Latest News

Return to Campus – Tuesday, February 16, 2021

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.

Food Services Update

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: 

• Dates of operation – Food Services will officially reopen to all students, staff and faculty beginning on Tuesday, February 16. 
• Ordering through CaterTrax – We are delighted to share our new menu updates with you!  CaterTrax will reopen again on Monday, February 8, at which time new lunch orders may be placed up to one month in advance.  
• Order deadline – The deadline to place lunch orders has been shortened to 48 hours, allowing you to order lunch two business days in advance. If you are placing an order for lunch on Tuesday, February 16, your order must be submitted by Thursday, February 11.
• Order cancellation – Any orders placed for delivery during the month of January have now been cancelled. You will not be billed for this. 

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 Report Cards

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.

Parent-Teacher Interviews – Change of Date to Friday, March 5

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.

Updates from Guidance

• Grade 12 University Marks

Grade 12 marks are being sent to OUAC Monday, February 8, 2021.

• Grade 8-11 Course Selection – due today, Friday, February 5th at 4pm 

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.

• Grade 9 & 10 Students – Preparing for Post Secondary Programs in the United States

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.

People & Program Evening Follow-up

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.

Student Leadership & Wellbeing Presentations

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.  

• Student Leadership, presented by JJ Patterson, Head of Middle School and Jenn Ryan, Coordinator of Student Leadership
• Supporting Student Wellbeing During the Pandemic, presented by Caitlin Parsons, School Social Worker

Grade 5-8 Parent Webinar with Phyllis Fagell – Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 6:30-7:30 pm

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.