The Class of 2026 will have their Leaving Ceremony on Friday, May 22.  Invitations will be sent to families in April.

One of UCC’s oldest traditions, the Battalion Ball, is taking place for Year 12 students on Friday, April 17, from 8 to 11 p.m. at Palais Royale (1601 Lake Shore Blvd. West). This is an opportunity for the Leaving Class to celebrate together with their guests. The cost is $85 per ticket.

Parents, if your child plans to attend, please complete this form. Please note that it requires both parent and student signatures. There's a separate form linked within that must be completed by any guests planning to attend.

If you have any questions, please contact Damion Walker, Assistant Head of the Upper School.

Dear Parents of the Class of 2026,

We are pleased to share a very positive update on the Class of 2026 Scholarship Fund. 

The fund currently stands at $180,205. With a few months still to go before graduation, the Class of 2026 is already one of largest leaving class collections in a single year at UCC. The fund will of course continue to grow in perpetuity, and as it stands, will disburse more than $9,000 per year in financial assistance, or 18.5% of a deserving student's full tuition.

An enormous thank you to everyone who has contributed to the leaving class fund so far. We are currently at 30% participation!! Our hope is that in the lead up to graduation, the fund continues to grow through the generosity of this group of parents. 

Gifts of all sizes are gratefully accepted. The participation of as many families as possible in this celebratory fund is just as important as the amount raised.   

If you would like to donate, please visit ucc.on.ca/class-of-2026.

Yours faithfully,

Vineet & Trish Malhotra
Parents of Chetan 

David Ossip & Devra Baryshnik
Parents of Jacob 

We're pleased to share that the results from the International Schools’ Assessment (ISA), which students in Years 3–10 completed in October 2025, will be uploaded to Bluenet prior to March Break. This standardized assessment provides a "snapshot" of student performance in mathematics, reading and writing.

At the College, we use these results to observe cohort growth, inform instructional strategies and compare our performance internationally. Please keep in mind that these results are for internal use to guide teaching and learning; they do not form part of your child’s report card grades.

To view the results, please follow these steps:

1. Log in to Bluenet.

2. Click on your child's name.

3. Navigate to the "Progress" tab.

4. Select "Files" to find the ISA report.

A detailed email will be sent directly to you when the results are ready for access on Bluenet. This will provide further context on how to interpret these results.

Sincerely,

Liz Kennedy

Director WWCfL and Student Services

Jordan Small

Director of Academics

Throughout the year, Bags to Beds has made significant progress towards its vision of a future where no one sleeps without warmth, dignity, and care. That progress includes repurposing over 24,000 plastic bags and completing 33 mats with the help of more than 230 students dedicating nearly 1,500 service hours. Most of these mats were recently donated to Canada’s largest youth homeless shelter, Covenant House. 

In February, we hosted several impactful events:

Boarders' Bash

The inaugural Boarders' Bash on February 1 brought together over 45 boarding students as part of the Boarding Community Weekend. The boarders enthusiastically prepared and cut the bags to be woven, before carefully weaving the mats themselves. The event strengthened bonds and built community within UCC’s close-knit boarding family, as students dedicated time together towards a shared goal. Special thanks to Ms. Jinha for helping coordinate the event!

CAS Sessions

In partnership with CORE faculty, Bags to Beds hosted two CAS sessions on February 2 and 3 with a number of UCC Year 12 students as part of their CORE Culminating CAS Service Experience. The Year 12s worked productively while enthusiastically sharing their university plans with one another. Thanks to Dr. Maloney and Mr. Sweetman for supporting this!

Covenant House Delivery and Tour

On February 6, our executive team travelled to Covenant House to donate our completed mats. During that time, we also engaged in a tour of the shelter itself. We saw firsthand how cooking and job training programs, accessible healthcare, and supportive housing all reflect the shelter’s deep commitment to dignity, growth, and opportunity. We were especially moved by the Dove Wall, the welcoming staff, and the strong sense of community.

House Weave-a-thon

Bags to Beds held our annual Weave-a-thon during Rivalry Week (February 23-27). Students of different houses competed in a timed, fast-paced environment, aiming to complete as many weaves as possible. The event demonstrated that service does not have to be boring or cumbersome, but can instead be incredibly fun and engaging with the right environment and attitude. Of the houses that competed in the event, Wedd’s was the most successful. Thank you to Mr. Walker for ensuring the legacy of the Weave-a-thon continues at UCC.

Expansion to High Schools

With the support of our partnership with UNIQLO, Bags to Beds sessions officially began at St. Andrew’s College last week after months of planning and discussion. We are preparing to expand the initiative to additional schools, and we are excited to see that our impact is spreading across the Greater Toronto Area.

As part of the school’s commitment to providing meaningful and transformative leadership development for all students at UCC, we are rolling out the Strengths Deployment Inventory with all our Year 11 students in April. 

Fiona Marshall, the Director of the Lang Leadership Lab, and members of our University Counselling Office will guide students through completing the inventory and thoughtfully unpacking their results. This program is used in many spaces around the world and supported by academic research for its effectiveness in helping students develop their leadership through enhanced self-awareness, empathy and expert collaboration skills. Beyond its leadership applications, the reflective language and self-understanding developed through the SDI will also support students as they begin drafting personal statements and supplemental essays for university applications in the Fall.

The SDI has been used for over 50 years and is grounded in the work of Dr. Elias Porter. We are so thrilled to be able to bring this highly impactful program to our students as they prepare for their graduating year at the College and the leadership they will exercise and decisions they will make during this important year of their lives.

Students will engage in an online assessment this April as part of the Year 11 Seminar program and then be guided through understanding their results by UCC employees who are SDI certified facilitators. This program is used at several other schools in Toronto with great feedback from students and families alike. 

As part of its commitment to providing intentional leadership development for students, the Lang Leadership Lab at UCC is subsidizing the cost of this assessment. Families will be charged $60 to their student's account to cover the remaining cost of the assessment. Families who receive Financial Assistance will have this fee subsidized at their prorated rate.

For more information on SDI, please visit this site. Please note the section on Security and Privacy at the bottom of the page, which meets the highest standards for online security. If you have any questions about the program, please email Fiona Marshall at the Lang Leadership Lab. 

Please mark your calendars for Tuesday, April 7 from 7–8:30 p.m. for StepUP, a signature evening dedicated to our Year 11 students and their parents/guardians. This event serves as a purposeful “pause button” in a fast-moving year, offering a unique opportunity to celebrate your son’s journey before he enters his final year of high school.

The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) is a provincial assessment that measures whether students are meeting the minimum standard for literacy across all subjects up to the end of Grade 9. Successfully completing the OSSLT is one of the 33 requirements for earning the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). 

OSSLT Assessment details:

• Date: Thursday, April 9

• Time: 8:30 to 11:45 a.m.

• Location: Hewitt Athletic Centre

• Arrival: Students are asked to arrive by 8:15 a.m. to ensure a smooth start.

What to expect on the test

The OSSLT is a computer-based assessment consisting of two sessions (Session A and Session B). The test includes a mix of “selected-response” (multiple choice, drag-and-drop, and drop-down menus) and “open-response” (written) questions.

The sections include:

• Session A (65 min.) Reading: Students will interact with real-life narratives, information paragraphs, news reports, and dialogues. They'll be asked to understand explicitly stated information and to make connections and inferences.

• Session B (75 min.) Writing: Students will demonstrate their skills through multiple-choice questions on grammar and punctuation, as well as longer written pieces, such as an opinion essay supported by reasons and relevant examples.

How we are preparing students

To ensure that all students feel confident and prepared, targeted instruction will be integrated into two MYP Seminars and two English classes. Our preparation focuses on:

• Skill development: Analyzing various text types and practicing structured opinion writing.

• Platform familiarity: Ensuring students know how to use the online tools, such as the built-in text-to-speech, high-contrast view, and digital "rough notes" area.

• Test-taking strategies: Time management and strategies for breaking down complex prompts.

Student readiness checklist

• Fully charged laptop: As the test is entirely online, students must bring their laptops with a full charge.

• Practice at home: EQAO provides an official Online Practice Test that mirrors the actual platform. We highly encourage students to explore this at home to become familiar with the digital tools.

• Watch the intro video: You can view a short overview of the assessment here: What to Expect on the OSSLT.

• Save the date: If you have any commitments scheduled for Thursday, April 9, we kindly ask that you consider rebooking. Students who miss the OSSLT will not have another opportunity to write the test until the following year. 

We're committed to supporting your child through this milestone. If you have any questions about readiness, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Upper School office.

The Academic Team 

Jordan Small, Director of Academics 

Liz Kennedy, Director of the WWCfL 

Leigh Berndsen, Registrar
Emilia Martin, MYP & Personal Project Coordinator 

Mark your calendars for Thursday, April 9, when UCC will host Nuit Bleue — an evening celebration of the Arts. Join us on campus for this special event showcasing the creativity of our talented students across visual arts, film, theatre, music, languages and creative writing. 

Stay tuned for more details coming after the break.

The UCC PO will be hosting year-level evening spring socials for parents and guardians. Save the date for your son(s) year and watch for more details to come.

• Wednesday, April 15 – Year 10  

• Tuesday, May 12 – Year 8 

• Wednesday, May 20 – Year 9 (rescheduled from April 27)

• Thursday, May 21 – Year 12

• Thursday, May 28 – Year 11

Spring socials are a great opportunity to connect with other parents and celebrate the school year in a relaxed, social setting. We look forward to seeing you there.

Spring Dress begins right after March Break on Monday, March 23 and TUBS is ready to help you stock up with our Spring Sale. 

Everything in TUBS will be 50% OFF from Monday, March 23 to Friday, April 2. It’s a great time to pick up gently used uniform essentials like khaki pants, blue polos, gym shorts, t-shirts and more.

Find spring dress details here.

TUBS Hours (Monday to Friday)

• 8 to 9 a.m. (except Wednesdays)

• 12 to 1:15 p.m.

• 3 to 4 p.m. (except Fridays)

Location
TUBS is located beside the Lower Dining Hall.

Show your school spirit at games and events with UCC Blue Army clothing and gear, for sale on UCC Marketplace. Our online shop is stocked with hoodies, toques, t-shirts, trucker hats and water bottles. 

Get Blue Army gear here. 

All items are sold by the PO with proceeds going back to the school to enhance student experiences.