The Hill Academy Newsletter- April 4th, 2021

April 4th, 2021 HILL Message (from Academic Director Rick Kunc): This week I struggled with what to write for the HILL message. This was a tough one. It feels like our will and our character are being tested. It has been a long year and just when we felt like we were coming out the other side of this pandemic, we have a positive case at school and then the provincial announcement about the "Emergency Brake". These are the tests of our character. It is a test of our culture. We were excited about decreased restrictions and of course the possibility of games. Unfortunately, so much of this is out of our control that we feel like it is being done to us. So, we have another chance to take control of what we can control, wear our masks, don’t gather in large groups, etc….and take this opportunity to have our character and culture shine. Let us be our best and show our community that we can do this. We all hope that you are enjoying the long weekend in a safe and responsible way.

Quote of the Week: The measure of a [person]'s real character is what [they] would do if [they] knew [they] would never be found out. -Thomas Babington Macaulay ____________________________________________________________________________

Other Notes and Important Information: Tuesday Morning Assembly: There is a Tuesday morning assembly. Secondary students will tune in by clicking the Microsoft Teams link below at 8:30 am: Tuesday Morning Assembly Ontario "Emergency Brake": Update The Ontario Government announced a province-wide "Emergency Brake" starting this past Saturday. The Hill Academy campus will remain open for in-person instruction. Following our school calendar; Tuesday, April 6th is a non-athletic/ remote day for secondary students, and junior school students will be on-campus. Register Now for Hill Academy Summer Camps! Summer camp registration is now open! Hill students will receive 30% off camp fees. Space is limited. Visit https://www.thehillacademy.com/hill-summer-camps to learn more. Parent/Teacher Interviews Save the date. We will be holding online parent/teacher meetings on Monday, April 26th during the day (this will be a remote day for both junior and secondary students) and Thursday, April 29th during the evening. More information including the booking process will be coming out soon. Senior and Post Grad Quotes Just a reminder to seniors and postgrads to email your quotes for the yearbook as soon as possible to Mr. Tooley: daniel.tooley@thehillacademy.com. Ontario Literacy Test 2021 (OSSLT) The EQAO has released the following statement: “EQAO will be field testing the online Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) from March 2021 until June 2021.” We have not received any information about how this will affect our students but will continue to keep you up to date if we are granted access to these tests. Graduation Requirements 2020-2021 Students who plan to graduate in June 2021 must complete a minimum of 20 hours of community involvement (reduced from 40 hours). There will be a list posted on Ms. Flynn’s door showing which students still need to complete their community involvement hours this week. Students must have their hours into Guidance before May 25th, 2021. Guidance at The Hill Academy Guidance meetings are ongoing this week. If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact guidance@thehillacademy.com. Health and Safety- Food Please remind students that sharing anything at the school with other students is prohibited. Students sharing snacks will result in a conversation with families to discuss our health and safety policy. Students should also be reminded that there is no shared microwave at the school. If a student comes with food that needs to be warmed in a microwave, we will not be able to take their food or allow them access to a microwave. Spring Weather Clothing As the weather gets warmer, we will continue to embrace opportunities to be outside. Students are reminded to have footwear for both the indoors and outdoors. As well as masks for indoor and outdoor activities. Mental Health Resources There are a lot of valuable resources available to families who are navigating this unusual time together. One such resource is the CMH page on COVID-19 Mental Health response found here. Our staff is also available and we encourage students or families to reach out to us. We are also building onto our Wellness Resources on the Guidance website here Absences Just a reminder that all attendances are to be reported to attendance@thehillacademy.com. Please make sure to note the reason for your absence. Daily Covid-19 Screening The Kinduct Covid-19 screen must be completed every morning prior to coming on to campus. All students with at least one symptom of COVID-19, even mild symptoms, must stay home, self-isolate, and are recommended to get tested. Household members, including siblings, also must self-isolate while the symptomatic child is awaiting test results. This will catch COVID-19 infections even sooner and help keep our school open for all children. If your child is staying home with a symptom, you need to notify attendance and you will receive follow-up information regarding the course of action that is required. We thank everyone for their cooperation in keeping our campus safe. Visitors on Campus We have a new screening process for all visitors to campus, including parents coming into the building. When you come to the main entrance, there is a QR code to scan and fill out a Covid-19 Screening form. This must be completed prior to entering the building. Once this is complete please let Ms. Bush know and sign the visitor log. We appreciate your cooperation in completing this. Graduation Robes We are placing an order for graduation robes for our Graduation ceremonies in June 2021. Both grade 8 grads and grade 12 grads will have a ceremony that will include speakers, awards and certificates/diplomas. Please have your graduate complete the Google forms below to order a robe that will fit your student-athlete. The last day to enter sizes for graduation robes is Tuesday, April 6 2021. Refer to the size guide below: Grade 8 Graduation Robe orders here. Grade 12 Graduation Robe orders here.

HILL Athletics (From Athletic Director Brodie Merrill): What I appreciate about stepping into any game, is the underlying feeling of possibility and unpredictability. We understand the inherent risk of disappointment or the possibility of joy and excitement. That is where the “butterflies” we sometimes feel in our stomach come from. It’s a message to ourselves to heighten our senses to be ready and engaged. You’ll hear many athletes say they like butterflies. The key, as George St. Pierre said, “is to make them fly in formation.” How do we manage the various stresses and opportunities that come with sport: -Look for little victories of progress and opportunities to impact the game in a positive way and gain ground. -Keeping a “blue head.” This is a New Zealand All Blacks standard. Take a deep breath, maintain composure, clarity, and awareness through adversity. -Give to others. Shift your focus to helping others, it is where you will feel the most fulfillment. -Follow your team principles. The strategy has to be fluid and adaptable, but situational protocols can provide a roadmap to steer through various circumstances and “take the thinking out of it.” -Positive self-talk. Talk to yourself, provide yourself the same advice as you would to someone else going through the same challenge. -Debrief, evaluate, and improve. As we navigate through this pandemic, we can continue to draw lessons from sport. We can utilize strategies like the ones above. Sport can give us the confidence to face some of life’s challenges, stresses, and randomness. Our coaches at The Hill always preach finishing strong, “finish through the tape,” “make your last period, your best period.” Messages like these ring as true as ever. Dig in and try to be at our very best in the most difficult moments. As Coach Magnan said during the Monday assembly: “Next Question!”