December 13, 2024

Dec 13

Written By UTS

Staffing Announcement

We are delighted to welcome Sharon Stewart as the new Executive Assistant to the Deputy Principal, Dr. Kim Tavares. Sharon will be joining us on Monday, December 16. Her desk will be located in 118. Sharon comes to UTS with extensive experience in the education sector, as an English instructor (South Korea and Japan), program administrator (Danforth Collegiate), and most recently as an Administrative Assistant at the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, where she liaised with executive staff, local presidents, union members, legal counsel and school board officials on a daily basis.

Sharon will be stepping in as Parvathy Adiyat was at UTS on a short-term contract and is leaving Friday, December 20. We are thankful to Parvathy for both her work and her warmth. Parvathy jumped in mid-year to take over a busy and complex portfolio, building relationships and community as she learned about UTS. Parvathy previously worked in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility and is looking to focus on Human Rights work in 2025.

Please join us in welcoming Sharon to UTS and wishing Parvathy a brilliant 2025 filled with a great sense of fulfillment.

Breakfast Together
December 18, from 7 a.m.
L’Espresso Bar Mercurio

Join us BEFORE work. Getting there may be a slog but good times will be had together!

Please let us know (before December 11) if you plan to be there!

Breakfast RSVP
-from the Social Committee

SickKids/UTS Partnership

UTS is excited to once again partner with the SickKids CALIPER Project.

The CALIPER Study is a nation-wide initiative at SickKids that seeks to improve the diagnosis and care of children with medical concerns. The goal is to establish reference intervals (normal ranges) for blood test interpretation in children. Click here for more information.

Caliper will be at UTS on Wednesday, December 18. Many students have signed up to be a part of this initiative.

Students will be asked to pick their appointment times on that day. They are not to pick their appointment if they have an assessment during that time. Each appointment will be approximately 15 minutes.

Please excuse the disruption this may cause. If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to Adi Sood.

Addressing Problematic Statements and Jokes

It has come to our attention that some students have been making inappropriate and/or problematic statements in classrooms and in the hallways, specifically relating to suicide. This has been noticed while students are discussing stressors such as academic performance, grades and past or upcoming assessments.

Though suicidal jokes are known to be a common way for students to cope with stress, the impacts on those who hear them can be very harmful.

It is important to address the inappropriate nature of such language when it is noticed, so that it does not become normalized. Some ideas for response include:

Acknowledging the language and educating on why it is harmful
Jokes about suicide create an unsafe and unsupportive environment
Normalizing harmful jokes makes it difficult to notice genuine distress
Offering students healthier ways of managing their stress, such as talking to a trusted adult, social worker or supportive person in their life

If you have any further questions around this topic, please connect with social.work.staff@utschools.ca

Accepting UTSPA Funding Applications

The UTS Parents' Association (UTSPA) provides funds for student initiatives/activities/events that benefit the UTS community.

To apply for this funding opportunity, submitted requests must be accurately completed and have the approval of a UTS advisor.

Submissions received by Wednesday, January 8 will be considered for this round of UTSPA grants.

Good luck to all the applicants!

SOCk Drive Coming Up! Also, Cardboard Boxes!

We’re excited to announce that this year’s SOCk drive will be in support of Covenant House! Covenant House is one of Canada’s largest agencies serving youth who are homeless, trafficked or at risk.

If you’d like to donate, please bring in:

Hygiene items (smaller sizes preferred)
New socks and undergarments
Gently used clothing (sized to fit age 16-24)
Non-perishable food items

Also, if you are expecting any deliveries in the coming weeks, please bring your cardboard boxes (anything that’s roughly the size of a banker's box) to Room 254. The SOCs will be boxing up the donations to be dropped off before we leave for winter break.

Class of 2024 Homecoming
December 19, from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
Multi-Purpose Room

Join the Class of 2024 for a homecoming celebration with light bites and sweet treats on Thursday, December 19 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room.

RSVP by Monday, December 9