March 7th, 2021 HILL Message (from Academic Director Rick Kunc): This Monday, March 8th is International Women’s Day. And this year’s theme is #ChoosetoChallenge. To all of the women at the Hill, we say thank you. Thank you for your leadership, your support, your innovation, your strength, and the passion that you bring to The Hill each day. Women are on our leadership team, support our billets, lead in the classroom, coach our teams, and make the Hill the amazing place that it is. We must recognize that this is not always easy in a male-dominated culture where the sports that we play are typically viewed through a lens that excludes women. Our female student-athletes are in the minority at the Hill, and there are times when our systems and decisions impact them as a group. This is where we as an organization will #choosetochallenge. As we speak about Legacy, we must challenge everyone on campus to use inclusive language, understand that gender equality is beneficial to everyone, and to act in a way that makes The Hill an inclusive place. #ChoosetoChallenge
Quote of the Week: “Believe me, the reward is not so great without the struggle.” Wilma Rudolph - was acclaimed the fastest woman in the world in the 1960s and became the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympic Games. Rudolph is also regarded as a civil rights and women's rights pioneer. ____________________________________________________________________________
Other Notes and Important Information: 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 Townhall Meeting On Tuesday, March 9th from 7:00–8:30 pm the Leadership Team from the Hill Academy will be hosting a Town Hall style meeting for our entire parent community. We will provide you with an overview of the Parent Survey and share some updated information in areas including Academics, Athletics, and Campus plan and operations. Rick Kunc, our Director of Academics will be moderating the meeting and we invite parents to engage in a few ways. First, we would like to invite you to send any questions that you may have in advance to the attached link. Please remember this is not the forum for questions about “my child” but rather broader questions and concerns that will impact large segments of our community. All questions are collected anonymously. Parent Questions In addition to this opportunity, we will be running a “backchannel” during the meeting that will allow parents to send questions to us in real-time. These will be collated by the moderator and we will address those questions after the presentations. We are looking forward to this opportunity as it has been difficult to fully engage our parent community during this pandemic and we hope that this will help you to feel better connected to the school. The link to the meeting and the backchannel conversation will be sent out closer to our meeting date. Monday Morning Assembly: There is a Monday morning assembly. Secondary students will tune in by clicking the Microsoft Teams link below at 8:30 am: Monday Morning Assembly Graduation Requirements 2020-2021 The Ministry of Education has changed two of the requirements for students who are planning to graduate in 2020-2021. Graduating students for the 2020-2021 school year: are not required to complete the literacy graduation requirement must complete a minimum of 20 hours of community involvement (reduced from 40 hours) Ontario Literacy Test 2021 (OSSLT) The EQAO has not recently released any information on the 2021 Ontario Literacy test. We will provide more information on this assessment as it becomes available. Guidance at The Hill Academy A reminder to visit the Guidance website HERE. In the next few weeks, the Guidance team will be providing reports for students to track their graduation progress. Individual meetings will be held with students to review graduation progress and post-secondary goals. Feel free to contact guidance@thehillacademy.com with any questions or concerns. Carpool and Transportation Reminder Students who carpool together are reminded that it is Public Health’s recommendation that you wear masks in the vehicle and that you sit as far away as is possible in the vehicle. Students who take the bus are reminded that it is mandatory to wear masks at all times on the bus. Failure to adhere to this policy could mean the removal of bus privileges. 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. Picture Orders Just a reminder that photos are still available for ordering online. Please see below and place your order.
HILL Athletics (From Athletic Director Brodie Merrill): As we advance through the year it can be a good exercise to revisit the core principles at The Hill and apply them to where we stand currently. Highest Level of Achievement: In our Monday assembly we heard our staff guest speaker Ms.Vergara reflect on her impressive career as a national and division I level runner and triathlete. One of the early pieces of advice she received from her father after running one of her first races was “don’t look behind you.” She was too concerned with her competitors and it affected her performance. This advice stuck with her as she progressed to higher levels. In running in and in life, you need to focus on running your own race. That is what the Highest Level of Achievement represents at The Hill. Avoid comparing to others, push the edges of your own potential, and be the very best you can be. Independent Thought On Friday morning I coached a small group of PG lacrosse players. I came away feeling energized because it was such a fun session. The players didn’t need many reminders in terms of drive or effort. They were on it, hungry, and motivated to be pushed. Our students have this great support system at The Hill, but it is up to the student to determine to what extent they will take advantage of the support. Students at The Hill must take ownership and responsibility for their growth and development. Leadership It’s a stage where our students are finding themselves as young leaders. We want our students at The Hill to grow academically and athletically, but our hope is that they become leaders in school, sport, and community. You have the platform and encouragement at The Hill to go for it. Each student will establish their own unique form of leadership. One of our Alumni, Teddy Leggett was recently nominated for the prestigious NCAA Senior Class Award. Teddy was a hockey and lacrosse player at The Hill. His leadership came through in his work ethic. He practiced and played with such determination that it dragged his teammates along with him. Legacy We think sometimes that we need to do something big to leave a legacy. Win a championship, gain recognition, etc. but the legacy is built with small acts that often don’t garner much recognition. Our facility manager, Coach Neeb had a big shipment of boards coming onto campus to eventually set up an outdoor box. We asked the leadership class to come out and help unload the shipment. When reflecting on the day, Coach Neeb acknowledged how big of a help the students were and how much he appreciated it. You can have a significant impact and leave a meaningful legacy with small acts of kindness and generosity.