Philosophy
The Core Values and Shades of Blue
Standards and expectations are the guideposts for success at Hillside School. Our boys are encouraged to embrace the school’s core values of compassion, determination, honesty, respect and brotherhood throughout their Hillside careers and beyond. By living these values, Hillside students prepare themselves for lives of meaning and purpose.
Our boys’ efforts in achieving the Hillside core values are evidenced through our Shades of Blue system. This efficient communication system monitors student progress and behavior, helps recognize areas of concern, and often prevents small issues from escalating into big ones. Shades of Blue is also essential to Hillside’s effort to keep parents informed of their son’s academic and behavior success and challenges.
Students who model and even exceed the Shades of Blue standards are recognized through our Bulldog of the Week and Bulldog of the Term awards, which further emphasize our core values. Thanks to the patience, guidance, and dedication of our caring community, all of our students have the ability to reach the highest levels of Shades of Blue and, in doing so, realize their full potential as students and individuals.
A Spirit of Generosity and Understanding
Hillside’s compassionate, nurturing environment provides the vital support each boy needs to learn and mature. Our community’s extraordinary patience guides our boys in developing a solid foundation of compassion, confidence and self-esteem throughout their lives. Through our comprehensive yet flexible structure, as well as the expertise that enables us to work with every boy at their own level of personal development, Hillside helps students to negotiate the uncertain world of early adolescence.
A Hillside boy gains the skills and reassurance to challenge himself in every aspect of his life and, in doing so, positively broadens and enriches his character and sense of identity. His self-acceptance allows him to look beyond himself toward recognizing excellence in others, an essential step to becoming a well-balanced, productive and happy individual.
Balancing Academics, Athletics and Community Responsibilities
At Hillside School, we believe middle school age boys must learn the importance of pacing themselves and developing the proper balance between their academic, athletic and community responsibilities. Therefore, we limit the number of extracurricular activities outside the School's schedule to one afternoon or one evening during the school week. This policy applies to our boarding students only.