UTS UPDATES
October 15, 2026
The Courage to Speak Up
Like many of you, I have been thinking about the Cornell case. I know our students have, too, especially those in the senior school. I do not intend to revisit its circumstances, which are horrific and disturbing. But one question from it has stayed with me, and it belongs to every school and every family: when we see something wrong, what do we do?
UTS Events
UTS Online Parent-Teacher Interviews
November 5 (evening only), November 6 and 9
Parent-Teacher Interviews are an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress.
PickATime bookings open on October 20 at 12 p.m. and close on October 26 at 11 p.m.
Your child's schedule will not be visible until booking opens.
Before beginning the booking process, make sure you have your child’s UTS Student ID number. This can be found in the MyUTS menu under Academics > Student Timetable.
Once you have completed this, click here for Parent-Teacher Interview booking instructions.
If you have questions, please email pickatime@utschools.ca.
Submitting Community Service Hours
The Ontario Secondary School Diploma requires a total of 40 community service hours. Students who work towards the UTS Diploma must serve an additional 20 hours for a total of 60 hours upon completion of their S6 year. However, to fully engage in meaningful service, students often choose to contribute far more of their time.
The completion of this graduation requirement appears on a student's transcript as a checkbox. A student has either met the requirement, or they have not.
The total number of hours accumulated is not reflected on official transcript records sent to post-secondary institutions. This is consistent for all students across Ontario. Here is a sample of this completed requirement on the Ontario High School Transcript.
Therefore, for UTS purposes, we only record the 60 required hours of community service. Students who have not yet recorded their 60 hours should do so using the Community Service Hours Submission Form, which is available to them on the Student Portal.
Students are absolutely encouraged to volunteer beyond the 60 hours and track their own hours for potential scholarship opportunities down the road.
If your student is in S6 and approaching over 500 hours of community service, please connect directly with Dr. Cypher in the guidance office at jennifer.cypher@utschools.ca
UTSPA Speaker Series November 11
Back by popular demand! The UTS Parents’ Association (UTSPA) invites your family to attend an Alumni Panel Discussion on Wednesday, November 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. Join us for this exciting, in-person panel discussion with recent UTS Alumni as they reflect on life as undergraduates as well as their early careers.
Summer Experiential Program Host Sign-up
UTSPA invites you to join an exclusive group of professionals shaping the next generation.
We are seeking dedicated volunteers to open their doors and host a group of students for a valuable, short-term, in-person workplace experience in July 2027. This is your opportunity to offer practical perspective, share your expertise and give a student a genuine look at a "day in the life" of your career.
Your experience is their opportunity. Secure your spot as a host today
Questions? Feel free to reach out to pamela.wong@utschools.ca and tracey.nguyen@utschools.ca
School Photos Retake Day October 21
Photo retake day is October 21, for students who wish to retake their photos. M3 to S6 students have been emailed with information to sign up. Families of our foundation students who wish to have a photo retake can email Iorek Merkley to sign up.
F2 Social Work Parent/Guardian Talks October 21
The next scheduled parent talk will be for F2 parents/caregivers on Wednesday, October 21 at 12 p.m. via Zoom. F2 parents will receive an invitation via email.
We welcome you to connect directly with our team would like to consult at anytime: social.work.staff@utschools.ca
AP Exam Registration Deadline October 30
M4 to S6 students can use the AP Exam Registration Portal to register for AP exams, which take place in May 2027.
As a reminder, students enrolled in courses ending in “-P” (e.g., SBI4UP) are required to register for the corresponding AP exam.
Important Dates and Information:
- Registration deadline: October 30, 2026
- Exam invoices: Invoices will be sent directly to guardians in November through the UTS Blackbaud Payment system.
- For more information about AP Exams, please review the General AP FAQs.
If you have any questions, please contact apexams@utschools.ca.
Bursary Applications for 2027-28 Due October 31
Bursary applications for the 2027-28 school year are open through Apple Financial Services.
All returning families seeking bursary support for 2027-28 must submit an application, including families currently receiving bursary assistance.
Families who are not currently receiving assistance are also welcome to apply. UTS is committed to supporting our students and families, recognizing that financial circumstances can change over time.
Families wishing to be considered for bursary support are encouraged to apply as early as possible. The application deadline is October 31, 2026, which allows bursary decisions to be communicated in advance of January re-enrolment.
If you have any questions regarding bursary applications, please email finance@utschools.ca.
Take Our Kids to Work Day November 4
Take Our Kids to Work Day will take place on Wednesday, November 4. On this day, Grade 9 students may spend the day shadowing a parent or guardian in their professional workplace to gain valuable career insights. To ensure your child’s participation in Take Our Kids to Work Day is correctly recorded, you must report their absence to the school by Friday, October 30.
UTS Blues Athletics News
Congratulations to the UTS Varsity Co-Ed Tennis team members Aydin, Megan, Nolan and Kelly, led by coaches Ms. Hall, Mr. Masse and Mr. Brown, on qualifying to the 2026 OFSAA Tennis Championships which will take place on October 26 to 28 in the Greater Toronto Area. More information can be found on OFSAA Tennis.
Congratulations to the UTS Varsity Co-Ed Golf team members Jessica and Stella who qualified for the 2026 OFSAA Girls Golf Championships which took place on October 14 to 15 in Niagara Falls.
More information and results can be found on OFSAA Girls Golf
Lastly, our UTS Senior Boys Volleyball team, coached by Mr. Chung, in his first year at UTS, who was also a member of the 2018 U of T Sports Hall of Fame Inductee of the Varsity Men's Volleyball team, are off to a strong start with a 4-0 record! Their journey can be followed on the UTS High School Athletics Calendar.
Student Hot Lunch Orders
UTS is excited to offer hot lunches, through our trusted provider. See menu options and order forms below.
Joint Drama-Global Citizenship Workshop Fosters a Deeper Sense of Connection
On different sides of the world, two groups of students studied the same play, The Rez Sisters by revered Indigenous cultural icon Tomson Highway. On October 1, students from Rysensteen Gymnasium in Copenhagen, Denmark came together with the UTS Senior Drama class in the Jackman Theatre. Together, they took part in a staged reading of scenes from the play, with guest faciliator Brefny Caribou, an actress of Cree/Irish settler descent who performed in the play at the Stratford Festival.
“The main goal of the joint drama-global citizenship workshop is fostering a deeper sense of connection between our two groups of students, using theatre techniques to build community, allowing them to actively explore in-depth ideas together,” says Ms. Kemeny, who has been running the workshop since 2019.
Students began with a series of drama warm-up activities to build trust before the class broke into mixed Danish-Canadian groups to practice and present their staged scenes.
For the Danish students, who are doing an in-depth study of our country, moments like this help bring Canada to life. From taking on the role of the characters in the play, Kajsa said: “It's very interesting to see how affected the communities actually are; the impact of the residential schools and related alcoholism. I also think we got a broader perspective on how it can affect people personally and how each of them face challenges that many people face.”
At the end, students enjoyed the opportunity to ask Brefny about her experience in the play, including her connection as an Indigenous person to the characters’ experiences.
“Tomson Highway is from the same area that my family is from, so there are cultural specificities I recognize that show up in members of my own family and community, and that's really special – not a whole lot of plays are necessarily being written about that particular experience…. And humour is huge across various indigenous communities. Even though we're all distinct, I think that's a big thing that we all share.” She also loves how the play gives humanity to the experiences of Indigenous women.
What's been happening at UTS
