February 16, 2023

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Early Building Closure

There will be a power shutdown on Friday, February 24 in order to address a hydro issue.

Staff and students should vacate the school by 4:30 p.m. in order to permit this important work to proceed on schedule.

Staff Meeting

There will be a staff meeting on Thursday, February 23 at 4 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room.

Nocturne

Please join us in the new auditorium for Nocturne 2023, a recital-style concert featuring students from F1-S6 in virtuosic solo and ensemble performance.

Highlighted this year are S6 student Michael Su who will perform the Dragonetti bass concerto with orchestra, and Curtis Yeung who will conduct a premier of his composition for orchestra.

Each staff member has 2 free tickets. Please email Mark Laidman to be put on the guest list.

Senior Drama Showcase

Join us on Tuesday, February 28 for the first live Senior Drama Showcase since the pandemic.

The matinee and evening performances will feature over 80 drama students.

Admission is free and all are welcome to the matinee: 1-3 p.m. and evening performance: 6-8 p.m. in the old auditorium.

Rollicking satire, mayhem, missed connections, and the search for true love and maybe some happiness too are all part of this exciting evening.

We would love to see you there.

Holiday Breakfast

The rescheduled Holiday Breakfast will take place in the atrium on February 23 from 8:45 to 9:45 a.m.

The Captains and Student Council will host this event for students and staff and bring some mid-winter cheer to the school.

There will be a special schedule on the 23rd.

Semi-Formal

Staff are welcome to attend the first off-site Semi-Formal since before the pandemic.

This year’s Semi-Formal for M3-S6 students will take place at Second Floor Events at King & Spadina on Friday, Februray 24 from 7-10 p.m.

Grad Photos

Grad photos will continue next week. We hope to have wrap-up by Thursday. Photos are taking place in Upper FEUT.

Students have been asked not to book during assessment periods.

Updated Employment Equity Policy

Please take time to review an important update to our Employment Equity Policy and Appendix on the Staff Portal.

This Policy aims to establish the commitment of UTS to the development, implementation and maintenance of employment and promotion policies, practices and procedures that result in and sustain a workforce that, at all levels, reflects, understands and responds to a diverse population.

also see: Appendix – Workplace policies, practices and decision-making processes and systemic discrimination which provides a list of non-exhaustive workplace policies, practices and decision-making processes that can lead to systemic discrimination, as well as best practices that are aligned with recommendations of the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

How Well Do You Know Your Colleagues Bingo

Use this form to enter an interesting fact few know about you. We will have a bingo with a ‘Coffee with Comms’ event offered as the prize.

TTC Safety Reminder (from this week’s UTS Updates)

Many UTS staff and students ride the TTC each day to get to and from school. We are fortunate to be close to Spadina and St. George stations as well as the Spadina streetcar line.

All Torontonians who use the TTC have become increasingly aware of increased reports of violent incidents on the TTC and at TTC stations. In light of heightened safety measures being taken throughout TTC stations and vehicles, we are reminding students of the following safety tips while riding public transportation:

When possible, travel with a buddy.
Stay in well-lit areas. TTC platforms have Designated Waiting Areas (DWA) with additional lighting, seating, security cameras and an intercom to speak with TTC staff.
Keep valuables out of sight.
Always carry identification.
Ensure you can hear and see your environment well, avoiding the use of headphones that may block out noise and voices around you.

It’s also important that UTS has up-to-date emergency contact information. Please reach out to mainoffice@utschools.ca if your contact information has changed recently.

We hope that the increased presence of security personnel on the TTC and work being done by the City of Toronto will alleviate the number of incidents taking place, but remind everyone to ride with appropriate vigilance.

Athletics Calendar

Student Vaccination Clinic

Toronto Public Health will be on site on March 1st to offer a catch-up clinic for mandatory school vaccinations to M3-S6 students.

Please do not schedule any assessments during that day.

COVID-19 Case Counter

COVID numbers are updated every Thursday and can be found here in this document.

UTS Updates

In this update you will find information on final exams and the last day of school, upcoming late starts to the school day, the rescheduled holiday breakfast, a Toronto Public Health vaccination clinic on March 1 for M3-S6 students and more.

Parent Update