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  • School Philosophy

    School Philosophy

    Hillcrest is Success!

    Our ultimate goal is student success. In order to achieve this goal, it is important that students, parents/guardians, and staff work cooperatively. To maximize academic success we believe in creating an environment that provides optimal learning experiences and prepares our students for high school. To support achieving this success, we emphasize regular attendance at school, arriving on time and ready to learn, students being diligent in their studies, and completing homework and assignments on time.

    Our staff is committed to providing enriching learning experiences and opportunities for individual student success. We also hold students directly responsible for assuming their role in our partnership. We will support students who are not able to meet requirements through tutorials, individual support, extended learning opportunities, and parent contact.

    We know that student behavior has a direct impact on student success academically. Knowing this, we have placed a high priority on ensuring student conduct meets acceptable standards. In this way, we can ensure that the learning environment is protected for all students. This means that students need to arrive at school on time, be prepared to learn and demonstrate appropriate behaviour in a variety of situations. The underlying goal is to maximize the safety and well-being of our students at Hillcrest School.

    Developing responsible citizens is paramount as one of the responsibilities of education. To meet this expectation, Hillcrest School continues to be a leader of schools in connecting with our community. We are highly involved in community service-related activities. Our students are encouraged to participate in community activities through school-wide projects and individually. 



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Year-Long Science Project Pilot (Grades 7–9)

Empower student innovation through hands-on discovery! Our new Year-Long Science Project pilot gives Grades 7–9 students the opportunity to investigate student-led scientific questions through iterative experimentation. Guided by monthly milestones during dedicated "Golden Hour" sessions—from September ideation to June poster presentations—students build real-world skills in experimental design, cross-curricular writing, and scientific inquiry.

  • Pilot for the 2026-2027 year, with the thought to move it out to the rest of the school in 2027-2028 (or term two on an abbreviated schedule 2026-2027).
    • One grade 7 - class
    • One grade 8 - class
    • One grade 9 - class
  • Student Initiated/Developed
    • No more than two people in a group project
  • Starting in September, all grade levels
  • Formal write up
  • Research
    • Problem 
    • What has been done
    • What isn’t known
  • Trials
  • Materials and methods
  • Experimental not a research based model
  • Cross curricular - English writing.
    • Proper referencing
  • Experimental component
    • Multiple trials over time
  • Build it over time.  
  • Student developed problem 

“Golden Hour”

  • September - Ideate
    • Identify problems
    • Look at the research
  • October
    •  Background research
  • November 
    • Experimental Design
    • Separate folder “methods books”
  • December
    • Methods/Formal Proposal
  • January - February 
    • Testing
    • Multiple Trials and iteration
    • Detailed experimental notes
  • March - April 
    • Writeup
  • May-June
    • Poster Development and Presentation
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