We’re writing to you today to ask for your support in reinforcing our school’s uniform policy. Our uniform is more than just clothing; it’s a key part of our school’s identity and community.
The “Why” Behind the Uniform
The school uniform is designed to foster a sense of school pride and belonging. When students wear the uniform correctly, they are visually representing our shared community and values. It’s like being part of a team—everyone wearing the same jersey. It helps students focus on what really matters: their character, actions, and thoughts, rather than their clothing.
We understand that for adolescents, pushing boundaries is a natural part of growing up. However, these boundaries, including our uniform policy, provide a necessary structure that helps them navigate their environment. The uniform sets an appropriate tone for the school setting, preparing them for future professional environments where dressing appropriately for the occasion is important.
Key Focus Areas
To make this a smooth and successful process, we’re focusing on a few key areas of the uniform. We’re not aiming to be overly strict or punitive, but rather to bring everyone back to the same standard.
- Kilt Length: The official policy, which is in the student handbook, states that kilts should be no more than nine centimeters from the top of the knee. To help with a visual, this is about the length of a playing card. We are not going to be measuring kilts, but this is a helpful guide for students and families.
- White Dress Shirt: Shirts should be neatly tucked in at all times.
We’re also reminding students about other uniform details, like wearing their tie properly, keeping their socks up, and wearing the correct shoes.
Next Steps
We’ve enlisted our student leaders to help us. Our prefects, house captains, and council members are actively modeling the correct uniform and will be assisting with gentle reminders; they are committed to helping their peers.We’ve been talking with all students in assemblies, and with the faculty to ensure consistent, kind messaging. We are providing students with a week grace to purchase any needed uniform items they have outgrown.We truly appreciate your partnership in this, and as always, reach out with any questions.
Thank you,
US Leadership Team (Krista, Deirdre, Cissy, and Nicole)
Today’s edition of The Weekly contains information on the following:
UPPER SCHOOL (Gr. 7 – 12)
- School Photos
- Upper School People & Program Evening – Unable to attend?
- Upper School Parent Teacher Conferences: Thursday October 23 and Friday, October 24
MIDDLE SCHOOL (Gr. 7 – 8)
SENIOR SCHOOL (Gr. 9 – 12)
- Vietnam March 2026: Virtual Parent Information Session on Monday, September 29
- AP Exam Registration Information: Monday, October 6 at 6:30 pm, Upper School Library.
- University Visits Next Week
- Canadian University Fair: Wednesday, October 8
- In Morning Programming Next Week
BOARDING
HCPA
REMINDERS
- October 6th: Havergal Welcomes Jeff Selingo for our Parents as Partners Series!
- ACTION REQUIRED: All Senior School Parents – Please complete this permission form to cover many of our events this year
- VC Pay is now available – Pay Your Tuition Fees Automatically!
Next Week in the Upper School
Monday, Sept 29
- Virtual Vietnam Trip Parent Information Session: 7 pm
Tuesday, Sept 30
- National Day for Truth & Reconciliation (TRC); Orange Shirt Day (with uniform)
- Prayers: TRC
Thursday, Oct 2
- Prayers: Islamic Heritage Month
Friday, Oct 3
- TRC Day: Students will be engaged in activities to better understand Truth & Reconciliation.
- Castaway Drama Trip Departs
Upper School
School Photos
Your school pictures are almost ready!
This year, parents and students will be able to choose the picture they’d like used in the yearbook. Also, any orders placed during the first week will be shipped free of charge. To register, and be notified as soon as your pictures are available, please visit the Echo Photography website and enter your email address and access code. The access code is created by using her student number (ex. 123456) with the extension -2526, for example: 123456-2526.
Upper School People & Program Evening – Unable to attend?
Here are the curriculum slide decks developed by your child’s teachers. Please preview them here and email teachers directly with any questions.
Upper School Parent Teacher Conferences: Thursday October 23 and Friday, October 24
- Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held virtually on Thursday, October 23 at 3 – 8 pm and Friday, October 24 at 8 am – 4 pm.
- The Pick-A-Time booking system for making conference appointments will open on Wednesday, October 8 at noon and will close on Wednesday, October 22 at noon. Direct booking links and further instructions will be shared closer to the October 8th booking system opening.
If you have questions or concerns about Parent-Teacher Conferences, please contact Jennifer Goldberg, Director of Academics.
Middle School
Election Week
Next week in the Middle School, the students will be presenting their leadership speeches. How can you help? Encourage your child to practice delivering their speech. The speeches do not need to be memorized, however, being very familiar with the material will help the speech to sound more confident. Speak slowly and keep the speech to 60 seconds long.
Win@Social – Student Slang
In the first week of October, during our morning program, we will be rolling out our #win@social program. The program aims to help our students “navigate learning and wellbeing in a tech-fueled world”. From time to time, I will share parent resources to support conversations at home. To start, you can explore the program and register for the parent toolkit HERE. Inside, you’ll also find the latest student slang trends—a fun way to spark discussion with your child.”
Senior School
Vietnam March 2026: Virtual Parent Information Session on Monday, September 29
Forum for Change is eager to connect with families interested in the Global Experience in Vietnam. Please see the student information slides linked HERE. We will be hosting a virtual Parent Information Session on Monday, September 29, at 7:00 PM, where you can learn more about the program.
AP Exam Registration Information: Monday, October 6 at 6:30 pm, Upper School Library.
If your daughter is currently enrolled in either an official AP Course or a course that has been identified as supporting an equivalent AP exam, they have received the following message with information on the opportunity to write an AP exam this year. If you have any questions or would like more information, you are welcome to join us for an in-person information session on Monday, October 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the Upper School library. If you are unable to attend this session, the slide deck will be made available the next week in The Weekly. Please reach out to Lam Nguyen with any questions.
University Visits Next Week
Individual University Reps will be visiting Havergal College to speak to Grade 9 to 12 students during the lunch hour and after school. This is a great opportunity to see what the universities offer.
University of Glascow
- Date: Monday, September 29th
- Time: 12:15pm – 1 pm
- Location: BRH
Queens University
- Date: Monday, September 29th
- Time: 3:30pm – 4:15pm
- Location: The Legacy Theatre
University of Southern California
- Date: Wednesday, October 1st
- Time: 3:15pm – 4 pm
- Location: EK
Trent University
- Date: Thursday, October 2nd
- Time: 12:15pm – 1 pm
- Location: B16
Huron University
- Date: Friday, October 3rd
- Time: 12:15pm – 1 pm
- Location: B17
Canadian University Fair: Wednesday, October 8
On Wednesday, October 8th Havergal College will be hosting a Canadian University Fair. This is a great opportunity for students to see what the Canadian Universities have to offer. There will be over 30 universities participating.
- Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
- Location: BRH
In Morning Programming Next Week
For the Grade 9 elections, students will listen to speeches for over 30 available positions. There are also other opportunities to get involved throughout the year. Grade 10s will focus on social awareness, while Grade 11s will participate in an activity organized by their student reps. Finally, Grade 12s will explore how their Core Strengths affect their behaviour in conflicts.
Boarding
Upcoming Boarding Programming & Events
- Saturday, October 4: Toronto Argos Football Game
- Wednesday, October 8: Thanksgiving Community Dinner
- Friday, October 10: Live Theatre at Meridian Hall – The Thorn
- Tuesday, October 14: An Evening with Dr. Samson – Conversations in Boarding
- Saturday, October 18: Puppy Yoga
Thanksgiving Break
Just a reminder that the Boarding School will remain open for the Thanksgiving Break. All student leave requests should be entered into Reach by Monday, October 6 for approval.
For boarding families who are interested in hosting a boarder over the break, please contact the
Boarding School for more information.
HCPA
HCPA Coffee Mornings
Please join us for our HCPA coffee mornings in the JS Dining Hall, 8 – 9:30 am:
- Grades 7, 8, and 9: Monday, October 6
- Grades 10, 11 and 12: Wednesday, October 29
Drop in for a quick coffee and chat with other parents in your class and meet new ones.
US Bake Sale
The Upper School Bake sale will be held on Tuesday, November 4. Look out for information on ways to volunteer your time, and your baking skills!
- Setting up and staffing at the Bake Sale: click here to sign up
Baking and donating nut-free baked goods: click here to sign up
HCPA Used Textbook intake
Our used textbook intake is Wednesday, October 22 (8 – 11:30 am), Ellen Knox Library. There are two options for used textbooks:
- DONATE used textbooks to the HCPA
With this option, all proceeds from the sale of your books will go towards supporting the HCPA. (A representative from Batner Bookstore will collect the textbooks from Havergal campus and then issue payment to the HCPA after determining which books to buy. Batner will donate declined books to the Salvation Army.) - RETURN used textbooks directly to Batner Bookstore
Families can choose to return textbooks for payment (debit, credit or store credit) directly to Batner Bookstore (180 Steeles Ave. W., Unit 4).
For both options, please only return textbooks that were used from 2021 to 2025, and that are in reasonable condition, with no watermarks, excessive writing, stains or missing pages—the spine must be intact.
Reminders
October 6th: Havergal Welcomes Jeff Selingo for our Parents as Partners Series!
Join us in welcoming New York Times best-selling author and researcher, Jeff Selingo! He’ll be speaking about his new book, Dream School, which offers a fresh perspective and practical tools for families navigating the competitive university admissions process. Jeff will also be spending the day with our faculty and students.
Click here to register for the Parent Evening event at 7:00pm Monday, October 6th.
ACTION REQUIRED: All Senior School Parents – Please complete this permission form to cover many of our events this year
We’ve partnered with COSSOT (Coalition of Single Sex Schools of Toronto) to offer students a variety of social events, including dances and bowling nights, where they can meet students from other schools.
To streamline the process, we’re asking parents to complete a single AAR (parent permission form) for all COSSOT events. This form gives permission for your child to participate in any of these events throughout the year.
- For more specific details, please click on this link.
To go directly to the parent permission form (AAR), click on this link.
VC Pay is now available – Pay Your Tuition Fees Automatically!
Havergal is pleased to introduce Automatic Payment for Student Billing through VC Pay-AutoPay. This new service conveniently eliminates the need to pay bills each month manually and helps avoid late payment fees and missed payments. Please click here for more information.
The Weekly: Upper School 