Hello Hill Community,
The winter holiday is fast approaching, and the excitement on campus is palpable. This past week, our Hill community truly shone as we celebrated some special events together. On Tuesday, our Primary School hosted its inaugural Holiday Concert, and our Junior School welcomed families for a heartwarming Grandparents Day.
Attending the Holiday Concert as an audience member was an emotional experience. Expanding our school to include the primary grades has been a long-standing dream, and seeing it come to life has been very special. To see all the excited kindergarten to grade 4 students and their amazing performances (and costumes!), their caring teachers that truly have so much pride in what they are doing, and the gym full of proud and supportive family members, was a true milestone for our school —one that made it hard to imagine a time before our primary grades existed. A special thanks goes to Casey Kirkpatrick, whose genuine passion and care have been instrumental in bringing this vision to life.
For our secondary school students and teachers, the upcoming break couldn’t come at a better time. With the end of Semester 1 arriving quickly after the holiday, this break offers a much-needed pause before the busy final stretch. During Wednesday’s assembly, we reflected on the school year so far, hearing from students from various grades and programs, as well as from staff, about the importance of reflection. The three guiding questions shared were: What was the biggest challenge you faced? How did you overcome this challenge? What was your most memorable moment? We encourage everyone to take time during the break to consider these questions and reflect on their own growth and experiences.
To those traveling over the holidays, we wish you safe journeys. I hope everyone has a safe, restful, and joyous holiday season!
Sincerely,
Tory Merrill
Principal
In this week's newsletter:
Happy Hill-iday Festivities This Week:
Monday: Ugly Christmas Sweater - choose an 'Ugly Christmas Sweater' for Monday. The more tinsel and lights, the better!
Tuesday: PJ Day - holiday pyjamas are encouraged, a day to be cozy in class (Grade 10 and 12 students, please dress in uniform if you are on the Toronto Holocaust Museum Trip)
* APPAREL SALE * in the main lobby on Tuesday to complete all of your last minute holiday shopping.
Wednesday: Dress Like A Teacher Day - pick your favourite teacher or coach to dress like, try to capture their fashion sense
* BAKE SALE * satisfy your holiday sweet tooth in the main lobby.
Thursday: Red and Green Day - red and green from top to bottom, rock any combination of these festive colours!
Friday: S'Winter Day - winter in the heat! Ever wonder how students in warmer climates dress in winter? Think Hawaii, Miami or California Christmas, time to pull out your finest tropical vacation wear to send us off to the holiday break!
Flash Apparel and Equipment Sale
This Tuesday we will be having flash sale during lunch hours. We are clearing out old apparel and equipment at great discounts! We will also be offering some winter staples at regular price. Don’t wait—once it’s gone, it’s gone! Dive in and snag your favourites! 💥
Secondary School Exams
Secondary exams are scheduled for January 16, 2025 to January 22, 2025. You can see the exam schedule here. These are formal assessments that must be written on the scheduled date. Any missed exams will require a doctor's note to write on a new date. Students also need to be available on Tuesday, January 21 and Wednesday, January 22 in case of an exam being cancelled for inclement weather. For example, if there is an inclement weather day on Thursday, January 16, those exams will be rescheduled to Tuesday, January 21. Any conflicts should be communicated to Mr. Moore in order to write on a different date.
Grade 9 Guidance/Transition Meetings
Thank you to all the grade 9 students who took the time to schedule and attend their Guidance meetings over the past two weeks. It has been great to speak with you about your goals and your plans. Many of you had great questions about NCAA eligibility, graduation requirements and pathway planning.
If you did not schedule an appointment but would like to speak with Mrs Flynn in the new year, please use the appointment form outside her office.
Grandparents Day
We were thrilled to welcome the grandparents of grades 5-8 students earlier this week. Thank you to all of the students for being so welcoming and we hope all grandparents enjoyed a peek into our school day. Photos from the day can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1B98pZojWS/
Orangeville Food Bank Donations
This year, the PG class will be collecting items to donate to Orangeville Food Bank for those in need this holiday season. We had such amazing support while working with the Terry Fox Foundation and are looking forward to another successful charitable drive.
Food donations will be accepted until Monday December 16th and then delivered to the Food Bank.
Below are some key items that the Food Bank would greatly appreciate:
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Toronto Holocaust Museum Trip - Tuesday
On Tuesday, December 17, our Grade 10 and Grade 12 history classes will be traveling to the Toronto Holocaust Museum for an enriching educational experience. This visit offers a unique opportunity for students to connect their classroom learning with the powerful historical lessons from the Holocaust. Students are asked to wear their school uniforms for this important excursion. It’s a valuable chance for our student-athletes to deepen their understanding of history and reflect on the significance of learning from the past.
Grade 11 Law Courthouse Trip
The Grade 11 Law Class took a trip on Tuesday, December 10th to the Orangeville Provincial Court of Justice. We toured the cells, learned about the security measures there, spoke with Family Lawyer Kemi Palmer, and The Hon. Justice Schwarzl. The students had the opportunity to observe a criminal Pre-Trial Inquiry during which they heard witness testimony, and viewed video evidence of a serious crime.
Ontario University Application Centre
Ontario University Application deadline: JANUARY 15th, 2025
January 15th is the deadline for applicants to submit their completed applications to the OUAC. The OUAC will continue to process applications received after this date and distribute them to the Ontario universities; however, specific university deadlines will apply. You must let Mrs. Flynn know if you have, or plan to submit an application through the OUAC.
Inclement Weather Procedure
Depending on the weather and the conditions, one of two decisions will be made:
1. School closure- remote learning
All buses cancelled; students are to perform their schoolwork remotely. This includes before and after care.
2. School Bus Cancellation
Either specific buses or all buses are canceled, and the school remains open for staff and students that can safely travel. Before and After care will still be operating.
We will do our best to communicate our decision by 6am, utilizing email and social media channels. Decisions will be made considering the safety of students and staff on both the way to and from campus.
Kitchen Renovations
We are excited to announce that this week our kitchen will begin a renovation, with the plan to bring our food program in house beginning second semester.
We are grateful for the wonderful service Absolute Catering has provided us over the past three years.
Our new chef comes with a strong background in culinary arts, and we are looking forward to focusing on creating healthy home style meals for our student-athletes.
The cafeteria will be slightly reconfigured to ensure there is no disruption to the current-meal plan while the renovations are taking place.
More details to follow in the coming weeks.
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, 2013, 2014 and 2015 born rep soccer athletes. For more information, read here. * IMPROVED PRICING *
Sports schedules can be found in the image below for the week of December 16-20. 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.
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