November 22nd, 2020 HILL Message (from Academic Director Rick Kunc): Highest Level of Achievement. That is a lofty goal, and probably one that in the end you never actually reach. Great companies do not get to be great and then say “perfect, we can just do it this way forever”. They find a way to get even better. The message is that there is always room to get better, there is always an opportunity to raise your level of achievement. Our message this coming Monday is about “diving in head first”. Sometimes to be the best, you just have to go for it. And to be better, sometimes you just have to go for it. This week I dropped into two classrooms where faculty members were taking risks, they were going for it, in order to be better. I was in a grade 10 math class where students were flying paper airplanes. They were learning about and calculating downward slope. And I was in a grade 5/6 science class where students had built paper houses that had to stand up to a “hurricane” created by a leaf blower. I’m sure there were easier ways to teach the concepts they were addressing, but those easier ways may not have been effective. So they took the risk. In both cases, students were engaged and they could explain why they were doing what they were doing. They could explain the learning goals. And they were striving to be their best, to reach their highest level of achievement. I do not know if they were all intrinsically motivated to learn about downward slope and external and internal forces (I’m betting they weren’t). But I do know that the conditions had been created by the teacher that engaged the students and motivate them to be their best. In each case the teacher probably didn’t know if was going to work or not, but they decided to “dive in head first”. At The Hill we strive to create these conditions every day. Whether it is in the classroom or on the playing field, we want our student athletes to dive in head first. We want them to take that risk to be their best. And yes, sometimes that means you will fail, but we learn our best lessons when we fail, and that will provide us with the feedback that will allow us to reach our Highest Level of Achievement the next time.
Quote of the Week: “Don’t judge those who try and fail, judge those who fail to try” Harriett Jackson Brown Jr. is an American author, Life's Little Instruction Book ________________________________________________________________________
Other Notes and Important Information: 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 Assembly Phys Ed/Workout- Mask Hygiene To ensure proper mask hygiene and student/safety we ask that all student-athletes bring a separate mask for workout. Phys Ed/ Workout- Cold Weather Clothing With the cold weather and snow coming, we will still try to go outside as often as possible. Please make sure student-athletes bring appropriate attire (snow wear, extra socks/shoes, etc.) every day. Movember Movember’s mission is very clear... stop men dying too young. Think about this: globally, men die 6 years earlier than women. To make it worse, the reasons are largely preventable. In Canada, 3 out of 4 suicides are men. 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. And testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men. Pretty shocking, right? That’s why we are doing Movember this year: we are dedicated to changing the face of men’s health. The money we raise this Movember will help fund life-changing mental health programs, groundbreaking research and scientific breakthroughs for cancer treatments. We are proud of what we have done to date; our Mo The Hill team has raised $2964 to date, and our goal is to get to $5000. To those who have donated, thank you, your donation will make a difference. To those of you who would like to donate to our Mo the Hill team, please see the link below. Thanks again. Mo The Hill Parent Survey Last week we sent out the link to our Parent Survey. We have been overwhelmed with the response, but we aspire to be even better. We need your help. Please take the time to provide us with the feedback that will allow us to grow and continue to improve. Thanks in advance. Parent Survey Upcoming Changes to the Calendar: Please note that we have updated the calendar on our website to reflect the following changes: November 26th and 27th are listed as school holidays. There will be no athletic or academic schedule on those days. November 30th - this was a scheduled PD day and now this is listed as a non-athletic remote day for the whole school January 4th-January 15th - these are now remote non-athletic days (secondary only). January 25th-January 28th - these were scheduled exam days and now these days are scheduled as in-person non-athletic days. View the calendar updates HERE. 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. Residence Students: Please note that residence rooms will be locked from 8:00 am until 3:30 pm beginning Tuesday, November 24th. Students will not be permitted to return to their rooms throughout the day. 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. Students can collect their OUAC login information from Kyle Kallay or by emailing guidance@thehillacademy.com Mask Orders: We have several mask orders that have not been picked up. If you have ordered masks please pick them up from the front office this week. Masks A continued reminder to both parents and students; masks are mandatory in our facilities and it is the student's responsibility to come every day with well-fitting, clean masks. If a student is seen wearing an ill-fitting mask, we will provide a Hill Academy mask and will send an invoice home for reimbursement.
HILL Athletics (From Athletic Director Brodie Merrill) As parents we feel the intrinsic instinct to protect your child from failure. There are many situations with my own kids that I fight the urge to interject, make things easier for my kids, when deep down I know I’m underestimating/undermining their capabilities. I regret those times when I jump in too early or unnecessarily provide the path of least resistance. The challenge lies in the fact that there is nothing more difficult than seeing your child in pain, or distress. A good quote I find myself going back to time and time again is “instead of protecting your child, focus on preparing your child.” This weekend was a good example, with my twin boys learning how to rollerblade. They were properly equipped and I was there to keep an eye out for traffic. The first few times I was there to hold their hands, but eventually it was time to let them go for it. They resembled the Disney character Bambi trying to walk for the first time on ice. There were some hard, awkward falls, some tears, a scrapped leg, but finally they got over the hump. They were asking to go around the block, when ten minutes earlier they wanted to quit and go inside. We see this process occur in various forms at The Hill everyday. It reminded me of this past week’s theme, which was about accepting and embracing the harsh reality that you will fail. In our Monday morning assembly former Hill student, recent Yale grad, and current Hill hockey coach Robbie Demontis talked about his relationship with failure. Early in his career at Yale, his coach brought him into his office and encouraged him to "stop playing so safe". There was some “paralysis by analysis” in his game, which is common for any freshman. His coach set an expectation that resonated with him: “make the wrong play with conviction, rather than the right play with hesitation.” This set the tone for Robbie to go for it, put himself out there, worry less about the consequences of a misstep and more about the opportunity to make a meaningful impact. The path to success requires a lot of trial and error. As Coach Robbie put it, “access your mistakes, do not dwell on them for too long, make the the necessary adjustments, and move forward.” If our students are willing to accept failure, The Hill is a place that can push you to explore the boundaries of your capabilities. This Week's Lacrosse Schedule: Monday: Remote Non-Athletic Day (no practices) Tuesday: Grade 9,10, 11 Boys Lacrosse: 8:10- 9:10am Outdoor Team Activity @ The Hill Academy Grade 12, PG Boys Lacrosse: 9:30am- 10:30am Outdoor Team Activity @ The Hill Academy Girls Lacrosse: 12:25pm- 1:25pm Outdoor Team Activity @ The Hill Academy Wednesday: Grade 9,10, 11 Boys Lacrosse: 8:10- 9:10am Team Session @ The Hill Academy Grade 12, PG Boys Lacrosse: 9:30am- 10:30am Team Session @ The Hill Academy Girls Lacrosse: 12:25pm- 1:25pm Team Session @ The Hill Academy Thursday: November Break- School is Closed Friday: November Break- School is Closed This Week's Hockey Schedule: Monday: Remote Non-Athletic Day (no practices) Prep Hockey: Zoom Meeting @ 4:00pm (goals against video) Tuesday: Senior Varsity @ Alder Arena 8:15- 9:15am Prep Hockey: 8:15am- 9:15am On-Ice Testing @ Alder Arena Wednesday: All Junior & Senior Varsity Goalie Session @ Alder Arena 8:15 - 9:15am Senior Varsity Skaters: 8:30am- 9:30am Practice @ Alder Arena Prep Hockey: 8:15am- 9:15am Feather Cup @ Alder Arena Thursday: November Break- School is Closed Prep Hockey- Team Zoom Meeting @ 2:00pm (Offensive Zone Entry) Friday: November Break- School is Closed **Please note that parents are NOT permitted inside the arenas during practice time.**