Message from the Upper School Athletics Director

Ms. Carla Di Filippo

Hello Gators,

The spring athletics season at 蜜桃视频 has been a remarkable showcase of talent, dedication and sportsmanship. Our athletes have demonstrated talent across various sports, bringing pride and honour to our school. From all sporting arenas, 蜜桃视频’s students have excelled, showing not only their physical abilities but also their commitment to their teams and the spirit of competition.

This spring 蜜桃视频 took home five CISAA championships in ultimate, tennis, rugby and track and field. Our Senior Ultimate Team had their best result to date, taking home the provincial bronze at the OFSAA championships. Best of luck to the Soccer Team as they compete from June 6 to 8 at the OFSAA (provincial) championship. Congratulations to our Rowing Team, who competed at CSSRA championships (aka high school national championships) in St. Catharines on the weekend of May 31 to June 2. The team came home with two bronze and one silver! The success of our athletes is not just measured in medals and trophies, but also in the inspiration they provide to their peers and the broader community. They exemplify the strength, resilience and leadership that girls and women bring to the world of sports.

On Tuesday, May 28, we celebrated all of our spring MVPs and Coaches Award recipients. The spring Athletics Assembly provided the Athletics Department with the chance to honour our most prestigious awards: Athletes of the Year and the Sonia Labatt Armstrong Sportsmanship Cup. Congratulations to Naio Martin, Middle School Athlete of the Year; Maria Annibale, Junior Athlete of the Year; and Scarlett Nowakowski, recipient of both the Suzanne Curtis Memorial Trophy (Senior Athlete of the Year). The Sonia Labatt Armstrong Sportsmanship Cup went to Kaitlyn Windover. and .

Congratulations to all of this year鈥檚 award winners! 

Our athletes’ accomplishments this season would not have been possible without the commitment and passion of their coaches. The dedication and expertise of our coaching staff have been instrumental in honing the skills and boosting the confidence of our students. A huge shout out to Nicole, Gator Zone Student Editor, for all of your work this year. Your gentle nudges to meet deadlines were greatly appreciated! Lastly, I would like to acknowledge two of the most passionate, Gator-loving people at 蜜桃视频, our Sports Prefects Paige and Kaitlyn. It was an absolute pleasure to watch you both go above and beyond this year on all things Gators and work together to make athletics at 蜜桃视频 special.

Have a wonderful summer!

Ms. Di Filippo

Message from the JS Athletics Director

Ms. Anna Bartlett

What a season it has been! For the first time in 10 years, 蜜桃视频’s U10, U11 and U12 teams swept Track and Field with every division winning the championship title! Many participants reached their personal best heights, lengths and times and built their confidence as they sprinted past the finish line. 

Sixteen students placed first in one or more of their events! It is hard to describe in words this remarkable accomplishment.

Congratulations to the U12 Softball Team, whose improvement over the season brought catching pop flys and home runs to the field on the final day. 蜜桃视频 had more students participating in softball than any other CISAA school; we had two evenly-numbered teams playing this year. 

Our U12 Ultimate Team competed in their final event of the season against other co-ed schools on May 23. Being the only team with all girls, one would think we were doomed鈥攂ut this was not the case! On the final day, all three games came down to overtime and 蜜桃视频 beat Toronto French School with a diving catch in the end zone. 

Our Grade 1, 2 and 3 Multisport Squads were in full force this season and we were also fortunate to have the expertise of our external coaches Coach Aaliyah and 蜜桃视频 Old Girl/Alum Coach Sydney to lead two Soccer/Basketball Squad Teams. This skill development that the Grade 3 and 4 students received will benefit our soccer and basketball program in the years to come. 

We want to wish our Grade 6 athletes well as they continue in their healthy, active journeys into Middle School.

Ms. Bartlett

Message from the Student Editor

Nicole Stanley

Hey 蜜桃视频!

It鈥檚 hard to believe this year has come to an end. I have enjoyed every minute of growing up in the ivy walls we鈥檙e so lucky to call home. I know every student feels blessed to have the opportunities the athletics at 蜜桃视频 provides. I cannot express how grateful I am to have been your Student Editor for the 2023-24 school year. 

It has also been an honour to highlight the accomplishments of the phenomenal students and staff at 蜜桃视频. I love hearing about your stories, successes, losses and comebacks鈥擨 am so proud from behind the pen. Our Gators have proven to be better than ever and are growing into accomplished athletes and people. 

Sports have shaped who I am today and have always provided me with opportunities to step outside of my comfort zone. If there is one word of advice that I leave with you, it would be to do the same: step outside of your comfort zone, try new things, be afraid, be better.

I want to extend a huge thank you to the candidly exceptional Athletic Department at 蜜桃视频. Thank you to all the talented writers, Ms. D., Ms. Bartlett and Ms. Pink for your contributions to Gator Zone. 

In this final issue for 2023-24, you will find a range of articles spotlighting our remarkable spring teams. As you鈥檝e likely come to expect, our Gators proved to be nothing short of successful. As the term comes to an end, it鈥檚 important to recognize the resilience all athletes have shown over the past three seasons. Special thanks to our Sports Prefects Paige and Kaitlyn, and the Sports Council for their hard work planning Sports Assemblies, Gator Day, Hockey Day and many other events throughout the year. Without further ado, please enjoy this issue of Gator Zone!

Nicole

Message from the Sports Prefects

Kaitlyn Windover and Paige Edwards

Hi Gators! We cannot believe that this year is coming to an end. It is so hard to say our goodbyes to 蜜桃视频 sports. For our last issue of Gator Zone, we are delighted to say that we have had an incredible spring season with so many teams excelling and having fun in the warm weather. Huge shoutouts are in order for our U20 D1 Ultimate, U20 Tennis, U14 Touch Rugby and U14 Track and Field on their CISAA wins!

At the beginning of this year, we embarked on a journey to make our sports program more inclusive: a place where everyone could find their passion and be a part of a team. We are thrilled to share that we have taken significant strides towards this goal. Our Gator Day events and the 蜜桃视频 Gators Instagram account have not only fostered a spirit of support for our athletes, but have also expanded our athletic community to include anyone who wants to enjoy sports and teamwork. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us on this journey. Your contributions have made our athletics a positive, welcoming and spirited community!

In addition to all of the support we received from students, we would also like to say thank you to the important people who athletics at 蜜桃视频 could not run without. Firstly, to all the coaches who don’t just show up every day, but who also put every extra moment of their busy lives into it: we could not have done it without you and we appreciate all the hard work you do for our teams. Secondly, to Ms. D., who works non-stop throughout the school year to ensure all of the background team organization is completed so we can be creative and run fun events for the school. Ms. D. makes everything run as smoothly as possible and supports us and all our crazy ideas. She could not be thanked enough for all that she does for this school鈥攁nd she does it all with a smile on her face! Finally, a major shout-out goes to the Sports Council! If we didn’t have this council, we wouldn’t even be able to run one Athletic Assembly, Gator Day or event properly. Through their hard work, passion and awesome attitudes, we pulled off some amazing events while having the most fun possible. We could not have had a better group and we cannot thank you enough. 

蜜桃视频, we cannot express how grateful we are to have been able to be at the front and centre of athletics this year. It has been an amazing experience and we are so thankful for the support we were given and hope we made your experience here more enjoyable. We will always love 蜜桃视频 and, don’t worry, we will be visiting often in future years! We know HC athletics will continue to thrive next year when we are gone, but we can’t believe it’s our last time saying this: Roll Gators!

Paige and Kaitlyn

Rugby鈥擭ew Junior Division in CISAA

Lauren Cheng

This season, Rugby Ontario implemented a new rule that disallowed Grade 9s from competing in Senior High School Rugby. Therefore, a new Junior Division was added, thus, allowing for increased playtimes for younger players and opportunities for 蜜桃视频 students to play rugby.

The Junior Team showed immense courage and dedication by training with the seniors, and their efforts were evident in their dominating performances on the field. When Mx. Curtis was asked about the Junior Team鈥檚 performance this season, she said, 鈥淭hey鈥檝e dominated. Their enthusiasm for the game has been really beautiful to watch.鈥�

Many of the Grade 9 students previously played on the U14 Touch Rugby Team and most of the Grade 10s were on the Senior Team last year. The Grade 10s have done an amazing job leading the Junior Division Team and it is clear that the confidence and chemistry of the Junior players increased as the weeks went by. Together, they have demonstrated skill, teamwork and a promising future for the 蜜桃视频 Rugby Program.

Our Juniors had an impressive first season. Coming out of playoffs, they had 151 points scored, 59 points scored against and an almost perfect record (due to one loss). In the Championship Finals, our Juniors fought hard and had an unlucky loss to Greenwood College School, finishing their campaign in second place overall.

The coaches and the Senior Team are incredibly proud of the Junior Team鈥檚 achievements. We cannot wait to watch them play again next year!

Badminton OFSAA Gold鈥擪aylee W

Eshal Shakir

Grade 11 student Kaylee Wang has been on the Badminton Team at 蜜桃视频 since Grade 7 and currently also plays for Team Canada. She has been playing badminton since she was 11, placing second at OFSAA last year and, this year, she won OFSAA Gold! This spring, Kaylee went to the OFSAA badminton tournament with her 蜜桃视频 teammates. There were singles and doubles matches, which consisted of players from high school teams and people who played outside of school, who were all combined into one category. 

There were three days of the badminton tournament, which was hosted in Berry, Quebec. The first day was easy for Kaylee: she defeated two girls in single matches who played mainly for their high school teams. On the second day, she played against someone who plays competitively outside of school, which was more challenging for her. On the final day, she was up against a national champion. Kaylee was the underdog since this player was pretty much undefeated. Yet, she proved her outstanding skills to everyone and won the gold!

Kaylee was saying how a big factor in this incredible achievement is having amazing coaches and teammates who are supportive and always push you to do your best, which is exactly what coaches Ms. Lau and Coach Lau do.

Swinging Back into Tradition

Sarah McQuillen Young

A tradition was brought back to life this spring: the student-staff softball game! Before the pandemic, this was one of the most eagerly awaited sports games of the year. Although this may be the first time we have had this event in a few years, the fierce competition between faculty, staff and students was in full force.

The game gave our students a chance to enjoy one of the first sunny days out on the Ratcliffe Field, all assembled to cheer on their friends! The students got to see the athletic side of their teachers, particularly Coach Mike’s swing and Mr. Brown鈥檚 tactical job as third base coach. Although the game ended in an unfortunate 10-0 loss to the staff team (which may be attributed to staff umpires), the 蜜桃视频 spirit was alive and well the whole game. Students celebrated every out, every hit and every catch with enthusiasm. Outfielder Peyton Furgiuele (Grade 11) said: 鈥淭he student and staff cheering brought the game to life鈥�. Despite the 鈥淪taff lose鈥� sign needing to be changed back to 鈥淪taff don鈥檛 lose,鈥� the game was a great way for every student to spend their lunch! We look forward to this tradition continuing in future years. To the staff鈥� remember: 鈥渟pirit always wins!鈥�

Ultimate Canada Team Member Ms. Dos Santos

Camila Castillo

When you think of community hours, who do you think of? For many, Ms. Dos Santos comes to mind in her office in the Forum for Change. However, aside from her role as the Administrative Assistant to the VP of Experiential Education and Innovation, she is an extraordinary Ultimate player.

Ms. Dos Santos came from an active family and played many sports, like track and field and badminton. In Grade 9, Ms. Dos Santos started playing Ultimate, leading to her remarkable career. She played for the Top Ontario Junior Women鈥檚 team in 2015 and 2016, winning Bronze, and winning Silver in 2017. On the University of Toronto’s team, she played and won Silver in 2017 and Gold in 2019 and 2021. She also played for Team Canada, winning Bronze in 2018 and 2019 and Silver in 2023, and will compete in Australia later this year. This past month in May, Ms. Dos Santos went with Team Canada (and our amazing US Athletic Director, Ms. D., who is one of the team鈥檚 coaches), to Colombia to compete at the Torneio Eterna Primavera, placing third after a tough loss in the semis against Colombia. However, her proudest achievement is making the World Games team in 2022 and ranking #2 Best Female Player. 

In her role at 蜜桃视频, she has coached the U16 Ultimate Team for four years, helping the team win Silver in 2021 and 2022, gold in 2023 and silver this past term (2024). Ms. Dos Santos has made a huge impact since joining our community, instilling a sense of teamwork and resilience. We are so lucky to have her at 蜜桃视频 with us! 

Staff Profile鈥�Daniela Lipovetzky

Sophia Liu

Despite this being her first year as a Gator, Ms. Lipovetzky has quickly immersed herself in the school community. She grew up in an artsy and athletic family, steering her to develop a strong love and passion for sports and the arts ever since childhood. After 10 years of teaching and coaching softball, baseball and volleyball in the Peel District School Board, she has brought her passions to our school. 

Ms. Lipovetzky teaches Grade 7 and 8 Middle School Drama and directed the Middle School Play, Rogue鈥檚 Gallery. She also teaches Grade 7 English and coaches the U14 Softball Team alongside Ms. Macer. Under the watch of Ms. Lipovetzky and Ms. Macer, the U14 Softball Team finished the regular season at the top! As an extremely athletic person, Ms. Lipovetzky enjoys a variety of sports and possesses a wide range of athletic skills, experiences and knowledge. From the ages of 9 to 15, she played co-ed hardball and eventually moved on to slow pitch as an adult. She also spent an impressive 10 years of her life skydiving (she has over 900 jumps!) and has experience as a skydiving videographer. Additionally, she is a snowboarder, no doubt maneuvering across the hills with skill. 

Ms. Lipovetzky has gained great wisdom from her experiences and would give the students of 蜜桃视频 this piece of advice: 鈥淧rogress is not linear; take feedback with grace, laugh at your mistakes and move forward. Nothing is going to be perfect the first time you do it!鈥� 

Message from the Upper School Athletics Director

Ms. Carla Di Filippo

Hello Gators,

The winter athletic season at 蜜桃视频 is not just about competition; it鈥檚 about fostering a sense of community and wellbeing among students. Through regular practice sessions, league games, team bonding activities and coaching support, students develop important life skills such as perseverance, resilience and leadership. More than 425 students played on 27 winter teams to achieve our athletics mission of developing confidence to remain active throughout one’s entire life. 

After an exhibition season last winter and with pressure from schools like 蜜桃视频, CISAA created the first-ever Girls Squash League. The team competed in the CISAA finals on February 21, where 蜜桃视频 won the A-Flight Championships. This would not have been possible without the dedication and support of our HC coaches: Mx. Curtis and Mr. Adams. Mr. Adams was instrumental in the development of the league, creating league guidelines and tournament rules for CISAA. Our Swim Team continues to dominate the water winning an impressive three CISAA Championships and qualifying more than 15 athletes for the provincial meet, OFSAA. Congratulations to all of our winter teams on their efforts this term!

It鈥檚 impossible to write about the winter term without mentioning Hockey Day. We hosted more than 800 students and 100 faculty and staff at Mattamy Arena to support the Gators. As always, the 蜜桃视频 spirit was on full display. I encourage everyone to check out the Instagram for some highlights. The Hockey for Health initiative was a success with numerous student-led activities aimed at 鈥渃homping the stigma鈥� surrounding mental health, as well as fundraising over $2000 for Kids Help Phone. Our Prefects, Kaitlyn and Paige, along with the Sports Council, continue to highlight everything HC athletics and I am grateful for their passion and love for the Gators! 

Finally, I鈥檇 like to mention our HC coaches: these coaches go beyond teaching the technical aspects of a sport; they serve as mentors, motivators and role models who contribute significantly to the overall development of our students. Thank you, coaches, for your time, passion and support of our athletes. 

I look forward to some sunshine in the upcoming spring season!

Roll Gators!

Ms. D

Message from the JS Athletics Director

Ms. Anna Bartlett

With Intramurals, Squads, Squad Teams and Teams you can be sure that all of the girls at the Junior School are keeping active during the chilly winter months. 

The gyms were buzzing with excitement at 蜜桃视频’s Junior School; for the first time, we had nine Volleyball Teams and 82 players from Grade 4 to 6. This is the highest number of participants in Volleyball at a school in the CISAA. The teams went on to bump, set and spike their way into the finals, which were hosted at 蜜桃视频 on February 22.

The U12 Hockey Team represented 蜜桃视频 on Hockey Day. The players proudly stepped onto the ice in front of more than 1,500 spectators. Our three Grade 1 to 3 Multisport Squads and the Badminton Squad have also been having a lot of fun. Sydney Peters, a 蜜桃视频 alumni, has stepped in to coach these students and we are proud to have her back in a coaching role. 

It has been wonderful to hear the sounds of joy coming from the gyms every recess. The gym is always packed with one grade at a time playing intramurals. From benchball to invasion, the students enjoy a break from the cold while they play fun games and develop their skills. 

Looking ahead to the spring, we will be offering a U12 Ultimate Team, which will be the only girl’s team to compete in a co-ed league. Students can also try out for our U12 Softball Team and, of course, our 90+ Track and Field Team will be out in full force. Multisport and Basketball/Soccer Squads will also be offered for the younger grades. 

Registration closes Friday, March 8, so be sure to get your child signed up for Junior School athletics! 

Go Gators! 

Ms. Bartlett

Message from the Student Editor

Nicole Stanley

I am pleased to present the Gator Zone Winter 2023-24 edition. 

In this issue, we tackle a variety of topics spotlighting thriving teams at 蜜桃视频, staff highlights, surges in sports popularity and the one-and-only Hockey Day! By now, I鈥檓 sure you were either at the game at Mattamy Arena or heard all about the exciting 蜜桃视频 Varsity Hockey game against Bishop Strachan School (BSS) on February 13. 

Big props to our amazing Captain Scarlett Nowakowski for showing true leadership to not only her fellow hockey teammates, but to all of our 蜜桃视频 community. In the articles ahead, we aim to acknowledge the amazing staff and students who have contributed to the success of 蜜桃视频鈥檚 programs. 

Ironically it is in the cold and grey days of winter when 蜜桃视频 athletics truly shine. From volleyball to hockey, our intrepid writers have showcased a bevy of amazing achievements. Our Gators have been nothing short of remarkable. While the victories are important, it has been a pleasure to watch so many athletes create lifelong friendships and enduring memories. 

A heartfelt thank you to the dedicated Gator Zone team, including Ms. Di Filippo, Ms. Pink, Ms. Bartlett, the Sports Prefects and our talented writers for their contributions. Your efforts bring these stories to life and capture the genuine spirit of our athletic community. 

I鈥檓 thrilled to see what our Gators will accomplish in the coming spring season. With that, I hope you enjoy the second edition of the Gator Zone 2023-24!

Nicole

Message from the Sports Prefects 

Kaitlyn Windover and Paige Edwards

Hey Gators!

We cannot believe that the winter term is already coming to an end, with only the spring term left to go! Even with the sadness that comes with this ending, we must celebrate all of our Gator achievements and good times this winter. It truly was an awesome term!

Before the winter break, we had our second Gator Day of the year, with our U20 Volleyball Team putting on a show against Holy Trinity School. So many people came out to watch them from all grades. The ever-lasting support from our green and gold fans not only led the team to a win, but also served as a reminder of what makes 蜜桃视频 Athletics so special!

As Sports Prefects, we would like to think that our amazing media skills on Instagram are what make the fans show up. But, in all honesty, we know the HC fans go to EVERY game so they can cheer on their friends from the sidelines! However, the Instagram is still going very strong with the continuation of Athlete of the Week and Games of the Week being posted. Huge thanks to our Sports Council (SpoCo) for this, who ensures everyone feels involved and celebrated in athletics at 蜜桃视频. 

This term of course included the highly anticipated Hockey Day 2024, which was amazing. Even without bringing Hewie home, the Hockey Team definitely won the day with spirit from the HC community, leaving everyone with an incredible experience. As we expected, the 蜜桃视频 Gators were overflowing with green and gold, taking over the Mattamy Arena with their crazy outfits and loud cheers. The unconditional support felt from the crowd left us players speechless, which contributes to the legacy this day leaves for women in sports. Fun fact: in the same week as Hockey Day, the Professional Women’s Hockey League at a sold-out Toronto vs. Montreal game!

This term also served as an incredible opportunity for our entire community to get involved in athletics. Most notably, through House games and benchball. For winter House games, the vigorous game of tchoukball was played, which was a huge success! Kate Leonard House took the win in the end, but every House showed up super excited to participate and cheered on their peers the whole time. During Spirit Week, the Sports Council was in charge of benchball, which is taken very seriously at HC and involves all students and staff! The staff won and made sure the message of 鈥淪taff Don’t Lose!鈥� was made very clear to the students through cheering and signs. Way to go, staff!

Now that fall and winter are complete, it is time to look forward to the spring season! We are beyond excited to see what blooms this term and to discover all that our Gators have in store because it is never short of amazing!

Your Sports Prefects,

Paige and Kaitlyn

Nordic Ski

Charlotte Pickersgill and Aimee McCurdy Franks

This season has been a great one for 蜜桃视频鈥檚 most up-and-coming winter sport: Nordic Skiing! From many adventures in the snow to our 7.5 km race, we have developed our skills and bonded as a team.

We started off by travelling up to Collingwood for a two-day Nordic ski training camp! This tight-knit group was able to build their Nordic ski skills through lessons from experts, participate in a variety of trails and embark on a whole lot of team bonding. We were able to test our abilities by breaking off into small groups and tackling the challenging hills that faced us. Once we finally made it to the top of the hill, we were able to enjoy the glide down while trying to maintain our balance. As older students, this trip provided us with a great opportunity to work with the younger students and teach them Nordic ski skills. Finally, we ended our adventure with an entertaining bus ride back to the city, where we were able to connect over our shared love for Nordic skiing.

A couple of weeks later, we were able to participate in the OFSAA qualifying race at Lakefield College School. This race was the longest one yet, a lengthy 7.5 kilometers! Even though there were a few tumbles in the snow, we all finished together and improved so much this season. Nordic skiing was definitely a highlight of our year and we hope that the Nordic legacy carries on to the younger athletes.

Rise of Curling Popularity

Jessica Torkos

Congratulations to the Curling Team for gliding into another year of success on the curling rink! This year, we celebrate our highest curling engagement with our exhibition league having three times as many members as last year! Our exhibition players eagerly joined the D1 and D2 Curling Teams for practices on most Mondays and Wednesdays. As they rode on the bus together to the Leaside arena, they used the time to form a tight curling community, which helped to improve their curling skills. 

Each Curling Team consists of four players (plus a spare): the Lead, the Second, the Vice and the Skip. The team鈥檚 objective is to slide the most rocks into the target (known as the house) to gain points while keeping the other team’s rocks out. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins! Our new curlers quickly picked up the sport, while our returning players focused on refining their skills and techniques to compete against other schools.

Due to their emphasis on skill development and practice, most exhibition curlers did not participate in formal competitive games this season. Nevertheless, the rise in curling enthusiasm may hopefully lead to the possibility of exhibition games next year!

As for our D1 and D2 athletes, both teams enjoyed a very successful season. A special shoutout to our D2 team athletes for earning their spot in the CISAA playoffs. We wish them luck as they compete over the next couple of weeks, aiming to sweep their way to victory on the ice.

New Rowing Boat from Endowment

Isabella Janczewski

When ergs replace boats and the pool becomes a makeshift lake, rowers know that winter training has officially begun. We Gators have been working hard to maintain our fitness and skills by being flexible, disciplined and creative. After months of early morning sessions, whether in the tanks, gym or Fitness Centre, the crew is anxious to return to Hanlan Boat Club. 

The upcoming 2024 spring season promises excitement, not only due to our strong crew and dedicated group of parents and coaches, but also because of the recent acquisition of a new convertible four/quad boat! This valuable addition to our fleet was made possible by the HC Rowing Endowment, established in 2017. The endowment, led by Jeff Howe and other dedicated members, was established with the goal of raising one million dollars to enhance the rowing experience at 蜜桃视频. These efforts have provided equipment procurement, repair and financial support for student-athletes, ensuring the program’s growth and success. 鈥淚’m grateful for the generosity of the current and previous parents who have contributed to the endowment. It allows our program to have top-quality equipment and explore new technologies to support our program,鈥� says Head Coach, Michael Grieg.

As we leave the cold and dark winter behind and prepare to take on the spring season, we Gators will once again row by the motto: 鈥淚f you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.鈥�

Hockey Day

Lily Pettingill

From intramurals to dress-downs to cheer off, Spirit Week is everyone鈥檚 favourite time of the year. And, at the very centre of it all, is Hockey Day. On February 13, our community came together with record-breaking spirit to watch our varsity Hockey Team play against Bishop Strachan School (BSS). Led by Team Captain Scarlett Nowakowski, the Gators gave it their absolute all. Although the score ended up being 3-0 in favour of BSS, no one could come close to touching that 蜜桃视频 spirit. 

Hockey Day is tricky to explain to somebody who doesn’t go to 蜜桃视频鈥攊t’s more so a celebration of school spirit than it is a game. As 蜜桃视频 students know, the only way to believe the true intensity of the Havercult is to see it with your own eyes, and there is no better demonstration than Hockey Day. A mob of Gators decked out completely in green and gold, many of whom will not have voices the next day, staying until every last player is off the ice. It’s an unspoken rule in everyone鈥檚 minds that blistered palms and strained throats are a small price to pay to show our team how proud we are of them. 

Although I鈥檝e always been a huge fan of the annual 蜜桃视频 vs. BSS hockey game, this one in particular felt more special to me than any year before. It was my sixth and final Hockey Day. As someone who has watched this game religiously every year that I鈥檝e been at 蜜桃视频, I can confidently say I have never seen a crowd like this one. Around 200 more people signed up for Hockey Day this year than last, which is no small feat given that last year鈥檚 game already had a crowd with more energy and enthusiasm than the average high school could ever imagine. Being part of such a powerful community is an incredible privilege and an experience that I will never forget. 

To the masses of people who show up each Hockey Day and contribute to such an unbelievable atmosphere, thank you for making the HC community what it is. To our Hockey Team, you guys are just awesome. Like every year, you played your hearts out. We are so, so, proud of you. Finally, to Hewie鈥� hold on. It’s just a matter of time until you鈥檙e home.

Staff Profile鈥擪ayleen Hogan

Carol Rong

If you鈥檝e ever taken French at school, you may have had the privilege of having Mme. Hogan as your French teacher. But, did you know that beyond the classroom, she is highly involved in sports and plays a pivotal role in 蜜桃视频 athletics? Coming from an athletic family, she was immersed in sports from a young age and always aspired to become a dancer. However, her brothers were all involved in hockey, so she grew up being the only girl on an all-boys hockey team. She also plays softball, soccer, ultimate (Frisbee), beach volleyball and golf. Currently, her favourite sport is golf, which is no surprise considering she grew up riding around in golf carts with her golf obsessed dad. 

During the pandemic, she began taking golf more seriously as it was accessible. She became obsessed with the sport in a way she had never before. Now, she is constantly working on her skills and loves golfing for the fresh air and sunshine. 

After coming to 蜜桃视频, Mme Hogan was introduced to even more sports. Playing beach volleyball inspired her to start coaching the U16 D2 Volleyball Team with Coach Lia, where she discovered that indoor volleyball is a completely different sport from beach volleyball. Despite the differences, she thoroughly enjoys coaching and has also coached the U13 Basketball Teams to a third and fourth overall finish in CISAA! 

When asked what advice she would give to students, she said, 鈥淎lways put yourself out there and try something new, even if you might be mediocre because at 蜜桃视频 it鈥檚 cool to try.鈥�

Message from the Upper School Athletics Director

Ms. Carla Di Filippo

Hello Gators,

The fall athletics term at 蜜桃视频 was one of our most successful to date. Even though the Gators won many CISAA championships and earned numerous top three finishes, for us the highest indicator of success is the number of students who played on a fall sports team, which was 407! 

I鈥檓 thrilled that more than 400 students had the opportunity to participate in athletics this term, benefitting from the positive outcomes that are associated with sports such as: physical health; teamwork and collaboration; discipline and time-management; resilience and perseverance; and so much more. At 蜜桃视频, we are very lucky to have excellent facilities to offer a wide range of programming and experienced, dedicated coaches who guide our students in their athletic journeys, whether that is a CISAA championship or trying a sport for the first time. At 蜜桃视频, sport is for everyone. 

A few specific highlights from the fall term:

On Thursday, November 23, we celebrated the accomplishments of our fall athletics season at our awards assembly. It was here that each team announced their MVP and Coaches Award for the term. As well, two major awards were given out: The Friedland Cup (soccer) and The Doritty Trophy (field hockey). . 

Thank you to Sports Prefects Kaitlyn and Paige for getting the fall season off to a great start! As well, I’d like to recognize Coach Lia for completing a large amount of work behind the scenes. I look forward to the winter term and Hockey Day (which is on Tuesday, February 13鈥攎ark your calendars!).

Go Gators!

Ms. Di Filippo

Message from the JS Athletics Director

Ms. Anna Bartlett

Fall 2023 brought us incredible weather and committed athletes. 

We had more than 125 cross country runners participate on both our U9 and U12 teams. The U9 team hosted a fun run that saw 320 participants run around our 22-acre campus. Congrats to our U10 Cross Country Team for having more than five athletes in the top 20 at the finals. A special congrats to Charlotte Goldthorpe, who ran her way to first place out of 133 runners in the CISAA. 

In the pool, we saw our biggest U12 Swim Team to date. All participants had a taste of what it鈥檚 like to dive off blocks and compete in a swim race. Congratulations to the U12 team who brought home the Bishop鈥檚 Cup! 

On the courts, the six Basketball Teams from Grades 4 to 6 developed their skills and worked together to pass the ball around to open teammates to score. The U10 teams had students taking their very first layups in a game while the U12 teams continued to practise their rebounds and defence. 

The tennis courts were filled this season with pickleball players from our newly formed U10 Pickleball Squad Team. They developed the skills to be lifelong active participants.

On the fields, our U9 Soccer Team had fun learning new skills while our two U12 teams worked to set each other up to score. 

I am very proud of the dedication we see from each athlete and am grateful to work with a group of coaches who deeply care for the girls and their development. 

We are looking forward to the winter season with our Volleyball, Badminton, Multisport Swim and Hockey Teams all getting into the action. 

Ms. Bartlett

Message from the Student Editor

Nicole Stanley

Welcome to the fall 2023-2024 Gator Zone newsletter! 

I am honoured to be your Student Editor this year and would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the 蜜桃视频 Athletic community. Sports have always been a significant part of my life, whether I鈥檓 entering survival mode on the rugby field or hoping I don鈥檛 get hit in the face by a volleyball. Through athletics, I have learned life lessons around perseverance, teamwork and competition. I have experienced both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. The culture at 蜜桃视频 is enriched by its Athletics community. Whether playing for a varsity team or screaming for our hockey stars on Hockey Day, sports is an important part of our HC experience.

This year, the Gator Zone team and I will search high and low to share individual highlights, team accomplishments and inspiring community spirit recognition. We have assembled a group of enthusiastic writers who are keen to share their stories of HC sports!

As the fall season turns to winter, let鈥檚 look back at the AMAZING start we have had to the school year. Already our Gator superstars have won a number of major titles:

On behalf of our Sport Prefects Kaitlyn and Paige and the Gator Zone contributors, I would like to congratulate all athletes who performed incredibly within and outside of 蜜桃视频鈥檚 ivy walls. As editor of Gator Zone, I am excited to showcase our school鈥檚 athletes, coaches and supporters. 

In this issue, you will find interesting articles on staff highlights, team achievements, Gator Day and more! I would like to thank Ms. Di Filippo, Ms. Bartlett, Ms. Pink, as well as all of the talented writers. We hope you enjoy the first Gator Zone edition of the 2023-24 school year!

Nicole

Message from the Sports Prefects 

Kaitlyn Windover and Paige Edwards

The leaves may be falling, but our HC teams are rising in the ranks this year! Hey Gators, to close out the fall athletic term this year, we would like to recognize the incredible achievements we’ve made as a school in only ONE term! It was fantastic to see the excitement our teams had practising and competing every day. There was so much energy from not only our athletes, but also from everyone who came to support them. This energy had to be celebrated, so, to show our appreciation, we decided to bring back highlighting an Athlete of the Week who is nominated by their teammates, and it has been a total success! Early in the year, we noticed that the community wanted to watch and cheer on the HC teams more than ever before, so the week’s games are posted every Monday on our Instagram account. This sparked bigger crowds in our home games, elevating our amazing sense of community here at 蜜桃视频!

Many teams went above and beyond this season. Congratulations to U20 Soccer, U16 Soccer, U14 Basketball, U20 Flag Football and Disc Golf Teams on winning first place at CISAA championships. Another shoutout must go to the U20 Soccer Team for competing and winning CAIS soccer in Oakville this past term. We鈥檇 also like to congratulate the fall rowers who competed at Head of the Trent and took home gold medals to make all of us back at school proud. You all deserve your excellent results!

This fall’s Gator Day was like no other before; hosting four home games at 蜜桃视频, we wanted to take Gator Day to the next level. Students went out to both fields and gyms to watch U20 Soccer, U20 Basketball, U16 D2 Basketball and U20 Field Hockey! Seeing everyone in their green and gold outfits in the morning had everyone excited! The turnout was incredible, with lots of signs and cheers from our spirited community! 

We would further like to thank and congratulate every athlete who participated in the fall athletic term this year. We can’t express how awesome it is to be on a 蜜桃视频 team and to form the friendships and connections that come with it. You are all what makes our teams incredibly special. Stay excited as we still have two thrilling terms left of sports and so much to look forward to. We know you will continue to blow us away this year with your spirit, dedication, skill and teamwork!

Your Sports Prefects,

Paige and Kaitlyn

Disc Golf Championships

Zhifan Ye

On October 23, 2023, athletes in the U20 Disc Golf Team went to Haute Goat in Port Hope, Ontario, to compete against eight other schools. It was one of the largest disc golf tournaments in 蜜桃视频鈥檚 disc golf history!

The course consisted of 18 holes and 28 baskets on the epic 200-acre farm. Similar to golf, the purpose is to throw the disc into the basket in three strokes. The pair of players with the lowest overall score wins. For the High School Invitational, the basket with the shorter distance was used, but the distance still made it appear tiny on the landscape. Many goals were par four, and one of the longest goals required as many as five strokes for professional disc golfers. 

Throughout the course, players had to throw the disc over tall trees, duck below thick bushes for an opening and delicately control the roll, pitch and yaw of the disc. Gators faced strong teams from southern Ontario and the Durham District School Board, learning from their mistakes and perfecting their skills along the way. 蜜桃视频 athletes played hard and came out strong, winning as the champion in the doubles tournament. Congratulations Gators! We cannot wait to see your accomplishments next year. 

CAIS U20 Basketball in Winnipeg

Peyton Price 

From November 29 to December 3, our very own U20 Varsity Basketball Team will be making the long journey to Winnipeg to participate in the CAIS National Basketball Tournament! Schools from all over Canada will be participating alongside our 蜜桃视频 Gators. The U20 Basketball Team has shown so much growth this season and are beyond excited to be competing in the upcoming tournament.

Recently, the U20 Gators participated in a tournament at University of Toronto Schools, where they truly came together and they won third place! Facing teams they had never faced before, they stuck together and achieved incredible results. 

Furthermore, in the regular CISAA season, the Varsity Basketball Team has shown their teamwork once again. On November 3, they travelled to Trinity College School (TCS) to play the undefeated Bears in the semi-finals. It was a very close game, leaving TCS trailing by just a few points for most of the game. With a home-court advantage, the crowd definitely was not on our Gator鈥檚 side. Yet, after an immense amount of hard work, grit and determination, the Gators took home an incredible win. With a very close final score of 42 to 39, our HC team really earned their place in the CISAA Finals!

We wish the best of luck to the U20 Varsity Basketball Team, not just in the CISAA finals, but also in their CAIS tournament! As the team鈥檚 coined motto goes, the Gators #believe. 

New 8 Rowing Boat to Head of the Trent

Ella Carrique

Catch. Lock in. Send. Eight blades. One sound. 

For a moment, I let myself break my laser focus from the square of back in front of me to take in the colours that surround me. Reds, yellows and oranges, blue sky and sun. This, I decide, is the epitome of fall rowing. 

With such strong interest in the fall rowing season, a new boat of 8 was introduced in addition to a 4. The boat of 8 trained on weekends and competed at the Head of the Trent Regatta, offering returning rowers a fantastic opportunity to ease back into the season. Maia, a current Grade 12 rower, remarks, 鈥淚 was so excited when the coaches decided to enter an 8 at Trent. Being able to have the experience of a head race added a great memory to my last year at 蜜桃视频.鈥� While the spring season entails shorter distances, 2 km races, the fall (or 鈥渉ead season鈥�) consists of longer distance courses of about five to six kilometres鈥攁 first for all of the rowers in the boat. With only five practices in before the race, the crew proved strong by finishing second overall. This fall season certainly showed a strong and promising preview for the rest of the year to come. 

A special shoutout to our 4 who placed first in their event at Trent, and 25th of 90 entries at Boston’s prestigious Head of the Charles regatta. We couldn鈥檛 be more proud of our Gators!

CAIS U20 Soccer

Audrea Au-Pronovost

蜜桃视频鈥檚 U20 Soccer Team set off for Oakville on October 11 to participate in a CAIS tournament in which independent schools from all over Canada travelled to compete in. After being shut down since COVID-19, this was the first time in three years CAIS was held. The Gators played Greenwood College and left with an astounding 9 to 0 win! With a great start to the tournament, our Gators stayed undefeated throughout the rest of the tournament. After the 7 to 0 win against the Sacred Hearts of Montreal School, our Gators faced Lower Canada College in the finals. This match was by far the toughest. With five minutes left in the game, neither team had scored. Luckily, HC won a free kick outside the box and our striker, Maria Annibale, took the shot, giving 蜜桃视频 the upper hand. With four minutes left, our Gators kept the lead and won gold in this CAIS competition! 

Despite earning gold, the team鈥檚 journey wasn’t solely about winning. It was about friendship, leadership and teamwork. Each player played a vital role in winning the gold medal and the team learned how to work together to draw on each other’s strengths. The tournament provided an amazing opportunity for teammates to connect with each other and form intergrade relationships. I cannot wait to see what this team will accomplish next year!     

Gator Day

Sarah McQuillen Young

On any regular Monday, students anxiously watch the clock until it strikes 3:30 pm. However, on Monday, October 16, students were waiting for something special: the first Gator Day of the 2023-24 school year! This was the first chance students had to go all out in green in gold since the spring. Our Gators naturally rose to the challenge, arriving at school with the most aesthetically pleasing combinations of green and gold ready to go. 

This year, Gator Day expanded. In previous years, the school would come to support the U20 Soccer Team on Ratcliffe Field. However, 蜜桃视频 is too talented to be limited to one sport. This year, it was exciting to cheer on four teams at the swamp:

These wins would not have been possible without the unwavering support of the Gator Nation! No matter what sport you chose to watch, there was a crowd of supporters cheering on their friends. The spirit was contagious! A sea of green and gold spread out across campus to create a very memorable Gator Day.

Congratulations to all athletes who participated, and thank you to everyone who came to watch the games! Let鈥檚 keep this spirit going into our winter season鈥� stay tuned for upcoming Gator Days this academic year! Roll Gators!

Staff Profile鈥擬rs. Shotbolt

Eshal Shakir

Mrs. Shotbolt is a new member of the 蜜桃视频 community and as she has just started her journey at 蜜桃视频, we thought it would be great for you all to get to know her a little bit deeper beyond the gym walls. While Mrs. Shotbolt teaches Health and Physical Education and coaches the U13 Basketball Team, she is also a long-time athlete with an inspiring story. 

She started playing basketball at the age of 10, having grown up around sports all her life and in an athletic family. It all started when a teacher came up to her and suggested she try out for the basketball team. From there, she played the sport competitively, attending Bill Crothers Secondary School in her high school years and then being recruited by Carleton University鈥檚 Women’s Basketball.

Mrs. Shotbolt鈥檚 time at Carleton was met with tons of fun as she met so many new people and grew her love for the game while competing in local and out-of-town tournaments. She spent a total of four years at Carleton. Unfortunately, her smooth journey ended when she tore her ACL nearing the end of her university career. As a result, this severely impacted her mental health and disconnected her from her community. This, amongst other external factors and her environment, altered her love for the game for the worse.聽

After Carleton, she attended Teachers College at York University and continued her basketball journey by joining the team at York, where she used her last year of eligibility. Fortunately, her brother had spoken to the coaches, urging them to support his sister by talking to her about the amazing team they have to offer at the school. Thus, Mrs. Shotbolt was able to regain her love for the sport.

While Mrs. Shotbolt faced many obstacles and challenges, she鈥檚 left a few words of wisdom: “Continue to practise the skill of balancing academics and athletics as a student athlete, surround yourself with people who support you and find ways to give back to your community. You never know who you will inspire.”聽

Thank you for this great advice, Mrs. Shotbolt!