K-6 Newsletter 10.10.25
- kevinhayashi
- Oct 9
- 7 min read
October 10, 2025
As we approach Thanksgiving, it’s a wonderful time to reflect on the many things we are grateful for. We believe gratitude is more than just saying “thank you”, it’s about appreciating the people, experiences, and opportunities that make our community special.
This season, we encourage students to recognize the kindness, support, and efforts of those around them, fostering a culture of respect, empathy, and positivity, core values that guide life at The Hill. Whether it’s thanking a classmate, helping a friend, or appreciating our teachers and staff, these small acts of recognition help strengthen our Hill community.
Let’s take this opportunity to celebrate the spirit of gratitude and kindness, both inside and outside of the classroom.
Casey Kirkpatrick
Director of Early Years & Vice Principal (K-6)
Reminder: The school will be closed on Monday, October 13 for Thanksgiving.
In this week's Newsletter:
The Hill Eats
The Hill Academy is pleased to offer a hot lunch program crafted by The Hill Eats team to include a balanced, macro-friendly nutritional meal that is designed to fuel The Hill Academy's student-athletes.
Grades 1-6 Lunch
Monday: Happy Thanksgiving
Tuesday: Turkey Sausage, Lentil, Dal Rice
Wednesday: Roasted Chicken Leg, Corn Succotash, Potato Wedges
Thursday: Pulled Pork, Roasted Cauliflower, Quinoa
Friday: Chilli Vegetable Medley and Cornbread If your day student would like to be on the lunch plan, please register now!
Please be advised any feedback or special requests should be sent to lunch@thehillacademy.com
Picture Re-Take Day - October 28
A Picture Re-Take Day for students has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 28. If your student-athlete missed photo day, please have them wearing their proper uniform, including their Hill polo shirt that day.
Sports Schedule
For team based sports (ie. Junior Hockey Development), check your individual team's TeamSnap for the most up to date schedule.
Foundations of Sport (1-3):
Monday - Happy Thanksgiving
Tuesday - Lacrosse
Wednesday - Half at Golf/Half at Football (for the golfers if you have golf clubs, feel free to bring if you want)
Thursday - Switch from Wednesday: Half at Golf/Half at Basketball (for the golfers if you have golf clubs, feel free to bring if you want)
Friday - Multi-Sport
Foundations of Sport (4-6)
Monday: Happy Thanksgiving
Tuesday: Lacrosse
Wednesday: Cross Country
Thursday: Soccer
Friday: Multi-Sport
Hockey (5-6)
Monday: Happy Thanksgiving
Tuesday: Lacrosse
Wednesday: Hockey
Thursday: Hockey
Friday: Multi-Sport
View a comprehensive calendar of events by visiting www.thehillacademy.com/calendar
Saturday, October 11 - Prep Lacrosse vs. The Ohio State University - Columbus, OH
Sunday, October 12 - Prep Lacrosse vs. Culver Academy - Culver, IN
Monday, October 13 - Thanksgiving (School is Closed)
Tuesday, October 21 - The Hill Golf exhibition match vs. Shelburne G&CC
Thursday, October 23 - Sunday, October 26 - U18 Prep Hockey at Kingston Fall Bash
Thursday, October 23 - Sunday, October 26 - U15AAA at Eastern Exposure Cup in Boston, MA
Saturday, October 25 - U16AAA vs. Buffalo Jr. Sabres - Teen Ranch - 4:30PM
Sunday, October 26 - Middle School Boys and Middle School Girls at the 3Nation Lacrosse Classic in Elmira, NY
Tuesday, October 28 - Picture Re-take Day
School Information
School Hours:
8:10-3:50- Junior School (4-6)
8:30-3:30- Kindergarten and Primary (K-3)
Pick Up (K-6): 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.
Uniforms
Please ensure your student-athlete is wearing the appropriate uniform for their division. Please note there are NO TIGHTS or BIKE SHORTS PERMITTED. If you have questions regarding apparel please refer to the K-3 uniform guide or the Gr. 4-12 uniform guide. Any questions, concerns or questions apparel@thehillacademy.com.
This Week's Store Feature:
The Pride of Lions fan wear hoodie has arrived! Stay warm while showing your pride in The Hill Pride and order your customized hoodie today! Fan wear supporting other Hill sports will be released throughout the year, so stay tuned. Don't forget to personalize your hoodie with your very own sleeve number!
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!
Student-Dedicated Resource
This year, Ms. Walko will be working as student support. She will be working with students from Kindergarten through Post-Grad to help them achieve academic success. 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.
Students are also welcome to stop by the Resource Room (Room 104) to check in or ask questions. Please contact Ms. Walko with any questions at emily.walko@thehillacademy.com.
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.
Before and After Care Available
We are proud to offer an exceptional before and after school program for the 2025/26 school year. Our program is designed to provide a safe, nurturing, and engaging environment that supports children’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development.
Our before and after school program is available for students from Kindergarten through 8th grade, and is designed to complement their school day.
If you are interested in learning more about the Before and After Care available please visit this link.
Annual School Calendar 2025-26
Annual school calendars are available on the website:
Teachers
Kindergarten: Ms. Hill (katelyn.hill@thehillacademy.com)
Mrs.Kieswetter: (megan.kieswetter@thehillacademy.com )
Grade 1/2: Mrs. Goverde (jodi.goverde@thehillacademy.com)
Grade 2/3: Mr. Debenham (george.debenham@thehillacademy.com )
Grade 4/5 : Ms. Kennedy (haley.kennedy@thehillacademy.com)
Grade 6: Ms. Barbe (julie.barbe@thehillacademy.com )
Director of Early Years & Vice Principal: Casey Kirkpatrick (casey.kirkpatrick@thehillacademy.com)
Attendance Protocol K-PG
ALL STUDENTS:
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 (K-8). The students will need to provide their educator with the slip upon arrival to class. High School students must sign-in at the main office.
We want to thank you for entrusting The Hill Academy with your child's academic and athletic journey. We believe we can achieve great things together, and we can't wait for to get started!
Our Newsletter emails are to keep you informed as to what is happening on campus and upcoming dates and details. The Hill Academy Newsletter will be sent out every Friday at 6pm with information and messages for the upcoming week.
If there is a different or additional email address that you would prefer to be on our distribution list, please email info@thehillacademy.com.
2026-27 Admissions
Applications are now being accepted for the 2026-27 school year for SIBLINGS of current students or referrals. Please visit the application portal HERE to apply. Contact Julie Packard jpackard@thehillacademy.com with questions.
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.
The Hill newsletter reminds us that gratitude is not just a matter of politeness, but the foundation of community. In the fall, schools encourage students to appreciate the support, kindness, and hard work of those who create an atmosphere of trust and respect. Small gestures of gratitude shape the very culture in which not only knowledge but also humanity grows.
I follow such initiatives through resource https://finboosterx.com/resources/start-investing/ that shows how educational communities invest in values, turning the cultivation of empathy and cooperation into the foundation of a sustainable future.