REVIEW OF Upper Canada College BY parent, David Matheson

(5) Student Experience

My son absolutely loves Upper Canada College. The teachers are compassionate and focused on his education, development, and, most importantly, fostering a love of learning. Their approach to learning is multi-disciplinary, focused on ensuring that each child feels and is treated as an individual, yet forms part of a cohesive community that is the College, their house, and their classroom. The physical education, arts, languages (French), and outdoor activities are outstanding, as are the after-school activities. The friends that he has made, not just within his own class, have set the school apart, as my son has flourished in his school environment and looks forward to going to school each day, coming home happy to tell me all about the new facts he learned—many of which I am learning for the first time as well. A fantastic experience.

(5) School Leadership

Save for one issue, we have not had any issues that have needed to involve the school administration. The one issue that occurred was dealt with expediently and professionally, and associated communication was fair, to the point, and effective. I think what stands out about the leadership is that they are there because they love learning, they love teaching, and they love the school and the students. Moreover, they are the utmost professionals and, in each instance, are seemingly on the leading edge of their educational field.

(5) Teaching

I cannot say enough good things about the teachers, admitting that my son is only in his first year at the school. He adores his two primary teachers, and I see in his actions their compassionate discipline—that they are fostering in him a love of learning but also encouraging him to have fun, to enjoy himself, and to explore his emotions and his passions. The teachers (and ancillary teachers) that my son deals with have all been remarkable in their balance between consistency and delivering results, and equally important, in their support of him in more challenging times—such as recently with the passing of a family member. I am extremely happy with the quality of the instruction, their depth of knowledge, and their clear desire to bring the children up and create an environment for productive learning and growth.

(4.5) Academics

From what I know of the school as an alumni and volunteer, the school is very academic, but at my son's level, we see the academics more as involvement in and encouragement of a love of learning, exploring new avenues (e.g., foreign languages, arts), and basic skill development to foster a long-term approach to academics and education. I applaud their responsible use of technology in the classroom, as it provides both preparation for the realities of today's world but balances that with a respectful and appropriate distance from and engagement with "screen time." The arts program, in particular, has created a love of creation and exploration of innovation that I never expected to see in my child at such a young age.

(4.5) Extracurriculars

In his grade, competition is not overly emphasized, which I am very supportive of, but the cross-grade soccer games that occur, for example, do create a competitive environment that he seems to be thriving in. I was thrilled to see that the school offers things like chess to students as young as SK, in addition to robotics, soccer, and a host of other extracurricular activities. The focus on outdoor education and the enjoyment of our natural world is helping to create a well-rounded boy.

(4.5) Students

Our children have attended four different schools, and my son's current classroom is the most diverse, yet most contiguous of all his classrooms. He describes each of his classmates as his "best friend," and the size is materially smaller than the other schools, with more opportunities for one-on-one learning and interaction with the teacher. The spirit of the school, encouraged through events that span grades, is wonderful, and the "house" system creates a connection with the school that I still reflect fondly on as an alumnus. Perhaps most importantly, my son interacts with and has friends in other (higher) grades, giving him exposure to older boys. These boys seem to like him and play with him, say hello to him on the way home, and watch out for him, creating a family-like atmosphere within the school.

(5) School Life

My son loves going to school at UCC. Prior to UCC, every day was a challenge to get him to class, but the mornings now are full of excitement about a trip to Norval (the outdoor education classroom), today's trip to the library, or the new pet lizard in the classroom. My son is extremely fond of all of his teachers, in particular his primary ones, and speaks of them respectfully but also as peers, getting counsel when appropriate but also feeling a friendly camaraderie which is hard to match. The quality of life for my son is very high, and my only regret right now is that he won't be in school for the summer and will miss his friends a great deal!

(4) Community

As an alumnus, I have been involved in the school extensively since I left as a mentor and volunteer. Parental involvement is deeply encouraged and welcomed, and the parents’ association is a powerful body that provides excellent opportunities, events, and fosters a culture of excellence and involvement, fostering a real community. The many events that the school hosts promote pride in the school's mission, in its students, and its community. My only concern with some of the parent involvement is that it sometimes fails to recognize the busy professional lives and responsibilities that some parents have, which means that despite their desire to be very involved in the community or the parents’ association, the middle-of-the-day events make it challenging for them to do so. This is, however, a minor item, and the community is a real strength of UCC.

(4) School Location

The location is great in that it is in the heart of Toronto, but, of course, it is a very wealthy enclave, and as a result, the children can be a bit sheltered. It is important that they have the opportunity to see the world. At my son's age, I would not be overly happy with him venturing on his own outside of the school grounds, so I am pleased that this does not occur! The grounds are incredible, and the convenience of the location is unsurpassed, so all in all, very good.

(5) Admissions

I found Rosie, who was our admissions officer, to be friendly, a pleasure to talk to, and genuinely interested in what made my child unique. I did not know what to expect going in, but came away incredibly impressed with her (and their, as a department) desire to ensure that not only was my son right for UCC, but UCC was right for my son. What could have been a stressful event ended up being a fun time! I would not change anything about the process, as I think it was the right balance.