March 10, 2023
“There are many great minds on earth and not all are human.”
Have a quote you would like to submit for next week’s Staff Update? Click here to share the words of wisdom that inspired you most recently.
Meet the New Principal
Dr. Leanne Foster, the incoming Principal at UTS beginning in August 2023, will be on-site to meet with teachers and staff in small groups throughout the month of April. She will also take the opportunity to introduce herself to staff at the April 20 All Staff meeting, and at the DC meeting on April 6.
If you would like to connect with her in the small group sessions, please contact Murray MacMillan to coordinate an appointment.
She will be on site between 8:30-9:30 a.m. on the following days:
Thursday, April 13
Friday, April 14
Tuesday, April 25
Friday, April 28
Reporting Day for Teachers
There are no classes for students or teachers on Friday, March 31.
Many teachers may prefer to work from home on reports. All teaching course teams should ensure that they make time to do moderated marking for all summatives and moderated grading for all classes before submitting reports at 9 a.m. on April 5.
Teachers who would like to work at the school on March 31, should complete this form to book a room.
Over 250 students will be writing the OSSLT in the morning and students will be writing Mock Exams in the afternoon.
Fun Fact Bingo!
Last week, the three fun facts challenged all respondents. Thank you for your entries and answers!
Yogita, Negar, Garth, Charline and Mike F. guessed correctly that Raymond studied Zoology at U of T and then went on to study Fashion Design at FIT Suny.
Cat guessed correctly that Jennifer has run three marathons, including NYC and Boston!
Shawn guessed correctly Liz S.’s secret talents as a scuba diver and chainsaw operator!
The Comms office will have cookies on Monday - you are welcome to come and say hello in Room 256 to claim your “I Got 1/3 Prize”. Will anyone guess all three staff this week?
This week’s fun facts are:
I was in competitive co-ed cheerleading in high school.
I worked as a prep and line cook in Yorkville.
I am trained in makeup applications and oxygen facials.
UTS Charity Week Silent Auction
UTS Charity Week is a week-long fundraising drive that brings together the UTS community in support of an important Canadian charity.
This year, the Charity Week will take place from April 24 to 28 in support of Interval House, as voted upon by the student body.
Please click here to learn more about the work that Interval House does to support women survivors of domestic violence and their children.
We are looking for donations for the annual Silent Auction and would love your support! See last year's auction offerings here.
Please complete this form before April 5 with information about the items you'd like to donate. Donations and/or cheques can be dropped off to the Admissions Office (Room 254) from now until April 7. Please fill out the form more than once if you are donating more than one item.
Thanks for your support!
Charline Wan + SOCs (Akshita, Curtis, Daniel, Fiona, Maya)
GITcon 2023
The Girls in Tech Conference, which is organized by a M4 to S6 student exec team at UTS, is an annual conference celebrating female tech leaders and providing hands on tech workshops for girls and female identifying students in grades 6-8 across the GTA.
Staff support (Operations, Teachers and Admin) for the day of the event on April 1 would be very welcome and greatly appreciated.
Please contact jpittlainsbury@utschools.ca if you can help, even for half a day.
F1 and F2 Teachers: Please Minimize Homework for March 31 Weekend
All F1 and F2 students will be participating in virtual field trips and synchronous online learning activities for year-long learning theme (YLLT) on March 31 (PA Day).
In the interest of student wellness and to free up their time and energy so that they can be fully present at these sessions, kindly minimize homework for March 31 weekend.
March 31 F1 online activities for Truth and Reconciliation YLLT
As part of the F1 Truth & Reconciliation YLLT, all F1 students will need to be online on March 31, at:
9-10:45 a.m. for a virtual field trip to the Textile Museum of Canada’s “Double Vision” exhibit, including a drawing activity at home
12:20-1:20 p.m. for collaborative learning with their Spotlight teams
Details will be shared with students through the F1 YLLT Google Classroom.
March 31 F2 online activities for Sustainability YLLT
As part of the F2 Sustainability YLLT, all F2 students will need to be online on March 31, at:
10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. for a virtual field trip to the Textile Museum of Canada’s “Lifecycle of a Textile” program, including a hands-on sewing activity at home
1:30-3:30 p.m. for collaborative learning with their Sustainability Campaign teams
Details will be shared with students through the F2 YLLT Google Classroom.
If any UTS staff are interested in joining the virtual field trip, please contact Cresencia Fong or Richard Cook.
University Updates: A Message for S6 Teachers
The April report card is the final opportunity for Ontario/Canadian universities to see current Grade 12 marks for our students.
Final offers to Ontario universities will be made by the end of May; the bulk of offers will be made in March and April.
U.S. applicants will begin receiving responses from colleges over the March Break and into early April.
While some students will receive positive responses, others may be disappointed. Acknowledging our collective excitement and good will, we still ask that we please refrain from inquiring about any student’s university application outcomes, especially in public settings.
Students are encouraged to share their outcomes, particularly with counsellors and teachers who provided letters of support; however, it is their choice to do so (or not).
As always, if you have any questions, please contact a member of the Student Services team.
UTS is a Scent Free Zone
A gentle reminder to avoid using perfumes and scented lotions before coming to UTS or during your time on-site.
Athletics Calendar
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 the upcoming PA day on March 31 as well as other notes from UTS Academics, online learning for F1 and F2 students year-long learning theme programming, a short survey on possible new payment portals, notice of the UTSPA general meeting, summer camp registration, and more.
Silver Linings
Have a silver lining you would like to submit for next week’s Staff Update? Click here to share something that brought you joy recently.
This week’s share comes from Negar.
