Grade K-3 Weekly Newsletter 2026.10.16
October 16, 2026
Hello Hill Families,
Our October character trait is Helpfulness! We want our K–3 students to understand that being helpful is about more than just lending a hand. It is about noticing when someone needs support, taking initiative, and making choices that help the people around us feel included, supported, and cared for.
In the classroom, helpfulness looks like helping a classmate who is having difficulty with their work, sharing materials, tidying up our learning spaces, following classroom routines, and offering a kind word or encouragement to a friend. It also means being a good listener and recognizing that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference.
During sport, helpfulness means being a great teammate. We encourage our students to cheer one another on, offer encouragement after a mistake, help teammates who are learning a new skill, listen to their coaches, and celebrate the success of others. Being helpful also means showing good sportsmanship and remembering that we are stronger when we work together.
During outdoor play, students can demonstrate helpfulness by including others in games, inviting someone who may be playing alone to join in, helping resolve disagreements respectfully, sharing equipment, and looking out for the safety and well-being of their friends. These everyday moments provide wonderful opportunities for children to practise empathy, cooperation, and kindness.
How can families reinforce helpfulness at home?
Parents can help children develop this important trait by encouraging them to take on small responsibilities, such as setting the table, putting away their belongings, or helping with household tasks. You can also talk about ways to help others, whether that means checking in on a sibling, including someone who feels left out, or offering to help without being asked.
Try asking your child questions such as:
How did you help someone today?
Did you notice anyone who might have needed a helping hand?
What could you do to make someone’s day a little better?
How does it feel when someone helps you?
Most importantly, remember that children learn helpfulness by watching the adults around them. When we model kindness, offer support, and look for ways to make life easier for others, we show our children what helpfulness looks like in action.
At The Hill, we want our students to understand that being helpful doesn't require grand gestures. Often, it is the small, thoughtful actions we take each day that make the biggest difference. Together, we can help our children become thoughtful classmates, supportive teammates, and caring members of their community.
Casey Kirkpatrick
Director- Early Years & Vice Principal (K-3)
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.
🪺 Step Up to The Nest!
We’re excited to welcome our Grade 1–3 students to The Nest during lunch for a chance to step up to the counter, make a choice, and purchase a snack to fuel their body and mind!
This is a great opportunity to put the “I” in HILL — Independent Thought into action.
Students will be encouraged to think critically about what their body needs, make their own snack choice, and take responsibility for their purchase.
There’s no cash at The Nest. Parents can use the links provided to purchase a $25, $55 or other available snack card, and we’ll work with each student to help them understand and keep track of their revolving balance.
Beyond the snack, The Nest is a fun opportunity for students to build independence, confidence and social skills — practicing ordering, using manners, making choices, interacting with others and enjoying the experience of stepping up to the counter!
We look forward to interacting with your child — they are the highlight of our day! 🪺
The Nest Team @The Hill Academy
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.
Regular School Information
School Hours:
8:30-3:30- Kindergarten and Primary (K-3)
Pick Up (K-3): To ensure the safety and supervision of all students, any child who has not been picked up within 10 minutes of their dismissal time will be sent to Aftercare and charged accordingly.
This policy helps ensure that every student is accounted for and supervised at all times. It also allows staff to focus on the safe and efficient dismissal of all students. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain a smooth end-of-day routine.
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 Grades 1-PG
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!
Teacher Contact Information
Kindergarten: Ms. Hill (katelyn.hill@thehillacademy.com)
Mrs.Kieswetter: (megan.kieswetter@thehillacademy.com)
Grade 1: Mrs. Goverde (jodi.goverde@thehillacademy.com)
Grade 2: Ms. Manser (grace.manser@thehillacademy.com)
Grade 3 : Mrs. Cosmo (erin.cosmo@thehillacademy.com)
Student Support: Ms. Walko (emily.walko@thehillacademy.com)
Primary Support/Kindergarten Physical Education: Ms. Baird (hailey.baird@thehillacademy.com)
Grade 2 Physical Education/Kindergarten Physical Education: Mr. Debenham (george.debenham@thehillacademy.com)
Primary Foundation of Sport: Coach Dre (DGlisic@thehillacademy.com)
Coach Krista (krista.gott@thehillacademy.com)
Director of Early Years & Vice Principal (K-3): Casey Kirkpatrick (casey.kirkpatrick@thehillacademy.com)
Uniform
For Student-Athletes in Kindergarten - Grade 3
All Hill branded uniform items must be purchased from The Hill Store
All Day:
Hill shirt
Hill branded polo shirt for special events
Hill branded jogging pants or shorts (or athletic black skort)
Tights, leggings or bicycle shorts are NOT permitted
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
Parents/guardians are responsible for reporting student absences to The Hill Academy. When a student is absent, please email attendance@thehillacademy.com to report the absence.
If a student-athlete will miss a Physical Education or sport period for any reason, please also email DGlisic@thehillacademy.com.
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!
TeamSnap
You will receive an invitation to TeamSnap for your child's designate sport program. Through TeamSnap you will receive all communication with relevant information, events, equipment needs.
Upcoming Events
Thursday October 15 - Sunday October 18 - U15AAA - Peterborough IceFest, Peterborough, ON
Friday October 16 - Sunday October 18 - U18 Prep Hockey - Ottawa Senators U18AAA Showcase, Ottawa, ON
Thursday October 22 - 1:00PM - U18 Prep Hockey vs. King Heights - Teen Ranch, Caledon, ON
Friday October 23 - 1:00PM - U15AAA vs. UCC - Alder Arena, Orangeville, ON
Friday October 23 - U18 Prep Hockey vs. UCC - Wilder Arena, Toronto, ON
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
Wednesday October 28 - Student Photo Retake Day
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
Sunday November 8 - Girls 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.
Transportation
If your Grade 1-3 student-athlete requires transportation, please submit this form immediately.
Annual School Calendar 2026-2027
Annual school calendars are available on the website:
