Hillfield Strathallan College
Hillfield Strathallan College is an independent, co-educational day school in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The academic program runs from Montessori Toddler and Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12. The current Head of College is Marc Ayotte. Hillfield Strathallan College is divided into four schools: Montessori, Junior, Middle, and Senior School. History. Founded in 1901 as Highfield School for Boys, this school was the first private residential and day school for boys in the city of Hamilton. It was a prep school for boys planning to enter the Royal Military College of Canada. Many graduates played key roles in  the Canadian military. A series of name changes, reconstructions, new construction, and amalgamations with other institutions have since occurred, resulting in a single modern co-educational facility. Strathallan College was a school for girls nearby. Eventually, the two schools merged and began a co-education program. Alumni from all founding organizations attended the centennial celebration in 2001. The College's buildings. The buildings have all been named after staff or benefactors who contributed to the development of the College. House system. Houses are familial tradition, so if the child of an Old Boy or Old Girl attends Hillfield Strathallan College , that child will be placed in the same house as their parent. However, if both parents attended the College, children will be placed in the house of their father. House loyalty is very strong, and lives on through competitions for Old Boys and Old Girls at annual Homecoming celebrations. The brother/sister houses and the corresponding house colours are: The Brother Houses are named after trees and their Sister Houses take their names from rivers in Scotland. Transportation. Hillfield Strathallan College has 28 school buses that bring around 70% of students to school every day. The school buses serve Hamilton , Ancaster, Dundas, Burlington, Stoney Creek, Upper and Lower Grimsby, Brantford, Oakville, Milton, Mississauga, Erin Mills, Waterdown, Carlisle, Kilbride and also smaller neighborhoods and towns. Theatre. Hillfield Strathallan College has been known for its dramatic productions and musicals. Plays are performed in the fall term, and musicals take place in the spring. All theatrical performances take place in the College's auditorium, "The Virtue-Fitzgerald Centre for the Arts." Crescendo Concert Series. The Crescendo Concert Series, currently comprising three concerts per academic year, supports the College’s arts scholarship program. Scholarship recipients have included Gema Zamprogna (1995-1997) and Lisa Jakub  (1997-1998).