturing in-the-moment learning behaviours and participation.

2. Conversations: Gaining insight into a student’s thinking and depth of understanding.

3. Products: Evaluating tangible evidence of learning, such as essays, projects, or presentations.

Feedback and Growth

Report cards are just one part of the conversation. At UCC, we believe feedback should be clear, specific, and actionable. Whether through written comments on the report card, Brightspace updates, or our twice-yearly parent-teacher-student conferences, our goal is to help students identify exactly where they excel and where they can grow.

To help navigate report cards, a few resources are linked below. 

• MYP Assessment.mp4 (18 min video explaining MYP Assessment)

• MYP Assessment Handbook (for students/families) 2025–26

• UCC Assessment Policy: reviewed June 2025 for 2025/26 School Year

The weeks are flying by, and students have fallen back into our routines. 

In math, we are into our unit on data management. Students will analyze data in graphs and create their own pictographs and bar graphs. We will be sending home our first math workbook. Some units in the book are left blank, as these concepts will be taught in Year 4. Our next unit delves into a conceptual understanding of fractions. Students will explore various ways to display fractions. We will continue to use Dimensions Math (formerly known as Singapore Math) to guide our teaching practice. We will supplement the fractions unit with games and activities to reinforce fraction concepts. 

Although we have finished our multiplication and division unit, we will continue to follow up with some students who still benefit from skill-and-drill practice. Our goal for students is that they can accurately and fluently recall their multiplication and division facts with some measure of automaticity. Some students have already mastered this skill. 

In language, we have a new independent reading challenge, the Reading Olympics. Students are invited to undertake a number of challenges to earn medal points. To participate in the challenge, your child must be reading a book of at least 100 pages. Some of the challenges are research-based to encourage everyone to learn about the upcoming Winter Olympics 2026. We hope this challenge will inspire and nurture a regular reading habit. We already have a few bronze medalists among us, and we look forward to seeing more children on the podium as we continue the challenge into February. 

The school library is often called the "heart of the school," but in an International Baccalaureate setting, it’s more like the central nervous system. It’s where inquiry begins, where the learner profile comes to life and where students transition from being passive consumers of information to active creators of knowledge. 

In Year 5, we have spent the last few months focusing on the research process by scaffolding our library skills of searching our catalogue and navigating the shelving system. We have been honing in on our research skills, but also our self-management and more specifically our reflection skills. It's important to approach research with an open mind and to reflect on actions and make changes that are needed to find information and not just give up after one unsuccessful search. These skills are monumental for the upcoming Exhibition project, entering Year 6 and 7s, and eventually moving on to the Upper School. Our goal is to support these students along the journey of the ever changing process of research. 

When it comes to incorporating the learner profile traits throughout our Primary and Middle Years Programmes, we see our Year 3 students being open-minded and risk takers as we learn more about the major genres in fiction. We support Year 1 students in expressing themselves through their storytelling unit, which explores being a communicator as we read fun fairy tales. We support our Year 6 and 7 students by helping them understand the importance of balancing academic rigour with personal wellbeing, aiming to inspire a love of reading. 

In Individuals and Societies, the students in Year 7 are completing their study of Leadership and the early French Explorers. The students will hone their critical thinking and essay writing skills as they prepare a five-paragraph essay discussing the leadership qualities of either Jacques Cartier or Samuel de Champlain. They will then begin a unit that focuses on the significant struggles that engulfed North America in the 17th and 18th Centuries. The Seven Years' War, Pontiac's Rebellion, the American Revolution and the War of 1812 will be studied through the lens of the Justification of War Theory. The boys will  be asked, “Were these wars justified?” They will then apply the Just War Theory to one of these historical struggles and use the criteria to defend their position. It is hoped the unit will lead to some excellent discussion and debate regarding the destructive forces of war, both historically and in our present day. Ultimately, this unit will ask the students to consider whether war can ever be truly justified. 

Peter Gray

Year 7 Form Adviser

The beautiful snow and recent frigid temperatures feel like the perfect moment for a warm Primary Art update. We are very fortunate to have two working clay kilns at the Prep, which allow every student from SK to Year 7 to create and fire handmade ceramic pieces each year. Every piece goes through two firings—once to become “bisque,” and again after students apply their chosen glaze colours. Since the beginning of 2026, over 100 Primary clay artworks have already been fired and are now ready for glazing and a second trip into the kiln. Each firing reaches temperatures of over 1000°C! One of the highlights of my day is watching students’ excitement as they spot their pieces rolling by on the “art cart” as it travels between studios.

A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful parent volunteers who help install student artwork throughout the Prep. Your support ensures children’s creativity is visible and celebrated across our learning spaces. The Year 4 landscape paintings inspired by students’ special sit spots at Norval are currently on display around the first floor, and they are truly stunning. If you haven’t had a chance to wander the halls recently, I highly recommend it - there is so much beautiful student work to enjoy.

Over the years, your donations have brought joy and hope to moms and their children who are celebrating Mother's Day in shelters. Every night across Canada, thousands of women and children bravely seek refuge in shelters.

We'll once again be creating gift bags for children in shelters to give to their moms on Mother’s Day, and are gratefully collecting the following full and travel/hotel-sized toiletries: 

• soap and body wash

• shampoo and conditioner 

• body lotion and skin care 

• unused cosmetics and nail polish

• hair care products

• toothbrushes and toothpaste

• antiperspirant and sanitary products

• beauty samples/perfumes

• small gift sets 

All donations will be packed with care by UCC's Helping Hands Club.

Donations can be dropped off at the reception desk in the Upper School or main office of the Prep. Please contact Linda Carvalho if you have any questions about drop off, or Samantha Dugas if you have questions about donations.  

Thank you for helping to transform lives this Mother’s Day.

Dear Prep Parents,

The self-nomination process for the 2026–27 Prep Parents’ Organization (PPO) is now open!

Do you like to connect with other parents and feel part of a community? Maybe you love coming up with new ways to fundraise? Do you just want to be more involved in the school or have ideas about how we can make the Prep more sustainable? Join the PPO!  

Whether it’s a one-off event or a more consistent commitment you’re looking for, there is something for everyone on our committee. Please have a look through our Advisory positions here.

PPO self-nominations will be open from Thursday, Jan. 29 to Thursday, Feb. 26 at 5 p.m. 

Get involved and nominate yourself by completing this form. If you have any questions, please reach out to Kate Viner, Past President.

The self-nomination process for the 2026–27 Parents’ Organization (PO) is now open. When your child transitions to the Upper School in the fall, you do too. Volunteering is a great way to learn about the Upper School program, meet other Year 8 to 12 parents and guardians, stay current and support our students. We hope you’ll join the PO!

PO goals and initiatives

The PO’s 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, frames and grad 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. And, 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

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.