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Dear families,

The month of May is almost upon us! Students and teachers are busy completing projects, units of learning, and going on band and Norval trips. As you will read in this week's edition of Heads Up, our Prep students and teachers have been very busy on all fronts! 

This week, we celebrated Canadian Children’s Book Week with several author visits and lots of visits to the library. Please take an opportunity this week to share your favourite book with your child and to talk to them about the author visits they had.  

At our Primary assembly, we enjoyed a student performance, Ms. Colalillo celebrated the results of the recent Math contests, and Mr. Rossi shared powerful words about identity. At the Middle assembly, the Lang and Lit film festival continued. After the film festival, Mr. Bushey spoke and reminded everyone to continue demonstrating our leadership attributes by performing daily acts of kindness. Please enjoy the Middle Division assembly video.

Next week, I will begin taking leave in preparation for the arrival of my second daughter. Gareth Evans and Michael Bushey have begun the transition into their new roles, and I have absolute confidence that all the Prep boys will be well supported during my absence. I'm already looking forward to visiting campus over the next few months to see students and hear all about their learning. I'm deeply grateful to be part of such an incredible community, where everyone truly belongs. Thank you for the integral part that you all play as parents in supporting your boys and in supporting the school.    

Your partner in learning,

Sarah Fleming
Head of the Preparatory School

Update from Year 1

Thank you for joining us for your Student-Led Conference! It was such a joy to see the boys take pride in showcasing their learning. It’s hard to believe we’re nearing the end of Year 1. The students continue to expand their knowledge while staying curious and engaged with the world around them.

The students are engrossed in our current unit of inquiry on structures. Throughout this unit, students explore the unique features of communities, both local and global, and the needs they support. Students have relished the opportunity to explore different types of houses around the world. Students will soon design their own structure that meets a need they have identified within our community.

In combination with the Earth Week activities at the College last week, 1M visited a bee hive with Backed By Bees. We explored how bees build structures in their hives to support honey growth. 

In Math, we’ve just wrapped up our exploration of time. The boys read, wrote, and drew clocks, and learned to tell time to the hour, half hour, and five-minute intervals. Even though this unit is finished, the learning doesn’t stop! Please continue to point out clocks and discuss the time during your daily routines. This week, we launched into our new unit on shapes, which will support our understanding of structures.

We're now very invested in our Bee Challenge, which focuses on transitions within the classroom! The students of 1M were eager to describe how a transition should look, feel, and sound. With words like “calm”, “helping others” and “working together”, our challenge has been set to transition effectively for 30 days before the end of the school year. We are looking forward to an exciting reward if we're able to achieve this!

Thank you to all our Year 1 families for your continued support throughout the year. We are grateful to be on this learning journey together.

Anna Marshall

Year 1 Form Adviser 

Year 5 Exhibition Update | The final countdown

The energy in the Year 5 hallways is absolutely bubbling as we enter the final stages of preparation for the PYP Exhibition! The students are working with incredible focus and enthusiasm to put the finishing touches on their projects, and we are so excited to welcome you to an interactive and lively afternoon of learning on Friday, May 8. This milestone is the culmination of weeks of hard work, curiosity, and action, and the boys are eager to step into their roles as experts and advocates to share their "Artivism" and research with the community.

The afternoon will begin with our Opening Ceremonies in Weston Hall, featuring welcome speeches and a special musical performance by the Year 5 cohort. Following the kickoff, the heart of the event will take place across the Exhibition Hall in Weston Hall and the Bitove Lounge. During this time, you are invited to explore student displays and engage in informal sharing of learning. Specific group presentations will also be held in classrooms for small-group enjoyment. We will then gather back in Weston Hall for Closing Ceremonies to share final thank-yous and a celebratory "tear down," before the students head to their classrooms for a well-deserved treat.

We look forward to seeing the boys shine as they share their hard work with you. As always, if you have any questions as we head into this final week, please contact your child’s form adviser.

 Lisa Brooks

Registration | May Tinkering Tuesdays 

We are excited to continue our weekly Tinkering Tuesdays into May. Tinkering Tuesday is designed as a family experience, where students attend with a parent or caregiver to take part in hands-on design challenges. Adults and children work together throughout the session, building, testing, and creating as a team.

Details:
📍 Innovation Lab
🕒 3:45–4:45 p.m.

Registration:
Spots are limited and must be reserved in advance using the Google Form linked below.
If the form is no longer accepting responses, it means the session is full and at capacity.

Register here:

• May 5: Year 3 Family Design Challenge

• May 12: SK-Year 5 Robotics and Coding Challenge

• May 19: Year 2 Family Design Challenge

• May 26: Year 1 Family Design Challenge

We look forward to seeing you in the lab for a month of creativity, collaboration, and making together!

Joanna Martin
Innovation & Technology Coach
Primary Design Learning Leader

Update from Middle French

Year 6 French – Culture and Comprehension with Le Petit Nicolas
Year 6 students have begun exploring Le Petit Nicolas, starting with La photo de classe. This classic story by René Goscinny and Jean-Jacques Sempé offers a humorous glimpse into French childhood in the 1950s.

This unit focuses on Criterion B (Reading) and Criterion A (Listening). Students are developing strategies such as identifying key vocabulary, making inferences, visualizing, and summarizing. Listening activities expose them to authentic pronunciation and everyday French.

Alongside language skills, students are building cultural understanding by exploring elements of French school life and social dynamics. It’s been a pleasure to see them engage with the humour of Nicolas while strengthening their comprehension skills.

Year 7 French – Mystery and Culture in Énigme en Périgord
Year 7 students are diving into Énigme en Périgord, a mystery set in the scenic Périgord region of southwestern France. The story introduces students to places like Brantôme while exploring the region’s geography, history, and culture.

Focusing on Criterion A (Listening) and Criterion B (Reading), students use a range of strategies to interpret both written and spoken French. Authentic videos featuring native speakers help them engage with real-world language and develop confidence in listening.

Through this immersive approach, students strengthen their language skills while uncovering both the mystery of the story and the richness of life in this part of France.

Peter Labancz
Middle French Teacher

Update from Middle Language and Literature

As we move into an exciting new phase of learning in Language and Literature, both Year 6 and Year 7 students are beginning rich new units of study that invite them to think deeply, read thoughtfully, and express themselves with confidence and creativity. We are thrilled to begin these journeys and look forward to the conversations, insights, and growth that will come from them.

Year 6: Overcoming Obstacles Book Clubs

Our Year 6 students are launching into a powerful unit called Overcoming Obstacles Book Clubs. This unit explores a theme that is deeply human and universally relatable: the resilience of the human spirit in the face of challenge, and the empathy and compassion that connect us all.

We are anchoring this unit with a whole-class study of The Barren Grounds by celebrated Canadian author David A. Robertson. Students had the rare and exciting opportunity to meet Mr. Robertson and hear him speak during his visit to our school this week. It was an inspiring experience to hear directly from an award-winning writer about storytelling, identity, and the importance of books that reflect diverse voices and experiences.

After studying The Barren Grounds, students will move into book clubs where they will read and discuss a second novel of their choice, all connected by the common thread of overcoming adversity. Through these stories, students will encounter characters who face challenges both big and small, just as we all do in our own lives.

This unit will place a strong emphasis on key learning skills, including:

• Collaboration: Working effectively in groups, listening actively, and contributing ideas

• Close reading: Building comprehension and understanding how authors craft meaning

• Literary analysis and critique: Discussing themes, character growth, and author choices

• Creative expression: Responding to literature through writing and other creative formats

You can support at home by asking your child about the characters they're meeting, the challenges those characters face, and what lessons can be learned from them. Even a quick conversation at dinner can help deepen understanding and confidence.

Year 7: Poetry, identity, and voice

Our Year 7 students are beginning an exciting new poetry unit centred around the acclaimed verse novel Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. Told entirely through poetry, this gripping and thought-provoking text opens the door to meaningful discussions about identity, choices and what it means to grow into yourself in a world full of competing voices.

As students move further into adolescence, they're naturally beginning to ask important questions: Who am I? Who do I want to become? How do I want to contribute to the world around me? This unit creates space for those questions while encouraging students to think critically and decide for themselves what values, beliefs, and actions will guide them.

Students will also examine themes around masculinity and the many messages young people receive about strength, success, vulnerability, and belonging. Our goal is not to give students answers, but to help them build the confidence and reflection skills to discover their own.

From a literary perspective, students will study how style and structure work together in poetry to create emotion, meaning, and commentary about the world. They will analyze poetic devices, experiment with language, and explore how fewer words can often say more.

Students will also have opportunities to write and present poetry of their own, including both written forms and spoken word performance. It's always a highlight to witness students discovering the power of their own voices.

You can support at home by encouraging conversation about the themes in the text, listening to your child read poetry aloud, or asking them to share a poem they’ve written. Showing interest in their ideas goes a long way.

Looking ahead

These units are about much more than reading books or studying poetry. They're about building empathy, confidence, critical thinking, and voice. We're excited to see students challenge themselves, connect with one another, and grow as readers, writers, and people in the weeks ahead. 

Michaela Trelford

Learning Leader, MYP Language and Literature

Join us | Spring performances

Primary Spring Concert and Year 3 Musical

All Primary students will perform: Thursday, May 14, 2–3 p.m. in Weston Hall

Middle Spring Concert

All Years 6–7 bands and choir: Thursday, May 14, 7–8:30 p.m. in Weston Hall 

Generations Day on Friday, May 15 

All Years 6–7 bands and choir — Middle Generations Day 9–11 a.m.

All Primary students' performance—Primary Generations Day 1–3 p.m.

We hope to see you at a future performance!

Warmest Regards,

Paul McGarr          

Middle Years Director of Bands

Caroline Heo

Musical Director / Choir Director

Year 7  | Second Hepatitis B/Menactra/HPV Clinic

Dear Year 7 Parents,

This is a reminder that on Thursday May 21, Toronto Public Health will be holding the second Year 7 Hepatitis B/Menactra/HPV Clinic at UCC, in Weston Hall from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. 

The following vaccines will be given:

• Second dose of hepatitis B and human papillomavirus vaccines to Year 7 students

• Hepatitis B, meningococcal, and human papillomavirus vaccines to Year 7 and 8 students who missed the first clinic.

Please remind your child about this clinic. Also, please make sure your child eats breakfast the morning of the clinic and wears short sleeves. If your child is unwell due to fever, and cannot receive their vaccinations, please notify the Prep Health Centre as soon as possible. Any missed vaccinations that happen on the clinic date, can be made up at a later date as Toronto Public Health provides “catch up clinics” throughout the city. 

A final reminder that the Meningitis (Men-C-ACYW-135 vaccine) vaccination or a valid exemption is required for students 12 years of age and older for school attendance. If your child has not received Menactra, or it has been over five years, Toronto Public Health does recommend a booster. Hepatitis B and HPV are optional.

Additional information can be found here:

• School immunization consent form  

• Hepatitis B, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), and Meningococcal vaccine fact sheets

• Student and Parent check sheet

• SIP Facts and Checklist

• Translation insert

Thank you all for your cooperation!

Prep Health Centre

Ext. 4900

Generations Day

Grandparents and special guests are invited to visit the Prep School on Friday, May 15, for an opportunity to attend a special assembly, explore classrooms, check out fantastic student artwork and enjoy light refreshments in the Bitove Lounge.

9–11 a.m. | Year 6 and 7 families

1–3 p.m. | SK–Year 5 families

Register for Generations Day here.

If you are interested in volunteering at this event, you can sign up here.

​​Donate | Staff Appreciation Lunch 

We need your support to make this year’s Staff Appreciation Lunch a success!

A time-honoured tradition at UCC, the Staff Appreciation Lunch is our school community’s way of thanking all the different staff who help make our students’ experience at the College so remarkable. This includes teachers, administration, arena staff, housekeeping, food services and support staff. Approximately 350 staff will attend the lunch on Wednesday, May 27 in the Foster Hewitt Foundation Lounge.

The Staff Appreciation Lunch is fully funded by parent donations, so please contribute to this wonderful event for all of our UCC staff by donating here. 

Thank you so much for your support! 

Register | Blue Bash!  

Blue Bash is a high-energy celebration of house pride and school spirit! It’s your day to have fun with friends, make new connections, and enjoy the school community.

Expect music pumping, ice cream swirling, face paints ready, cotton candy spinning and a fun mocktail bar waiting for you.

Come and enjoy rides, games and the chance to win exciting prizes! 

We encourage both students and families to represent your house by proudly wearing house-coloured spirit wear.

This event is about fun, friendship and feeling connected. We want you to leave feeling welcomed, proud, and energized to be part of the UCC Prep community! Let’s make it a Bash to remember.

Shop | The Used Uniform Sale

One of our most popular PPO events is back for its final sale of the year! The Used Uniform Sale takes place in the hallway of the Wilder Arena. This volunteer-run event, with proceeds going back to the PPO, is a great way to shop sustainably, find great deals, and support UCC.

The Used Uniform Sale will take place on Wednesday, May 20, from 2:30–4 p.m. and Thursday, May 21, from 8–9:30 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. No stained or ripped clothing, please.

VOLUNTEERS: The Used Uniform Sale committee is looking for volunteers with a couple of hours to spare to help sort and organize donations, take a shift at the sale, or assist with teardown. Please sign up here. Your time is greatly appreciated. 

Thank you for your support!

The PPO Spring Bake Sale is back

The boys can look forward to this much-loved event during morning recess on Thursday, May 21 in the Bitove Lounge.

We would be so grateful for your support by contributing homemade or store-bought baked goods (nut free). Whether you love to bake or prefer to pick up a favourite treat, every contribution helps make the sale a success. Items can be dropped off during morning arrival from 7:45 to 8:30 a.m. on the day of the sale. If you know what you will be bringing or purchasing, please let us know here.

We are also looking for volunteers to help make the event run smoothly. Click here to sign up. We would love to have you join us.

Please remember to send your boys with some spending money, even $2 to $5 should be enough for a treat or two!

Thank you for helping make this fun spring tradition possible.

The PPO Bake Sale Team

Mothers Day Drive

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 will 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 at 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.