Please see the update letter from Toronto Public Health here.
We are celebrating Pink Shirt Day on Monday, March 1st. It is a full dress down day for all students, faculty and staff and we encourage everyone to participate. For more information, please visit the Pink Shirt Day website.
Please see the updated Major Dates Calendar that reflects the changes to the March/April calendar.
In order to reset the calendar/rotation schedule to coincide with the new calendar dates that will be adjusted due to the March break changes, Veracross will be unavailable to all employees, students, and parents from February 19 at 4pm to February 20 at 8 am and again from February 20 at noon to February 21 at 4pm. Faculty have prepared students for this by making sure students have what they need and that they know they will be unable to access their class websites for much of this upcoming weekend. Our apologies for the short notice but it is challenging to find the right time to do this necessary work.
When initially released, the Semester 1 final report cards included attendance data that was not meant to be included on the report. This has been corrected and you are encouraged to download the report card again in order to have the correct version saved for yourself. You will see that the attendance data has been removed.
The following information has been shared with students with regards to spares.
The second Upper School Parent/Teacher Conferences of the school year will take place virtually via Zoom on Friday, March 26 (original date). The appointment times are as follows:
The online conference booking system that Havergal College uses will open on Wednesday, March 17 at 6:00pm and will close on Wednesday, March 24 at 12:00pm. If you need to make any changes after this time, please contact the teacher directly to coordinate.
Appointments are five minutes long and are booked on a first-come-first-served basis.
The online booking system does not permit the scheduling of back-to-back appointments. However, if you are the parent of two or more daughters that have the same teacher or if you are the parent of three or more Upper School students please contact Ms. Sally Danto, by Monday, March 22 before noon by emailing: sdanto@havergal.on.ca
Should you wish to meet with your daughter’s Guidance Counsellor or Havergal College Social Worker, Caitlin Parsons, please email them individually in advance to book an appointment.
CLICK HERE to sign into your pickAtime account with your password. If you do not have a pickAtime account, please create one in advance of the online opening. The Junior School will also be conducting Parent-Teacher interviews on the same day and to avoid confusion, please make sure to select the correct School in the drop down menu when making your selection.
In preparation for Parent-Teacher Conferences, please sign in with your Zoom account and review the Zoom – Tips – Parents.pdf
For assistance with pickAtime, contact our Service Desk at servicedesk@havergal.on.ca or at 416-483-3843 ext.6663 between 6:00 and 6:30 PM on Monday, March 1, or during their usual hours of operation from 7:30am – 5:00pm Monday to Friday.
Havergal is celebrating Black History Month throughout the month of February by recognizing the achievements and contributions of Black Canadians and their communities who have contributed significantly to Canada. In particular, initiatives have been led by the Black Student Alliance and it’s co-heads, Marley Melbourne and Jasmine Heath. During the month, students have identified ways to bring awareness to our community through open BSA meetings and spotlighting music, poetry and quotes by Black artists during Prayers. The Prefect led Swamp Talk and open BSA meetings drew large crowds of students and faculty, wanting to discuss issues that are prevalent in today’s Black community. Talking about anti-racism is top of mind in our community and our students are engaged in learning about this topic and how to become better informed. This year, Black culture prayers will be held on March 25th. This date was deliberately chosen to sit outside of BHM, as we continue to respect and recognize that contributions made by the Black community should be celebrated every month, not just one month during the year.
Pride Week aims to educate, connect and acknowledge Havergal’s LGBTQ+ community and our commitment to the celebration of personal expression, diversity and inclusivity. Students on the Pride Committee have worked together with Caitlin Parsons, Upper School Social Worker and other faculty, to plan an engaging and celebratory week.
Highlights of the week include:
If you have any questions about HC Pride Week or any of the events, please reach out to Social Worker, Caitlin Parsons at cparsons@havergal.on.ca.
Please look forward to receiving an invitation to meet with the Head of Middle & Senior School (over Zoom) on the following dates. As we strive to continue to build on the strength of our community, we want to ensure our families are well informed, having opportunities to ask questions and to deepen their understanding of our strategic direction. We will also begin a conversation, which will continue through the Spring, about how we are supporting our students through this pandemic and will continue to do so as they navigate the world that exists when it is over.
Thursday, March 4
Tuesday, March 16
Wednesday, March 17
The Ontario government announced that schools in Toronto will be permitted to reopen for in-person learning beginning on Tuesday, February 16. Given this news, Havergal’s campus will reopen, as planned and previously announced, on Tuesday, February 16. The government announcement can be viewed here.
We are pleased to welcome our students back to the College for in-person learning. Returning to campus will allow them to gain a deeper level of engagement between their teachers and peers, helping to foster stronger connections and support cognitive, social and emotional learning and development.
As before, we have numerous safety measures in place to help minimize the infection and spread of COVID-19 on campus, which meet or exceed the requirements of both the Ontario Ministry of Health, Ontario Ministry of Education and Toronto Public Health. Havergal has made extensive efforts to ensure a high level of safety for our community. Some of our key safety measures include the investment in bipolar ionization technology and air purification devices, physical distancing, hand sanitizing and our updated masking protocol. Our health and safety protocols have been updated in the Return to Campus Parent & Student Handbook.
Screening Update – Action Required February 10 & 11
All parents must complete the daily online screening prior to students arriving on campus each day. Proof that the screening has been completed will be checked upon arrival at the College. We ask that parents complete screening on February 10 and 11 next week so we can stay informed of any pertinent COVID-19 related health concerns or travel prior to returning to on-campus learning. Parents will be asked to confirm they have read the updated parent agreement when screening is completed on February 10 and 11.
Mask Update – Action Required Grades 4-12
In light of the emerging COVID-19 variants, we ask that all students in Grades 4 to 12 wear a medical mask (non-cloth) at all times indoors during the school day. All students must now wear masks while outdoors. A supply of masks will be available in the Junior and Upper Schools for students who may be without one. Students should change their mask when soiled or wet; this means students may need to bring two to three masks to school per day.
Travel Requirements – Out of Province Travel
While the provincial lockdown order is in place, the Ontario government is recommending that individuals who travel domestically outside of the province self-isolate for 14 days upon their return to Ontario. Havergal College will be following this recommendation and students will be asked to learn from home until their 14-day quarantine period is complete. Questions related to inter-provincial travel and international travel will be part of the daily screening.
Arriving and Departing From School
Students must refrain from congregating as they arrive and depart from school. Parents are encouraged to remain in their cars, not to linger or gather outside the school. A reminder that we continue to ask parents to be masked on campus.
While we have been permitted to re-open for in-person learning, the province encourages us to limit our contacts. We ask that families continue to follow all general public health guidelines and avoid congregation and socialization outside their own households.
Remote Learning
We understand that some families may opt to continue with remote learning at this time. If you wish your child to continue as a remote learner for longer than 14 days, please register for remote learning here. If your daughter is currently registered as a Remote Learner, but is returning to campus on February 16th, please email Maggie Houston-White at mhw@havergal.on.ca.
Toronto Public Health and COVID Testing
The Ontario Government announcement referenced the availability of targeted asymptomatic testing and rapid tests for students. These tests are to be distributed through local public health units. We will continue to engage with Toronto Public Health about access to these tests. Based on the availability of rapid-testing technology and current Ontario COVID-19 testing eligibility, we will not be offering widespread testing to our general community at present.
Since we first started adapting to COVID-19 last September we let safety and care for our community be the driving force behind our departmental decision-making. After having to temporarily suspend operations in order to support the public health response, we are excited to announce the Food Service department is preparing to reopen once again.
With this in mind, we would like to provide you with a few updates:
While it was difficult to press pause, we are grateful to have been given the time to carefully prepare a reopening plan that keeps all those connected to our department – customers and team members alike – safe. We are very much looking forward to seeing you again soon.
Semester 1 Reports Cards will be available on Monday, February 8 at 4 pm through Veracross. Please follow the instructions linked here to access your child’s report. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to the teacher directly.
Please note that the Semester 2 Parent-Teacher Interviews will be on Friday, March 5, which was previously designated as a Professional Development Day for the Upper School. Therefore, March 26th will be a regular school day (Day 2). We have made this change to maximize on-campus learning and have chosen to use a day already designated for Professional Learning.
Grade 12 marks are being sent to OUAC Monday, February 8, 2021.
For students in Grades 8-11, course selections for the 2021-2022 school year are due today through Veracross. If your child requires assistance, please have them contact their Guidance Counsellor. You can view your child’s choices in the parent portal under the ‘Links’ tab, then ‘Course Requests’. Parents do not need to sign off on their child’s course selections. An email reminder was sent to your child on Thursday, February 4. Please note that Grade 7 students do not need to complete course selections.
Heather Johnstone, Head of Guidance, delivered a presentation to Grade 9 & 10 students during their Wellbeing Program about applying to the United States for post-secondary programs. The presentation is posted to the Grade 9 & 10 Guidance Veracross page and can be viewed here.
Thank you for joining us at the Semester 2 People & Program evening last night. If you were unable to attend any of the sessions, please visit the course Veracross pages to see the recordings. You can view the welcome session through this link.
On Wednesday, February 3rd, the Grade Reps had presentations on Student Leadership and Student Wellbeing During the Pandemic. Recordings of the sessions can be found below. As a reminder, parents are welcome to attend the Grade Rep Meetings held periodically throughout the year. Your invitation to attend can be found in the Grade Rep emails.
Save The Date – Phyllis Fagell presented to parents in the spring of 2020 and we are fortunate to have her join us again in March. She will focus on presenting strategies from her book Middle School Matters: The 10 Key Skills Kids Need to Thrive in Middle School and Beyond — and How Parents Can Help in addition to addressing the challenges of parenting during the pandemic. Phyllis is the school counsellor at Sheridan School in Washington, DC, a therapist who works with kids and families in private practice, and an author and journalist. She’s a frequent contributor to the Washington Post and writes for Psychology Today, Working Mother, U.S. News & World Report and Your Teen. Her ideas have been shared in outlets including The New York Times, The Atlantic, The New Yorker and NPR.
The Weekly: Upper School 