All School News - April 16, 2026
MESSAGE FROM STRUAN ROBERTSON, HEAD OF SCHOOL
THE YORK SCHOOL BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING UPDATE
Tuesday’s Board meeting, the Board reviewed the Junior School Renovation project and received a presentation on how the school is preparing for the 2026-2027 academic year, including responding to the excitement and challenges of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
BOARD OF DIRECTORS NOMINATIONS
The Board of Directors is calling for nominations for Committee Members for 2026-2027. If you are interested, please click the button below to submit your nomination. Deadline for nominations is May 1, 2026.
Establishing the 1965 Society
Yesterday, we officially established the 1965 Society. This Society consists of members of our York community who support the Annual Fund at the $2,500 level or greater. Thank you to our donors who are already a part of this Society, your generosity is making a meaningful impact in our students’ experience. If you would like to join, please click here to join this close community of York families who believe deeply in the mission of our school.
2026-2027 uniform guide
Dear Middle and Senior School Students and Parents,
Thank you for your participation in our recent uniform survey. Your responses have helped to guide the ongoing refinement of our uniform offerings. These include the following:
Top Marks pants - Top Marks has added newer materials with more stretch available for purchase next year. Our goal is to make as many choices as possible available to students so that they can find the style that works for them. We are also introducing an additional grey kilt-style skirt.
New Storm wear - Our new Storm wear has been very well received. To avoid unnecessary buying, going forward, the Phys Ed. uniform and Storm athletic wear will be the same. This means the same athletic clothing can be worn for team practices, Phys. Ed. and “Storm into the Weekend” Fridays. There was interest in a full-zip athletic wear sweatshirt, which is a coming soon item for purchase in The York School Shop.
Front-facing events - There is a desire for greater polish at front-facing events. To that end, all students are expected to purchase and wear the blue varsity sweater with a white button-down shirt for front-facing events (i.e., CISMF). For some events, students will be given a school tie to wear (i.e., Student Ambassador events).
Storm into the Weekend Fridays - Students can wear any uniform, athletic wear, or spirit wear top of their choice on “Storm into the Weekend” Fridays with school-appropriate casual bottoms (i.e. jeans without rips, khakis, Storm athletic bottoms etc.). This allows students to have choice weekly, while ensuring a more cohesive look for the rest of the week.
Greater consistency - Finally, a consistent piece of feedback is a desire for fewer uniform changes. With the change in our Storm wear, clarity of expectations for front-facing events and the addition of some newer Top Marks offerings, our plan is to limit changes until the 2030-2031 academic year.
The 2026 - 2027 uniform guide is attached for your reference.
Thank you again for taking the time to share your feedback.
New Family HandBOOK For 2026 - 2027
We are officially launching The Family Handbook for the 2026 - 2027 school year today, along with our new Uniform Guide. This is a comprehensive resource with important dates for uniforms, textbooks and so much more to help set your child up for success next September. Please take some time to review it.
RSVP FOR Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) workshop
The York School will be hosting a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) workshop for parents and caregivers on May 22 from 8:45am - 4:00pm. Currently, all York School staff are being trained in MHFA by our Senior School Social Worker, Avallon Leopold. Mental Health First Aid is a nationally recognized, evidence-based program that helps adults learn how to provide help to a person developing a mental health problem or experiencing a crisis. This training will help participants recognize signs of mental health challenges and guide people toward appropriate professional help when needed. The program is widely used across Ontario in schools, healthcare, and community settings. At the end of the workshop, you will earn a participation certificate in MHFA.
Cost: $75.00 per person
Athletics
Let’s go Storm and Toronto Tempo! Excited to see Tempo’s roster take shape (I am guessing there will be a TYS @ Toronto Tempo Night in the near future).
We are in the Spring athletic “flow state”, giving our best effort in practice and competition.
Our Varsity Ultimate Team has already competed in an early bird tourney and our U14 team is excited to do the same this week.
Both U14 and Varsity Co-ed Badminton opened their season with excellent results and our Track and Field teams across the board are in full swing.
Community event alert! If you are interested in supporting AFC Toronto, please fill out the form below as they take on the Halifax Tides on May 3 at noon. Please respond by April 20.
TYS @ AFC Toronto
Go Storm!
Mr. D
Fulford Debate UPDATE
The tournament was a big success. Over 160 attendees, including 30 student volunteers and competitors from Grade 7-12. Special thanks to the parents who heeded the call and volunteered to judge, including several parents of debating alumni, without whom the tournament could not have run. 20 CIS schools competing for the Fulford Cup. Parents enjoyed seeing students debate important issues in a civil way, and many told me that it made them feel hopeful for the future at a time when it's hard to. Thanks to Zach W. and Charlotte B. for being our hosts, Will A. for organizing the tournament for his CAS project, Morris W. for helping in the tabs room, and Christina Webb for her support.
Register for the YPA PARENT SOCIAL
THE YPA & THE YORK SCHOOL
Invite you to the 4th Annual York Parent Social!
When: May 6, 2026 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Where: NEW LOCATION - BUCA OSTERIA & BAR | 53 Scollard Street front entrance located via Yorkville Avenue through the Four Seasons Courtyard, Toronto, ON M5R 0A1.
UPDATE FROM FINANCE
2nd Tuition Installment - Thursday, April 30, 2026
The 2nd Tuition payment for the 2026-2027 school year is due by Thursday April 30, 2026.
JK - Grade 12 $22,565
These payments only apply to those not on the monthly installment plan.
Payment options include:
Online Payment
Through most major banks, you are able to set up The York School as a payee to enable the payment of tuition online. Set up the “York School” as a payee and then use the last five digits of your child’s student account.
Cheque
The School prefers to receive your payments electronically however, if you choose to pay by cheque, cheques may be dropped off at Middle/Senior School reception at 1320 Yonge Street.
Credit Card
Credit card payments through Plastiq can be made with most major credit cards. Go to https://request.plastiq.com/pay-the-york-school and register. Please note that payments may take 3-5 business days to process and that a service fee of 2.99% will be applied.
RSVP for the Junior and Middle School Carnival!
The 2026 Carnival will take place on the afternoon of Saturday, May 23! Junior and Middle School families get ready for an unforgettable day at our 1320 Yonge St campus. We’re bringing the fun with a BBQ, games and activities for all ages to enjoy. Please register and sign up to volunteer for the event through the link below.
2026 York Online Auction!
Back by popular demand, we are excited to announce the 2026 York Online Auction! The auction will launch online in early May so every community member can participate. And we need your help. If you have an item or experience you can donate in any of the following areas, we want to hear from you!
Events: Tickets for sporting events, concerts, or cultural performances.
Travel & Getaways: Access to vacation homes, spa retreats, resorts, or wellness packages.
Unique Experiences: Behind-the-scenes tours, gourmet dining, or specialized workshops.
Creative & Artisan Offerings: An artist, chef, a musician, or a craftsperson willing to donate a private lesson or custom piece.
Anything that would generate interest as an auction item.
Auction donors will receive a charitable tax receipt for the fair market value of their donated items.
Please click here to explore how to get involved. See the types of items donated to the 2024 Auction Catalogue.
And please feel free to reach out to either of us if you have questions.
We look forward to making this year’s auction a huge success, with all proceeds supporting York’s highest priorities at both campuses - major capital projects and the school’s bursary for needs-based financial assistance. As tuition covers only York’s operations, these projects rely on support from the school community.
Thank you,
CAMPS THIS SUMMER
The following camps will take place at The York School this Summer.
Please note that these programs are not endorsed by The York School and are run by independent third party operators.
J with a K Music
Music Exploration, Glee Club and Rock Band
July 28 - August 15
Ages 4 - 13
Nike Basketball Camp
Fundamentals of basketball
July 7 to August 22
Ages 7 - 15
