Dear UCC families,

This year, students in Years 3 through 10 will write the International Schools’ Assessment (ISA) test. 

This standardized test will be administered to students in Years 3–7 on two mornings: Friday, Oct. 2 (math, literacy and writing task A) and Monday, Oct. 5 (reading and writing task B). Year 8–10 students will write on the same dates but in the afternoon beginning at 1:30 p.m.

The ISA is based on the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) frameworks for reading, writing and mathematical literacy. The aim is to gather baseline information for students as a cohort to assist faculty as they consider instructional strategies that can be used to support learning. Regular ISA administration allows us to observe cohort growth and progress over time, inform ongoing improvements to teaching and learning, and compare UCC’s performance internationally. 

The ISA will be administered in the classroom by your child’s teacher, in collaboration with the Wernham West Centre for Learning, via the ISA online portal. Please avoid scheduling appointments or other absences during the assessment period. To ensure testing integrity, students who arrive late may not be permitted to write the assessment.

It’s important to note that no preparation is required ahead of writing the test. It is meant to capture a snapshot of student skills and does not form any part of report card grades. The information gathered is for internal use only by faculty and administrators to inform teaching and learning at the College. ISA’s privacy statement is available here. We will work with the boys to ensure this is a positive experience. Families can assist by reinforcing that message and ensuring students are well-rested on testing mornings.  

Should you have any questions, please contact Liz Kennedy, Director of the Wernham West Centre for Learning and Student Services.

Yours sincerely,

Liz Kennedy

Director, Wernham West Centre for Learning and Student Services

Julia Kinnear

Vice-Principal, Learning and Academic Innovation

This is a final reminder to all families who have not completed their child(ren)'s School Health Form to do so as soon as possible by following the steps below.

How to access our new Bluenet health portal

1. Log in to Bluenet using your credentials. Navigate to the Resource Board > School Health Forms.

2. Click "Get started" to access the portal and electronically submit your child's health info (medications, allergies and health history).

Need help?

• Login issues: Contact the Help Desk at helpdesk@ucc.on.ca.

• Medical/form questions: Contact the nursing staff at health.centre@ucc.on.ca.

• We also prepared an FAQ, which can be found here.

Thank you for helping us keep our school community safe.

Warm regards,
UCC Health Centre

You're invited to the Norval Bioblitz Fall Open House.  We have created an interactive, outdoor learning experience for families and alumni.

The BioBlitz is a collaborative event where participants work together to identify and record different plant and animal species at the Norval Outdoor School.

Through guided activities, we'll engage in hands-on exploration, develop observation skills and build a deeper connection to the natural environment. The event will encourage curiosity, collaboration, and environmental awareness while contributing to a shared understanding of Norval's incredible biodiversity.

Participants will also have the opportunity to meet the bees with our beekeeper and make apple cider using the apples from our orchard.  

We encourage everyone to come to this brand new Norval Event!

Please review the schedule below! You are welcome to stay for each event or join us for a portion of the day.

10 a.m. – 12 p.m. 

• New Family Open House | Campus tours for families of new students

1–4 p.m. 

• Fall Open House | Welcome for all members of the UCC Community

1:30 - 2:30 p.m. 

• Guided BioBlitz hike | Choice of an animal- or plant-focused hike

2:45 - 3:45 p.m. 

• Fall activities | Choice of apple cider making or a beehive visit

Register here

Tips for the best Norval experience:

• Leashed dogs are more than welcome to join the outdoor fun, but please keep in mind that they’ll need to stay outside.

• To ensure we have parking space for everyone, please consider carpooling with fellow attendees.

• We’ll be celebrating no matter the weather, so dress in layers and come enjoy the outdoors with us!

Directions to Norval

Take Highway 401 west to Winston Churchill Boulevard. Follow Winston Churchill Boulevard north and go through the village of Norval. Continue straight ahead. The entrance to the Norval property is on your left, 1.2 kilometres north of the village stoplight. The drive takes about 50 minutes from UCC in light traffic.

Questions?

Contact Holly McKee at association@ucc.on.ca.

You’re invited to attend a practical, engaging presentation on evidence-based parenting strategies with this year’s Casey Fellow, Dr. Christina Hinton, Harvard-trained education and parenting expert, on Thursday, Oct. 8.

Research from around the world shows that parenting can promote holistic wellbeing including social-emotional development, mental and physical health, and academic learning when it is characterized by warmth, structure and autonomy. In her presentation, Dr. Hinton will share practical, research-backed approaches to:

Warmth: Building secure relationships, engaging in responsive "serve and return" interactions, and nurturing compassion.

Structure: Validating emotions and setting clear limits.

Autonomy: Encouraging age-appropriate resilience.

Parental Wellbeing: Practising self-compassion and emotional regulation during tricky parenting moments, and building social support.

Dr. Hinton leads parenting and education initiatives at Harvard University and has advised UNICEF, UNESCO, the OECD and the Sesame Workshop. She brings decades of interdisciplinary research into practical strategies parents can use every day.

Every parent wants their child to flourish, but in a world full of parenting advice, knowing what actually works can feel overwhelming. Dr. Hinton will deliver a practical introduction to evidence-based parenting strategies grounded in decades of research across education, neuroscience, psychology and child development.

Join us and leave with tools to help your family flourish!

Thursday, Oct. 8 | Weston Hall at the Prep School
Welcome reception | 5:30 p.m.
Main presentation | 6:30 p.m.

Register here

Dear UCC Community,

The nomination period for two of the College’s highest honours closes on Friday, Oct. 30 at midnight, and I hope you’ll consider nominating one or more extraordinary community members for these awards. 

Please see information regarding the nomination process and deadlines for the Old Boy of Distinction Award and John D. Stevenson Award. More information about these community awards and how to nominate is available here.

Thank you in advance for nominating fellow UCC community members and helping the College recognize the profound impact of our alumni and volunteers! 

Sincerely,

Chanakya Sethi ’03
President, UCC Association