December 6th, 2020 HILL Message (from Academic Director Rick Kunc): I was having a conversation with Coach Brodie Merrill this week and we were talking about our children (his are much, much younger than mine). And he was saying how hard it is to know when to step in, when you see your child struggling. How do we know when to help them deal with adversity and when to step back and allow them to navigate it on their own? There is a balance there and there is probably no right answer. It is why parenting is so hard. We want the best for our kids; we want them to grow up with the skills that will make them successful, and we know that resiliency is important. However, we also want to protect and nurture them. This is also a difficult balance at school and in sport. Young student athletes need to be resilient to be successful. They will face adversity and how they respond will dictate their success going forward. If they fold the tents after a bad test or a bad play that will become habit forming and dictate how they face adversity in the future. Being resilient is a more difficult path than quitting, but it is a more rewarding one. Our teachers and coaches have modelled resiliency for our students this year. On almost a weekly basis they have been thrown curve ball after curve ball as we aspire to deliver a first-class experience to our students while facing so much adversity. Have our students done the same? For sure they have. And I think this is part of what has driven our faculty and coaches. They are motivated by our students and they are great role models each and every day as they model resiliency and how to “make lemonade when life gives you lemons”. From Psychology Today here are 10 Habits of Highly Resilient People: 1. Grow a thick skin and expect rejection and setbacks. 2. Ditch the desire for comfort and step into growing pains. 3. Be willing to postpone immediate gratification in the short term for the fulfillment of your goals in the long term. 4. Cultivate spring-back sustainability. Think of yourself as an elastic band that bends and stretches to a certain point before you spring back higher than you fall. 5. Refer to previous experience. Reflect on past obstacles you’ve overcome in your climb. 6. Identify self-doubts that have cramped your work style or crippled you from growing fully. Harness them—instead of running from them—and channel them into useful skills so they don’t paralyze you. 7. Stay off the roller coaster. Manage the ups-and-downs of your life by treating highs and lows equally. 8. Eschew the what-the-hell effect. This attitude only adds insult to injury. Face letdowns by taking the towel you want to throw in and use it to wipe the sweat off your face. 9. Practice positive self-talk and optimism. 10. Catch yourself when you fall. After a setback or discouraging situation, your motivation bounces back quicker when you support yourself with compassion. Instead of kicking yourself when you’re down, be on your own side, wish yourself well, and be your number one cheerleader as you progress in your goals.
Quote of the Week: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” Author Viktor Frankl - Austrian Holocaust survivor, neurologist, psychiatrist and author. ______________________________________________________________________________
Other Notes and Important Information: MDM4U: Probability Games Fair: Grade 12 students in period 4 are welcome to join with teacher approval. Monday Morning Assembly: There is a Monday morning assembly tomorrow. Secondary students will tune in by clicking the Zoom link below at 8:30am: Monday Morning Zoom Assembly Inclement Weather: In the event of a school closure due to inclement weather or unsafe driving conditions, you will be notified through email. Additionally, it will be posted on The Hill Academy Twitter account (@thehillacademy). The information will be posted by 5:50 am at the latest and all attempts will be made to notify earlier. If nothing has been posted, then the school day will resume as scheduled. If it is a remote learning day, students are expected to log onto their classes to get instruction for the day. Grade 9 Transition Meetings The Guidance Team has been meeting with the grade 9s to go over their first transition meeting notes as part of their Independent Pathways Plan. We are hoping to meet with all grade 9s before the holiday - please remind your student-athlete to make an appointment with us at guidance@thehillacademy.com OUAC/Ontario Universities Grade 12 /PG students who plan to apply for an Ontario University should note that applications are due to the OUAC by January 15th, 2021. Please note that this date falls in the remote learning time following the holidays. Students would get their log-in information before leaving on December 17th. Students can collect their OUAC login information from Kyle Kallay or by emailing guidance@thehillacademy.com Lunch/Snacks A continued reminder that sharing food is strictly prohibited as part of the COVID-19 regulations at The Hill Academy. Students must be mindful of the rules that we have in place which are there to protect our student-athletes. Peel Public Health Advisory to Schools With the high level of COVID-19 in our community, we need to do everything to stop the spread. Starting Monday, December 7, 2020, all children 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. We ask that you continue to complete the daily screen and if one symptom is reported your child is to stay home. Please ensure you notify attendance of their absence. Christmas Trees for Sale: $50 Tree Pick-Up Times: Monday to Friday 3:45- 4:15pm from December 7th-11th. RSVP: If you or a family member would like a Christmas tree, please email clarke.petterson@thehillacademy.com by 4:00pm the day before you would like to pick up. Please provide any size specifications.
HILL Athletics (From Athletic Director Brodie Merrill): I can remember participating in my first collegiate practice at Georgetown University, examining the 50 other players on the field, sizing everyone up, and trying to determine where I fit in. I recall seeking out any weak players, but not being able to find any! Everyone was good and the pace was faster than anything I’d experienced. I’m sure a similar experience to those attending The Hill for the first time. As the year progressed, we practiced more, and got into the routine of the year, you started to see little windows where players separated themselves. The separation would come in subtle ways, incrementally over time. It became clear the players that were advancing within the team were not just meeting daily expectations, they were exceeding them in various ways. You would see the same players after practice getting in extra reps, or pushing themselves in the weight room, or making responsible choices on the weekends, or being great overall teammates. For the most part, these were the players making an impact on Saturdays (game days). In any competitive environment, if you want to advance, you have to be willing to do more, dig deeper, go to places others are simply not willing to get to. This applies to sports, school, work environments, etc. Showing up and checking off the boxes will only get you so far. We want to attack everyday with intention, engagement, and enthusiasm. Look to surprise your teachers, coaches, teammates, parents in a good way by doing a little more than what was expected. On Friday we welcomed back Coach Dan Noble. Coach Noble has been a staple at The Hill for many years. He has recently opened a gym in Toronto, close to where he resides, called Grit Athletics. Although he is more limited in terms of his commitment, he will always be apart of The Hill Family. He described 2020 being like a losing season in sport. The adversity in a losing season can reveal a lot about yourself and those around you. Although losing seasons are difficult, they are temporary, and with the right mindset you can come back stronger and more resilient. In the mean time, hold your ground, and search for different ways to exercise gratitude. It will be a fun couple weeks at The Hill leading into the holiday season. Please continue to be diligent in meeting the safety protocols and finishing strong academically heading into your break, it will be well worth it! Varsity Hockey: We were lucky enough to receive an early present from Sherwood hockey for our varsity hockey students and this upcoming Monday we will be having a draw. To be eligible for the draw, students were to complete an anonymous survey about Sherwoods new hockey products. Four students will be recipients of the new Sherwood Code V stick. This Week's Lacrosse Schedule: Monday: Remote Non-Athletic Day (no practices) Tuesday: Grade 9,10, 11 Boys Lacrosse: 8:10- 9:10am Lacrosse Practice @ The Hill Academy Grade 12, PG Boys Lacrosse: 9:30am- 10:30am Lacrosse Practice @ The Hill Academy Girls Lacrosse: 12:25pm- 1:25pm Lacrosse Practice @ The Hill Academy Wednesday: Grade 9,10, 11 Boys Lacrosse: 8:10- 9:10am Lacrosse Practice @ The Hill Academy Grade 12, PG Boys Lacrosse: 9:30am- 10:30am Lacrosse Practice @ The Hill Academy Girls Lacrosse: 12:25pm- 1:25pm Lacrosse Practice @ The Hill Academy Thursday: Grade 9,10, 11 Boys Lacrosse: 8:10- 9:10am Lacrosse Practice @ The Hill Academy Grade 12, PG Boys Lacrosse: 9:30am- 10:30am Lacrosse Practice @ The Hill Academy Girls Lacrosse: 12:25pm- 1:25pm Lacrosse Practice @ The Hill Academy Friday: Grade 9,10, 11 Boys Lacrosse: 8:10- 9:10am Lacrosse Practice @ The Hill Academy Grade 12, PG Boys Lacrosse: 9:30am- 10:30am Lacrosse Practice @ The Hill Academy Girls Lacrosse: 12:25pm- 1:25pm Team Session @ The Hill Academy This Week's Hockey Schedule: Monday: Remote Non-Athletic Day: No practices. Prep Hockey: Zoom Meeting 4pm (check Google Classroom for details) Tuesday: Senior Varsity and Team Grey @ Alder Arena Pad Green 8:15am- 9:15am Prep Hockey: Team Red and Black @ Alder Arena Pad Red 8:15am- 9:15am Wednesday: Senior Varsity and Team Black @ Alder Arena Pad Green 8:15am- 9:15am Prep Hockey: Team Red and Grey @ Alder Arena Pad Red 8:15am- 9:15am Thursday: Senior Varsity and Team Red @ Alder Arena Pad Green 8:15am- 9:15am Prep Hockey: Team Grey and Black @ Alder Arena Pad Red 8:15am- 9:15am Friday: Senior Varsity @ Team Session 8:15am- 9:15am @ The Hill Academy Prep Hockey: 8:30am- 10:30am Feather Cup @ Alder Arena **Please note that parents are NOT permitted inside the arenas during practice time.**