Welcome to Hillcrest High School, Home of the Hawks!
I am excited and privileged to be entering my fifth year of service as the Principal at Hillcrest. What a year ahead of us. The work across our province to adjust, adapt and overcome Covid related matters is being demonstrated daily by our very supportive, hard working staff. Everyday they are collaborating to make sure the arrival of our students is safe, that we all follow Ottawa Public Health guidelines, to ensure we have a positive safe great learning environment adminst Covid changes.
Our administration team has temporarily changed due to Covid. Mr. Wysynski was reassigned to Ridgmount HS until the end of Covid operation. Ms. Jones continues in her role as Vice- Principal. I am pleased to continue working alongside our awesome staff of Educators, Educational Assistance, Office Staff, and our Care staff who are all truly committed to all student success inside and outside the classroom.
At Hillcrest we are committed to fighting Racism, bias and prejudice in all forms. To this end, my commitment as Principal is to all Hillcrest students and all our community members is: daily I will increase my awareness of racism, daily I will build relationships in our schools and in the community, daily I will create awareness of what racism looks like in our schools. I recognize I am a barrier to deconstructing colonialism as a result of my own education and the narrative of what I have been taught and learned in school about racism, race and indigenous racism. I acknowledge my privilege, which has blinded me in my ability to see and truly appreciate racism and its impact.
My commitment to Action;
- I committed to Lead with my Truth in all my interaction with you.
- I commit to be held accountable by students, staff, Parents / Guardians and the community.
- I am committed to practice, not perfection, I expect to get it wrong.
- I look for the gift of correction from those in the Black, Indigenous, LGBTQ2 and communities whom I do not represent by the colour of my skin.
I ask you hold me to account:
If you feel I am not actioning what I have stated, or you believe I am not hearing your concerns from your perspective, please let me know in person, virtually or in writing, or contact my Superintendent , Dorothy Baker, or bring a community advocate to see me or my Superintendent. My intention to get it right and to be held accountable to make systemic changes where they need to be made.
I believe strongly in implementing a Community Hub approach to education. We have engaged many community groups, services, and organizations such as the Wabano Health Center, the Ottawa Inuit Children's Center, and the Somali family reception Center. We have also worked with local Indigenous and non Indigenous community members to bring about change as recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Actions.
Regardless of circumstances, we truly believe that all students can be successful. We believe in working closely with our students, our Parents/ Guardians and community partners, to ensure we have a safe, caring, and educationally stimulating environment which fosters learning and a sense of belonging to all who walk through our doors. We continue to support our students in their pursuit of their excellence in their educational pathways and with wellness in mind.
Ottawa as we know it today is rich in Indigenous history and modern traditions of many First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. We gather daily on the unceded and unsurrendered lands of the Algonquin Nation; we have the responsibility to honour and respect the four directions, land, waters, plants, animals, ancestors that walked before us, and all the wonderful elements of creation that exist. I would like to thank the Algonquin First Nation for stewardship activism in care of their ancestral and traditional territory and acknowledge our role in honouring honest and authentic relationship building toward truth and reconciliation.