School News
March 4, 2024
Embedded Files
UPCOMING DATES
March 7-24: International Trip
March 8: House Olympic Games
March 9-17: March Break
March 19: Parent/Teacher Interviews
March 27-28: Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test
March 29 - April 1st: Easter Long Weekend
April 2nd: Tie-Dye T-Shirt Fundraiser for Art Mural
April 3: Euclid Math Contest
April 18: Arts Fest & Arts Nigh
April 29 - May 2: Exams
May 3: Feedback Day/Last Day of Winter Semester
Call for Guest Speakers
Every year, we have amazing people speak to our students. Recently, we hosted Hudson parent Erik Williamson as a speaker in our Parent Career Conversations series. We're always on the lookout for volunteers who'd like to speak to our students about a variety of subjects.
If you'd like to provide industry and career guidance, specialized academic subject (including fine arts) lectures, or be a motivational speaker, please fill out the form below!
SCHOOL NEWS
Letter from the Principal
Letter from the Principal
March 4th, 2024
Dear Parents / Guardians,
How time flies by! It’s hard to believe we’re halfway through the Winter Semester. The school has been lively with events, activities and the usual Hudson school spirit.
January had relatively mild weather, but our students faced no setbacks on the Ski & Snowboard Trip. Luckily, they were met with snowfall just in time for the excursion.
The month also saw Frost Week kick off many entertaining drop-in activities during lunch. The following Friendship Week and STEM Week also brought a variety of special events alongside our regular lunchtime club offerings.
Speaking of STEM Week, our Grade 10s hosted a successful Science Fair, and we were thrilled by the enthusiasm of our students participating in the Toronto Science Fair. I can’t fail to mention the Grade 11 and 12s who challenged themselves to the Canadian Computing Competition. A commendable effort by all!
Hudson Athletics has had a successful Winter Semester as well. Whether on the Hudson Huskies or Team Canada, we’re proud of our athletes' achievements. Be sure to read all about their efforts on the Sports News page.
The Parent Career Conversations series has continued to inspire our Grade 9s. We're so fortunate to have hosted you – our talented parents – to demonstrate that our students can achieve their ambitions. Our latest issue of Beyond & Connected, our alumni magazine, can attest that our past students have been achieving their ambitions as well.
On Pink Shirt Day, we stood united with the Lower School to stand up against bullying! Themed dress-down days are always more spirited than the usual ones, and Pink Shirt Day holds special significance close to our hearts.
With midterms behind us, who's looking forward to March Break? I know that Mr. Yovanny, Mr. Zhao and the students travelling with him to Spain, Portugal and France certainly are! However, we hope everyone is anticipating a well-deserved break to unwind with family and friends.
Here's to an early Spring!
Sincerely,
Jack.
Shredding on Snowy Slopes
On January 19th, our students had a fantastic Friday at Blue Mountain for our annual Ski & Snowboard Trip. Despite earlier concerns about the lack of snow, our students were fortunate – a heavy snowfall occurred the week prior.
The day of the trip was another snowy day, and as soon as they got to Blue Mountain, the students prepared for the day. After their skills test that determined their ability and cleared them for specific slope ratings, the students had the entire afternoon to take on Blue Mountain – whether that meant ripping down a double black diamond or leisurely gliding down a blue square at their own pace.
Frost Week Fun!
As the name "Winter Semester" would suggest, it's currently the coldest time of the school year. So we organized Frost Week to bring in some warm, positive energy and raise school spirit!
To help students kick off the semester on the right foot, Frost Week started with a casual get-together where our students discussed tips on balancing deadlines and staying organized, over a game of giant Jenga and snacks!
The following days, students put their thinking caps on and joined in on Pop Culture Kahoot! and Riddle Roulette Raffle – and of course, there were some great prizes to win.
Frost Week closed with our first Pop-Up Cafe where students could grab some delicious hot chocolate and homemade biscotti drizzled with dulce de leche! All the proceeds from the Pop-Up Cafe went to the Prom Committee to help them prepare for the much anticipated Upper School Prom!
Beyond & Connected Spotlighting Alumni and Students
Beyond & Connected is our alumni magazine packed with alumni community highlights, inspiring alumni stories, the latest school news from 2023 and much, much more!
This 20th Anniversary edition contains feature stories about our awesome alumni. Meet Lisa ('13), who just released her first album; Kabir ('16), who manages capital funding for the Rural Development Network and The Sustainable Housing INitiave; Timi ('14), an Enterprise Account Manager at Google; and Mannat ('19), founder of the Queens' Wellness and Beauty Industry Connection.
This issue also spotlights four fantastic Hudson students. Read about Talia, the Editor-in-Chief of the Husky Herald; Audrey, one of the most active students in our school; and Becca and Sam, our 2022/2023 Athletes of the Year!
There are also tons of beautiful photo spreads and even a Fun & Games section. So what are you waiting for? Check it out now!
BFFs Celebrating Friendship Week
Friendship Week always falls on the week of Valentine's Day – because at Hudson, Valentine's Day is a time to express gratitude for everyone significant in our lives. From February 12-15th, there was always something fun happening at lunch.
On Monday, students dropped in to make Valentine's cards for their friends, their special someone and even their parents, to hand out on Valentine's Day.
On Tuesday, our students created the Friend Appreciation Wall full of cute compliments about their classmates and teachers. Heart-shaped sticky notes were available for the rest of the week so students could continue to leave more messages during lunch or between classes.
The following day, students played Besties Bingo! In pairs, students guess their BFF's answers to questions like "What is your best memory?", "How did you two first meet?" and "What is their biggest fear?" All contestants and audience members had a blast when the pairs revealed their answers. Shoutout to Rhys and Faris who scored the most points, and both took home a sweet candy prize!
The final day, February 15th, was Twin Day where students wore matching outfits with their besties. During lunch, all the twins (and triplets, and quadruplets) came to the art room to make each other friendship bracelets. The workshop was such a hit the Art Club decided to host a second workshop the following week!
Hudson Family Hangouts!
Friendship Week didn't mark the end of showing appreciation for our loved ones! The Family Day Long Weekend, February 16-19th, served as a nice break from school for our students to get some extra bonding time with their families. Check out what our Upper School and Lower School students love to do with their families in this Instagram Reel!
Future Artists at the AGO
Our Grade 9 and 10 Visual Arts students went on a field trip to the AGO on February 20th. They started the day by exploring the museum’s current exhibitions to find artwork related to their sketchbook’s theme study. They then participated in a Keith Haring-inspired workshop facilitated by the AGO where they played with line, shape, and colour. The students had a great time snapping photos of the museum's exhibits to look back on and remember their vibrant visit.
STEM Week Success!
From February 20-23rd, our future scientists, engineers and mathematicians displayed their talents during STEM week and participated in a variety of STEM-related events and activities!
Grade 10 Science Fair
The Grade 10 Science Fair is an annual event where Grade 10s showcase their hard work from the past few weeks using the scientific method to hypothesize, experiment and learn about topics of their choice. This year, many of our Grade 10s focused on topics that teens can use in their day-to-day lives, such as magnesium's effect on sleep, bacteria growth in cosmetics and even the effectiveness of binaural beats on brain function. The entire school had so much fun listening to the Grade 10s present their projects and learn about their findings. They especially enjoyed testing their reflexes and reaction speed at Sophie and Jyll's project.
Congratulations to all our amazing winners who have the option to move on to the Toronto Science Fair. Maybe they'll follow in the footsteps of past Huskies and advance to the nationals – fingers crossed!
1st Place 🥇: What bridge is the strongest? - Arsenii
2nd Place 🥈: Light & Heat - How does colour affect heat? - Joey and Zach
3rd Place 🥉: Effects of Caffeine on Plants - Anke
Honourable Mentions 🏅:
Analysis of hydrogen gas production of electrolysis - Sofiane
Is hearing affected by age and sex? - Henry
Does skincare actually work? Cosmetic Absorption of Skin - Maya and Jill
The Canadian Computing Competition
Held by the University of Waterloo's Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC), the Canadian Computing Competition (CCC) challenges Grade 11 and 12 students interested in computer programming in a fun and stress-free setting. It tests their ability to understand using algorithmic programming problems, where students must code an algorithm to find the solution. This was the first year our school has participated in the CCC, and we commend our students for taking on such a challenging contest!
Iodine Clock Reaction Challenge
Mr. Migs put on a fun chemistry challenge for our students. After looking at the volume of two different solutions, students had to guess how long it would take for the mixture of the solutions to turn from translucent to opaque black. Kudos to Daniel for guessing the closest and winning a Hudson lab coat filled with candy!
The Canadian Computing Competition
Held by the University of Waterloo's Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC), the Canadian Computing Competition (CCC) challenges Grade 11 and 12 students interested in computer programming in a fun and stress-free setting. Testing their ability to understand using algorithmic programming problems, where students must code an algorithm to find the solution. This was the first year our school has participated in the CCC, and we commend our students for taking on such a challenging contest!
STEM Week Pizza Party
STEM Week concluded on February 23rd. The Grade 10s and Computing Competition Contestants came together for a pizza party in recognition of all their hard work and to celebrate another successful STEM Week!
BONUS DAY: Pascal, Cayley, & Fermat Math Contests
STEM Week extended into the next week, and the following Wednesday, February 28th, our Grade 9, 10, and 11s had the opportunity to write in the University of Waterloo's CEMC Math Contests. Named after three famous mathematicians, these contests test logical thinking and mathematical problem-solving with multiple-choice problems based on curriculum concepts. Since the competition doesn't affect marks, the contests encourage students to have fun challenging themselves without the stress of passing or failing. This year, we had another great turnout, especially from the Grade 9s.
On Wednesdays, We Wear Pink!
But unlike the Plastics from Mean Girls, we wear pink to stand up against bullying! Alongside schools across Canada, Hudson College participated in Pink Shirt Day on February 28th. Students donated $5 to dress down in pink shirts to show their support for their peers, which will go to support the Pink Shirt Foundation. What a perfect way to end the month of February, a month marked by kindness and appreciation for our loved ones.
GUIDANCE UPDATE
It's been a great start to the Winter Semester, and Ms. Streff wants to compliment our students on incorporating everything they've learned from last semester. Whether it's mindfulness tips, study skills or leadership skills, students have navigated this semester in stride!
Parent Career Conversations
This semester, we've hosted two Parent Career Conversations with more to come in the remaining months. Belle Baldoza and Russell Smith spoke to our students on January 26th, while Brian Sahely spoke to them on February 23rd.
Belle is the Global Communications Director at TikTok. With the help of daughter Clair who facilitated the conversation as a fireside chat, she shared her experience working in PR and Communications, for big companies including Spotify, Uber and Netflix.
Russell is a published author and journalist who provided the inside scoop on writing, the publishing world and freelance journalism. He also shared his experience with book cover designers.
Brian Sahely is a civil/environmental engineer and CEO. He went in-depth into many paths an engineer can take and his journey from university to founding SWEL (Sahely Water Engineering Ltd.). However, he didn't share what happens at the secret iron ring ceremony... that’s for our future engineers to find out themselves!
Ms. Streff wants to again thank Belle, Russell and Brian for taking time out of their busy schedules to inspire our students. These conversations will stay in our students' minds as they select future courses in the upcoming weeks, and apply to university in a few years.
If you are interested in speaking to our students in the upcoming months (or even the next school year!), please fill out the Parent Guest Speaker form listed in the Quick Links.
Grade 9 Update
Grade 9 Update
The Grade 9s have been enjoying the Winter Semester and their new courses. With the study and organizational skills they developed with their peer tutors, they've started this semester on the right foot. While their peer tutors are no longer officially mentoring them, they are friendly faces that they can talk to in the halls. Students who would like more formal mentoring can reach out to Mr. McMaster or attend Tutoring Club.
Grade 12 Update
Grade 12 Update
All our Grade 12s have applied to their programs – some have received and accepted offers already, while others are waiting to hear back from their programs of choice. While this can sometimes feel like the most stressful part of the university application process, there is still plenty of time to hear back from schools.
The January 15th deadline to submit applications on OUAC has passed, but sometimes students can get inspired and have the urge to apply to a program after the deadline. Ms. Streff would like students to know that can still apply to programs that have openings. However, since it is past the deadline, the application will not be in the equal consideration group.
Some students have been researching and applying for scholarships, and Ms. Streff is available to help edit and review scholarship applications and essays. She wants to remind students again to check that they meet all requirements before spending time applying, and to double-check the application deadlines. The alumni mentors are also a great resource to learn about scholarships and to give feedback on their applications.
SPORTS UPDATE
The Hudson Athletic Department is proud of the achievement of our Huskies! Not only did our U16 Indoor Soccer team take home the 1st place banner, but our U20 Girls' Volleyball team placed 2nd in their tournament.
During the remainder of the semester, the U20 Boys' Basketball will start and finish their playoff season;the U20 Co-ed Table Tennis will attend an SSAF tournament; and the U20 Co-ed Badminton will head to the qualifiers hoping to advance to the finals. Wish them good luck – GO HUSKIES!
QUICK LINKS
Please complete the SSAF waiver for your child's participation in 2023-2024 Athletics. This is a blanket waiver for all events in the 2023-2024 school year.
If you have any questions regarding Hudson Athletics, please reach out to Marco Reda, Athletic Director, at mreda@hudsoncollege.ca. Go Huskies!
Check out these photos from the Canada vs. USA game!
Student Spotlight: Zach Nyman
Grade 10 student Zach Nyman was selected as a defenseman for Team Canada's men's hockey team at the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games which was held January 19th - February 1st. Team Canada fought hard and Zach even scored two goals against USA. However, they fell in the shootout in the bronze game against Finland. Regardless, Zach and the rest of Team Canada should feel proud of their athletic achievements – we sure are. Go Canada, Go!
U16 Indoor Soccer
Our U16 Indoor Soccer team proudly brought home the banner as Champions after the U16 Soccer tournament on February 23rd. After five intense games, you may think that our Huskies would lose some steam, but our Huskies were more energized than ever. Bring everything they had to the final game, they won 6-2. Go Huskies!
U20 Girls' Volleyball
The U20 Girls’ Volleyball team was unstoppable this year! During the regular season, they won every game and entered the SSAF Volleyball tournament top of the South league.
Heading into the SSAF Volleyball tournament, they were confident and determined to make it further than the semi-finals which is where they finished last year. After 3 nail-biting sets against a tough opponent, they placed 2nd. Congratulations! Coach Franco is proud of all their hard work this season, and looking forward to next season. However, he is sad that the Grade 12 team members will not be there next year!
U20 Boys' Basketball
It's been another great season for the U20 Boys’ Basketball team. This year, they're coached by Mr. Stalteri, and they've been utilizing more intricate plays this year. With 3 wins and a tie, they're entering the playoffs in Tier 1 and will face the top teams in the SSAF league. Send them luck for theirplayoff game!
U16 Boys' Basketball
The U16 Boys Basketball got their head in the game and landed in the quarter-finals in the SSAF tournament. They brought determination and sportsmanship to the court, and scored 177 points across four games. Great work, lads!
U20 Boys' Indoor Soccer
On February 29th, the U20 Boys' Indoor Soccer Team had a great time at the SSAF tournament. They demonstrated exceptional sportsmanship and teamwork, winning one game and drawing another. The boys look forward to more playtime in the Spring Semester at the U20 Outdoor Soccer tournament. We love the enthusiasm!
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