September 8, 2024
Week 1 of the 2024-2025 school year is in the books! There is a unique spirit to start off the year. With initial nerves and excitement, the students are exerting a different level of energy. As Brodie Merrill, Athletic Director, mentioned in his opening remarks to the students and faculty, there are two key characteristics to having a great experience at The Hill; kindness and consistency. Our school is a community, and kindness is a choice. We understand that our students have busy schedules and that they are laser focused on their own goals, but it is important to be aware of how their words and actions impact others. Consistency, in the simplest of terms, is showing up each and every day. There will be challenges, and no one’s growth is linear, but with a consistent effort and attitude, growth will happen.
The focus for this week was to introduce our core values (H I L L) and to start to build our sense of community within the school. It was so great to watch friendships form, and students working together to welcome one another and figure out new things. I recommend you talk to your son or daughter about these core values and what they mean to them.
We are excited for the adventures that this new school year will bring!
Sincerely,
Tory Merrill
Principal
In this week's newsletter:
Opportunity to Travel Abroad for Students in Grades 9-12!
If you are interested in learning more, please join our Zoom Call Information Session on Monday September 9, 2024 at 8:00pm.
Join Zoom Meeting - September 9, 2024
Meeting ID: 862 4136 1980
Passcode: 210723
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, cross walks 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.
Foundations of Sport (Gr. 5-8) Schedule
With orientation activities completed last week, we move into a more regularly schedule Foundations of Sport schedule for grades 5-8.
Sept 9 -13 :
Monday, Wednesday (Soccer)
Tuesday (Basketball)
Thursday (Lacrosse)
Friday (Handball)
Sept 16 - Oct 11 :
Monday, Wednesday (Soccer)
Tuesday, Thursday (Triathlon @ Quarry)
Friday (Handball)
Code of Conduct Forms
As part of our commitment to fostering a respectful and positive learning environment, we kindly remind you to ensure your student-athlete returns their signed form by Monday September 9th. This important document outlines our expectations for behavior and sportsmanship both on and off the field.
Please have your student submit the signed form by Monday September 9th, 2024. If you have any questions or need another copy, feel free to contact us.
Junior School received a paper copy from their homeroom teacher and can access a digital copy to print on their homeroom Google Classroom.
High School can assess a copy of their period 6 Google Classroom.
Thank you for your cooperation in supporting our school community!
Drop off/Pick up
For Junior School (5-8):
Junior school drop-off will be at the main building, kiss-and-ride no earlier than 7:55 am
Junior school pick-up will be at main building, kiss-and-ride at 3:50pm
Students attending before and/or after school care will be dropped off/picked up through the primary door and into the ½ Classroom, no earlier than 7:30 am and picked up no later than 5:00pm. You must register for this service.
For Secondary School (9-PG):
Secondary school drop-off will be at the main building, kiss-and-ride no earlier than 7:55 am
Secondary school pick-up will be at main building, kiss-and-ride at 3:50pm
Open House
The Hill Family Open House and BBQ will be hosted on Thursday, September 19 from 3:00PM to 8:00PM. Meet your child's teacher, see their class and join us for a BBQ and a great night of lacrosse. RSVP here.
Absences
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.
Allergy Aware School
Hill Families, please be aware that we have several anaphylactic allergies within our school community. These include but are not limited to peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish. We do not exclude nuts, tree nuts or other big ten foods packed in lunches and for snacks but ask for awareness of these allergies. We ask that parents please help educate their students on what it means to be allergy aware.
Ways that we can all keep our school safe are:
Be aware of specific allergies within your class
Please avoid sending in these foods as part of classroom celebrations to minimize exposure to those with allergies.
Placing food on paper towel or napkin and not directly on the table
Wiping down your area after eating
If using the microwave, wiping down any splatter
Hand washing before and after eating
Being mindful of those with allergies and not eating near them if consuming food that contains an allergen
All nuts are not permitted on any of the buses.
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Please see https://foodallergycanada.ca/Â for additional resources to help educate on food allergies. We thank you for your cooperation in keeping our students with allergies safe.
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Prevalent Medical Conditions
If your child has a prevalent medical condition (asthma, anaphylaxis, diabetes or epilepsy) please ensure that you complete the plan of care as soon as possible so that we can ensure our staff are aware.
Privit
Privit is a safe and secure information management system designed specifically to track health information. Privit registration is now ready to complete. If you have any questions please contact jennifer.bell@thehillacademy.com
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New Students
You will be required to create a profile and fill out all information. Please note that a Physicians note stating that you are fit to participate in sport that is within 6 months of the start of school, is only required after Grade 9. Parents are encouraged to fill in as much information as is possible, understanding that some questions will not be applicable and are not required to be filled in.
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Returning Students
You will need to login in and update your profile.
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Please note that this must be completed prior to the start of school. Failure to complete will delay sport participation.
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Registration Instructions: Click HERE
Cell Phone Policy
In April of 2024, Ontario's Ministry of Education introduced guidelines and restrictions for cell phone use by students in schools. Following suit, students in Kindergarten to Grade Eight will need to keep cell phones on silent and out of sight for the entire school day (including breaks). Students in Grades Nine to Twelve will not be permitted to use cell phones during class time unless explicitly instructed by their educator.
For more information on the Ministry of Education's announcement, visit here.
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