EXTRACURRICULARS

At Hillfield Strathallan College the encouragement to go out and participate in whatever extracurriculars you were interested in was a really exciting prospect. I found that at Hillfield Strathallan College, nobody was ever restrictive in what you wanted to do. That culture was among not only the students but also the teachers.

Hillfield Strathallan College provided all the tools I needed to explore any of my own passions and interests that I've taken with me since my time there. I wouldn't have had the learning or growth that I did if I hadn’t attended Hillfield Strathallan College. At Hillfield Strathallan College, there were so many opportunities to be involved that you want to get involved in everything, but that’s unrealistic I was heavily involved with the athletics program, and looking back, I would have loved to explore a lot of the opportunities that Hillfield Strathallan College provided within the arts.

Hillfield Strathallan College provides a sense of mentorship, and many opportunities. I mean opportunities provided in the academic setting, as well as in extracurriculars, and the opportunities to explore your passions. Hillfield Strathallan College always provided opportunities to play sports, but they also provide opportunities to learn about universities, and career paths. I'm grateful for the opportunities that were provided that really helped me further my own interests, and the opportunities to build a sense of community at the school.

There's no reason not to have your hands full at Hillfield Strathallan College, there are so many opportunities to explore what you want to do.

Throughout my time at Hillfield Strathallan College, I've never seen someone who felt lost. I felt like everyone was always able to gravitate to something, whether it be a certain course or an extracurricular, or a trip offering, or another one of the great aspects of Hillfield Strathallan College.

Hillfield Strathallan College is a place where anyone can find something they're interested in and continue to grow and develop on their passions that they come into the school with.

In terms of well-rounded education, I appreciate the extracurricular programs, along with the vast green space as the school is situated on more than 50 acres. With the larger student population, it creates opportunities for additional specialized classes as well as extracurriculars. As HSC is an independent school, my daughter had the opportunity this year with a choir to sing at Roy Thomson Hall as part of the Independent School Music Festival.

There are adequate extracurricular opportunities. My daughter has tried a lot of different extracurricular activities such as rugby, snowboarding, golfing, swimming and basketball. The school always provides transportation for those activities. It makes parents so much easier. How can we not love it? There are some traditions for students as well. For example, grade 5 will go skiing, grade 6 will go to RBG for camping. Children and parents know what they will expect each year.

Yes, there are plenty of extracurricular activities for students to choose from. This is what attracted us most to the school. The middle school, grades 5 to 8, has activities ranging from bracelet making, and newspaper club to robotics and baking club. There are sports teams for volleyball, swimming, hockey, and rugby that compete against other schools. There are also individual sports like golf and skiing. There are also musical bands and a choir. I do believe the school provides ample opportunities for kids to try different activities and sports to see what they would like to pursue.

There are endless opportunities after school for kids starting at age 6, and always an aftercare option if they are not busy. With two school bus departures after school, one at 3:30 and one at 5:00 students can keep busy as they choose activities three times a year, in the fall, winter and spring. My children love their Music, French and Gym classes, and weekly winter skating trips. They enjoy private piano lessons, among the private instrument lessons offered. Having busy boys, they are already begging to participate in as many sports offerings as they can sign up for. I'm happy knowing as the children age, there are multiple sports, art, science, and social programs to keep them busy.

I take part in many clubs and activities. These range from Reach for the Top to rugby. I love how much choice we have and how people are encouraged to participate in activities and not just focus on academics. These clubs and teams have allowed me to gain valuable skills like teamwork and time management. I think people definitely have enough things to do to fill up their week. I often struggle with trying to fit everything in! There are occasionally conflicts between activities but I do not find this to be a major issue.

Life at Hillfield Strathallan College (HSC) is busy and exciting. I love it. I joined HSC in Grade 9 after hearing about it from my older sister and I was excited to see a lot of people around me getting involved and doing activities like I was. I enjoy how there are a variety of courses and activities for a variety of interests. This helps everyone find a place to fit in. If I could change one thing about my school, it would be the focus on going to university. This has always been the plan for me, so I have not found it to be a major issue but I know it does impact students. This has been getting better over the past couple of years, but there is still a culture of pushing people towards university. I think it is important to understand each student's skills and to push them towards something they'll excel in.

What I appreciated most about Hillfield Strathallan College would be the opportunities we had outside the classroom. Hillfield Strathallan College provided a top-quality education, but I feel like it built so much more in terms of my character development. There's a really big push towards getting involved in extracurriculars, and exploring leadership opportunities, which played a role in some of the decisions I took on later. During my fourth year of university, I was the President of the Dan Management Students Association, which is the undergraduate association for the Western Business program. I was also heavily involved in councils, starting up my own clubs, and things like that as well. It was foundations that Hillfield Strathallan College embodied that allowed me to carry on some of those really great skill sets when I moved into post-secondary.

My daughter finds the method of learning very engaging in the class, the tangible learning experiences not only in the classroom but outside and during field trips. She is very excited to go to school each day, and she's sad if there's a reason why she's unable to attend, and she knows that she'll miss out on a new learning experience.

I would say to a prospective student or family, get as involved as you can be because that really enhances the education piece of it. I stayed involved with the school because right after graduation, I was working at the college at the camps. They have a day camp there that did sports and different activities that were open to the college kids and outside kids as well. In terms of how it's changed, it's neat to see how things have progressed. Whether it's teaching, athletics, or arts, all that stuff together just molds that education piece.

Throughout my time at HSC, I had the opportunity to make so many special memories that picking one is almost impossible. I will never forget the amazing atmosphere in each classroom and how each student was treated as an individual with unique strengths and skills to be further cultivated. With opportunity to excel in so many different courses, extracurricular activities, and community outreach programs I was able to truly find my passions. As I began my university degree at Dalhousie University, I found myself drawing parallels from what I was learning in my lectures to what I had mastered through the Hillfield curriculum. The transition from the Senior School to the first year of my undergrad was effortless as HSC had prepared me in such a phenomenal fashion.

Hillfield Strathallan College offers many different and unique extracurricular opportunities for all students from ages 5 and up. One of the greatest joys as an alumnus is coming back to Hillfield Strathallan College to cheer on a sports team or enjoy an art or music exhibit. Almost every student is involved in an activity they truly enjoy and have interest in. This is all possible because of the amazing teaching and support staff at Hillfield Strathallan College. Teachers easily transition from the classroom to the field or stage. Hillfield Strathallan College offers both competitive and 'just for fun' extracurricular opportunities. Many of the leadership, teamwork and life lesson are learned during these extracurriculars helping to develop well-rounded students. I will cherish the memories of my extracurricular opportunities at Hillfield Strathallan College as they shaped who I am today.

We have nothing negative to say about HSC. Our family loves the school. We will never be regretful of sending my kids to HSC. The school provides lots of opportunities for kids, such as extracurricular programs, sports clubs, model UN, etc. The school always provides transportation for kids’ extracurricular activities. Parents know our children are in good hands at the school. They love the food in Lawson Hall. All the teachers and faculty are nice. We never hesitate to reach out if we have any concerns. My kids were shy in the beginning but the school encouraged them to be confident and to learn how to talk, make a speech, etc. I’m amazed by my kids’ presentation skills now. It’s truly amazing to see what they’ve learned for so many years. I’m confident that the school helps our kids to be ready for university.

My children enjoy going to school mostly for the social aspect. My younger daughter has many friends and that makes school fun. Because she has a learning disability she finds learning difficult. There are some teachers that make learning fun while others not so much. My older daughter also enjoys going to school for the social aspect. Neither are high achieving academically so they don’t enjoy the school work so much. For students who don’t have as much interest in joining extracurricular activities, I wish the school would make it mandatory to participate in at least one activity or sport. For students who are interested in learning a musical instrument, the school allows lessons to be taught by private tutors during school hours. I believe the school is also very accommodating for students who pursue other activities outside of the school.

The teachers at Hillfield Strathallan College are the greatest aspect of the school. Not only are they experts in their field of study but they go above and beyond for every student they interact with. The dynamic between teachers and students is unique to Hillfield Strathallan College, as teaching does not end at the end of a class. Rather, the teachers are involved in almost every aspect of the students college life; helping run such activities as competitive sports, clubs, and community outreach committees. The teachers were passionate and knowledgeable about their subjects whether that be in the classroom, on the field, or in a community initiative. I found that each teacher took the time to communicate effectively and provide constructive feedback for myself and the other students individually. Through watching their passion they helped myself and other students develop a love of learning.

My kids love the school. When they were little, they loved the food in Lawson Hall better than going to school. They love school buses, they can be picked up on our own driveway and drivers are always nice to them. Principals really know every student’s name, that is truly amazing. Kids feel they are important. All teachers really encourage them to come out of their comfort zones, and challenge themselves a little bit. I think the school can ask students to do some surveys about how to improve school life. The school has had lots of leadership opportunities for kids such as ambassadors, Prefects, House captains etc. There are scholarships tests for kids. It can encourage them to achieve better academic goals and feel more confident.

HSC has a supportive learning environment. My children's Montessori education is tailored differently to each of my children and their different interests. They are learning in a fun, academic environment- that's not to say it's sterile. Their outdoor clothes are often soaked and filthy, as they spend time on nature walks or helping their teacher tend their vegetable garden. They do amazing group projects and make beautiful art. They are the most beautiful little singers, and they performed in the winter school play. For children who need a little extra, there are private literacy tutors and SLPs. And as a parent, I'm comforted knowing, as they age, the Student Success Center and TAs with various educational backgrounds are available to offer support in subjects, as needed.

My kids get along with their friends. They’ve loved the school since the first day. The school has a very diverse culture. HSC offers good programs so all students can feel they are included and involved. The school has almost 1250 kids from 18 months to grade 12. It’s also a reason we love the school. My two kids can grow up together in one school. So can their friends. They can have lifelong friendships which will benefit their whole life. As parents, we can know so many families throughout the school years. We build up friendships as well. HSC is a big community but we never feel left out. As parents, we are always involved and notified of any events, ceremonies, seminars, school trips, etc.

My children like the number of students at the school. It is a good size yet the classroom sizes are not too large. They enjoy Environmental Week (e-week) in the fall where all the kids get to travel somewhere, whether it be an overnight camp or five days in London, England. They also enjoy the hot lunches available in the dining hall. There are a lot of options to choose from. My Senior school child enjoys the semester structure. There are a lot of subjects to choose from starting in Grade 10. They don’t enjoy having to wear uniforms because they like to express themselves through their choice of clothing. However, the school often has ‘dress down’ days where the kids can wear anything other than the uniform, as long as it is within reason of course.

The student body at the school is coed and is diverse. It is about 1200 students, from preschool to grade 12. The school has enough staff that the classroom size is reasonable. Every Friday the entire school (except preschoolers) gathers in the gym for an assembly to share upcoming events. Each student is assigned to a ‘House’ and they compete against each other for points. The house with the most points at the end of the year wins a trophy and bragging rights. Points can be gained by activities such as house league sports and food drives. This creates friendly, spirited competition. There’s a lot of chatter during lunch in the dining hall. I see a lot of smiling faces and hear a lot of laughter when I am at the school.

From our first visit, we could feel the warm professionalism from all the staff at HSC. My 3 and 4 year old boys were greeted by 'grown-ups' squatting to give either a handshake or a high five, followed by a conversation to get to know them and their interests. Since then, my boys have loved the social aspect of school. They have many friends with wonderful families (often met through weekend birthday parties) and the teachers are kind people and exceptional educators. We find Hillfields' learning environment a great fit for our kids because of its child-centered atmosphere and engaging materials. And after class visits, I feel reassured having seen firsthand that my children are in the care of dedicated educators who foster a love for learning. The way their Montessori curriculum is set up, they essentially have multiple times per day that they are receiving one-on-one teaching. Most often this is done with fun manipulatives so they actually see and play with their learning materials. This satisfies me as a parent because I know the boys are engaged in sensory and tactile experiences. Another aspect of the school that makes it extra special is the fact that they celebrate so many different holidays, spirit days and events. My boys love the Turkey Trot and chasing the Turkey (gym teacher) in the fall. They are often teaching me about celebrations that I didn't grow up with- proudly explaining the meaning of the beautiful tea lights they made for Diwali, or impressing me with facts about the Giant sun and tiny dwarf planet, Pluto. As a parent, I see the joy on their faces everyday when they teach me new things, and I know we have made the right choice.