As we prepare our students to become good citizens, we seek to foster their deeper understanding of life beyond the walls of our school, our city and even our country. We believe in the power of learning through firsthand global connections: vital face-to-face meetings that build bridges to greater understanding. Strengthening relationships and mutual understanding, learning about and from other cultures, and reflecting on our place in the world as Canadians has perhaps never been more important. 

For the second year in a row, UTS was honoured to host students and teachers from Tokyo’s Hachioji Higashi School…

I’ve always been a proponent of girls’ participation in team sports, despite my own daughter’s fraught relationship with T-ball at age four. (She worried about hurting the ball’s feelings if she hit it too hard!) There is ample research to show the benefits of participation in sports range from a more positive body image to the development of teamwork and leadership skills, and we know that the loss of sports during the pandemic had a devastating impact…

Outside there were freezing temperatures and mounting snow, but inside our school this month our spirits were warmed by stunning musical and theatrical performances of our students. The power of the arts allows us to connect at the most elemental, visceral level and gives students the opportunity to collaborate, engage and astound. In mid-February…

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There was a time, not that long ago, where students in Toronto were typically taught nothing about Black Canadian history. UTS parent Jennifer Holness P '21, '25 remembers. Today the award-winning film television director, producer and screenwriter shared her perspectives as the keynote speaker at the UTS Black Futures Month Assembly.…

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This Tuesday, on the other side of the country, a friendly, vibrant group of 11 UTS alumni gathered for a night of bonding and reminiscing at the Calgary UTS Alumni Branch Event, proof positive that the UTS connection extends far beyond our students’ days at UTS into their future, no matter where life takes them.

Even temperatures dropping into the double digits didn’t deter alumni from coming out to the event…

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More than 60 students from UTS and across the Greater Toronto Area converged at UTS last weekend for Blues Hacks 2025: Trailblazers of Tomorrow, the second annual UTS Hackathon event, bringing their energy, enthusiasm and innovative ideas. The excitement was palpable…

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When I met with the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) accreditation team at the end of their December visit, I had to smile when they pointed out that UTS truly puts the “I” in independent. The phrase they used was “fiercely independent” – and I couldn’t agree more. In my first year at UTS, I quickly came to appreciate just how unique we are. We do things differently – and for good reason…

Our daughter Olivia's wedding day on Saturday transformed our diverse families into a unified celebration. From the ring bearer's last-minute bow tie rebellion to the flower girl's dainty dance down the aisle, the day wove together moments of humour and grace. The gathering highlighted the beautiful tapestry of family relationships – estranged aunts who somehow forgot their decade-old dispute, the eccentric uncle whose booming laugh filled every room and the diplomatic challenges of seating former couples and old friends. But all of these intricacies melted away as we united to celebrate one of life’s most important milestones together. 

This family celebration mirrored our school community in some uncannily similar ways…

In today's digital landscape, students face unprecedented challenges navigating social media, digital footprints, smartphones and online security. While schools provide essential guidelines and boundaries during the day, partnership with parents is crucial for ensuring children's safety in their digital lives.

Recognizing this need, UTS and the UTS Parents' Association recently hosted IT expert Paul Davis for an enlightening session on cyberbullying and online safety strategies.…

I hope you and your families had a wonderful break, filled with celebration, rest and rejuvenation, and are ready to take on 2025! The first week of the new year is always an inspiring time at school. Students are so excited to see each other again, and the possibilities feel boundless. 

Before classes began…

There’s a sense of joy and merriment growing in the halls as we near the close of the school year.

House Winter Wonderland Spirit week is in full flow with activities like gingerbread house making and the holiday breakfast – today is pajama day and many students are enjoying the fun opportunity to wear their pajamas to school!

This time of year invites us to reflect on how far we’ve come together.

At UTS, every day holds the possibility of discovery. The diverse talents and sometimes esoteric interests of students run deep, from the arts to sciences to technology to athletics and beyond. In their futures after UTS, any one of these interests could take on a life of its own and become a calling. The latest issue of The Root, the UTS alumni magazine, shares stories about how our alumni boldly forge their own paths…

As parents navigating the complex world of raising teenagers, we often find ourselves searching for ways to guide our children and increasingly, to counter the harmful messages they hear on social media. Without doubt, they need our help to examine and question the confusing and anger-fueled messages they hear from social media influencers. Figures like Andrew Tate and Nick Fuentes share…

"Assessment is not about measuring; it is about understanding learning and using that understanding to support improvement." - Dylan Wiliam

In the world of education, assessment guru Dylan Wiliam argues that the most powerful learning occurs when feedback becomes a continuous, integrated process of understanding and growth. When done well, feedback is a reciprocal process where learners are active participants in understanding their own progress. William suggests that feedback is often received best not by those who try to be inherently perfect, but by those who strive first to embody curiosity and humility.…

UTS is pleased to be undertaking our first Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) Accreditation visit from December 1 to 4, 2024. This visit marks a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to excellence.

The CAIS Accreditation process provides our school an invaluable opportunity to reflect on our educational practices, share our successes and identify areas where we can continue to grow…

Last Monday, Canada lost a great leader and an even greater man: Murray Sinclair C.C., an Anishinaabe whose legacy touched millions across our country. A champion of Indigenous rights, Sinclair was a former senator and judge who led Canada's landmark Truth and Reconciliation Commission into the country's residential schools. Through hearings across Canada, he gathered firsthand testimony from survivors of the schools, and developed the 94 Calls to Action that are helping to guide our country towards meaningful change in relations with our Indigenous peoples.

Throughout his trailblazing life, Murray Sinclair bravely broke ground…

"We can't predict the future. We don’t know what will happen in the next five years. We need to educate our children for unpredictability." These words from Sir Ken Robinson's landmark 2006 TED Talk, "Do Schools Kill Creativity?" resonate even more powerfully today. Robinson, who passed away in 2020, championed creativity over conformity in education, urging schools and school leaders to think beyond the constricts of traditional schooling …

When we implemented our device-free policy this fall, the changes were straightforward: phones stay in lockers, social media is blocked on school Wi-Fi, and gaming isn't permitted during school hours. Though we were uncertain about enforcement challenges, we believed it was the right direction for our students.

I’ve always believed that feedback is a gift. Whether positive (always lovely to receive) or negative (sometimes difficult to hear), feedback is essential to growth and improvement. As a doctoral student, I remember many meetings with my advisor, sitting together to review my research, pouring over mounds of data and pages of writing.

Yesterday, our entire student community came out to University of Toronto’s Varsity Stadium in full House spirit ‒ not at all dampened by a little bit of rain! ‒ to take part in the decades-long UTS tradition of House Track for some friendly competition, fun and fresh air.

On Monday, we came together in Withrow Auditorium to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Students and staff wore orange shirts in recognition of the more than 150,000 children forced to attend residential schools. Our speaker, Dr. Niigaan Sinclair, shared that September 30th was chosen as Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation because it was historically the day when First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation children were taken from their homes.

UTS is a community that is passionate about learning, not just for our students but for everyone. Coming next month, we are so pleased to offer you an opportunity to learn from visionary U.S.-based educator and author Dr. Paul Gorski. The author, co-author or editor of 12 books including his most recent, Fix Injustice, Not Kids and Other Principles for Transformative Equity Leadership, Paul is an inspiring speaker with important messages for our community.

I hope your family is settling into the new school year! The connections between students, families, faculty and staff form the heart of our school, creating a supportive environment where our students thrive both academically and personally.

Excitement was in the air this morning as students and staff came together for our first whole school assembly. Rousing applause accompanied our new F1, M3 and senior students as they filed into Withrow Auditorium, a long standing tradition that formally welcomes them into the UTS family.