PARENTs’ GUILD
H A N D B O O K
Welcome from the pg Chair WELCOME FROM THE ALUMNI RELATIONS OFFICER AND PG COLLEGE
LIAISON
Hello from your Parents’ Guild Chair!
As this year’s Parents’ Guild (PG) Chair for the 2025-2026 school year, I wanted to welcome you, as HSC parents, to our amazing community group. Your involvement with the PG is truly going to be the secret ingredient to a fantastic year ahead!
Nurturing the vibrant spirit of our HSC community is a top priority for me as I take on this leadership role for the upcoming school year. It’s a chance to lead with a big smile, a lot of enthusiasm, and a commitment to making sure everything we do truly benefits our students, families, and incredible faculty and staff.
I am really looking forward to teaming up with all HSC parents, both new and returning. Together, we can create opportunities for us to connect, swap ideas, build relationships, and work towards goals that make our HSC community even stronger. Your participation, no matter how much time you have to spare, is like magic; it transforms our good ideas into awesome achievements! Whether you are able to join our meetings, lend a hand at events, or simply share your experiences with others, every contribution is a building block in our shared vision.
When you get involved, whether it’s through our social gatherings, volunteering, or just chiming in with your perspective, you become a vital part of a team that’s all about making HSC the best it can be. And honestly, your engagement does more than just enhance our school; it also shows our kids firsthand the power of teamwork and dedication.
I am truly honoured and absolutely thrilled to be your PG Chair this year, and I can’t wait to see all the wonderful things we’ll accomplish together. Wishing you all a truly fantastic school year!
Laurie Gatto Parents’ Guild Chair 2025 - 2026 pg@hsc.on.ca
Welcome to the 2025 - 2026 school year! I am thrilled to continue supporting the HSC Parents’ Guild as your main point of contact with the College. We are looking forward to a year of exciting community events, celebrations, and of course, plenty of coffee-fueled meetings. I’ll be working right alongside our PG Chair, Vani Balakrishnan, to ensure your experience with the College and wider HSC Community is as fulfilling as possible.
This particular year feels even more momentous as we gear up to celebrate the College’s 125th anniversary! It’s not every day you get to blow out 125 candles, and we have some truly special events in the works to honour our history while looking ahead to the next century. Whether you’ve been part of the HSC family for decades or you’re just joining us, it’s a pretty spectacular time to be a part of this community.
With a connection to the College that reaches back more than 30 years, my roles have evolved from student and alumna to parent, donor, and employee. It has been a true honour to witness our growth firsthand. While my roots here at HSC are deep, I am always energized by the way the College continues to innovate and stay focused on the future of our students.
To keep you in the loop on everything the Parents’ Guild has in store, our PG Resource Board is available through our myHSC portal. It’s your one-stop shop for upcoming social events, volunteer opportunities, and details on our PG Executive team. Essentially everything you need to know to stay involved without having to rely on the “grapevine.” While we are here to support the College, our real mission is to build strong community connections across HSC while having some fun along the way.
Alongside our current PG Chair, I am dedicated to making sure your time with the group is a positive one. If you’re ever looking for light bedtime reading, this Parents’ Guild Handbook is an excellent resource that outlines our operations and how we support the school community.
If you have questions about the College, HSC philanthropy, or the Parents’ Guild, you can reach me at Bianca.Barton@ hsc.on.ca or 905-389-1367 Ext. 117. Alternatively, my door is always open, so please feel free to drop by my office, located in the Strathallan Building, one floor above the Campus Store.
I look forward to a wonderful, vibrant, and historic school year with you and your family!
Bianca Barton ’03 Alumni Relations Officer and Parents’ Guild College Liaison
Mission
The HSC Parents’ Guild PG proudly supports our vibrant school community and provides opportunities to gather and enjoy time together. We plan and host events that build school spirit while raising funds that directly impact our children’s educational experience.
Guiding Principles
PURPOSE
The purpose of the HSC Parents’ Guild (PG) is to nurture a spirit of friendship and community at HSC and to assist the Advancement Office in raising funds to enhance the HSC learning environment. The PG has been created and exists at the discretion of the Board of Governors, which has delegated the oversight of the management of the PG and its activities to the Head of College and/or their designate, the Director of Advancement.
MEMBERSHIP
All parents and guardians with children enrolled at HSC are members of the Parents’ Guild. Quorum at meetings is defined as all those present. Each member of the Parents’ Guild is entitled to a single vote to be exercised at PG meetings on matters deemed to require a majority decision. Where possible, except in the election of PG Leadership, all efforts will be made to use consensus as a decision making tool.
PARENTS’ GUILD LEADERSHIP
The HSC Parents’ Guild requires leadership to ensure the delivery of their purpose in an effective and efficient manner. Members can self-nominate or nominate a fellow member through the online nominations process. The PG Leadership will work in partnership with the Advancement Office to facilitate their purpose to support a spirit of friendship and community at HSC and to assist in raising funds to enhance the HSC learning environment.
This Parents’ Guild Executive will include the following positions:
» Chair
» Past-Chair
» Vice-Chair
The Executive will work closely with the Advancement Office to facilitate the day to day activities of the Parents’ Guild.
The roles and responsibilities for each Executive position are outlined in the position descriptions document. All positions terms are for one year: July 1 to June 30.
The Parents’ Guild appoint volunteers, dependent upon interest, each year, as school representatives from each of the Montessori, Junior, Middle and Senior Schools, each of whom shall serve as a School representative. There is also an opportunity to serve as the New Parent Chair, which focuses on integrating new families into our school community.
Parents’ Guild Leadership 2025–2026 school year:
Laurie Gatto CHAIR
Vani Balakrishnan VICE CHAIR
Wendy Lam PAST CHAIR
Lisa Richardson
Shelly Aguiar Le GENTLY USED UNIFORM SALES REPRESENTATIVES
Margaret Welykanycz
Monica Bradshaw
Jane Donovan
Becky Miller NEW PARENT REPRESENTATIVES
Rashmi Sarkaria
Munira Farah
SOCIAL CONNECT REPRESENTATIVES
Dina Gill
Shelly Aguiar Le STAFF APPRECIATION BREAKFAST REPRESENTATIVES
Sadia Ansari
Jessica de SA CELEBRATIONS & DECOR REPRESENTATIVES
Bianca Barton ’03
PARENTS’ GUILD COLLEGE LIAISON
Parents’ Guild Committee
CHAIR
» Acts to build a spirit of community across the four schools.
» Works closely with the Office of Advancement to ensure the activities of the PG are aligned closely to those of the College.
» Participates with the Vice Chair and Past Chair in a discussion regarding fund allocation with the Head of College and Director of Advancement.
» Share in the role of representing the HSC PG at NISPA meetings with the Vice-Chair
» Calls, sets agendas and presides at all PG meetings.
» Provides overall leadership and support to all activities of the PG through a broad committee of volunteer parents.
» Is an advisory member of the Board of Trustees.
» Is an ex-officio member of all sub-committees of the PG.
» Leads the PG to assess progress against HSC’s Strategic Plan.
» Coordinates the impact of the Parents’ Guild friend and fundraising work through goal setting and performance review.
» Assists the Vice Chair and Past Chair as a leader within the PG to set goals and assess progress and performance.
» Attends the annual calendar meeting with the Chair to coordinate events for the next year and communicate space requirements to the School.
» Mentors and supports the Vice Chair, School Representatives, and Coordinators.
» The Chair takes the position of Past Chair in the following year, unless they are unavailable to serve or unless otherwise determined by the Head of College.
VICE CHAIR
» Acts to build a spirit of community across the four schools.
» Works closely with the Office of Advancement to ensure the activities of the PG are aligned closely to those of the College.
» Participates with the Chair and Past Chair in a discussion regarding fund allocation with the Head of College and Director of Advancement.
» Share in the role of representing the HSC PG at NISPA meetings with the Chair
» Coordinate friend and fundraising work of the PG with the Chair, Past Chair and PG volunteers.
» Co-Chairs an event and committee with the Past Chair on an annual or bi-annual fall event, i.e.; Winterfest or Monster Mash.
» Provides budgeting, organizational abilities, and year-end report to PG.
» Assists the Chair and Past Chair as a leader within the PG to set goals and assess progress and performance.
» Mentors the School Representatives and Coordinators by listening, sharing and coaching, welcomes new ideas and respects traditions.
» Assists in the preparation of a year-end report on PG activities.
» Attends the annual calendar meeting with the Chair to coordinate events for the next year and to communicate space requirements to
the School.
» The Vice Chair takes the position of Chair in the following year, unless they are unavailable to serve or unless otherwise determined by the Head of College.
PAST CHAIR
» Acts to build a spirit of community across the four schools.
» Works closely with the Advancement Office to ensure the activities of the PG align closely to those of HSC.
» Participates with the Chair and Vice Chair in a discussion regarding fund allocation with the Head of College and Director of Advancement.
» Co-Chairs an event committee with the Vice Chair on an annual or bi-annual fall event, i.e.; Winterfest or Monster Mash.
» Assists the Chair and Vice Chair as a leader within the PG to set goals and assess progress and performance.
» Provides continuity and context between the recent work/events of the Parents’ Guild and upcoming plans/ work.
» Mentors the Chair and Vice Chair.
» The Past Chair cannot continue in a Leadership Steering Committee role in the following year.
SOCIAL CONNECT REPRESENTATIVE
» ○Organize, plan, and execute social events for active PG members.
» ○Supports the PG motto of friendship and community throughout social events, creating welcoming and open community spaces for all HSC families to enjoy.
» ○Supports PG initiatives through social events in order to welcome new parents, increase membership to the PG, and continue the overall goal of recruitment and retention.
» ○Offer a range of activities including but not limited to book clubs, hikes, paint nights, community coffee connections, and supporting local community events.
» ○Works alongside the HSC College Liaison to create and offer events that integrate parents from all four schools, and in particular cases, with faculty and staff.
» ○Offer events at various times of the day, including some evenings, in order to accommodate multiple family schedules and broaden the PG’s community connections.
» ○Mentors and assists a new representative in this role at the end of your term.
NEW PARENT REPRESENTATIVE
» ○Supports HSC throughout the school year by assisting in the integration of new families into the College community
» ○The candidate is an active PG member, has knowledge of HSC, and has family experience with at least two schools
» ○Liaises with both Advancement and Admissions Departments to ensure combined efforts are streamlined and complementary
» ○Acts to ensure new families feel welcome, informed, and part of the HSC community, including those who join during the academic year
» ○Supports Admissions at open houses throughout the year to welcome prospective families
» ○Support Admissions in their welcome initiatives to incoming parents as needed throughout the year
» ○This position is a one-year term and can be held by the same candidate for two consecutive years
» ○Mentors and assists a new representative in this role at the end of your term
CELEBRATIONS AND DECOR REPRESENTATIVE
» Support the PG by keeping the extended group up to date on any new days of significance that should be added to the calendar
» Organize, plan, and assist with finding volunteers to decorate for holidays and/or celebrations on campus
» Work alongside the PG leadership team to organize, catalogue, and source decorations for celebrations
» Works alongside the PG College Liaison and PG Executive to stay within budget for supplies/materials
» Supports College sustainability initiatives by purchasing reusable decorations where possible to minimize waste
» Captures photographs and videos of decorations to be shared on myHSC and HSC social media platforms
» Mentors and assists a new representative in this role toward the end of your term
» This position is a one-year term and can be held by the same candidate for two consecutive years. Candidates may be able to reapply if no other nominations are made
REPRESENTATIVE
» Collects, organizes and manages gently used uniforms donated by HSC families.
» Coordinates a team of PG volunteers to assist as needed for sales and maintenance of collection.
» Communicates, advertises and organizes sales during the year (HSC New Student Orientation Days prior to the academic year, and possible Spring sale).
» Works closely with the Campus Store to maintain Used Uniform Sales area, and ensure inventory needs are met throughout the academic year. Used Uniform Campus Store inventory must be created in September and physically removed from the Campus Store in June.
» Work with the Advancement department to ensure accuracy of revenue and expenses reporting at monthly PG meetings.
» Mentors and assists a new representative in this role at the end of your term.
» Actively works and coordinates Senior School volunteers and offer a program to gain volunteer hours.
» Coordinates with PG volunteers to keep the PG Used Uniform Portable in a clean and tidy condition, with clothing ready for monthly sales events
» This position is a one-year term and can be held by the same candidate for two consecutive years. Candidates may be able to reapply if no other nominations are made.
STAFF APPRECIATION
BREAKFAST REPRESENTATIVE
» Support an event to express parent community gratitude for HSC Faculty and Staff.
» Chairs a sub-committee of PG volunteers
» Calls, sets agendas, and presides at all subcommittee meetings
» Plans and delivers event working in partnership with the HSC Advancement Office and the PG College Liaison and other involved involved departments.
» Provides budget, organizational abilities, and event-end report to PG.
Philanthropy
Hillfield Strathallan College is a “not-for-profit”. As a registered charity, our school can create tax receipts for our donors. Donations to Hillfield Strathallan College help create an enriched learning environment. Every gift to HSC is an investment in the potential of our exceptional students, and we are grateful for the financial support of our donors, parents, alumni and friends.
Together we are providing students at Hillfield Strathallan College with the tools and opportunities to build their futures.
We invite you to learn more about making a difference at Hillfield Strathallan College. For more information, please contact Bianca Barton ’03, Alumni Relations Officer and PG College Liaison at 905-389-1367 x:117 or email: bianca.barton@hsc.on.ca.
PARENTS’ GUILD FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF HSC
Over the years that Parents’ Guild as a community has had a significant impact on the college with both time and treasure. As a not-for-profit, Hillfield Strathallan College is grateful to our generous donors and our community . The Parents’ Guild has great impact year over year on making a difference for our students and the community they live in every day during the school year.
VOLUNTEERING
Volunteering at HSC is a long time tradition and a wonderful way to get connected with fellow parents and your child’s school community. Hillfield Strathallan College and the Parents’ Guild have many opportunities for volunteering throughout the school year. These events benefit the students and the school. Your time is treasure at HSC and can be as little as a few hours for one event, or a longer time commitment over a period of time such as a committee member.
OPPORTUNITIES:
Ongoing
Event and school related administrative tasks Monthly
October/November
23/24 Revenue (Net Income)
Parents’ Guild Meeting Dates
Parents’ Guild Meetings 2025-2026 | PG Room | Strathallan Building
Tuesday, September 9, 2025 | 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday, October 8, 2025 | 9:00 a.m.
Thursday, November 13, 2025 | 9:00 a.m.
$55,203
$100,344 Winterfest
Gently Used Uniform Sales
PG Cocktail Night
$42,945
$1,895
NISPA Donation $300
$75,917
Middle School Capital Campaign (5y Pledge) $5,000
Parents of Alumni Costume Crew
David Tutty Joy and Innovation Fund
Early Education Playground Project
24/25
$1,101
$1,895
$72,194
Middle School Capital Campaign (5y Pledge) $5,000
Middle School Capital Campaign (1y Pledge) $50,109
Middle & Senior School Portable Art Displays $17,085
Tuesday, January 13, 2026 | 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 | 9:00 a.m.
Thursday, April 9, 2026 | 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 | 9:00 a.m.
Meetings are held at 9:00 a.m. in the P.G. room, 3rd floor of the Strathallan building.
Contacting the HSC Parents’ Guild
Email: pg@hsc.on.ca
COLLEGE LIAISON:
Alumni Relations Officer and PG College Liason Bianca Barton ’03
E: bianca.barton@hsc.on.ca
T: 905-389-1367 Ext. 117
ADMINISTRATION
T: (905) 389-1367
hsc.on.ca
Hillfield Strathallan College 299 Fennell Avenue West Hamilton, ON L9C 1G3