5-12 Newsletter 05.11.25
- kevinhayashi
- 11 hours ago
- 8 min read

Happy Mother's Day Hill Family!
Mother’s Day is a special opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the incredible women who guide, nurture, and inspire us every day. Whether they are mothers, grandmothers, aunts, older sisters, or family friends, these individuals play a vital role in shaping the lives of the children around them. Their love, support, strength, and wisdom create lasting impressions and build strong foundations for growth and resilience. We are fortunate to witness these qualities daily in the caring and committed women who are part of our school community.
From the classroom to the sports field, we see the positive impact of these remarkable role models who lead by example, offer encouragement, and dedicate themselves to the success and well-being of others. Their presence helps shape a supportive and connected environment where our students can thrive. To all the mothers and mother figures of our Hill Community, thank you for all that you do, and Happy Mother's Day.
Casey Kirkpatrick
Director- Early Years & Junior School Vice Principal
The Hill
Junior School Athletic Banquet Tickets: Order Yours Here
Senior School Athletic Gala Tickets are going fast. The event will be held at the breathtaking Hockley Valley Resort this year, and is something you don't want to miss! Get your tickets now!
In this week's newsletter:
Junior School Athletic Banquet Tickets On Sale!
Junior School Athletic Banquet tickets are now available. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday June 10 at 5:30pm for the festivities. All Student-Athletes in Grades 5 to 8 are expected to attend.
Hill Families are encouraged to attend and celebrate the accomplishments of our amazing Student-Athletes during this unforgettable event! Guest tickets are limited to 2 per student in Junior School.
Senior School Athletic Gala Tickets On Sale!
The Senior School Athletic Gala will once again return to Hockley Valley Resort. All Student-Athletes in Grades 9 to PG are expected to attend.
Hill Families are encouraged to attend and celebrate the accomplishments of our amazing Student-Athletes during this unforgettable event!
Junior School Feather Recipients
We are excited to recognize and celebrate a group of Junior School students who consistently exemplify our Hill Values and demonstrate a strong work ethic each and every day. These students lead by example through their positive attitude, dedication to their learning, and respectful behaviour. To celebrate their efforts, we will be hosting a special Sundae Party in their honour, on Thursday May 15h. Congratulations to these deserving students, we’re proud of the way you represent The Hill!
Sydney Hyland
Julia Pintwala
Abigail Stager
Christian O'Shea
Hadley Gillespie
Darren Zukowski
Brooke Soloman
Garin Dunton
Mackenzie Yardley
Charlie Mills
Cole Hopkins
Jump Rope For Heart - May 28
This year staff and students at The Hill are participating in Jump Rope for Heart on May 28 to raise awareness and funds for heart health.
The Junior School (Grades K-8) is competing against the Senior School (Grades 9-12+PG) to raise the most money for Heart & Stroke to fund important research that affects us all. Please consider donating and supporting either the Junior School or Senior School in this heart-healthy competition by clicking the button below to reach our goal! We appreciate donations of any sizes and in the end, we ALL benefit from this life saving research.
Tick Season Awareness
As the warmer weather approaches, we are entering tick season. We encourage families to be mindful during this time, especially when children are playing in grassy or wooded areas. Thank you for partnering with us in keeping our students safe and healthy during outdoor activities.
Here is a link to Ontario Public Health, which provides further information about ticks: https://www.ontario.ca/page/tick-borne-diseases
Reminder: Sign-Out Protocol
A reminder that all high school students must be signed out by a parent or guardian if they are leaving campus during the school day—for any reason, including appointments or lunch. Please email attendance@thehillacademy.com. Thank you for your support in keeping our students safe and accounted for!
Junior School Sport Period – Attendance Reminder
If your child plans to stay back from their scheduled sport period, an email must be sent in the morning to both their specific coach and the Vice Principal. This ensures proper supervision and helps us keep track of all students during this time.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Vice Principal: Casey Kirkpatrick- casey.kirkpatrick@thehillacademy.com
Hockey: Brett Robinson- brobinson@thehillacademy.com
Gianmarco Aiello - gianmarco.aiello@thehillacademy.com
Lacrosse: Graydon Hogg- graydon.hogg@thehillacademy.com
Erica Evans- erica.evans@thehillacademy.com
Foundation of Sport: Tanner Poole- tanner.poole@thehillacademy.com
The Hill Eats
Below is the menu for next week.

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Phys Ed This Past Week
Here is an overview of what was covered in Phys Ed this past week:

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Summer Performance Training
Contact Coach Dre for more details or to sign up: dglisic@thehillacademy.com

Grade 10 Guidance Meetings
Starting next week, Grade 10 students are encouraged to sign up for Guidance meetings with Mrs. Flynn to go through graduation requirements, course selection, NCAA eligibility and more. Sign-ups for meetings are outside the Academic Administration office. Please come with questions!
Mental Health Champions in Elite Youth Sport – Project Overview
This year, athletes and parents at The Hill Academy are invited to participate in a research study on the role of Mental Health Champions in elite youth sport organizations. This is a pilot project in partnership with researchers at the University of Toronto. Young athletes often have stressful experiences in sport, and some athletes experience concerns related to their mental health. For this project, the researchers want to learn about how parents and elite youth athletes may benefit from having Mental Health Champions within a team/sport-related organization. Mental Health Champions are people who will be selected to receive training on mental health in sport, and they will provide information and resources this year for parents and athletes around the topic of mental health among elite youth athletes. For more information about the project, please see the information booklet.
Parents and athletes are invited to complete one survey now and another survey at the end of the year. Parents and athletes will also be invited to participate in focus group interviews at the end of the year to share their experiences during the project.
If you are interested in taking part in this research project, please see the following links for more information and to complete the first survey for the study:
If you have any questions about this project, please feel free to contact the primary researcher, Dr. Katherine Tamminen (katherine.tamminen@utoronto.ca)
Community Involvement Hours
Students who plan to graduate with an Ontario Secondary School Diploma are required to collect at least 40 community involvement hours before graduation. Mrs. Flynn has posted a list outside of her office for 2025 graduates and the number of community involvement hours currently recorded. Please check the list.
There are many opportunities to collect these hours. Below you will find links to some of the events upcoming in certain communities, and students should connect with Mrs. Flynn about finding ways to complete the required hours:
Encouraging Student Independence
At Hill, the "I" in H.I.L.L. stands for Independent Thought, and we encourage our Student-Athletes to advocate for themselves. Whenever possible, please have your child reach out directly to their teacher or coach regarding any questions related to their classwork or sport. If an issue remains unresolved and requires further discussion, parents are welcome to contact staff by email during the week (8:00 am - 4:00 pm) to arrange a meeting.
Respecting Teacher/Coach Focus
Continuing with the theme of encouraging independence, we want to ensure that the expectations of teacher/coach communication remains in the best possible position moving forward. Please ensure that meetings/communication is guided toward the weekday (8:00 am - 4:00 pm) timeframe unless otherwise advised.
Additionally, during busy tournament and game weekends (or evenings), we kindly ask that parents avoid contacting coaches with questions related to the games (such as playing time, tactical decisions, etc.) or requesting meetings. Coaches are fully focused on supporting our athletes through games, reflecting, and planning for upcoming events during these times. Please know that coaches are always available to address health and safety concerns if they arise, as is our on-site athletic therapy team.
Summer Camps At The Hill
The Hill is excited announce the following upcoming camps:
Multi-Sport Summer Camp - June 30-July 4
Boys Lacrosse Camp - July 14-18
Girls Lacrosse Camp - July 21-25
Multi-Sport Summer Camp - July 28-Aug 1
Hill Student-Athletes can use the code "COACHCAM" for 15% off Summer Camps. Stay tuned for more Summer Camp announcements!

Sports schedules can be found in the image below for this week. Stay up to date by checking TeamSnap for your individual team's calendar.

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Daily Timetables
Daily timetables are available in the Hill Families > Parent Resources section of our website, alongside other helpful links for parents.
Labeling Items
With so many activities and practices happening daily, it's easy for items to get misplaced. To help keep track of uniforms, equipment, and personal items, we kindly ask that all student-athletes have their belongings clearly labeled with their name. This simple step ensures that lost items can be quickly returned and helps maintain organization throughout the day. Thank you for helping us keep our athletes focused and prepared!
Safety and Security
In preparing for your student-athlete for the school year, we want to remind everyone about the safety and security considerations of arriving and leaving the campus.
For all:
Please follow the posted speed limits
Please note and follow the one-way driveway and the stop signs
Please follow the directions of the staff who are supervising pick-up and drop-off times.
Parking lots are to be used for anyone waiting to pick up students. There is no parking in the fire routes, crosswalks or kiss and ride areas. If you arrive before the designated pick-up times, you will be directed to park in the lots.
Fire routes are allocated to help Fire and Emergency Services access buildings quickly in the event of an emergency. Blocking these routes, even to drop off or pick up students, can be dangerous for everyone.
Accessible parking spaces are for the exclusive use for individuals holding valid accessible parking permits. Please do not use or block any accessible spaces without a valid permit.
Absences and Late Arrivals
School success is closely tied to good attendance. When students miss learning time, they often struggle with understanding concepts, completing assignments, and performing well on assessments. Consistent attendance helps your child(ren) stay connected both academically and socially. We encourage you to commit to having your child(ren) attend school every day and arrive on time. Regular attendance builds positive habits that will last a lifetime. If your child is absent from school, please remember to email attendance@thehillacademy.com to report the absence.
If your student athlete is going to miss their Phys. Ed or sport period for any reason, please remember to email DGlisic@thehillacademy.com.
Late Arrivals
If your child arrives late to school, please park in the designated parking areas and walk them into the main office to receive a late slip. The students will need to provide their educator with the slip upon arrival to class.

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