#HillTies

Hill ties are stronger than ever as Hill School alumni, parents, students, and employees are making efforts to support the Pottstown community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hill School Students Raise Funds for Personal Protection Equipment for Local Organizations

May 4 2020

With the support of Hobart's Run, four students raise funds and deliver PPE to police departments and other essential healthcare organizations.

Hobart’s Run Issues Second Round of Emergency Response Grants

May 3 2020

Five small businesses and four nonprofit organizations located in Pottstown are recipients of grants.

Hill School Faculty, Staff, and Students Thank Local Health Care Workers

Apr 17 2020

Lunches delivered to Pottstown Hospital-Tower Health and Goodwill Steam Fire Engine Co. No. 1 thanks to collection by Hill employees.

Hill Parents and Alumni Donate Supplies to Help Combat COVID-19

Apr 7 2020

Essential PPE equipment has been donated to the Pottstown Hospital, Pottstown Police Department, Goodwill Fire Co., and various local emergency services/ambulance companies.

Ten Local Nonprofits, Five Small Businesses Receive Grants from Hobart’s Run

Apr 6 2020

Additional matching funds sought to expand scope of grant program which initially was supplemented by gifts from Hill School alumnus and past parent.

Previous #HillTies Stories

Father and daughter alumni goaltenders squared off in net for the 2020 Alumni Winter Classic

Alumni Winter Games provides the opportunity for alumni to return to the court and ice to relive their athletic experience. This year the alumni hockey game will take on an added dimension – it will be a battle of the generations. For the first time in Hill hockey history, father and daughter alumni goaltenders squared off in net for the 2020 Alumni Winter Classic on January 11, 2020.

Madeline Taubkin, class of 2019, was a four-year varsity goaltender for Coach Ari Baum. She became one of the first third form goaltenders in the 59-year history of Hill hockey to start nearly every single game, and in each of her first two seasons helped guide the Lady Blues to 16 wins. Following a devastating injury that sidelined her for the entire 2017-2018 schedule, Madeline - who was voted captain by her teammates - rebounded from surgery and rehab to play a solid senior campaign. She continues to play hockey at the University of Vermont for the women’s club team and, if current standings hold, has a chance to represent the Catamounts at this year’s national tournament in Texas.

Peter Taubkin, class of 1982, had the honor of playing two seasons at Hill for the legendary Thomas Eccleston, Jr. He was part of the varsity Hill boys’ two most winningest teams and was awarded Hill’s Chicago Cup his sixth form year. Described then as “Mr. Consistency” between the pipes, Peter went on to play at Colby College. Today, at age 56 - and patched together by various repairs and numbed by Advil in bulk - he still puts on the pads, playing two to three times a week for multiple men’s leagues in and around Clifton Park, N.Y.

Hill School Alumni Return to Campus for Veterans Day

To commemorate Veterans Day and The Hill Military Association (HMA), we welcomed Chaplain Colonel Peter Sniffin '81 P'19, president of the HMA, to campus to speak during a special Veterans Day Chapel service. Peter Weston '99 also visited Hill for the day.

While on campus, the two alumni - along with their spouses - had the opportunity sit in on Mr. Chris Chirieleison’s War Series class and speak with students about their military experience. They also enjoyed a special luncheon with sixth form students who are applying to the U.S. service academies.

Listen to Colonel Sniffin's Chapel talk

The Hill School is thankful for all of the veterans who currently are serving or have served our country. We proudly honor the brave alumni who served in World War I, World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam Wars in the beautiful Memorial Room, located in the John P. Ryan Library.

Below is information about the names of the alumni whose names are on the walls of the Memorial Room (or listed in the calligraphy book that is located in the Memorial Room). We are grateful to Mr. Lou Jeffries, Hill School archivist, for compiling this information.

Peter Sniffin and Michael Weston at Hill Military Association Veterans Day Service — Chaplain Colonel Peter Sniffin '81 P'19 and Peter Weston '99

Alumni Veterans Honored in the Memorial Room

1,034 The number of names of Hill alumni on the walls or wooden panels around the perimeter of the Memorial Room who fought in World War I.

40 The number of names on the metal panel between the two doors leading into the Memorial Room which honor the alumni who died in the War.

2,196 The number of names in the beautiful calligraphy book of names of alumni who fought in World War II.

85 The number of Hill alumni who died in World War II.

76 The number of Hill alumni who fought in the Korean War, whose names are listed in the calligraphy book.

74 The number of Hill alumni who fought in the Vietnam War, whose names are listed in the calligraphy book.

4 The number of Hill alumni who died in the Vietnam War.

If you have additional information to share regarding the names in the Memorial Room, please contact Mr. Lou Jeffries at ljeffries@thehill.org.

Two Hill Alumni - and Sons of Classmates - Participate in CORTRAMID Program

This summer (2019), two recent Hill School alumni - Rocky Chirieleison '18 and Matt Spencer '18 - participated as NROTC midshipmen in the U.S. Navy’s CORTRAMID (Career Orientation Training for Midshipmen) program, which takes place on Navy and Marine Corps bases on the East and West Coasts.

Rocky and Matt attended CORTRAMID sessions this summer from their respective NROTC units at Carnegie Mellon University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. These pictures below were taken during the aviation week phase of their experience.

Coincidentally, Matt’s father, Jay Spencer ‘84, participated in Vanderbilt University’s NROTC program, and then served for 20 years in the United States Navy, most recently as the Commanding Officer of the Deep Submergence Unit based in San Diego, Calif.

According to the Naval Service Training Command, “CORTRAMID is a four-week summer event for midshipmen entering their second year of college as part of their school's NROTC unit. The training is set up for the midshipmen to rotate, on a weekly basis, to see what it could be like working on board a ship or submarine, with an aviation squadron, or operating with a Marine unit.”

Fun #Hillties Fact:

Both Rocky and Matt are Hill School legacies and faculty children.

Their fathers - Chris Chirieleison '85 P'18 '19 '21 and Jay Spencer '84 P’13 ’14 ’18 '23 - attended Hill together and now both teach and raise their families at Hill.

Chris is an Athey Family Master of History and Jay is an Athey Master of Mathematics and Science.