Prep School October 15, 2026
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Prep School Highlights
Prep School Highlights
Friday, Oct. 16
👕 UCC spirit dress (guidelines here)
Year 4 A.G.O trip
Monday, Oct. 19
Year 5 Queen’s Park trip
6C and 6O to Norval
Tuesday, Oct. 20
6F and 6H to Norval
Year 7 immunizations
Tinkering Tuesdays
JK–Year 5, 3:45–4:45 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 21
🕓 Late start Wednesday (arrival is between 9:10- 9:20 a.m. unless registered in the Before School Program)
5F to Norval until Friday
Blue Crew Night
Weston Hall, 7–9 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 22
Prep Academic Programs Parent Information Session
Virtual, 7–8 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 23
👕 UCC spirit dress (guidelines here)
THIS WEEK AT THE PREP
THIS WEEK AT THE PREP
Prep Leadership Team
Dear Prep Families,
We are in the middle of a very busy week in the Prep! After faculty enjoyed impactful professional learning on Friday with Dr. Christina Hinton from the Harvard Human Flourishing Center, as well as this year’s Casey Fellow, many of us also enjoyed meeting families during our Hopes and Dreams Conferences on Tuesday.
Our Year 7 soccer team is currently participating in the CAIS Soccer U13 National Championships in Vancouver, while many of our student ambassadors are training intensely before touring prospective families through the college during our upcoming open house. Like in years past, we’re confident they will receive rave reviews for being mature, articulate and knowledgeable about the school.
We have had many opportunities to connect with families over the past few weeks at morning drop-off, parent coffees, and, of course, during our recent Hopes and Dreams Conferences. We value the opportunities we get to connect with you and hear about how the year is progressing for your boys. We hope parents and caregivers will join us for our virtual Parent Academic Programmes Information Evening on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. We will focus on how learning unfolds in Prep through our PYP and MYP frameworks, and the support provided by the Wernham West Centre for Learning. Please see more details below.
Sincerely,
Gareth Evans, David Girard and Michael Bushey
The Prep Leadership Team
Join us | Prep academic info night
Join us | Prep academic info night
We warmly invite all Prep families to our virtual Academic Programmes Information Evening on Thursday, Oct. 22 from 7 to 8 p.m.
Discover how learning unfolds at the Prep through our PYP and MYP frameworks, as well as the support provided by the Wernham West Centre for Learning. Leadership will share opening remarks before parents and caregivers transition into targeted breakout sessions for either the PYP or MYP to see how inquiry-based learning shapes our students' growth.
We are truly excited to share this meaningful evening of connection, discovery, and conversation with you all!
Date: Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026
Time: 7–8 p.m.
PYP and MYP Parent Evening (main meet): 6:50 – 8 p.m.
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/snh-idfu-ghc
Or dial: (CA) +1 289-348-9128 PIN: 632 788 604#
PYP breakout session: 7:15 – 8:15 p.m.
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/siw-dfbp-aaf
Or dial: (CA) +1 705-417-7080 PIN: 334 761 073#
Please complete this short form to share any PYP or MYP curriculum questions or areas of interest you’d like us to address during the evening.
Warm regards,
Jordan Small, Director of Academics
Liz Kennedy, Director of the WWCfL
Kathryn O’Brien, PYP Coordinator
Emilia Martin, MYP Coordinator
Update | Year 4
Update | Year 4
With Thanksgiving weekend now in the rearview mirror, the school year is in full swing! The leaves are turning vibrant colours across the grounds, and the boys have settled into a fantastic rhythm. As we look ahead, our next major break will be the Fall Midterm Break in November. Until then, classroom learning is operating at full steam.
In inquiry, our current unit explores the central idea that every region has attributes and qualities which give it its character. Students are examining how physical, historical, and human attributes shape a region's identity. For their summative assessment, each boy will research a chosen Canadian province, practice taking effective jot notes, and focus on crafting a well-structured paragraph that highlights its unique features.
Our language arts curriculum is closely linked to these research strategies, as boys practice highlighting key facts and categorizing details to build strong, detailed sentences. Earlier this month, they wrote heartfelt letters to a cherished individual sharing memories from their first weeks of school, and we continue to develop their morphology through work on contractions, syllable types, prefixes, suffixes and root words. Additionally, we will soon begin our novel study on Wonder.
In mathematics, we have launched unit 2, focusing on addition and subtraction up to 100,000s while applying place value understanding and mental math strategies. We are placing a strong emphasis on work habits—encouraging neatness, clear structure and step-by-step written work in their math notebooks to build accountability and deep understanding. Looking ahead, our next unit will cover identifying multiples.
In ICT, the boys have successfully activated their learning programs and are showing great confidence when checking their school emails for updates and resources. They are currently working on creating infographic posters in Canva for a unit assessment while learning to document their personal learning journeys using Toddle tools.
Our specialist classes are equally busy with engaging projects. In music, students are singing songs about Terry Fox, Canadian veterans and winter holiday celebrations, including the Festival of Lights. Recorder practice is also underway, with boys working on proper breathing, tonguing techniques, reading musical notation and demonstrating their understanding through performance and verbal explanations. Meanwhile, in physical and health education, the boys have wrapped up their soccer unit and are transitioning into fitness challenges focused on team building. They are also embarking on a new basketball unit and continuing their exploration of invasion games.
Thank you for your ongoing support as we guide the boys through a busy and productive autumn term!
Sincerely,
Update | Health & Life Skills
Update | Health & Life Skills
Across all grades, the Health and Life Skills (HLS) program incorporates curriculum from the Ontario Health and 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 4 teachers who are delivering the program.
In SK to Year 4, along with form advisers, we are currently focusing on building self-awareness with topics such as: learning to recognize and identify feelings; what is in and out of our control; 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 is okay to ask for help, Years 5–7 also 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. We will revisit this information throughout the school year.
Kayla Gosse
Prep Counsellor
Health & Life Skills Teacher and Coordinator
Update | Middle science
Update | Middle science
As educators, it is 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. Below is a summary of our Year 6 and 7 science programs to date.
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 & 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 7 students are studying the fundamental principles of scientific inquiry in their current unit, Foundations of Science and Measurement. We began the year by discussing the characteristics of scientific inquiry: rigour and curiosity.
In the current unit, we will deepen our understanding of scientific measurement, including accuracy, precision, SI units of measurement, and uncertainty in measurements, as well as the scientific method. We will explore independent, dependent and control variables through hands-on activities and experiments. Students will learn how to design an investigation, measure, collect, analyze and display data to reach meaningful conclusions.
To introduce and refresh students' understanding of lab reports, we investigated whether hand dominance affects reaction time (i.e., does my dominant hand have a faster reaction time than my non-dominant hand).
To further our exploration of the scientific method, we investigated if there is a correlation between arm span and throwing distance (i.e. “If I have longer arms, can I throw further?”). We collected data by measuring throwing distance on the Oval and correlated these distances to arm spans (see charts above).
If you have any questions regarding our curriculum, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher. Best wishes for a year filled with success, happiness and growth.
Sincerely,
Mr. Kerry Dupuis, Ms. Sydney Frank and Mr. David Ma
Year 6 and 7 Science Teachers
Year 6 and 7 | Making sense of the assessment calendar
Year 6 and 7 | Making sense of the assessment calendar
Dear Families,
The MYP assessment calendar is a key planning tool designed to show students their term as a whole. It helps them spot busy stretches early, break tasks into manageable steps and build sustainable work habits.
Families can find a direct link to the calendar beside the Prep School Highlights or by logging in to Bluenet in the 'Calendar' tab.
Reading the calendar
Each grade-level tab lays out the full year, week by week. Moving from left to right, you will find:
Week and dates — Week numbers and date ranges, including religious and cultural observances to help families plan ahead and raise conflicts early.
Cycle day — UCC uses a nine-day cycle rather than a weekly timetable. Cycle days fall on any weekday (e.g., Day 1 is Wednesday, 9 September).
Events — assemblies, coffee mornings, information evenings, conferences, special schedules, early dismissals, and holidays.
Assessments — Grouped by subject and divided into tests vs. projects and research tasks, helping you distinguish between fixed sit-down assessments and long-term tasks.
What the calendar shows, and what it doesn't
Summative assessments only. The calendar highlights major tests, essays, projects, and performances that count toward final grades. Formative work (daily practice, quizzes, homework) is not listed but remains essential.
Listed by week, not by day. Common assessments across course sections are scheduled by week. Specific dates are communicated directly by teachers on Brightspace or Toddle.
Two publishing points. Fall term summatives are finalized through December. In January, the calendar is updated for February through June. Any schedule changes will be reflected on the calendar and course pages.
Balance across the year. Departments coordinate their unit planning so that students typically face no more than four summative tasks in a week. There are exceptions, and the calendar is the tool we use to spot and smooth those pressure points.
How to use the calendar at home
Check the right MYP Year tab. Use the tabs at the bottom to switch between Year 6 and Year 7 calendars to track learning progression across grades.
Follow course outline links. Access unit descriptions, assessment criteria, and expectations directly through linked course outlines.
Look ahead together. Sit down with your son at the start of each month and find the crowded weeks. Ask what could be started early.
Support time management. Encourage students to break projects into smaller steps and utilize Flex Time and Independent Study Periods effectively.
Encourage balance. Downtime, family time, sleep, and co-curricular commitments are not obstacles to good academic work; they sustain it.
The MYP assessment calendar is a practical roadmap for learning, helping families and students work together to stay organized and focus on growth. For more information, please see the MYP Assessment Handbook (for students/families) 2026-27.
On behalf of the Academic Team,
Emilia Martin
MYP and Personal Project Coordinator
RSVP | Blue Crew Night — one week away!
RSVP | Blue Crew Night — one week away!
Join us for our Annual Blue Crew Night on Wednesday, Oct. 21 from 7–9 p.m. in Weston Hall! Enjoy a glass of wine, connect with fellow Prep parents and have some fun with trivia, games, a caricature artist and a relaxation station.
Wear your UCC swag or any blue and white attire, and RSVP today for a fun parents night out.
Click here to register for the event!
Blue Ties Breakfast is here again!
Blue Ties Breakfast is here again!
The Prep Parents’ Organization is thrilled to invite you to the Blue Ties Breakfast on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Enjoy a pancake breakfast, participate in a fun tie-swap, be part of UCC history by signing the giant tie on our wall, and have a commemorative picture taken at the photo booth!
Students are invited to bring one special guest to accompany them to this event. The special guest may be a parent, relative or mentor. We ask that both the special guest and UCC student sport a tie to the event. Ties will be available for purchase at the event.
To accommodate everyone, there’ll be two seatings:
First Seating: 7-7:45 a.m.
Second Seating: 7:45-8:30 a.m.
Please register for one of the two seatings.
Please note that photos from our events can appear in Old Times, news stories and on social media, and that your attendance grants your permission to be in these images.
Please click here to RSVP.
Festive Online Auction: December 1 to 11
Festive Online Auction: December 1 to 11
Our Prep and Upper School Parents' Organizations are gearing up for another incredible online auction. If you have items to donate, such as sports or concert tickets, merchandise and unique experiences, please let us know by completing this donation form or email us. Charitable tax receipts are available for eligible donations.
Save the date | Festive Marketplace on Friday, Dec. 11
Save the date | Festive Marketplace on Friday, Dec. 11
Our annual Festive Marketplace returns on Friday, Dec. 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Hewitt Athletic Centre for a full day of in-person shopping with local vendors, student musical performances and our annual Festive Bake Sale.
Interested in volunteering at Festive? Sign up here.
All proceeds from our Festive Marketplace and Festive Online Auction support special initiatives led by our Parent Organizations, providing direct and positive enhancements for UCC students.
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