September 22, 2024
This upcoming week is a special one for our community as we prepare to participate in the Terry Fox Run to raise money for cancer research. During our last assembly, students were challenged to connect our H.I.L.L values to Terry Fox by describing the characteristics he embodied and the achievements he made using one word or a phrase for each of our four core values.
Here are some words/phrases that stuck out to me:
Highest Level of Achievement - Perseverance, Effort, Grit
Independent Thought - Initiative, Dedication
Leadership - Community, Role Model
Legacy - Bigger than himself
It was truly impressive to see our student-athletes engage in thoughtful conversations about Terry’s legacy, linking our values to traits Terry Fox exhibited.
We’re excited to honour Terry Fox’s legacy this Wednesday and look forward to seeing the spirit of the H.I.L.L in action.
Drazen Glisic
Director of Sports Science and Athlete Performance
In this week's newsletter:
Friendly Reminders
On Monday, September 30, The Hill Academy will be recognizing Truth and Reconciliation Day and Orange Shirt Day with a school closure. Truth and Reconciliation day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters”. The orange shirt is a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations.
Picture Day will be on Monday, October 7th. Students are to wear their polo shirt.
Daily timetables are available in the Hill Families > Parent Resources section of our website, alongside other helpful links for parents.
Stay up to date by checking each individual team's TeamSnap. Below is an overview of the week of September 23-27.
(Click to enlarge)
We have our annual Terry Fox Run event on September 25th. Last year we raised $4,500 to donate to Terry Fox Foundation to help fight cancer. We hope to beat that goal this year, but we have only raised 10% of last year’s donations. We are asking for your help to achieve the goal of $5,000.
As all things at The Hill are, there is a friendly competition between grades. The grade that donates the most money will win free dilly bars, generously donated by the Orangeville Dairy Queen! Make sure to spread the work on donate at https://schools.terryfox.ca/70391
Thank You All and Go Pride!
On our Terry Fox Run Day, students are permitted to wear athletic gear all day. Parents, please use caution when picking up students, as many will be transitioning from the field to the main building.
PD Day Multi-Sport Camp
The Hill Academy Camps team will be hosting a PD Day Multi-Sport Camp on Friday, October 11 for K-8 aged students. Hours of the camp will run from 9-3:30.
More information and registration can be found here.
Opportunity to Travel Abroad for Students in Grades 9-12!
Thank you to all that attended the Zoom Meeting to learn more about this opportunity. G Hardy Tours has provided this link with more information on the trip, including how to register.
Ontario Universities' Fair (OUF)
The Ontario Universities Fair is October 5-6, 9:30 am-5 pm, daily at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. This event is fair style with booths from Ontario universities and offers an opportunity to gather information and chat with representatives one on one.
Power School Student and Parent Portal
Students and parents can access the Power School Portal using login information provided. If you need a letter providing access, please email christy.flynn@thehillacademy.com
Code of Conduct Forms
Code of Conduct Forms are past due if they have not been handed in! Please ensure your student-athletes has complete this.
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.
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!
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
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.
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.
Please see https://foodallergycanada.ca/ for additional resources to help educate on food allergies. We thank you for your cooperation in keeping our students with allergies safe.
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.
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.
Comments