Friday, November 28

On By vhao

November came to a close this week with the spectacular Middle School play. It was so great to see how talented our students are and how much fun they had working together on this production. The final performance is tonight at 7 pm. It’s not too late to join us!

With December around the corner, the urge to “hustle” often creeps in, and students can get worn down. However, our Head of Upper School, Krista Koekkoek, reminded us this week that self-compassion is the key to resilience, noting that “when we treat ourselves with warmth… we can be more hopeful.”

To practice self-compassion and protect our peace during this busy season, let’s get back to basics:

  • Eat Breakfast: We need energy to learn, and fueling up is the best way to start the day!
  • Prioritize Sleep: Please help your child prioritize rest. If you see that this is not possible because of academic load, please reach out to your child’s guidance counsellor for a more extended discussion.
  • Stay Home When Sick: Pushing through illness doesn’t help anyone. Please take the time to recover fully before returning to school.

Wishing you all a restful weekend and a joyful start to the holiday season.

Deirdre

Today’s edition of The Weekly contains information on the following:

Next Week In The Upper School

Upper School (7-12)

Middle School (7-8)

Senior School (9-12)

Boarding School

HCPA

Reminders

Next Week In The Upper School

Tuesday, December 2

  • Senior Music Night, 7 pm

Thursday, December 4

  • CAIS U13 Basketball Tournament 

Friday, December 5

  • CAIS U13 Basketball Tournament 
  • MS COSSOT UCC Dance, 7 pm

Upper School

Senior School Music Night

Please join us for the Senior School Music Night on Tuesday, December 2, at 7 pm in the Brenda Robson Hall.  It will be a remarkable evening of music from our talented senior musicians.  All are welcome to this free event. 

All performers are reminded to wear green tights and number one dress for the event. 

Middle School

Next Week in Form Programming

The Grade 8 Executive will kick off the holiday season with our annual MS Holiday Assembly. They’ve thoughtfully planned a variety of games and activities for everyone to enjoy, creating a cheerful start to this festive season.

Senior School

Huron University Visit

The Guidance Department is excited to announce that the President of Huron University, Dr. Barry Craig, will be visiting Havergal on Wednesday, December 3, from 8:30 to 9:15 am in our Legacy Theatre to meet our students and families! 

Dr. Craig will discuss the advantages of attending a Liberal Arts Program, current educational trends, and briefly highlight some of the exciting opportunities Huron University is offering its students. 

Students in Grades 10-12 can attend by completing the form in their email. Please encourage them to attend.

If you are interested in attending, RSVP here.

Announcing a New Microcredential in Futures & Foresight from HC-X

Interested in Business, Entrepreneurship, Design or Innovation? The Futures & Foresight Microcredential is a new learning opportunity designed in partnership with OCAD for students in Grades 10–12. 

This microcredential introduces students to the field of futures thinking, which helps people make sense of rapid change, imagine what might be possible, and plan for the future with confidence and creativity. Emerging research highlights that cultivating futures literacy—the ability to understand and work with change—improves student wellbeing by building optimism, resilience, and a stronger sense of control over what comes next.

To ground these ideas in experience, students will take part in several industry-facilitated sessions—both onsite at Havergal and offsite at OCAD University. 

The dates are: 

  • Thursday, January 29, 2026 (afternoon, on campus)
  • Monday, March 2 – Wednesday, March 4, 2026 (full days, offsite – OCADU)
  • Friday, April 17th, 2026 (afternoon, on campus)
  • Monday, April 20th, 2026 (after school, on campus)

Guided by leading industry experts, students in this microcredential will:

  • Learn how futurists use foresight tools, trends, and scenarios to understand how the world is changing.
  • Understand how foresight is used in business, innovation, and entrepreneurship to spot opportunities and make strategic decisions.
  • Collaborate with peers to design ideas and pathways toward preferred futures.
  • Develop curiosity, creative confidence, and resilience, key skills for navigating uncertainty.
  • Build problem-solving and adaptive thinking skills that are valuable in any field.

Interested students should submit their application by Monday, December 15th, to be considered. Space is limited! There is no additional cost for this program.  

Imagine what’s possible. Explore what’s changing. Shape what’s next.

Next Week in Grade Programming

Grade 9: Students will revisit their conversations that began with Jake Ernst’s visit last week to continue discussing their online presence and its impact. 

Grade 10: This session introduces students to what it means to be an ally and explores the actions, attitudes, and language that help create more inclusive and supportive communities.

Grade 11: Our Director of Student Leadership will lead this leadership session, and students will learn how to handle setbacks when things don’t go as planned. 

Grade 12: Students will learn more about the Havergal Connections platform, which connects them with alumni eager to help our students navigate life after Havergal. They will learn how to reach out and why these connections are so important for their future.

Grade 9 COSSOT Event

RSGC is hosting a second Grade 9 COSSOT event at their school next Friday, December 9, 2025. Sign up has launched and is available on the student Veracross homepage. Tickets are $15 and are charged to student accounts.

The event will have fun challenges, a treat bake off, and other get to know you games. The sweet treats will be distributed to the local community. 

Sign up closes Monday, December 1. 

Contact: Director of Student Leadership, Jenn Russell

Boarding School

Upcoming Programming & Events

  • Saturday, November 29: Activate
  • Wednesday, December 3: Boarding Holiday Dinner
  • Friday, December 5: “& Juliet” at The Royal Alexandra Theatre 

HCPA

Parent Evening Socials

Please save the date for the following evening parent socials:

  • Grade 11: December 3, 2025 (off site)
  • Grade 8: January 15, 2026, 7 – 9 pm, EK Library

*Other evening parent socials will be held in January and February 2026. Times and dates TBD.

Reminders

Havergal Annual Carol Service – Wednesday, December 10, 7 pm 

We are very excited for our Carol Service, which will take place on Wednesday, December 10th at 7 pm at St. Paul’s Bloor Street. If your daughter can not attend this mandatory event, please email the appropriate Head of School.

Middle School Music Night: Monday, December 8, 4 pm

Please join us for Middle School Music Night on Monday, December 8 at 4 pm in Brenda Robson Hall. This concert will highlight our grade 7 and 8 instrumental students.

Come and celebrate our budding HC musicians.

Pre-Loved Uniforms: Volunteers Needed!

We are looking for volunteers to help once per year by collecting donations from the Junior and Upper School bins, sorting and washing uniforms, and returning items to the HCPA closet.

If you can lend a hand, please contact us on hcpapreloveduniform@gmail.com

Re-enrolment & Financial Support for 2026/27

  • Re-enrolment for the 2026/27 school year opens on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, and closes on Monday, February 2, 2026.
  • Families who currently receive financial support or wish to apply for support next year must have a complete application through Apple Financial by January 2, 2026.
  • To ensure there’s enough time to review your information, we strongly encourage families to submit their Apple Financial application by December 15, 2025. This will allow time for any additional documents Apple Financial may request to be uploaded before the January 2 deadline.
  • Please note that applications not completed by January 2 will only be reviewed if funds remain available.

If you have any questions about Financial Support at Havergal, please reach out to Maggie Houston-White, Executive Director of Strategic Enrolment Management

HCPA Staff Appreciation Donations

Please send your contribution by December 8, 2025, via e-transfer to hcpatreasurer@gmail.com. Please include your daughter’s name and grade/cohort in the message field. Please see last week’s edition of The Weekly for more details. 

Thank you for your generosity and for joining us in showing appreciation for our outstanding faculty and staff.

Shop Online with the  HCPA Holiday Marketplace

The perfect gift does exist! Get your holiday shopping done early at the HCPA Holiday Marketplace. Visit our Shopify page today.

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