November 20, 2025
Call for proposals for the inaugural Eureka! Institute at UTS Practitioner Research Symposium
The Eureka! Institute at UTS is inviting all staff and teachers to submit proposals to our inaugural Practitioner Research Symposium, taking place at UTS on May 9, 2026. We welcome proposals for paper presentations, curated panels, workshops and collaborative conversations. Responding to the theme, Navigating a rapidly shifting landscape in education: Schools as integral spaces for innovation and knowledge building, this symposium will bring together teachers, teacher-candidates, teacher-researchers, school leaders and university faculty members in a lively and vital dialogue about teaching and learning in an era of unprecedented social, political, environmental and technological change.
The deadline for submissions is January 26, 2026.
Course Selection sessions on December 11 for F2, M3 and M4
Please take note for planning purposes if you teach F2, M3, and/or M4 on Day 1.
On December 11, there will be full-period course selection sessions held in the auditorium for the following classes:
F2: Period 2 (Block E)
M3: Period 3 (Block A)
M4: Period 4 (Block B)
F2, M3 and M4 classes will attend these sessions with their respective teachers. If you are teaching one of these sections, please take attendance and promptly bring your class to the auditorium. The Guidance Team will reach out with additional details for specific teachers.
Thank you for your cooperation!
New PD Request Process
All staff will now be able to use the new Expense Form on the Staff Portal for submitting PD Requests. This will replace the old PandaDoc fillable form.
For submitting a PD Request through the Expense Form please use Department PD Individual Funds - 1032 and expense type Professional Development - 56010.
If you have any questions about using the form or submitting a PD request for reimbursement, please reach out to Finance.
S6 Reference Letters
An email was sent on Monday to teachers who are in the process of writing academic letters of support for postsecondary applications. The email includes helpful information such as upcoming deadlines and next steps. If you have any questions, please reach out to the student’s guidance counsellor.
M3 Middle School Celebration 2026
We are pleased to share that this year our Middle School journey will conclude with an M3 Celebration that marks the transition from Middle School to Senior School. We are evolving the tradition we began last year, and this year’s event will take a more formal shape with families and staff invited to join. The celebration will take place at the school near the end of the year and will include a reception for families, staff and students that leads into a ceremony focused on honouring this important transition.
This approach reflects our program structure, aligns with our strategic plan, and supports the continued development of a strong and distinctive Middle School identity at UTS. We will share the confirmed date and further details as planning continues.
F1 Parent/Guardian Volunteer Program
We are piloting a small volunteer program for F1 parents and guardians this year. This is not a response to any shortage of chaperones. Our staff consistently show up for students, and we rarely face gaps in supervision. The purpose of this pilot is relationship-building. We want to offer families a meaningful window into the learning experiences their children enjoy and strengthen the connection between home and school. When used thoughtfully, these moments help our youngest learners see the adults in their world working together with care and shared purpose.
Family participation will remain an optional enrichment rather than a necessary source of supervision.
If you are planning an excursion or activity involving F1 students and see a good fit for a parent or guardian helper, please reach out to Royan Lee who will coordinate the process and keep everything aligned with our guidelines.
Thank you for the steady way you support our Foundation students and their families.
Volunteer Your Time for F1 Community Reflection Week
F1 Community Reflection Week will take place from June 8 to 11. While F2 to S6 students are writing exams, this week gives our F1 community a chance to celebrate the end of their first year together and deepen their sense of belonging as a grade.
Our focus for the week is connection, reflection and joy. Students will build friendships, explore the city together and take part in reflective activities that help them look back on their first year and ahead to F2.
We are planning a series of local excursions, including time at Christie Pits, a full day at High Park, and a culminating day at Canada’s Wonderland. We are looking for staff who may be interested in supporting supervision on any of these outings. An early indication of interest and general availability will help us shape our planning and ratios.
If you might like to join us for part of the week, please email royan.lee@utschools.ca with a quick note of interest.
Students applying to other schools?
If you become aware of an F1 to S5 student applying to other schools and potentially not returning to UTS next year, please send a quick note to Charline at charline.wan@utschools.ca with any (partial) information you have:
Student name
Grade
Where they are/might be going
Why
If there are factors that may be impacting reenrollment at UTS that we may not be aware of
How certain you are they are not returning
Please do not interrogate the student (and neither will I) but any information, even partial, is helpful for enrollment planning purposes. Please do remind them that any student seeking references from teachers should have already connected with their counsellor.
Help Wanted: Admissions Marking
We are still looking for two more teachers to help with marking the UTS English Entrance Test.
The teachers’ responsibilities will include group marking of the tests in-person on Saturday December 13 from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Compensation: $500 stipend
Interested teachers who are teaching or have taught English OR CWS courses are invited. Please email Charline Wan (charline.wan@utschools.ca) by November 24.
Santa Claus Parade Sunday November 23, 12:30 to 3 p.m.
The Santa Claus Parade marches past our school this Sunday and we’d love you to join us to watch from the West Side Staff Room and Room 112. You, your family, and friends are invited to come watch the parade, eat some goodies and do some colouring.
If you plan to come, let us know so the Social Committee can get a sense of how much cocoa and cookies to buy!
Book Club December 1
The UTS Book Club is holding its first meeting on Monday, December 1, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the West Side (first floor) Staff Room. The book we are discussing is The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride; the Guardian called it “an uplifting tale of kindness and community.” There is still time to read the book and join our discussion - the Evans Library probably still has a copy and TPL has physical, electronic and audio versions. AND the Staff Social Committee is providing yummy snacks.
If you plan to come and haven’t checked with Kelly Marcella yet, just drop her a line. (Or email to ask a question.)
Retirement Party for Maureen McCarthy
Please join us to celebrate Maureen McCarthy’s retirement on Thursday, November 27!
A card will be in the Communications Office from November 20 for all staff to sign.
Issue #2 of Evans Library Newsletter
Yesterday, students received (by email) a link to Issue #2 of the Evans Library Newsletter. If you’d prefer to receive it by email also, feel free to let Rebecca or Monica know and we can BCC you on the student email going forward.
Otherwise, feel free to peruse Issue #2 on the homepage of the Evans Library site.
Topics include:
Name the Newsletter - Vote Now!
TCard Requirement - December 1
What have we been up to in the Evans Library?
2025 Evans Library Student Survey Results
Interesting Evans Library Stats for October
A Feature from a Co-Curricular Club: Book Look
Overdue for Something New (includes December break reading and a 1000 book challenge, Sora Reads and info about library displays)
Thank you for helping streamline communication at UTS!
By sharing messages whenever possible through UTS Updates (for families) and Staff Updates (for colleagues), you're helping keep inboxes manageable and ensuring key information about the school can be found in one weekly location.
Did you know that since the start of this school year…
Roughly 165 items have been shared with families through UTS Updates this school year? Multiplying that by number of families, that’s roughly 217,000 fewer emails that had to be sent and received.
Beyond that, the school has also sent around 80 targeted email campaigns to segments of families (e.g. schedule changes, event information, fundraising, finance-related and other grade-specific info).
215 items have gone out through Staff Updates, which otherwise would have landed as individual emails in your inbox.
UTS Updates is read equally on mobile and desktop (50/50) and Staff Updates is viewed mostly on desktop (75%).
Each week, UTS Updates get around 1,250 visits, while Staff Updates see around 153 visits.
Keep it up!
Submitting your items by Wednesdays at noon (and adding co-curricular updates to the shared doc) helps us keep everything running smoothly, and keeps everyone’s inbox a little lighter.
Thanks for making communication clearer, easier and so much more efficient!
Mark Your Calendars for the Staff Holiday Party
Who: You plus one!
When: Tuesday, December 9 at 4 p.m.
Where: Proof Bar at Sonesta Hotel, 220 Bloor Street West (Yes, again!)
What: Delicious food featuring the LEGENDARY Baked Brie (by popular demand!)
What Else: Drinks (plural) and Taxi Chits, if desired
Attire: Wear something red or "festive" to earn an extra entry to the amazing and sometimes bewildering raffle prize draw
UTSPA Funding Requests
The UTSPA funding request form is open to school activities that would like support for funding.
The deadline for this submission period is Friday, January 9, 2026. Good luck to all the applicants!
Class of 2025 Homecoming
On Thursday, December 18 at 4 p.m., join the Class of 2025 as they return to UTS for their homecoming. Enjoy appetizers and soft drinks while reconnecting with our most recent alumni and hear all the exciting things they have been up to since graduation.
