We are excited to welcome all new students to the Upper School (day, boarding and all Year 8 students coming from the Prep) on September 8! 

Please see this link for important information sent to families in July, which includes:

• An overview of Orientation Day activities

• Items to bring

• A welcome video

• Uniform information

• A facilities map

• Frequently Asked Questions and key contact information sheets

• Important fall event dates

New boarding students, please note that your move-in date is on Sunday, Sept. 6. Please refer to the Boarding section of this issue of Heads Up for more detailed information on orientation.

We’re excited about The Week Without Bells, an experiential learning program in which all students in Years 8–11 travel, collaborate, and explore curricular and co-curricular themes. 

All students are expected to attend. If your child is unable to attend due to medical reasons or a mandatory prior commitment, please contact Gillian Levene (Year 8), Joe Smith (Years 9 and 10), or Damion Walker (Year 11) by Sept. 18.

For the 2026–27 academic year, UCC has continued to partner with ALIVE Outdoors, our Norval Team and AdventureWorks to deliver an exciting week of camp programming for students in Years 8–11, scheduled from Tuesday, Oct. 13 to Friday, Oct. 16.

ALIVE Outdoors works with well-established camps familiar to UCC, including Camp Timberlane (for Years 8 and 11) and Camp Wanakita (for Year 10). Meanwhile, the Norval Team and AdventureWorks will deliver exciting programming for Year 9 students at Olympia Sports Camp. See photos from the 2025–26 Week without Bells here.

Please note:

• A non-refundable deposit of $585 will be billed to student accounts on Sept. 18.

• The remaining balance of the program fees (approximately $585) will be billed after the trip concludes.
  
  

Please be aware that there will be no alternative programming for Year 8–11 students on campus during The Week Without Bells as the faculty will also be at the various camps. 

During this week, Year 12 students will remain on campus, focusing on completing Diploma Programme-specific tasks and working on their university applications.

*Please note that families currently receiving financial assistance for the 2026–27 academic year will receive prorated assistance for this program fee.

Kind regards,
Joe Smith, Gillan Levene and Damion Walker
Assistant Heads, Upper Canada College

Dear Upper School Families,

Ahead of the upcoming academic year, we are writing to provide you with some important updates that will affect the calculation and reporting of final student grades this year for students in Years 8 - 11. You may be aware that the Ontario Ministry of Education has recently given the mandate to institutions granting Ontario credits to factor attendance and participation into final grades as follows:

• For Ontario Grades 9 and 10 courses, 15% of the final mark shall be based on attendance and participation.

• For Ontario Grades 11 and 12 courses, 10% of the final mark shall be based on attendance and participation.

Please note that as our Year 8 students are enrolled in Year 9 courses, the above policy will apply to their grades. Year 12 students are in the middle of a two year program, and therefore the above policy will not apply to them. 

Please note that this will not affect IB coursework grades for reporting student learning on report cards, but will be applied to the OSSD converted grade. Further information on the impact these updates will have on student final OSSD grades will be communicated in the Family Handbook in the coming weeks. We are in ongoing conversations with peer schools to ensure alignment.

Regular attendance and participation are essential to student learning, wellbeing and success, and accurate attendance tracking helps us ensure that students are appropriately supported and accounted for throughout the school day. We ask parents and guardians to partner with us by excusing absences only for the circumstances outlined below and by communicating these absences promptly. These expectations apply not only to scheduled classes, but also to school field trips and community time periods. 

The guidelines below outline which types of absences will be excused (and will not affect the attendance grade) and which will not be considered excused (and will affect the attendance grade):

Excused:

• Absences due to illness or mental health (medical notes may be required for extended absences)

• Religious observance

• Medical appointments

• Family emergencies/bereavement

• School trips, athletics, experiential learning and other school-sponsored activities

• Approved absences for students connected to our High Performance Support program

• Unavoidable circumstances or other absences specifically approved by the school

Unexcused:

• Vacations or personal travel

• Skipping class or assessments

• Non-school extracurricular activities unless specifically approved

• Other discretionary absences

If you have any questions about our attendance process please contact:

• Gillian Levene (Year 8)

• Joe Smith (Years 9 and 10)

• Damion Walker (Years 11 and 12)

Sincerely,

Andrew MacDougall

Head, Upper School

The transition into Year 8 is an exciting milestone filled with new routines, increased independence, and fresh opportunities. To support every student through this pivotal year, we are thrilled to introduce the Year 8 Bridge Program. Please click here to read detailed information on this program

Please join us for the Upper School Curriculum Night on Thursday, Sept. 17 from 6:30–9 p.m. Curriculum Night provides families with the opportunity to learn more about their child’s academic program and meet the teachers who will be guiding them throughout the year. During the evening, you will hear about course content, expectations, and approaches to learning, while also gaining insight into how we can work together to support student growth and success. 

Instructions for accessing your personalized timetable as well as the schedule for the evening are outlined below.  

How to access your Curriculum Night timetable:

1. On Sept. 17, log in to Bluenet. 

2. Scroll down to your child's Curriculum Night Timetable. Click to download, view or print the PDF.

Upper School Curriculum Night

6:30 – 6:40 p.m. — Meet in your child’s advising group location

6:50–9 p.m. — Follow all classes as per your personalized schedule. For convenience, the bell will ring after each “class” to remind you to move to your next class.
*Empty spaces in your timetable represent a spare or a break.

Each course’s slide deck presentations can be found on your child's BrightSpace course page in case you are not able to join Curriculum Night this year.

*If you have more than one child in the Upper School, we suggest you review their timetables to determine the teachers you wish to visit.

If you have any questions prior to the evening, please reach out to Joe Smith, Assistant Head, Upper School-Student Life & Programming.

UCC’s Outdoors Club is running a fall canoe trip to Algonquin Provincial Park from September 25-28. We will paddle and portage through the backcountry, camp in tents, and cook over campfires.

The trip will be supervised by Mr. Borden, Mr. Kiddell and Mr. Parkinson. For more information on the trip, please see the informational letter here and the trip's agenda (including map) here.

If your child is interested in coming, please complete the permission form here. Permission forms are due by 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15, and the trip will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. We can only accommodate 12 students, so it's suggested to get the permission form filled out soon.

Please note that your child must pass a swim test at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17 (or have a Bronze Star, Medallion, Cross or higher) to come on this trip.

Thank you!

Mr. Borden
Economics/Language & Literature Teacher

Dear Upper School Community,

Recently, new classes of wearable devices with discreet recording abilities have become readily available for purchase. In the interest of the student learning experience, privacy and wellbeing, we ask that students and families take note of the policies around wearable technology added to this year’s edition of the Family Handbook: 

“Any wearable technology with the ability to record audio or video is not permitted at the College. Wearable technology that allows students to privately view content is also not permitted. These technologies include AI, HUD, and AR-enabled glasses as well as wearable AI recording pins and pendants.

Smartwatches and fitness trackers without recording abilities are permitted to be used by Upper School students.”

Please direct any questions to the appropriate year level assistant head: 

Gillian Levene, Year 8

Joe Smith, Year 9 and 10

Damion Walker, Year 11 or 12 

The Math Department is excited to welcome our Year 8 and 9 students with comprehensive math welcome kits on their first day of class. To ease the back-to-school rush and ensure every student is prepared to succeed, these kits will be distributed directly by their teachers. 

Each kit contains essential supplies valued at approximately $185, including a TI-84 CE Plus graphing calculator, a math notebook, geometry tools, and standard writing utensils. The total cost will be charged to your student account.

Opt-Out Option: If your student already owns a TI-84 CE Plus graphing calculator and you wish to opt out, please email Natasha Wilcox at nwilcox@ucc.on.ca. Your student will still receive the remaining supplies, and your account will only be charged approximately $15.

We look forward to seeing everyone in the fall!

Please note the following key dates and information about the course change process for the 2026–27 academic year. 

Students should reach out to a university counsellor to begin a conversation. See contact information below.

There is also a late course change process that begins after the end dates below. At that point, students will have spent more time in their courses and therefore the request to move from one course to another can be more complex. A discussion centred on potential impacts will be led by the university counsellor and will involve the student and parent, course teachers, adviser and the Wernham West Centre for Learning (WWCfL) as required.

Course Change Dates

Students in Years 9 and 10

Begins: Day 3 (September 11)

Ends: Day 2 (September 23)

Students in Year 11

Begins: Day 3 (September 11)

Ends: Day 5 (October 13)

Course changes must be approved by a parent/guardian and a student’s university counsellor.

University Counselling Office:

Michèle Mindorff— Jackson’s

Alison Champ— Howard’s, Bremner’s

Nili Isaacs— Orr’s, Scadding’s and Martland’s(A-K)

Stephanie Rose— McHugh’s, Mowbray’s and Martland’s (L-Z)

Andrew Turner — Seaton’s, Wedd’s

There are two ways to purchase textbooks and course materials for the 2026–27 school year. You can buy directly from the University of Toronto Bookstore or, new this year, you can buy and sell used textbooks privately through the dedicated Used Textbooks WhatsApp groups created by the UCC Parents’ Organization.

When you join a Used Textbooks WhatsApp group, you will be connected with other parents who are looking to buy or sell books. Because new members cannot see past chat history in WhatsApp, please check your year’s Used Textbooks Spreadsheet to view available books or list items for sale.

Click below to join your year group and access the spreadsheet. For example, join the Year 8 group and spreadsheet to sell Year 8 books, or join Year 9 to buy Year 9 books.

Year 8 Used Textbooks WhatsApp

Year 8 Used Textbooks Spreadsheet

Year 9 Used Textbooks WhatsApp

Year 9 Used Textbooks Spreadsheet

Year 10 Used Textbooks WhatsApp

Year 10 Used Textbooks Spreadsheet

Year 11/12 Used Textbooks WhatsApp

Year 11/12 Used Textbooks Spreadsheet

Please note: 

• The UCC Parents’ Organization is pleased to provide this forum for connection, but individual transactions remain the sole responsibility of the buyers and sellers.

• All arrangements must be made directly between families. Participants should exercise their own judgment when buying and selling textbooks.

• Upper Canada College does not have a role in the WhatsApp Used Textbook Groups.

The UCC Parents’ Organization (PO), the volunteer parent organization of the UCC Upper School, hopes you and your family are enjoying a wonderful summer!

As we look forward to the start of another school year, we invite all parents and guardians to consider getting involved with the PO. Volunteering is a wonderful way to contribute to life at UCC, meet and connect with other families, and become more engaged in the broader UCC community.  Whether you are new to UCC or have been part of the community for many years, there are many ways to get involved, and we would be delighted to have you join us!

There are a variety of volunteer opportunities available throughout the year, with options to suit different interests, time commitments, and levels of involvement.  Every contribution makes a difference and is a great way to meet fellow parents and help enrich the UCC experience for students and families. 

Occasional volunteer role descriptions can be found here. If you’re interested in volunteering, simply complete this form, choose your area(s) of interest, and we’ll be in touch!  

If you have any questions or would like more information about volunteering or about the PO generally, please feel free to contact us at pres.ucc.po@gmail.com and vp.ucc.po@gmail.com. 

The grad wear site for the Class of 2027 is up and running with a wide variety of customized goods such as hoodies, joggers, baseball caps and a stylish duffel bag. Click here to see what is for sale. 

Free local pickup is available in Leaside or choose $10 flat-rate shipping to your Ontario address. Don't delay! The site will only be open until Friday, Aug. 21. Items ordered will be delivered in September. The site will then close and reopen from Sept. 14–25 for final orders. Orders placed within that timeframe will be delivered at the end of October.

Get set for school with The Used Blues Shop (TUBS) Annual Used Uniform Sale.  

When:

Tuesday, Sept. 8 from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 9 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.

Where:

Upper School lower-level hallway (near the Lower Dining Hall)

The sale will feature gently used uniforms and spirit wear. All purchases will be charged to a student’s account. Students may shop on their own. Parents are welcome, but asked to first sign in at reception. Please bring a shopping bag.

Used uniform and spirit wear donations are welcome. If you’re interested in volunteering or have questions, please email TUBS.

The UCC Parents’ Organization is once again hosting year-level Welcome Back Parent Coffee Mornings.

Please join us in the second-floor lounge of UCC’s William P. Wilder ’40 Arena & Sports Complex, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., for coffee, tea and snacks. You’ll have the opportunity to meet new parents in your son’s year, and catch up with those you already know.

The dates for the Year Level Coffee Mornings are as follows:

Year 8: Thursday, September 24 

Year 9: Friday, September 18

Year 10: Tuesday, September 29 

Year 11: Thursday, October 1

Year 12: Monday, September 14 

We look forward to seeing you there!