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5-12 Newsletter 10.06.24

kevinhayashi

October 6, 2024


The year is in full swing and we have gotten into the rhythm of The Hill routine.


The first few weeks, it’s common to hear that muscles are sore and the days feel long.

Gradually students acclimate and over time, the students will be doing more than they ever have, but it will feel easier.


Walking around the school on a day to day basis, it looks and feels active— from Kindergarten to Post Grads, all the students at The Hill are athletes and it creates a unique environment.


With the Prep Lacrosse team, on many Fridays we like to finish practice with “backyard lacrosse.” We split up the teams and let the players just play. It’s fun to watch them instinctively make plays and discover new plays or skills without the coaches critiquing.


As our tradition goes, at the end of practice, the winning team gets an opportunity to play the coaches.The coaches do a couple gratuitous groin stretches, toe touches, a quick prayer that we don’t tweak or pop anything. It takes about 2 seconds to get sucked into the competition, and fear of injury goes away and replaced with the fear of losing to the students! In almost 20 years the coaches remain undefeated (who’s keeping track?) and that did not change on that Friday.


Soaking up the fall sunshine, enjoying the W, and reflecting on the game, I realized that the same reasons I enjoyed playing alongside the coaches as teammates are same reasons why I enjoy working alongside them as colleagues.

They are humble, accountable, positive, have a high standard, show the ability and sense to “dig in” when the game called for it. We shared the ball and there was an intrinsic understanding that when you passed the ball, you were likely getting back. There was communication, urgency, excitement, commitment, encouragement. When someone made a mistake, we had each others back.


You can learn a lot from someone in a pick up game!


Deflating the players even more—I reminded them the coaching staff’s ringer wasn’t even in attendance—he was too busy winning a gold medal and being named tournament MVP of the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship (congrats Coach Teat!)


The question we left the players was: Are you someone that others would enjoy playing “pick up” with?


Brodie Merrill

Director of Athletics


In this week's newsletter:

 
Picture Day will be Monday, October 7

Please ensure all students wear their Hill polo on Monday, October 7 for Picture Day.


PD Day - Friday October 11

A reminder that this Friday, October 11 will be a PD Day for all students in Grades K-8.


Guidance Appointments

Students are welcome to book guidance appointments with Mrs. Flynn on the schedule posted outside the Admin office. Please note that grade 12s should be scheduling these meetings as soon as possible as University applications and other post-secondary options are now opening their portals.


OUAC

The Ontario University Application Center is open for graduating students. Please visit the site for information on applications, deadlines and other.


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


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.


Sports schedules can be found in the image below for the week of Sept 30 - Oct 4.

(Click image to enlarge)


Daily Timetables

Daily timetables are available in the Hill Families > Parent Resources section of our website, alongside other helpful links for parents. 



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!


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.


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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