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Grade 9-12 Weekly Newsletter 2026.10.23

kevinhayashi
3 hours ago
12 min read

October 23, 2026


Hi Hill Families,

Ten years ago, Angela Duckworth published her research on what she believed to be the most common characteristic that leads to future success: Grit. The book rocketed to the New York Times bestseller list and stayed there for 21 weeks (and is the name of one of our team houses this year at The Hill). She defines grit as passion and perseverance for long-term goals. This idea was embraced by the sports community. If you want to win or be the best, you need to be gritty.


In her most recent book, Situated, Duckworth expands on her research on grit, arguing that putting yourself in a good situation is equally as important. You need to be in an environment in which you will be successful. If you are in one that goes against your long-term goals, it will make it more difficult to achieve them, regardless of how gritty you are. Specifically, Duckworth talks about surrounding yourself with good people in positive places.


As I read the book, it made me realize that this is the decision our entire community has made by being here, at The Hill. Regardless of your role in our community, you made the decision to be here surrounded by like-minded people who share your passion. By coming together, we are assisting each other in the pursuit of those long-term goals, making it easier to persevere on those difficult days. This collective grit has enabled so many people in our community to achieve great success.


I highly recommend picking up Situated by Angela Duckworth and using it to analyze your own life. Is there anything further you can be doing to improve your situation and maximizing your opportunity for success?


Have a great weekend,


Jon Moore

Secondary School Vice Principal





















In this week's Newsletter:


Halloween at The Hill Academy

Halloween is almost here, and we can't wait to celebrate with our students! Students are welcome to wear costumes to school on October 30th, 2026. Here are a few guidelines to help keep the day fun, safe, and respectful for everyone:

  • Masks are welcome, as long as students can see and breathe comfortably.

  • Weapons of any kind, including toy or play weapons, are not permitted.

  • Students who would prefer not to wear a costume are welcome to join in by wearing black and orange instead.

  • Costumes should be comfortable and easy to move in, so students can take part in all of their regular activities.

  • Costumes should be school-appropriate: not scary, gory, or frightening for younger students, and not revealing or offensive.


Respectful costumes: Please choose costumes that celebrate imagination and avoid cultural appropriation. Costumes should not imitate or make fun of a person's culture, race, religion, or identity. This includes traditional clothing, sacred items, or cultural symbols worn as a costume, as well as stereotypes of any group.


Thank you for helping us make this a positive and inclusive celebration. We look forward to seeing all the creative costumes and Halloween spirit!


Picture Retake Day - October 28

For our student-athletes who missed Picture Day this week, a retake day has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 28.


Guidance Meetings - Graduating Students

Next week, Mrs. Flynn will be meeting with all grade 12 students next week to discuss graduation requirements, university applications and more. Students are encouraged to bring their questions!


We’re looking for parent volunteers to join our school canteen team!


Our canteen is open Monday to Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., and volunteering is a wonderful way to connect with our students and become more immersed in the Hill community and school culture.


Interested in volunteering? We’d love to hear from you!

Please email lunch@thehillacademy.com with your name, phone number, and the days you’re available to volunteer. Whether you can help a few days a week or every day, your support would be greatly appreciated.


Please note that all volunteers must have an up-to-date criminal record check on file with the school.


Thank you for considering this opportunity to get involved. We appreciate your time and support in making our canteen a welcoming part of the Hill community!


🆕 New Arrival at The Hill Store!

Stay warm in our new full-zip sweater! A great extra layer for chilly days at the rink, around campus, or out supporting The Hill. Now available in youth sizes! 🏒



🏒 The Hill Hockey Hats Are Back in Stock!


Just in time to cheer on your favourite Hill Hockey team! Show your Hill pride from the stands and out in the community. ❤️💙


Get yours while supplies last!


Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test

A compulsory, standardized assessment administered by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) in Ontario, Canada. It evaluates whether high school students have attained essential reading and writing skills based on the curriculum up to the end of Grade 9. Passing the OSSLT—or completing the alternative Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC)—is a mandatory requirement to earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)


All grade 10 students and any grade 11 or 12 student who has not written the test successfully will write this year. All students have been added to the OSSLT Google classroom and have access to the practice test. Please find information on the OSSLT HERE.


Power School

Please note that the Power School Student and Parent Portal will be open on September 8th for grades 9-12 only. Secondary parents and students can now access their accounts.


Students have been provided with their login information, so please ask them to share parent login credentials. Please email christy.flynn@thehillacademy.com for information on accessing Power School.


Culminating Tasks and/or Exams

Semester 1 exams are scheduled for January 19th, 20th, and 21st this year. If there is inclement weather (e.g. a snow day on January 19th), that exam will run on January 22nd. Students need to be available to write on January 22nd and January 25th in the case of inclement weather. You can find the detailed exam schedule here, as well as our policy on missed or rescheduled exams below. The Frequently Asked Questions can be found here.


Missing or Rescheduling an Exam/Culminating Task

Absences (excused or unexcused) will result in a grade of a zero for culminating tasks and/or exams. If an absence is caused by injury or illness, a doctor’s note which identifies the date and cause of the absence is required on the day of the scheduled assessment. Vacation, appointments and games/tournaments are not considered valid reasons for absences. If there is a valid reason for a student needing to miss or reschedule an exam, the student must submit an Exam/Culminating Task Consideration Request.


Take Our Kids To Work Day is November 4

For parents of student-athletes looking to participate in Take Our Kids To Work Day on November 4: If you require an excused absence permission form, please complete this form and send to christy.flynn@thehillacademy.com 


Ontario University Application Centre

Graduating students who plan to apply to universities in Ontario this year can use the OUAC resources to review application deadline, submission details and more. Please see Mrs. Flynn for information on logging into your OUAC account. Please note that admission deadlines vary!


Community Involvement Hours

Students graduating in Ontario need to earn at least 40 hours of community involvement. Looking for ways to get involved? This list has been provided to students near the front desk. Tracking sheets for your hours can be found in the Parent Resources on our website: https://www.thehillacademy.com/parent-resources 


New in The Nest 🥞

We are extremely excited to add a new item to The Nest as part of a partnership with Flourish Pancakes, makers of high protein pancake mix.


Starting next week, we will be introducing the Flourish Pancake Blueberry Protein Mug Cake. As part of the parntership, a mug cake will be $2, with an easy just add water recipe right in the cup, this is an excellent way to hit your protein goals with 23g of protein.


We will have some more exciting announcements from our friends at Flourish shortly.


The Nest snack cards are available in $25, and $55 denominations.


Cross Country Meet on Monday

Student-athletes will be participating in a school-wide Cross Country Meet on Monday, with points being awarded to their house teams.


Student Success and Accommodations

If you, as a student, or your child as a parent, require classroom support, accommodations, or have an IEP in place, please reach out to Ms. Walko directly so we can ensure supports are in place as quickly as possible. As our Director of Student Success; she works with our entire school community from Kindergarten through our post-graduates.

 

Students are also welcome to stop by her workspace to check in or ask questions. Please contact Ms. Walko with any questions at emily.walko@thehillacademy.com.


Student Health and Well-Being

To help protect the health and well-being of our students, staff, and families, we ask parents and caregivers to keep children home when they are unwell.


Students should stay home when:

  • They have a fever or are feeling significantly unwell.

  • They have vomiting or diarrhea.

  • They have a rash that has not been assessed or is accompanied by other symptoms.

  • They have a sore throat or other symptoms that prevent them from comfortably participating in the school day.

  • They are experiencing symptoms of a contagious illness and may spread infection to others.


Peel Public Health specifically recommends that students with symptoms such as fever, rash, sore throat, vomiting, or diarrhea stay home when sick. 


Returning to school

Students should return when they are feeling well enough to participate fully in regular school activities and are able to manage their symptoms at school. For vomiting or diarrhea, Peel Public Health recommends remaining away from school until the student has been symptom-free for 48 hours.


Helping prevent the spread of illness

Families are encouraged to remind children to wash their hands regularly, cover coughs and sneezes with their elbow or upper sleeve and avoid sharing food or drinks. Staying home when sick is an important way we can work together to maintain a healthy school community.


Safety and Security


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 come to a complete stop at all stop signs (there are new ones on campus)

  • 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. 

  • 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.


Kiss and Ride Protocol

A smooth and efficient Kiss & Ride starts with everyone being prepared. Please have students dressed, organized, and ready to exit the vehicle when you arrive.


To help keep traffic moving, we ask parents to assist their children in getting out of the vehicle quickly and safely. A little preparation goes a long way in keeping the line moving and reducing wait times for everyone.


Please keep the following in mind:

  • The right side is designated for student drop-off.

  • The left side is for through traffic.

  • The roadway past the main school is one-way.

  • Please drive slowly and remain alert, particularly around the main building and designated turning areas.


Thank you for helping us make Kiss & Ride a safe, smooth, and efficient experience for all Hill families!


Uniform

For Student-Athletes in Grades 9-12

All Hill branded uniform items must be purchased from The Hill Store


In Class:

  • Hill polo shirt

  • Black or khaki pants, shorts or skort

  • Students are permitted to wear a Hill hoodie, Hill crewneck sweatshirt, or Hill track jacket over their polo

  • Male student-athletes' shirts must be tucked into their pants with a belt

  • Pants/shorts/skort cannot; be plaid, have cargo pockets, or be made of sweat suit material

  • Tights/leggings are NOT permitted

  • All shoes must be presentable, clean and professional looking

  • Crocs and sandals/slides are NOT permitted

  • Student-athletes are only permitted to wear their Hill track suit in class on Fridays. Both the pants and jacket must be in The Hill Academy uniform and worn with a Hill shirt.


In Physical Education:

  • Hill work-out shirt and shorts must be worn

  • Hill hoodie, Hill crewneck sweatshirt or Hill track jacket and track pants can be worn over top


Other:

  • Hats are not permitted at any time within the school buildings

  • Non-Hill jackets and outerwear are not permitted to be worn in class at any time

  • A separate order for Hill branded winter jackets will be made available in first semester

  • Uniform items must be purchased here: The Hill Store

  • Uniform apparel orders can be picked up in the main office

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

Students must sign in on the sheet in front of Ms. Bush’s desk.


No Sign-Out Privileges

Students do not have sign-out privileges at The Hill Academy, regardless of age. If a student is to leave campus during the school day, attendance@thehillacademy.com must receive an email from parents/guardians indicating that the student is permitted to leave campus, with whom, at

what time and for what reason. Student drivers are not permitted to have passengers unless the families have provided written consent in advance.


Privit

A reminder that as documents related to Privit (ie. passport, health card, insurance, etc.) expire and new ones are issued, you must update your Privit

 

Click HERE for registration instructions.


TeamSnap

You will receive an invitation to TeamSnap for your child's designated sport program.


Through TeamSnap you will receive all communication with relevant information, events, equipment needs. Individual TeamSnap teams have been set up by sport program.


To subscribe directly to your TeamSnap calendar (add to your personal calendar), please click below:


Upcoming Events

  • Saturday October 24 - 3:00PM - U16AAA vs. Buffalo Jr. Sabres - Teen Ranch, Caledon, ON

  • Sunday October 25 - 12:30PM - U16AAA vs. Buffalo Jr. Sabres - Bakewell Rink, Buffalo, NY

  • Monday October 26 - Cross Country at The Hill

  • Wednesday October 28 - Student Photo Retake Day

  • Thursday October 29 - Halloween Spirit Day at The Hill Academy

  • Friday October 30 - Halloween at The Hill Academy

  • Friday October 30 - Sunday November 1 - U16AAA at Fromen Injury Law Showcase

  • Friday October 30 - U18 Prep Hockey vs. Appleby College - Oakville, ON

  • Sunday November 1 - U18 Prep Hockey vs. St. Andrew's College - La Brier Family Arena, Aurora, ON

  • Sunday November 1 - U15AAA vs. Hamilton Steel - Teen Ranch, Caledon, ON

  • Tuesday November 3 - NCAA Signing Day at The Hill

  • Friday November 6 - Sunday November 8 - U15AAA - Kitchener Blue Line Tournament - Kitchener, ON

  • Friday November 6 - Sunday November 8 - U16AAA - Kitchener Blue Line Tournament - Kitchener, ON

  • Friday November 6 - Sunday November 8 - U18AAA - Kitchener Blue Line Tournament - Kitchener, ON

  • Sunday November 8 - Boys Junior Varsity Lacrosse - Terp Classic - Oakland, MD

  • Sunday November 8 - Boys Varsity Lacrosse - Terp Classic - Oakland, MD

  • Sunday November 8 - Boys Prep Lacrosse - Terp Classic - Oakland, MD

  • Sunday November 8 - Girls Junior Varsity Lacrosse - NXT Continental Cup - Aston, PA

The Hill Eats

The Hill Eats, led by Chef Michael, provides delicious, nutritious hot lunch for student-athletes at The Hill Academy.


To add The Hill Eats TeamSnap calendar to your personal calendar, click here, or copy this subscription link: http://ical-cdn.teamsnap.com/team_schedule/e002921d-f099-49aa-8200-4a3c85a8b827.ics


Chef Michael's upcoming menu can be found below (Breakfast and Dinner have been listed for Residence Student-Athletes):



If your day student-athlete would like to join the lunch plan, please register now.


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.


Student-athletes are to be aware that there is a labeled microwave in the cafeteria area away from the other microwaves that is dedicated to those with allergies. Staff and student-athletes who do not have allergy concerns should not use this microwave.


School Hours/Information

Grades 4-12 School Hours: 8:10am - 3:50pm


Junior School 4-8 supervision begins at 8:00 a.m. in your child’s homeroom. Students who are dropped off between 7:45 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. may wait in the cafe.


If you need to drop off your student-athlete before 7:45 a.m., please ensure they are registered in our Before Care program.


Annual School Calendar 2026-2027

Annual school calendars are available on the website:




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