College Life

Student Leadership

Montessori School

Students develop leadership skills by focusing on nurturing the personal qualities of leadership and with practical learning experiences. Encouraging respect, empathy and communication skills, we foster in our students the values of leadership in a manner in keeping with their age and stage development.
 
Mixed age groupings allow our older students to assume responsibility through roles both inside and outside the class community. Our goal at this age is to instill these valuable life skills in our students so leadership can be present in their lives both today and in the future.

Junior School

Grade 4 students trained as Peer Mediators assist the recess duty teachers in the Junior School. Peer mediation helps establish a sense of responsibility in students, and fosters a sense of caring for others. Peer Mediators model acceptable play behaviour, listen to and help articulate disputes, help younger students to solve conflict through discussion and build confidence and self-esteem. Grade 4 students also have an opportunity to act as Lunch Buddies for our Kindergarten students and to take on a leadership role in weekly assemblies. Each grade level partners with another grade for a Reading Buddy program.

Middle School

List of 5 items.

  • Ambassador Team

    HSC encourages students to reach for leadership opportunities that excite them. With that mandate, HSC formalized a student-driven Ambassador Team who have already impressed their peers, faculty, parents and members of our community with their professionalism and enthusiasm for HSC.

  • Community Awareness Committee (CAC)

    Formed in the fall of the current school year, the Community Awareness Committee (CAC) is chaired by Grade 8 students and includes representatives from each class. The CAC holds several major events throughout the year to assist local charities, including the Neighbour-to-Neighbour Food Bank and the St.Matthew’s House Christmas families.

  • Environment Committee

    Students in Grades 5 to 8 are encouraged to join this committee, which prepares events for Earth Week and takes an active role in educating their peers about environmental issues throughout the school year.

  • House Captains

    Two House Captains direct each Middle School House. House Captains are selected as those students who, in the opinion of their peers and faculty, demonstrate responsibility in academics, activities and leadership. These student leaders help set and achieve House goals, organize House events, chair meetings, and assist faculty with special events and parent meetings. Another important role is to help guide and assist the younger students in their House to foster school spirit.

  • Middle School Life Council

    Leadership development opportunities for Middle School students exist in all grades, with an emphasis for students in their Grade 8 year. These students demonstrate a desire to develop their leadership skills further and are actively interested in accepting a major role of responsibility in the Middle School.

Senior School

List of 17 items.

  • Arts and Technology - Audio-Visual/Stage crew for events

    This leadership position works closely with the Arts and Design Department and the IT Department to manage the audio, video and stage crew for major HSC community events. A background or interest in audio production, video editing and event planning is an asset. The position should be able to multitask and express suggestions in a positive and productive manner.

  • Because I Am A Girl

    Because I Am A Girl Group (BIAAG) is part of the Plan Canada umbrella. BIAAG works to to eliminate poverty by empowering girls around the world to get an education.  If we can send girls to school, and give them health care, they can become productive members of their community and break the cycle of poverty.  HSC's Girl Group has sold chocolate flowers, held bake sales and sold mugs for Mother's Day to raise money.

  • Career and Networking Afternoon Ambassadors

    During the Career and Networking Afternoon, the entire Senior School student body can ask questions about the journey and experiences of professionals in various careers. Careers are chosen based on feedback from Careers students. 
     
    The areas selected by the students were Engineering, Science and Medicine, Finance and Accounting, Law and Justice, Arts and Architecture and Business and Leadership. Student Ambassadors have an opportunity to welcome, introduce, tour and deliver a biography for our alumni professional guests during our Career and Networking Afternoon. Student Ambassadors research their guests and prepare appropriate questions to explore what they do in their professions and write personal thank you cards. The afternoon inspires and educates our student aboutfuture careers.

  • Careers Peer Helpers

    The top Careers students in Grade 9 are selected as Careers Peer Helpers based on their performance and leadership in the first three careers assignments. During the values group assignment, these leaders emerge and are appointed as Careers Ambassadors and Peer Helpers. As helpers, they complete assignments before their due date and then are made available to assist their peers during extra help Tuesday lunch breaks in the learning commons. Peer Helpers also critique the course website and create a Teen Help online resource for various teen issues.

  • Colin B. Glassco Foundation

    This group raises awareness and funds in support of the charity begun by Old Boy Colin B. Glassco '61 with a goal to raise the standard of living in the Gwembe Valleyin Zambia. In the previous years the group specifically supported the Chishawasha Orphanage Breakfast program, providing many children with food and shelter. Students have the opportunity to run events such as dances, alternate dress days and fashion shows, learning the invaluable skill of giving of their time for others in need.

  • English Converstation Circle (ECC)

    ECC (English Conversation Circle) is a unique program that partners Hillfield Strathallan volunteers with newcomer refugee youth from war torn countries. Caring, intuitive, patient and understanding volunteers help instruct English, offer homework help and become Canadian friends to many new Canadians. The ECC meet once a week at a downtown Hamilton location. The experience develops strong leaders out of dedicated volunteers. 

  • Fashion Show

    The HSC Fashion Show provides student with a real-world experience planning, promoting and organizing a College-wide event. Students brainstorm and design promotional pieces that pertain to the event, coordinate and book models, create the set design, find the venue, and choose the theme. The fashion show involves Junior, Montessori, Middle and Senior School students.
    In past years, the Fashion Show raised money for various charities, both local and international including; the Pinky Lewis Recreation Center, United Way, Colin B Glassco Foundation, Earthquake Relief Fund and the English Conversation Circle program. The Fashion Show won the United Way Fundraising Event of the Year in 2010.

  • House Captains

    Two House Captains direct each Senior School House. They are selected as those who, in the opinion of their peers and the faculty, have shown responsibility, charisma, organization and enthusiasm in the areas of activities, athletics and leadership. They help set and achieve House goals, organize House events, chair House meetings and develop and implement a community volunteer event. 
     
    In past years, Maple/Tay took on the Juvenile Ride for Diabetes. Cedar/ More participated in the Road to Hope Marathon, organizing a water station and encouraging the runners.  Birch/ Earn partnered with the SAC committee and helped promote the event “A Girl’s Night Out.” Pine/ Yre partnered with a local animal shelter to promote healthy and safe living for their animals. 
     
    House captains also run workshop discussions on teen issues including bullying, sexual assault, respecting differences, coping strategies and on making healthy choices regarding drugs and alcohol. The multi-grade single gender environment is meant to encourage mentorship and communication in all of these areas and any other issues that students need support with. House captains also guide younger students in their Houses, and help to foster school spirit and Trojan pride.

  • International Week

    During International Week, HSC Language students and teachers promote the many cultures represented at HSC, including the French, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin cultures. The week is highlighted by exciting events such as tasting food from different parts of the world, Latin dancing, French films, Hapkido demonstrations and dressing in national or traditional costumes.

  • Me to We

    Me to We student volunteers run events throughout the year to raise funds for both Free The Children and local initiatives. In previous years, the Me to We group hosted a coffee house each term, ran First Friday Lollipop sales (which raised funds for different charities each month), organized We are Silent, volunteered at the Pinky Lewis Center and ran the 30-Hour Famine. 

  • Pinky Lewis

    Every Wednesday a group of student leaders take a bus to the Pinky Lewis Recreation Center. They help run programs in the gym and on the computers, make crafts, play various games and assist in the pool. The goal of the program is to raise the self-esteem of the inner city children and to create positive healthy friendships. 
     
    In the past we have brought healthy snacks, involved the children in the fashion show, lead science experiments, had a spa day, lead dance classes and had a holiday Christmas drive where each child received a wrapped gift and many more games and relationship building activities.

  • Post-Secondary Ambassadors

    During the academic year, HSC welcomes over 35 institutions to the Senior School, including Universities and Colleges from Ontario as well as from the US and the UK.
     
    Our Ambassadors act as hosts for all recruiters and graciously greet, direct, facilitate technical needs and provide that face-to-face contact. Students in Grade 11 and 12 are invited to participate in an annual University Dialogue program in the fall that involves 15 institutions, as well as a Post-Secondary Fair in the spring to help students plan for their transition out of the College.

  • Quills

    Quills is a literary magazine published every spring, which features short stories, poetry, essays, and other fiction and non-fiction forms from student writers in the Senior School. The magazine also includes visual artwork and photography. While the editorial work is carefully supervised, one or two student editors take charge year-round, attending to the writing, collating, organizing, refining and printing of the publication.

  • Semi-Formal and Formal Planning Committee

    The Semi-Formal Planning Committee works closely with their teacher advisor to plan, promote, budget and decorate for the event. Ideal candidates are responsible, organized, and able to work under timelines and a budget. A background in Business or Communications Technology is an asset.

  • Social Action Committee (SAC)

    The Social Action Committee (SAC) was founded in 2005, launching the College's first World Issue's Conference (WIC) with Marc Keilburger as its keynote speaker, who later offered his name to the Marc Kielburger Award for Leadership through Service. It has since organized such events as the CityKids Rise and Shine Breakfast (which raised $25,000 and thereby funded the purchase of two addition buses to transport inner-city kids to their programs); The Wellwood Fashion Show, which raised $22,00 for non-medical cancer support; and most recently, the Girls's Night Out, which raised approximately $7,500 for Phoenix Place, a stage-two home for abused women and children in Hamilton's downtown core.
     
    SAC's work, led by students who have a strong social conscience and are passionate about making a difference, is focused assisting local charities to accomplish their mission.

  • The Peer Helpers Group

    Composed of a group of Grade 11 and 12 students, Peer Helpers are dedicated to helping the HSC student body in any non-academic related area. Whether in planning large meetings and assemblies to discuss pertinent issues in our young adult society today, in one-on-one assistance, or in raising funds in support of important social causes, the Peer Helpers are an integral group to the Senior School. 

  • The World Issues Conference Organizing Committee

    The young leaders selected to help organize and plan the World Issues Conference (WIC) have an important role to play in the annual calendar at HSC. This small group of dedicated students, drawn from Grades 11 and 12, bring approximately 250 Grade 8 students from around the region onto the HSC campus for a day of dialogue and learning about the most important issues facing our world in the 21st Century.
    • Ball with the word Love

      Ball with the word Love

      Ball with the word Love

    • Students with parents

      Students with parents

      Students with parents

    • Students holding a Globe

      Students holding a Globe

      Students holding a Globe

Early Education Orientations:
Junior School Welcome Breakfast - September 5, 2023, at 8:30 - 11:00 a.m. 
Montessori School Welcome Lunch - September 5, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Middle School Orientation:
(All grade 5's and New Students in Grades 6 to 8)  - September 6
Students are in #2 Dress for Orientation
 
8:30 - 9:30 a.m. (Parents and Students Breakfast)
9:30 - 11:30 a.m. (Student Programming in Middle School)
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. (Parent Programming in VFC)
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Optional Ambassador Lead Tours and Parents Guild Courtyard/Kemper Reception - Photo Op In Courtyard) 
 
Senior School Orientation:
(All Grade 9's and New Students in Grades 10 to 12)\
September 6, 2023
Dress code to follow

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.  (Grades 9-12 Student Programming) 
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (Parent Programming in VFC)  
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.  (Campus Walk or Strategic Planning Presentation)
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. (Parent Continental Reception Lunch Served in Student Commons. Parents Guild Courtyard/Kemper Reception - Photo Op In Courtyard) 

Parents' Guild Used Uniform Sale
September 6, 2023
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Parents' Guild Portable

The first day of classes is on Thursday, September 7!  
#2 Uniform Dress Required.  
Reminder Fridays, #1 Dress Required. 

Located in Hamilton, ON, Hillfield Strathallan College is a Canadian independent, co-educational day school.
The academic program runs from Montessori Toddler and Pre-K to Grade 12.

Hillfield Strathallan College | 299 Fennell Avenue West | Hamilton, ON L9C 1G3 | 905-389-1367