UTS UPDATES
August 27, 2026
The countdown is on for the 2026-27 school year!
UTS Updates is your source for the school information you need to know, such as upcoming events, registrations, consent forms for excursions, UTS Parents’ Association, news and more! Updates is sent to your inbox on Thursday afternoons during the school year. Please expect the next UTS Updates on September 3. We are ramping up for the 2026-27 school year, and getting ready to welcome our students. It’s going to be a great year!
UTS Events
UTS Family Handbook
The UTS Family Handbook can be found in MyUTS under Information for Families.
It is your guide to the essential information parents and guardians need to know about UTS. Inside, you'll find details about school schedules, who to contact when, the technology we use, information about textbooks, policies and much more.
Core Agreements and Contact Verification
Watch your email today for the UTS Core Agreements
As we gear up for an exciting new school year, we will be asking every family to take two quick steps in MyUTS: confirm your contact information and review the UTS Core Agreements.
Please plan to complete both by September 2.
On September 2 at noon, student timetables will be made available in Google Calendar. Timetables are delivered directly to students' Google Calendars, and we can only share them once a family's contact confirmation and Core Agreements are complete in MyUTS.
Thank you for support!
Textbooks Now Available for Purchase
UTS textbooks for the 2026-27 school year are now available at the U of T Bookstore, in person and online.
All books listed will be needed for the 2026-27 school year. If a course is not listed, there is no book for that course and the teacher will provide more information at the start of classes. Many course materials are already available for purchase, and more will be arriving over the coming weeks.
Shop Online
UTS course materials can be easily found and purchased online at University of Toronto Schools | U of T Bookstore. Materials purchased through the bookstore website can be shipped directly to your home or other address. Books can also be purchased online and then picked up in-store, which you can specify during the check-out process as you complete the transaction.
Shop in person at the U of T Bookstore
UTS course materials are available for purchase at the U of T Bookstore’s St. George campus store, located a short distance from UTS at 214 College Street. UTS materials can be found in the Great Hall on the second floor of the store. Please visit U of T Bookstore locations to check operating hours before you visit.
The U of T Bookstore also carries a variety of stationery and technology supplies that can be found in-store and online.
Have questions about course materials, merchandise, or placing an order?
Please contact Don Thompson at dthompson@uoftbookstore.com.
If you are buying used textbooks from UTS students, please make sure you are purchasing the same textbook as the texts listed on the U of T Bookstore website. UTS staff are not able to answer questions regarding student used textbook sales.
The U of T Bookstore is proud to partner with University of Toronto Schools.
Update Regarding the Implementation of Bill 101, Putting Student Achievement First Act, 2026
Please note that for the 2026-27 school year, UTS will be implementing the updates mandated by the Ontario Ministry of Education Bill 101, Putting Student Achievement First Act 2026 and outlined in Growing Success.
For courses that grant either Grade 9 or Grade 10 level credits, final marks will be based on:
- 65% Term Work
- 20% Final Evaluations (to take place during the Culminating Project Period and the Final Exam Period)
- 15% Attendance and Participation.
For courses that grant either Grade 11 or Grade 12 level credits, final marks will be based on:
- 65% Term Work
- 25% Final Evaluations (to take place during the Culminating Project Period and the Final Exam Period)
- 10% Attendance and Participation.
Further information will be shared at Curriculum Night regarding how the Attendance and Participation component of the grade will be measured and assessed. All grades 9 to 12 credit granting courses will comply with the final evaluation formulas outlined in Growing Success, and additional days have been added to accommodate the expanded final exam schedule.
Guidance Counsellor Assignments for 2026-27
The guidance team is excited to welcome two new counsellors to the department for the 2026-27 school year. Ms. Melissa Shaddick, whom many of you already know from our Drama Department, will be joining our Foundation/Middle School Counselling Team, and Ms. Shumaila Khan, new to UTS this year, will be joining our Senior Counselling Team, bringing with her over 20 years of experience in Canadian and international university admissions. Ms. Natalie Webber will now serve as the Head of Student Support.
You can find your student's 2026-27 Guidance Counsellor assignment in the Student Services Guide for Families.
Course Change Requests Available until August 31
The form to request changes to course selections for 2026-27 is now open. Students received a link to the form from Dr. Dawe, Vice Principal of Student Experience, on Monday, August 24. The form will remain open until Monday, August 31 at 9 a.m. This opportunity is meant to respond to extenuating circumstances such as a change in academic goals as the result of a summer program. Change requests made in August are less likely to be successful due to timetabling constraints. For reference, a list of your child’s current courses is available to view through MyUTS.
PSAT/NMSQT: Sign-up by Thursday, September 10
The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) will be offered at UTS on Monday, October 26 from 4:15 to 6:45 p.m. Only UTS students in M4 and S5 can sign up to take the PSAT/NMSQT.
The deadline for signing up to write the PSAT/ NMSQT is Thursday, September 10 at 6 p.m. All M4 and S5 students have received an email link to sign up for the test, and students must register using their UTS email.
There is an additional, non-refundable cost of $50 for the PSAT/NMSQT. Students who sign up for a copy of the PSAT/NMSQT will receive an invoice from UTS Finance within two weeks after registration closes.
Locker Allocation
S5 and S6 students will receive an email the week of September 3 inviting them to apply for a locker. F1 to M4 students will be automatically assigned a locker. Questions can be directed to mainoffice@utschools.ca
School Photos
School photos will take place on Tuesday, September 22. Teachers will bring their classes down to the photographers throughout the day. If you have questions please contact mainoffice@utschools.ca
UTS Athletics
All upcoming UTS Athletics sports will be posted on the UTS Athletics Google Calendars for High School and Foundation School. UTS Athletics makes every effort to provide students with a diverse range of sporting opportunities. However, the availability of certain sports may vary from year to year based on staffing capacity and our ability to provide appropriate coaching and supervision.
For the Fall season, for the High School sports seasons:
- Senior Boys Volleyball
- Varsity Girls Basketball
- Varsity Girls Field Hockey**
- Varsity Co-Ed Cross-Country
- Varsity Co-Ed Tennis
- Varsity Co-Ed Golf
- Varsity Boys Flag Football**
- Varsity Girls Flag Football**
**pending staff-coach availability
Outdoor Education in September
All F1s, M3s, S5s and S6s will be attending Outdoor Education in September. Consent forms are now available on the MyUTS portal, and are due by the end of August. Accommodation forms will be sent directly to students on August 25. Any questions can be directed to studentlife@utschools.ca
- F1s: Camp Couchiching, September 15-16
- M3s: Camp Kandalore, September 14-16
- S5s: Camp Cedar Ridge, September 16-18
- S6s: Camp Couchiching, September 14-16
The UTS Shop: Get Ready for Fall!
Get ready to show off your school pride as we gear up for the new academic year! The UTS Shop is fully stocked with everything your student needs for the crisp fall weather, including our cozy hoodies and classic sweatshirts. Perfect for chilly mornings, spirit days and cheering from the sidelines, our high-quality gear is the best way to stay warm and represent our school community. Visit the online store or drop by during our community welcome back social on September 10 to grab your favorite styles before they sell out!
Welcome Back Social - September 10
Get ready for the UTS Welcome Back Social on Thursday, September 10 hosted along with the UTS Parents' Association. This free event invites the UTS community to reconnect and celebrate the new school year. Join us after school for an afternoon of great food, lively student performances, a fun photo booth, and engaging activities. It's the perfect way to kick off the academic year.
Coffee Mornings for Parents and Guardians
Come and enjoy a cup of coffee at UTS! We’ve scheduled these events, for parents and guardians, around student camp drop-off times for your convenience, but please feel free to sign up for whichever day works best for your schedule. Each session will be in the Multi-Purpose Room from 8:15 to 10:15 a.m.
Reserve your spot now using the links below. We hope to see you there!
Student Hot Lunch Orders
UTS is excited to offer hot lunches, through our trusted provider. See menu options and order forms below.
Robotics Program Thriving at UTS: Two Teams at Worlds, New Camps and Incredible Teamwork in a Crunch
Robotics is thriving at UTS in exciting and collaborative ways.
The UTS Robotics co-curricular program experienced major growth in the 2025-26 school year, with team members increasing from about 20 the previous year to about 80. In fall 2025, UTS hired a robotics program director – Owain Jones – and gave students a dedicated room to build their robots. The support for the program paid off. Four teams competed this year: the UTS A and B teams, a middle school team and a dedicated girls’ team, with the UTS A team and the middle school team taking it all the way to the VEX Robotics World Championship in St. Louis, Missouri in April!
The world championships became a true team effort. A month before Worlds, UTS Team A Bello Bello! decided to wipe the slate clean and create a completely new robot design, calling on the strength of the UTS Robotics team to make it happen. The team came together in true collaborative spirit, working around the clock to get ready in time for worlds and about 40 team members went to St. Louis and experienced the excitement of this incredible competition. Team co-president Emerson says: “For us the accomplishment is getting there because we know how hard it is to do that, and doing our best to constantly improve and perform well on the world stage. We're grateful that we've been able to go for three years in a row.”
If that’s not enough, Robotics co-presidents Anson, Emerson and Daniel launched March Break and summer Robotics camps that give a VEX Robotics crash course in just one week, and also dedicated some of the places to underrepresented groups.
What's been happening at UTS
