Embedded Files
UPCOMING DATES
August 29: Grade 9 Orientation & Parent Welcome
September 3: First Day of School
September 11-13: Grade 9 Trip to Camp Wenonah
September 20: Terry Fox Run & BBQ
September 25-27: Grade 10 & 11 Trip to Camp Couchiching
September 30: Orange Shirt Day
October 7-10: Homecoming Week
October 10: Pep Rally
October 11: PD Day - No School
October 14: Thanksgiving Day Holiday
October 22: School Photo Day
October 25: Midterm
October 28-31: Halloween Spirit Week
Call for Guest Speakers
Every year, we have amazing people speak to our students and we're always on the lookout for volunteers who'd like to speak to our students about a variety of subjects. Psst - we're looking for speakers for the new school year!
If you'd like to provide industry and career guidance, specialized academic subjects (including fine arts) lectures, or be a motivational speaker, please fill out the form below!
SCHOOL NEWS
July 5, 2024
July 5, 2024
Letter from the Principal
Letter from the Principal
Dear Parents/Guardians,
I hope this newsletter finds you well and you are all enjoying your early summer so far. I'm happy to share some highlights from the exciting conclusion of our 2023-24 school year.
Our Spring semester kicked off with Spring Fever, where students embraced their inner artist while decorating flower pots, and then filled them with soil and daisy seeds. We capped off the week’s festivities with a Silly Speed Walk contest, where students put on their silliest outfits for a speed walking race.
On May 17, we held our first annual Culture Fest which was a complete success! Our students enjoyed a day filled with cultural activities, including themed rooms for games, karaoke, and even Latin dance lessons. A cultural potluck lunch and a showcase of performances finished off a day that celebrated our diverse student community!
Our Upper School Model UN delegation had a rewarding experience at the Canada Model UN 2024 conference. Students represented various countries, engaged in discussions on global issues and even re-enacted historical events. We’re so proud of everyone involved and can’t wait to see them grow into future leaders.
Prom this year, themed as a Masquerade Ball, was an exciting night to remember. Students and faculty alike danced the night away. Congratulations to all our Prom Award winners, including Prom King Sam and Prom Queen Camilla!
At the beginning of June, Coach Janessa and our Girls Soccer team enjoyed an evening off-campus at BMO Field for an International Friendly game between Canada and Mexico, ending in a 1-1 draw. The girls had a fantastic time making signs and cheering on their favorite players.
Also in June, we hosted a Meet & Greet for our new Upper School principal, Frank Salvatore DeFina. The event was a resounding success, featuring locally made gelato and candied fruits made by our Cooking Club. Frank brings a wealth of experience from his previous roles, and we are excited for his leadership at Hudson.
Our Grade 12 graduates celebrated "Destination Dress Down Day" by wearing clothing representing their future universities or colleges. They then enjoyed a sunny afternoon later that week on our outdoor terrace with treats, pizza, and signing old uniforms and yearbooks.
June Day celebrations included announcing our Grade 9-11 subject award winners and House Cup Champions. Congratulations to all our award winners and to the Prairies for securing this year's House Cup!
Finally, we celebrated a significant milestone last week with the graduation of the Class of 2024 at the beautiful Eglinton Grand. Congratulations to our brand-new Hudson graduates - we can’t wait to see where you go and what you do. And remember, once a Husky, always a Husky!
I want to extend my gratitude to our dedicated students, supportive parents, and committed teachers and staff. This year has been filled with growth, achievements, and unforgettable moments.
We wish you all a safe and enjoyable summer break and look forward to welcoming everyone back for another exciting year in the Fall.
Sincerely,
Jack.
Spring Fever Festivities 🌸🌻🌷
Flower pot decorating kicked off the Spring Semester at Hudson! Students were invited to paint their own flower pots, fill them with soil, and plant daisy seeds in them.
The week was capped off with a Silly Speed Walk contest - congratulations to Alessia for dominating the Silly Speed Walk and taking home the top prize with her lightning-fast silliness!
Culture Fest Fun 🎉
Culture Fest 2024 was an absolute hit!
On May 17, students dove into a day full of cultural activities, discovering the variety of culture among their peers! Students rotated through themed-rooms and had fun singing karaoke, learning Latin dance moves, and playing various international games.
At lunch, students took their taste buds on a world tour with a cultural potluck, featuring many different goodies from around the globe. We capped off the day with a showcase of cultural performances in the gym, which included dances, presentations, and even a captivating drama skit!
We had an amazing time celebrating our diverse cultures and we’re already counting down the days to next year’s Culture Fest.
French Class Food Styling 🍦
Zoe Rousseau joined our Grade 9 French classes to share their expertise — Zoe is a professional food stylist, recipe developer and hand model from France with a variety of well-known clients such as Häagen-Dazs, McDonald’s, and Dempster’s. They showed students how to create an ooey-gooey cheese pull and how to style one of the hardest foods: de la crème glacée!
Can you tell if it’s real or fake? Psst - neither can we!
Hudson at Canada Model UN 2024
In late May, our Upper School Model UN delegation had a wonderful time at the Canada Model UN 2024 conference.
Students had the honour of representing various countries and engaging in fruitful discussions with other delegates on pressing global issues such as trade protectionism and the green tech gap, space exploration and debris, international money laundering and hacktivism. They even travelled back in time to France in 1789, to participate in the États Généraux! Students worked with delegates from all over the world. This experience deepened their understanding of diplomacy and global citizenship, and we know they are eagerly looking forward to participating in more MUN conferences next year!
Here’s a quote from Anke, one of our Model UN delegates, about her experience at this weekend’s conference: “It was really fun to connect with other high schoolers and share ideas and about different world topics. The environment was very supportive and it was easy to make friends with the other people there. Some activities included debating and discussing world issues and finding different solutions. Overall, it was a very exciting and enriching experience!”
Prom 2024: A Night to Remember 💃
We hosted our annual Prom on May 29th at The Vue, and this year’s theme was Masquerade Ball! Students arrived dressed to the nines and enjoyed an unforgettable evening of great music, delicious food, and even better company!
A special congratulations to our Prom Award winners:
✨Cutest Couple: Grace T. and Owen
✨Best Dressed Boy: Nicholas
✨Best Dressed Girl: Julia
✨Prom Prince: Jackson L.
✨Prom Princess: Audrey
✨Prom King: Sam
✨Prom Queen: Camilla
National Soccer Game Field Trip ⚽️
In early June, our Girls Soccer team headed off-campus with Coach Janessa to BMO Field for an International Friendly game between Canada and Mexico! The Canadian women’s national team drew 1-1 in the second and final game of the Summer Send-Off Series.
The girls had a blast making signs, cheering on their favourite players, and spending time with one another on a beautiful June evening!
Frank's Meet & Greet
We’re so excited to welcome Frank Salvatore DeFina as the new Upper School principal this September!
The Meet & Greet event for Frank on June 13th brought together current and future families to enjoy gelato from local favourite Futura Granita and candied fruits made by our very own Cooking Club. We also set up a special station for parents and guardians to write letters that will be delivered to student lockers on the first day of school.
Wellness Talk with Uma Ghosh
On June 14, Uma Ghosh came in and spoke to our students about pelvic health. Her insights on managing menstrual pain, understanding pelvic floor dysfunction, and recognizing what’s normal and what’s not were invaluable to our students and faculty in attendance.
A bit about Uma: Uma graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Physical Therapy in 2003 and completed a Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Boston University in 2010. Uma’s future goals include enhancing knowledge in Pelvic Health through research contributions and she’s currently in the process of developing a pilot project!
Thank you for coming in, Uma!
Grade 12 Destination Dress Down Day
Our Grade 12 Grads showed up for “Destination Dress Down Day” by wearing clothing or colours representing their future university or college destination.
BRB – we’re happy crying with pride!
Grad Shirt Signing & Memory Making
Our Grade 12 grads celebrated on our terrace with treats and pizza, signing old uniform shirts and yearbooks. Some of the polos were so tiny – from their days in Lower School! These special items will forever remind them of their journey at Hudson.
Check out this video made by Graduating Grade 12 student, Clair, to remember the moment by.
Here’s to new beginnings and unforgettable moments: #OnceAHuskyAlwaysAHusky!
June Day 2024
We kicked off our annual June Day celebrations with loads of excitement by announcing our Grade 9 to 11 subject award winners and our House Cup Champions! We also celebrated the recipients of four special House Awards, which recognize students who make stand-out contributions to the Hudson Upper School community. Students then headed outside to enjoy a delicious BBQ lunch and outdoor games - including a 6 foot deep dunk tank!
Congratulations to all our award winners and a special shout-out to the Prairies for winning this year’s House Cup!
Hudson Graduation Gala 🎓
On June 26, the Class of 2024 attended their Graduation Gala and officially graduated from Hudson College! Family, guardians, friends, and faculty all came together at the beautiful Eglinton Grand to celebrate our new graduates and all they have accomplished.
The ceremony began after dinner and dessert with Jack opening the ceremony with the Principal's Address. This was then followed by teachers who presented Grade 12 subject awards as well as Hudson awards.
The Class of 2024 then walked across the stage to receive their diplomas, and seven of them presented their speech: Alessia, Nick, Camilla, Betty, Ava M., Julia, and Sam. As most know, it is an annual tradition where the entire graduating class writes their own graduation speeches, which are then collected into a Memory Book that each graduate receives at the end of the night. The ceremony ended with a nostalgic slideshow of the graduates' memories at Hudson College!
Check out this video here teachers & administrators share heartfelt messages with this year's graduates!
We extend a massive and warm congrats to the Class of 2024 and can’t wait to see where you go!
Welcoming Frank as the new Upper School Principal in September!
Frank Salvatore DeFina – Upper School Principal
Frank Salvatore DeFina – Upper School Principal
Frank will be joining Hudson this Fall 2024 following several years as principal at Etobicoke’s Father John Redmond Catholic Secondary School and Regional Arts Centre, where he worked closely with staff to implement its competitive Advanced Placement (AP) and Regional Arts programs. A mathematics teacher for over two decades, Frank also worked to develop the Ontario curriculum and administer the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Michael Power/St. Joseph High School, another TCDSB school in Etobicoke.
Open and honest collaboration is very important to Frank, as is building and maintaining positive relationships with everyone in the community. Students are at the centre of any school, and Frank believes in nurturing the mind, body and spirit to best prepare them for postsecondary challenges. As Upper School Principal, he is looking forward to ensuring that every Hudson student receives an exceptional education, so they can achieve their goals and beyond.
SPORTS UPDATE
Boys U20 Outdoor Soccer Win ⚽
Congratulations to the Boys U20 Outdoor Soccer team for capturing the SSAF Banner after beating out another school 5-0 in the final. Well done to the players and coach Stalteri who overcame an early defeat in the event to persevere in the end!
Go Huskies!
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