April 6, 2023
“Courage, my friends; ‘tis not too late to build a better world.”
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.
Staffing Announcement
We regret to inform you that Andrea Annis will be leaving UTS. Andrea’s last day will be April 11. We wish her all the best in her future endeavours.
Teaching Assignment Preferences
If you are a member of the OSSTF BU, please complete this form to provide your DC with guidance for your teaching assignment preferences for next year.
We hope to release the timetable and assign teacher schedules in May.
Lang Innovation Lab: Maker-in-Residence Series
Please join the Innovation Team after school on April 3 for the start of the second Maker-in-Residence series in the Lang Innovation Lab.
Tess Butler-Ulrich is working towards her Masters in Education at OTU, with a focus on making and STEAM education. The subject of this series will be microprocessors such as micro-bits. The first workshop will introduce the micro:bit and go over how to connect it to a device, inputs, outputs, and setting up micro:bit. It will aslo explore coding through a series of challenges and debugging activities such as creating a simple shape using the LEDs on the micro:bit or writing a short message using the LEDs.
Please sign up here if you are interested in joining us.
Toronto Public Health Vaccine Clinic
Toronto Public Health will be returning to UTS on May 17 to complete the second doses of school vaccinations for the Foundation students.
Techers, please do not schedule any assessments for Foundation students on May 17.
Youth Mental Health
The Harvard Graduate School of Education recently hosted a panel exploring the landscape of youth mental health entitled Askwith Education Forum: The Crisis In Adolescent Mental Health.
Parents, caregivers and those that work with young people will be interested in hearing the nuanced approaches we can each take to nurture healthy development and create environments and systems where all young people can be seen, welcome and feel a sense of belonging.
If you have any questions about youth mental health please contact the school social workers, Marleen, Joelle, and Rachel: social.work.staff@utschools.ca
SOMA
On April 25 to 26, our students are hosting the 50th Anniversary of the Southern Ontario Model Assembly (SOMA), our homegrown model United Nations.
As many as 80 students, across all grades, will be running committees.
We are finalizing the list and will send it out ASAP so that teachers are aware of which classes might be impacted by absences.
Copenhagen
From April 22 to 29, a group of 19 adventurous S5 and S6 students will be travelling to Copenhagen, Denmark to participate in a Global Citizenship program homestay and Model United Nations.
Look for an email soon indicating which students are participating.
Global Ideas Institute
UTS is hosting the GII Symposium on April 21 where close to 200 hundred students from 21 GTA schools will be assembling to celebrate and share their project work.
The day-long event begins with registration in the Fleck Atrium between 9 and10 a.m. with the Keynote in the Withrow Auditorium until 11:45 a.m.
UTS will be represented by two teams of five S5 and S6 students.
Athletics Calendar
COVID-19 Case Counter
COVID numbers are updated every Thursday and can be found here in this document.
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 Shayan.
