Hello Hill Family,
This week, I want to touch on a few areas of focus as we zoom past the time change and begin to look forward to the long winter months.
Rest and Recovery for Student-Athletes
A couple of weeks ago, I led a lesson on Rest and Recovery for our high school student-athletes. We covered various recovery methods, evaluated their effectiveness, and ended with a focus on sleep. Despite the constant promotion of new recovery products and techniques, three of the most effective approaches are straightforward and accessible: nutrition/hydration, sleep, and taking days off.
Nutrition
It’s easy to be drawn to supplements, new recovery drinks, and quick fixes. However, before reaching for these, it’s important to establish a balanced diet and ensure you're eating enough. Canada’s Food Guide Eat-Well Plate is a simple tool to help ensure meals and snacks are balanced (Canada Food Guide). They also provide some additional tips for healthy eating:
Make water your primary drink.
Limit processed foods.
Eat at home as often as possible.
Sleep
Teenagers are recommended to get 8–10 hours of sleep per night. This is crucial because the adolescent brain is in a major developmental phase, with much of the learning process and the release of essential growth and recovery hormones occurring during sleep. Although student-athletes may find it challenging to meet these sleep needs due to late games, early school start times, etc., several strategies can help improve sleep quality:
Create a cool, dark sleeping environment, with a comfortable pillow and mattress.
Limit screen time 30–60 minutes before bed.
Keep a consistent sleep schedule whenever possible, with regular bed and wake times.
Rest (Days Off)
There’s a common belief in youth (and adult) athletic development that “more is better.” Athletes often think that stacking workouts, practices, and individual sessions will give them an edge. However, the body and mind need rest to recover and perform at high intensity. Without sufficient rest, you’re likely to only build endurance for medium-intensity work, rather than developing the speed, explosiveness, and power that many aspire to achieve. Before adding more activities, consider how well you’re performing in your current practices and workouts. Can you push yourself to higher intensity in those sessions?
Stay healthy, stay focused and stay strong,
Coach Dre
In this week's newsletter:
NLI Signing Day
One of the most exciting moments for a student-athlete is officially committing to their school of choice on National Signing Day. On November 13, 2024, A signing ceremony will be taking place in the lower flex area, and we encourage all Hill student-athletes to offer congratulations to this year's class on taking this step toward their next highest level of achievement. Student-athletes who are signing on the 13th should inform the members of their coaching staff, if they haven't already.
Equipment and Apparel Flash Sale
On Tuesday we will be hosting an apparel and equipment flash sale throughout the day in the lower flex. We will also continue to offer numbering on apparel items.
Photo Retake Day
Photo retake day has been scheduled for Wednesday, December 4. If you missed photo day, please be prepared for retake day.
Grandparents Day
**SAVE THE DATE**
For grandparents of students in grades 5-8, we will be hosting a Grandparents Day on Thursday, December 5. More details to come.
The Hill Partners with Atiba Hutchinson
We are excited to let you know that we have partnered with Canadian Soccer Legend Atiba Hutchinson in creating a March Break Soccer Camp (March 10-14). The camp will be specific to 2011, 2012 and 2013 born rep soccer athletes. For more information, read here.
Legacy League Update
The Legacy League was started as a residence-student based after school activity, and has now grown into a fun and inclusive group, welcoming any and all Hill students. This week marked the first of eight weeks of flag football, with four teams participating. If you are interested in participating please reach out to Coach Kearney in person or zachary.kearney@thehillacademy.com.
This week Team White took down Team Black 42-28, and Team Red beat Team Blue 35-28 on a last second pick-6 by Porter Crossman.
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.
Did not Participate in Take Our Kids to Work Day, 2024?
Don’t worry! There are many career exploration websites, resources and links that we can recommend you explore. They are fun and informative and can be a great way to start your research for post-secondary and post-graduate options - all things you can discuss with Mrs. Flynn in Guidance! Try:
Power School Student and Parent Portal
The parent and student portals for Power School are currently disabled to allow our secondary teachers to enter the midterm grades and comments for the Midterm reports. Once the midterms are sent home, the Power School parent and student portals will be reopened.
Sports schedules can be found in the image below for the week of Nov 11-15. Stay up to date by checking TeamSnap for your individual team's calendar.
(click on 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.
تعليقات