At UCC, everyone belongs. Celebrating Pride Week signals that our school is a safe space that's affirming of all students and their families. Pride Week allows us to celebrate and recognize the diverse families who are a part of our school community, commit to being an ally and ensure that all community members who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ feel welcome.

In the Prep School, we will be marking Pride Week with developmentally- appropriate stories and activities with home form advisers, at both Primary and Middle Years assemblies with information about Pride Week prepared and shared by the Allyship Council, as well as Express Yourself Casual Dress Day on Friday, Oct. 24! Students are invited to wear any of the colours of the rainbow and/or something that expresses an aspect of their identity. 

Across all grades, the Health & Life Skills (HLS) program incorporates curriculum from the Ontario Health & Physical Education Program along with other life skills. In the primary grades, HLS connects when possible with PYP units of inquiry and is responsive to teacher requests based on class needs. This year, we have a team of 5 teachers who are delivering the program.  

In SK to Year 4, along with form advisers, we're currently focusing on building self-awareness with topics such as: learning to recognize and identify feelings; being mindful of personal space to make sure everyone feels comfortable; thinking about how to be a good friend and how our choices affect others. The students have also learned about the different support people within the school and how they can reach out for support if needed.

In an effort to encourage students to advocate for themselves and to understand that it's okay to ask for help, Years 5-7 began the year with an introduction to support people in the school. This included Centre for Learning teachers, our nurses and Prep counsellors. Most students visited our spaces, learned about support available through each person and the various ways to access it, and we'll revisit this information throughout the school year.  

Martha Boyce

Prep Counsellor

Health & Life Skills Teacher and Coordinator

As educators, it's gratifying to have our students back in the classrooms; the buzz in the hallways is a welcome sound as we re-engage with collaborative learning and hands-on activities. As we eagerly await the completion of the newly built science and math classrooms and Learning Commons, we continue to deliver an engaging, hands-on curriculum in various classrooms throughout the Prep School.

The Year 6 students are currently finishing up their unit on “Mixtures and Solutions.” Students have been exploring the Particle Theory of Matter through various hands-on, inquiry-based lab exercises. The concepts of solubility, concentration, and separating mechanical mixtures and solutions has been explored as they develop fundamental laboratory skills and develop safe habits while working with the equipment. 

The second unit, “Heat and the Environment,” will continue the focus on the Particle Theory of Matter with an emphasis on the effect of heat energy on particles. The Kinetic Molecular Theory will be introduced as the students explore the concepts of heat, temperature, heat transfer (through convection, radiation and conduction), and heat's impact on our environment. 

The Year 4 students are looking forward to their first Norval trip of the year, where they'll take part in a variety of team-building activities. The Norval faculty have prepared a comprehensive program that connects closely to our first unit of inquiry and our ongoing science unit. During a group hike, students will have the opportunity to explore different types of rocks and deepen their understanding of geology.

As part of this unit, Ms. Jojic will be visiting both Year 4 classes to lead hands-on geology experiments. There are now many “rock experts” among us, and we look forward to welcoming her back for more curriculum-enriching lessons throughout the year.

We're also wrapping up our writing activity on Canadian Artifacts, connected to our unit of inquiry on Canada. Students have been learning about the elements of a strong paragraph, completing planning organizers, writing drafts, and participating in self and peer editing, as well as teacher conferences, to develop their good copies. Pop by the Year 4 hallway to see our artifacts gallery!

Beaver Computing Challenge will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 3:45 p.m. in Weston Hall. Students in Years 5 to 7 have received emails including a Google form to register by Friday, Oct. 17.

AMC8 Math contest will take place on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. Students in Year 6 and 7 have received emails, including a Google form to register by Friday, Oct. 17. 

Thank you, 

Riyaz Ismail

Subject Learning Leader for Middle School Math

Toronto police services will be doing a street proofing presentation at UCC on Monday, Oct. 20 for Year 5-7 classes. The school’s police liaison from their community outreach will be talking with students in an age appropriate manner about street safety, specifically what to do if approached by a stranger or what to be mindful of when walking to and from school, etc. 

Late Fall Clubs registration! Don’t miss out, registration for the second fall session is open and begin Monday, Nov. 3. Be sure to check out our exciting new Wednesday options: the Mentorio Leadership & Wellness Club, and Rugbytots led by a former professional player. 

You can find information about all clubs here.

Brent Crawford

After School Program Coordinator

Join us on Monday, Oct. 20 as we celebrate the official launch of this year’s Festive Marketplace with our annual Light up the Avenue event.

Thanks to the partnership of the PO, PPO and UCC, the campus will once again sparkle with strands of glowing white lights from the clock tower, down the Avenue to the Prep. These lights will shine brightly through the winter months until March Break, bringing warmth, joy and festive spirit that reflects many traditions celebrated in our community, including Diwali, Hanukkah and Christmas.

Gather with us after school for hot chocolate, festive music and a special visit from our mascot, Ice.  

• Prep: 3–4 p.m.

• Upper School: 3:40–4:10 p.m. (on the front steps and at the back loop)

It’s a wonderful way to connect as a community and start the festive season. We look forward to seeing you there.

Mark your calendars for this year’s Festive Marketplace —Friday, Dec. 12. 

A wonderful UCC tradition that includes in-person shopping, an online Festive Auction, a bake sale, a snowball grab, student musical performances and more. Grab lunch with a friend. Meet for a coffee and a freshly baked treat. Enjoy exclusive shopping at one of our local curated vendors. There is something for everyone!

Calling all vendors

Interested in becoming one of our vendors? Want a great way to promote your local business? Do you know a great vendor? We are looking for small businesses, artisans or creatives who might be interested in participating. Send us a message at uccfestive@gmail.com to find out more information about becoming a vendor at Festive Marketplace. If you would like to sign up as a vendor, please register here.

Donate to Festive Auction

The Festive Auction is always a highlight of Festive Marketplace. Let’s make this year’s Festive Auction just as successful as last year’s. 

We're looking for donations. We would be thrilled to receive donations such as sport, concert and event tickets, trips and unique experiences, behind-the-scenes tours to interesting places, meet-and-greets with famous people, wine and spirits, electronics, as well as gift cards, gift baskets and certificates.

If you have items to donate, please complete this online donation form or send us an email at festiveauctionucc@gmail.com. Charitable tax receipts are available for eligible donations.  

If you would like to donate but don’t know what to give, we also accept monetary donations using e-transfer. We will buy auction items and gift cards on your behalf. Please send cash donations by e-transfer to treasurer@uccpo.ca (please write “auction donation” in the note). 

All proceeds from Festive Marketplace and Festive Auction are used by our Parent Organizations for special initiatives that provide direct and positive enhancements for UCC students.