Dear Parents,

Today marks the final blog entry of the 2021-2023 school year. The last day of classes in the Upper School is Wednesday, June 15.  We look forward to celebrating with our Grade 8 families on Wednesday, June 15, hosting the Candlelight Ceremony for Grade 11 and 12 students on Thursday, June 16, and celebrating the Class of 2022 and their families on Friday, June 17 at Graduation.

You will receive your next communication from Havergal on Wednesday, July 6. It will be the first of two summer mailings about the 2022-2023 school year.

We would like to thank you for your ongoing support and partnership throughout this school year. We hope you and your family enjoy some much deserved down time this summer.

The Upper School College Blog contains information and updates on the following: 

• Senior School (Gr 9-12) Trips Registration Links – due Monday, June 13
• Graduation News
• Candlelight Ceremony for Grade 11 and 12 students
• Celebrate Grade 8
• Report Cards Available Thursday, June 23 at 9:00 am
• Leadership Training for all Grade 11 Students
• Uniform Reminder & Updating – order before June 17
• HCPA Used Uniform Drop-off Reminder
• HCPA Used Textbook Collection Reminder
• School Supply Drive for Afghan Newcomers
• Locker Clean-out, June 15
• Waterloo Math Contest Results – Grades 9–12
• A Moment in Time Art Installation
• Dates on the Horizon

Sincerely,

JJ Patterson, Head of Middle School

Deirdre Timusk, Head of Senior School

Latest News

Senior School (9-12) Trips – Registration Links – Due Monday, June 13

Please find below the registration links to each of the fall trips.

Grade Level in Sept 2022	Registration Link	Location Specific Waiver
9	Gr 9 Registration	Link to the PDF of the waiver
10	Gr 10 Registration	N/A
11	Gr 11 Registration	N/A
12	Gr 12 Registration	Link to the PDF of the waiver

Graduation News

Please check your inbox for an email from Lindsay Norberg with all the relevant information about graduation. We are very excited to be celebrating the Class of 2022! 

Candlelight Ceremony for Grade 11 & 12 Students

As some of you may know, each year we celebrate the ‘passing of the torch’ from Grads to the Grade 11s, in our traditional Candlelight Ceremony. Our evening event is for all Grade 11 and 12 students only. Students are to wear a white dress/pantsuit/pants and top, and sensible shoes.  They are required to be at school on Thursday, June 16 at 11 am for a rehearsal and then return at 5:45 pm for the ceremony. 

Celebrate Grade 8

On Wednesday, June 15 at 1:30 – 3:00 pm we will celebrate our Grade 8 students in the Brenda Robson Hall. Thank you to all of the parents who have RSVP’ed and registered to attend. Parents are reminded that it is a regular school day with classes in session and therefore there will be no parking on campus. We encourage you to leave plenty of time to park off campus or find an alternate mode of transportation. Students will be in #1 dress uniform and are dismissed for the day following the ceremony. If you have any questions, please contact Abi Vigneswaran.

Report Cards Available Thursday, June 23 at 9 am

Please see this letter to learn more about the final report card which will be available to parents and students on Thursday, June 23 at 9:00 am.

Leadership Training for all Grade 11 Students

On Tuesday, June 14 and Wednesday, June 15 all Grade 11 students are expected to attend leadership training. We are excited to welcome the Ontario Education Centre for Leadership on campus to help run this fun and exciting program for our students. Students do not have to wear a uniform and should come in sneakers and comfortable clothing, ready to be active and have fun. 

Uniform Reminder & Updating – order before June 17

• Students have grown over the past two years and we have found that their uniforms have not grown along with them and some items are in need of replacement. 
• Here is the link for the list of uniform requirements for your review. In addition, please find here the Online Store Information and a link to the website to order new pieces for your child. 
• Please note that the Green & Gold store is closed from June 17 – August 8. 

HCPA Used Uniform Drop-off Reminder

The HCPA will be collecting your preloved skirts, kilts, tunics, dress pants and blazers. Curbside drop-off will be available in the parking lot of the Junior School and the North Parking Lot of the Upper School on June 15 from 7:30 to 9:30 am.

In addition, drop-off bins will be located in the Junior School Lobby on June 15 and 16 and the Upper School Rotunda on June 15, 16, 20, and 21 until 5:30 pm each of these days.

Donations should:

• be clean and in good repair;
• not be stained or ripped;
• have been purchased from the Green & Gold shop as an official uniform item; and
• have your child’s name removed, where possible.

A Used Uniform Fundraising Sale is being planned for the fall. It will be a great way to stock up on backup pieces for those inevitable lost uniforms items. More details about the sale will be shared at a later date.

In addition to supporting the HCPA’s fundraising efforts, it’s a great way to reduce, reuse and recycle!

HCPA Used Textbook Collection Reminder

It’s that time of the year once again! The HCPA has arranged for the Canadian School Book Exchange (CSBE) to be at Havergal on Wednesday, June 15 from 7:30 to 11:30 am to accept your donations. Families can drop off their used textbooks directly into the CSBE truck, which will be parked in the North Parking Lot of the Upper School.

When your book is sold through the CSBE, a percentage of the sale will go back to you and a percentage will go toward the HCPA’s fundraising efforts. It’s a win-win!

Detailed instructions can be found HERE.

School Supply Drive for Afghan Newcomers

Students will be cleaning out their lockers over the next few days. Please encourage your child to donate to the school supplies drive and make an impact on the life of Afghan newcomers today.  The donations will go to the North York Community House, which will then distribute the school supplies to the Afghan newcomers that had to flee from their country due to the turmoil they experienced. The Afghan children left their valuable items such as toys and school supplies in their country and by donating spare or new school supplies, we can help Afghan newcomers to feel welcomed and provide the necessary resources for them to thrive. Drop-off locations are in the Temerty and North Quad entrances, and the library.

Locker Clean-out on June 15

All lockers need to be clean and empty by the afternoon of June 15. Please encourage your child to bring home things from their locker on Monday and Tuesday, to ensure that Wednesday afternoon goes smoothly for them, and they aren’t lugging the entire contents of their locker home in one day.

Waterloo Math Contest Results – Grades 9 – 12

Havergal’s Math and Computer Science Department was pleased to be able to celebrate (in person) the achievements of students on several University of Waterloo math contests grades 9 – 12 from the past several years in Prayers on Thursday, June 2nd. The collective and individual performance of our students helped the school once again secure impressive rankings on several contests:

ONTARIO

• Pascal grade 9 in 2020 3rd in province & top all-girls school 
• Cayley grade 10 in 2021 7th in province & top all-girls school

INDIVIDUAL TOP SCORES

PASCAL (Grade 9)

• 2020 Kristie HO 144pts = 8th of 8870 top 0.1%
• 2021 (gr7) Sophie ZHANG 144pts = 55th of 4741 top 1.1%
• 2022 (gr8) Sophie ZHANG 136pts = 184th of 7103 top 2.5%
  

FERMAT (Grade 11)

• 2021 Penelope PARK 126pts = 332nd of 3952 top 8.4%
• 2022 Claire RADIN 114pts = 981st of 5642 top 17%

CAYLEY (Grade 10)

• 2020 Adrianna NERETLIS 128pts = 375th of 7759 top 4.8%
• 2021 Kristin CHO 144pts = 22nd of 3592 top 0.6%
• 2022 Annie WU 130pts = 257th of 5870 top 4.4%
  

EUCLID (Grade 12)

• 2022 Annie WU (gr10) 70pts = 890th of 7556 top 12%

CERTIFICATES OF DISTINCTION
The University of Waterloo also offers Certificates of Distinction for students whose scores would place them in the top 25% in each contest. Certificates for this year will be presented to students in their math class or in their Teacher-Advisor group or form. A list of recipients can be found HERE.

MIDDLE SCHOOL
Results from our Gauss contest were shared on Wednesday morning at the Middle School assembly.

THANK YOU
We would like to thank all our students for their effort both on these contests and for their hard work on a daily basis in class. Their inquisitive, engaged and dedicated approach to learning continues to be remarkable. Thank you to all our math teachers for their mentorship, inspiration and encouragement; to our colleagues for their steadfast support and flexibility and for parents for their ongoing enthusiasm for excellence in mathematics at our school.   

A Moment in Time Art Installation

Thank you very much to Grade 9 students, Isabella J and Tessa G, who have worked throughout the year to produce the art installation currently in the hallways of the school, called ‘A Moment in Time.’ In the words of Isabelle and Tessa, “the goal of this art installation was to offer the Havergal community the opportunity to share with others their experiences throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Students from grades 7-12 decorated masks to share their emotions and insights during this challenging time. The pandemic may have brought fear, isolation, and uncertainty, but we persevered and became more resilient, and aware. We hope you find this installation thought-provoking.”  

Dates on the Horizon

Grade 11 Leadership Training

• June 14 and 15, 8:30 am  – 3:30 pm
• Should come in sneakers and comfortable clothing, ready to be active and have fun. 

Celebrate Grade 8

• Wednesday, June 15, 1:30 – 3:00 pm, Grade 8 students are dismissed at 3 pm following the ceremony and reception, students in #1 dress. 

Last Day of Classes

• Wednesday, June 15, dismissal at 3:30 pm

Candlelight (Gr 11/12)

• Thursday, June 16: 
  • Rehearsal: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm (casual clothing)
  • Ceremony: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (dress in white)

Class of 2022 Graduation & Reception

• Friday, June 17, 1:00 – 5:00 pm 

Report Cards Available on Veracross

• Thursday, June 23, 9:00 am

Dear Parents,

It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge the recent horrific mass killings in both Buffalo, NY, and Uvalde, Texas, as well as the second anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. As parents, it can be difficult to determine how to best discuss these kinds of tragedies with our children, if at all, depending on their age and stage. As such, we wanted to provide you with several resources to support you in determining how to potentially engage in this discussion within your family.

• Talking to Children about Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers
• Tips for How to Talk to Children about Tragedies – World Vision Canada 
• How to Support Your Child’s Resilience in a Time of Crisis

As a school, Havergal remains committed to supporting all of our students in all aspects of their wellbeing. In the Upper School, there are many people here for students to reach out to including their Form Teacher or Teacher Advisor, their Guidance Counselor and/or Caitlin Parsons, our School Social Worker. 

The Havergal campus has been a buzz of energy this past week while hundreds of students compete in the CISAA championships. All of our teams worked hard and produced amazing results with the following teams coming away as CISAA champions: U20 Softball, U16 Softball, U14 Tennis, and U16 Tennis, and U20 Ultimate. Good luck to our OFSAA qualifiers for Track & Field and the Ultimate team. Go Gators!

On Thursday morning at Connection Prayers, we celebrated the Marguerites, who have been Havergal students since JK-Grade 1, and honoured siblings of students who are members of the Class of 2022. This is certainly one of the most cherished Prayers for many of our students and it was wonderful to be able to host this in person with many parents in attendance after two years of having to be online. Finally, our Middle School Music Night was on Thursday and it was a standing-room only event where the audience enjoyed the musical talents of our students.

The US Blog contains information and updates on the following: 

• Reminder to Update Your Child’s Uniform
• End of Year Library Book Return Date: June 6
• Ontario Leadership Training for all Grade 11 students
• Grade-Wide Fall Trips Virtual Parent Information Evenings are Next Week
• Celebration Saturday is Back! Save the Date- Saturday September 24
• Relaunching the Forum for Change: The Global Heartbeat of Havergal College
• Dates on the Horizon

Sincerely,

JJ Patterson, Head of Middle School

Deirdre Timusk, Head of Senior School

Latest News

Reminder to Update Your Child’s Uniform

As we approach the end of the school year and look ahead to the fall, we wanted to connect with you regarding the Havergal uniform. Havergal chooses to have a uniform to denote pride in membership in our community. In addition, the uniform signals that we expect that our students will distinguish themselves in intellectual, artistic and athletic achievements, in service to others, and in leadership to the community, rather than in dress.  

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have shifted the uniform requirements to adapt to the needs of our students due to the COVID-19 guidelines that had to be put in place. Additionally, students have grown over the past two years and we have found that their uniforms have not grown along with them and some items are in need of replacement. 

As we plan ahead, we are writing to seek your assistance and partnership to ensure that your child has all of the necessary uniform items for September 2022. Here is the link for the list of uniform requirements for your review. In addition, please find here the Online Store Information and a link to the website to order new pieces for your child. 

Please note that the Green & Gold store is closed from June 17 – August 8. In order to ensure the necessary items are available prior to the start of the year, please place orders for new items before June 17.

End of the Year Library Book Return Date: June 6

All loaned library books are due back on Monday June 6th. If you need any borrowed material past June 6th for academic or assessment purposes, please let one of the library staff know so that we can extend the borrowing deadline for this material.

Ontario Leadership Training for All Grade 11 Students

Further to our earlier information regarding the two-day leadership training for all the grade 11 students, please note that you will be billed approximately $140. Please complete the financial assistance form if you require any support. 

Grade-Wide Fall Trips Virtual Parent Information Evening

Grade in Sept 2022	2022-23 Grade Excursion	Parent Information Night	Zoom Link
7	Kilcoo Camp Sept 21-23	Sept 2022	N/A
8	St Donat End of January	Sept 2022	N/A
9	Camp New Moon Sept 14-16	June 1  7 pm	https://havergal.zoom.us/j/84580764306?pwd=Y1MwbHk0N21teFBXaG5oTXdmY1plUT09 Passcode: 589038
10	Pine Crest Camp Sept 14-16	June 1  7 pm	https://havergal.zoom.us/j/83943592502?pwd=WXAvMjF6dXRNK1F2azYwV3BSNmt2UT09 Passcode: 293987 This link was updated on May 31, 2022.
11	OELC Camp  Sept 14-16	June 2 7 pm	https://havergal.zoom.us/j/84092959636?pwd=V3JBMWZKZFVRTzZGcmRGenVDMWdrQT09 Passcode: 271965
12	Campfire Camp (Camp Ooch/Trillium) Sept 14-16	June 2  7 pm	https://havergal.zoom.us/j/89661082164?pwd=a1I0NFRsSHp4MFptd0xsOW1EcVhLUT09 Passcode: 841795 This link was updated on May 31, 2022.

Celebration Saturday is Back! Save the Date: Saturday, September 24, 2022

We are excited to announce that Celebration Saturday, our community event and fundraiser for our community partnerships is back! All students JK – 12  participate in this special day and we hope families, friends, and neighbours will join us for fun, food and festivity as we gather as a whole school community to celebrate our mission in action. We will be  looking for volunteers to help with the stalls, bbq, ticket sales and of course,. our famous silent auction!  Stay tuned for details and mark your calendars for this event – you won’t want to miss it!

Relaunching The Forum for Change: The Global Heartbeat of Havergal College

Message from Garth Nichols, Vice Principal, Strategic Innovation & Design

I am thrilled to announce that in September of 2022, we will be formally relaunching our Forum for Change (F4C). The Forum for Change has been a part of the Havergal Experience for over 12 years as the hub of global learning and community partnership programming. It has supported students in learning service approaches to making a difference in their world. We know that preparing young women to make a difference is happening every day at Havergal College, and now students can level up through the F4C. Students will be provided with local and global learning experiences that will further Havergal’s purpose and develop in our students attributes of Havergal’s Portrait of a Grad. 

As the Global Heartbeat of the school, the F4C has extensive global networks and partnerships upon which to draw including, but not limited to, UNESCO Associated Schools, the Independent Schools Experiential Educators Network, and are applying to become a member of Round Square. With and through these partnerships, the F4C will provide experiential learning opportunities with a focus on learning service: “Learning service consists of humble, thoughtful action designed to do no harm…where learning and service interact in an ongoing cycle, with each depending on each other. This loop is fueled by self-reflection and applying learning to future action.” (“Learning Service” Bennet, Hechsher, Collins & Papi-Thornton, 2018)

As we emerge from the pandemic, there is a strong call from parents, faculty and students for Havergal to reestablish this third space of learning that stretches and challenges our students in ways that support their academic learning, development of identity and sense of self. Global Exchanges, International Learning Service trips, our Community Partnership program and the Global Learning & Leading Diploma, equip students to make a positive difference in the world with a focus on global mindedness; these programs provoke students to broaden their cultural fluency, and make an impact through these deep and meaningful learning experiences.

For questions about upcoming opportunities, or about the F4C in general, please contact me, Garth Nichols, Vice Principal of Strategic Innovation and Design.

Dates on the Horizon

Prom

• Friday, May 27, 2022 @ Berkeley Church 

Kilcoo Camp Overnight Excursion

• Grade 8: May 30 (7:10 am drop off) – June 1 (approx. 1 pm pick up at Havergal)
• Grade 7: June 1 (7:10 am drop off) – 3 (approx. noon pick up at Havergal)
  • Parents and students received an email with the final details and instructions on Thursday, May 26. 

Celebrate Grade 8

• Wednesday, June 15, 1:30 – 3:00 pm, Grade 8 students are dismissed at 3 pm following the ceremony and reception, students in #1 dress. 

Grade 11 Leadership Training

• June 14 and 15, 8:30 am  – 3:30 pm

Last Day of Classes

• Wednesday, June 15

Candlelight (Gr 11/12 students only)

• Thursday, June 16,  6:00 pm – 8:00 pm 

Class of 2022 Graduation & Reception

• Friday, June 17, 1:00 – 5:00 pm

Dear Parents,

Thank you for taking the time to read this bi-weekly publication which is designed to help keep you up-to-date with the important events here in the Upper School. Please think of it as your go-to place for information and details related to school life. We do this to help keep our emails to you to a minimum, and so that all the information you need is in one place, easily found through the blog website. We suggest that you bookmark this link for future reference. 

The Middle School Gator Games were held on Wednesday evening and it was an incredible evening of fun and laughter with a drop of competitiveness, too. The Middle School parents and students participated in a fantastic Just Dance warm up and a variety of games such as spikeball, benchball, stones, ultimate chicken, and a campus wide scavenger hunt. A massive thank you to Ms. Di Filippo and the Sports Council who organised and led the games. Please take a look at the photos at the bottom of the blog entry for some highlights!

Today’s Blog contains information and updates on the following: 

• Student Wellbeing Survey – Feedback and Next Steps
• Grade-Wide Trips for 2022-2023. Please read me! 
• Middle School Musical Theatre – Thursday, May 19 @ 7 pm
• Middle School Music Night – Thursday, May 26 @ 7 pm
• Grade 12 Families: Prom Permission Form
• Grade 12 Families: Graduation Reminders
• Pride Week
• NEDIC Webinar
• Socks 4 Souls – Sock Drive Starts Next Week
• HC-X Digital Microcredentials sign up and information 
• GO-VAXX Vaccination Clinic On-site – May 21
• Dates on the Horizon
• Photos from the Week

Sincerely,

JJ Patterson, Head of Middle School

Deirdre Timusk, Head of Senior School

Latest News

Student Wellbeing Survey – Feedback and Next Steps

On May 3, students in Grades 2 to 5, 6 to 8 and 7 to 12 participated in three separate wellbeing surveys – known as the School Resilience Survey – designed to collect information to help us assess the future needs of our wellbeing programming. 

Thank you to those parents who reached out to engage in conversations and share feedback on the survey. We sincerely appreciate your feedback and will bring these key learnings forward for future initiatives.

Purpose of the Survey

The goal of the survey was to: 

• Assess student perceptions and experiences 
• Identify strengths and weaknesses of key grade-level wellbeing indicators 
• Better understand the concerns of children growing up in our community
• Learn how best to continue promoting positive development among our students

To help support us in our journey, we worked with an independent third-party team of industry-leading scientists, clinicians and consultants at Authentic Connections, who are committed to helping high achieving schools measure, track and improve wellbeing and resilience. 

Authentic Connections and Survey Measures 

The School Resilience Survey is an extension of the work of Dr. Suniya Luthar – Co-Founder and Chief Research Officer of Authentic Connections – to study and promote positive youth development. Dr. Luthar is Professor Emerita at Columbia University’s Teachers College, where she served as professor and senior advisor to the Provost. She was also previously on the faculty at Yale University’s School of Medicine. 

The Authentic Connections surveys (Children’s Resilience Survey and High Achieving Schools Survey) measured how our students are doing on important indicators of mental health, learning efficacy, sense of community connectedness, risk-taking behaviours and relationships such as student-parent, peer to peer and student-teacher. 

All individual responses were entirely anonymous; no identifying information – including IP addresses – were sent to the Authentic Connections research team or to Havergal. We are not able to share a copy of the surveys due to the fact that we do not own the rights to share or distribute the survey.

Survey Findings

The survey findings will provide us with a list of next steps to drive meaningful improvements at Havergal and help us determine programming that will meet the specific needs of our students. We intend to share the themes that emerge from the survey with students and parents. We believe the themes will offer valuable insights to both parents and teachers when identifying and addressing issues and concerns.

If you have any further questions please reach out to Dr. Meagan Yarmey, Director of Wellbeing.

Senior School Grade-Wide Fall Trips, 2022-2023

We recognize that students have not been able to participate in the variety of school related trips and experiences over the past two years. With this in mind, we have built a program that is unique for the 2022-2023 school year as we begin to build back the social and relationship experiences that help build a great community here at Havergal.  We will be taking each grade level to a different camp location for two nights in September to facilitate new friendships and strengthen relationships between students in each grade. In addition, leadership skills will be developed in an age appropriate manner. Learn more at the grade-specific virtual parent information nights. Dates are outlined in the chart below.

The approximate cost of each trip will vary and more details will follow. We recognize this is an additional cost. Havergal College is commited to financial assistance; please be assured that families receiving bursaries will be able to apply for assistance for these trips because this is a key part of our program. Please reach out to Deirdre Timusk if you have any questions.

Middle School Musical Theatre

On Thursday, May 19 the inaugural Middle School Musical Review, We’re All In This Together, will take place at 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm in The Legacy Theatre. Parents can reserve their tickets for the 7:00pm show by using this link. 

Middle School Music Night

On Thursday, May 26, the Grade 7 students and the Middle School Choir will perform at 7:00 pm, in the Brenda Robson Hall. Students have been preparing for this event all semester and the music promises to delight all those in attendance. Reservations are not required.

Grade 12 Families: Prom Permission Form Information

If your child is attending Prom, please, click this link to register. If your child is bringing a guest you will need to provide us with the information below:

• Full name of child’s guest
• Name of guest’s school  (Please note, if the guest does not attend a school their guest application must still be signed by a parent/guardian of the guest.)
• Name of guest’s Parent/Guardian
• Contact phone number for guest’s Parent/Guardian

All Havergal students bringing a guest will be required to submit a Prom 2022 Guest Application to Ms. Danto no later than May 20th.  All guests are subject to approval by the Havergal Administration.

Grade 12 Families: Graduation Events Information Session

On Wednesday, May 4th, the Grade 12 students were informed about important details regarding their graduation ceremony and the exciting events leading up to it. Grads were informed about their responsibilities regarding grad comments, awards voting, what to wear on the big day, and important dates. Grads are reminded to complete their grad comments which are due on Friday, May 27th. Grads are encouraged to review the slideshow that was emailed to them on Wednesday.

Pride Week

Pride Week will take place next week at Havergal. The Pride Committee has organized a variety of activities scheduled at lunch and afterschool for interested students. They will kick off the week with Prayers on Monday where students on the Pride Committee will be talking about the history of Pride, sharing their experiences of being a part of the LGBTQ2AI+ community, and celebrating the diversity of our school. If you have any questions, please reach out to Cissy Goodridge. 

NEDIC Webinar

The National Eating disorder information centre is offering a free webinar on the connection between Social media and eating disorders.  If you are interested, more information on the webinar can be found here. 

‘Socks for Souls’ Drive

May is National Foot Health Month and, in honour of that, this May 17th to the 29th Havergal will be running a sock drive in support of Socks 4 Souls Canada. Socks 4 Souls is a non-profit charity that is run by emergency room doctors, who have first-hand experience seeing increasing amounts of homeless people across the GTA coming in due to foot-related injuries. Last year, during the pandemic, Havergal managed to donate over 300 pairs of socks to Socks 4 Souls’ partners across the GTA, and we are aiming to beat that this year! Starting next week, there will be designated boxes located at each of the grade entrances for students to drop off their donations of new socks. 

HC-X Launching Digital Microcredentials

HC-X is launching this pilot of new learning experiences to students beginning in September. Working with partners from our community as well as elite post-secondary institutions, HC-X is bringing unique learning experiences to our students. Registration is open now to gauge interest. To register click the links to the programs of interest below.

Working with Convergence.Tech, a leader in this space, HC-X believes that micro-credentials offer lots of potential for our students. They are verifiable, shareable and validated learning experiences that signal to authentic audiences that anyone who completes it, has gained a depth of knowledge and experience in these areas.

Benefits to an HC-X microcredential:

• Learn from experts: We are partnering with Harvard Student Agencies, Inspirit AI who bring MIT and Stanford Professors, and Old Girls who are working and leading in these spaces
• Getting Experience: learn about things that you don’t know about but may love, with little risk and just a little bit of your time, and build networks while they are at it.
• Show off your Interests, Passions and Experiences: HC-X Digital Credentials are shareable on socials, like LinkedIn, and are verifiable on Blockchain.
• Deepen and Extend Learning: For example:

1. If a student is really interested in business and are part of DECA, CEO club, Investment / Finance Club, and are even taking courses in these areas, you may want to extend your learning into crypto and ESG investing.  
2. If students are into BioScience and Medicine, they may be members of our HOSA club, and want to do more learning, you could take the Pre-Med micro credential offered by Harvard Student Agencies
3. Or if a Student has completed the Digital Wisdom course, or a Comm Tech, are part of Coding Club, and are interested in Artificial Intelligence and coding they can take the AI credential with Inspirit AI and learn with and from professors from Stanford and MIT

To register, and for more information on these learning experiences please see below:

(1) Microcredential in: Contemporary Finance

(2) Microcredential in: Pre-Med

(3) Microcredential in: Artificial Intelligence
Or contact Garth Nichols, Vice Principal of Strategic Innovation & Design, or Adam Caplan, Director of HC-X.

GO-VAXX Mobile Vaccine Clinic at Havergal on May 21

On Saturday, May 21, GO-VAXX mobile vaccine bus will return to Havergal’s Upper School parking lot (1451 Avenue Road) from 10 am to 6 pm to provide Pfizer first, second, third and booster doses for those ages 12 and up, as well as paediatric Pfizer vaccines for children ages five to 11. Vaccinations are available to everyone—students, parents, faculty and staff, Old Girls/Alums—as well as friends, neighbours and beyond. All are welcome!

Walk-ins are available, while supplies last. To book an appointment, visit the COVID-19 vaccination portal or call the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900. Bookings are available starting Friday, May 20. Visit Ontario.ca/vaccinebus for more information.

Dates on the Horizon

Pride Week

• Monday – Friday, May 16-20

Havercrest Coffee House

• Friday, May 20, Grade 11/12 students 

Victoria Day Weekend

• Monday, May 23 –  No School

House Shout!  House Colour Dress Down Day

• Tuesday, May 24,  1 pm, regular classes in the morning.

Virtual Fall Grade Trips Parent Information Nights (zoom links in next blog)

• Wed June 1 7 pm: Grade 9 Fall Trip
• Wed June 1 7 pm: Grade 10 Fall Trip
• Thur June 2 7 pm: Grade 11 Fall Trip
• Thur June 2 7 pm: Grade 12 Fall Trip 

Kilcoo Camp Overnight Excursion

• Grade 8: May 30 (7:10 am drop off) – June 1 (approx. 1 pm pick up at Havergal)
• Grade 7: June 1 (7:10 am drop off) – 3 (approx. noon pick up at Havergal)
  • Parents and students will receive an email with the final details and instructions on Thursday, May 26.

Celebrate Grade 8

• Wednesday, June 15, 1:30 – 3:00 pm, Grade 8 students are dismissed at 3 pm following the ceremony and reception

Class of 2022 Graduation & Reception

• Friday, June 17, 1:00 – 5:00 pm

Photos

Middle School Gator Games

Snapshots from Middle School Prayers on Thursday

Dear Parents,

The springtime is always a busy time of year for Havergal, but with many events starting back up after a two year hiatus, it is especially true this spring. One event that our students eagerly signed up for was the COSSOT (Coalition of Single-Sex Schools of Toronto) Relay for Life held at UCC on Thursday. Over 200 Havergal students participated and the event raised more than $185,000 for The Canadian Cancer Society. Our students worked together and had fun while raising funds for a worthy cause. Another eagerly anticipated event is the Havercrest Middle School Social being held at Crescent School this afternoon, where 130 Havergal students are signed up for fun and games while making new friends.

We’re thrilled to see our students joining in on these opportunities and are incredibly thankful for the work that our faculty, staff, and student leaders have put into organizing these initiatives. Please enjoy all of the photos at the bottom of this blog that highlight some of the events that have taken place over the past two weeks. 

The US Blog contains information and updates on the following: 

• Upper School Trips this Fall
• Graduation Update – Graduate Comments
• Havergal Welcomes a new Executive Director, Advancement
• Ramadan – Food Drive
• Report Cards for Semester 2 – update
• Dates on the Horizon
• The Last Few Weeks in Photos 

Sincerely,

JJ Patterson, Head of Middle School

Deirdre Timusk, Head of Senior School

Latest News

Upper School Fall Trips

We recognize that students have not been able to participate in school-related trips and experiences over the past two years. With this in mind, we have built a program that is unique for the 2022-2023 school year as we begin to build back the social and relationship experiences that help build a great experience here at Havergal. 

The aim of these trips is to facilitate new friendships and strengthen relationships between students in each grade. In addition, leadership skills will be developed in an age appropriate manner. Please click on this link to learn more.

Graduation Updates – Grad Comments – Advisory Time May 4, 2022

On Wednesday, May 4th during Advisory time with Ms. Johnstone and Ms. Mandala, grads will hear important information regarding the graduation ceremony and their grad comments. Grad comments are read during the Graduation Ceremony in June. Grads are to reflect on their experience at Havergal College and write their comments. It is very important that all grads attend this session next Wednesday at 8:30 am in the Brenda Robson Hall.

Grads must submit their comments by Friday, May 27th via the Google Form. 

Havergal Welcomes a new Executive Director, Advancement

We are pleased to announce that Havergal will welcome Annette Paul as our new Executive Director, Advancement. Ms. Paul will lead the strategic and operational functions of the Advancement Department including philanthropy and alumni relations, in addition to serving as a member of the Senior Leadership Team. Ms. Paul  is an experienced fundraising and development executive with over 22 years of experience in the not for profit and education sectors. She is currently the Director, Advancement at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto’s newest faculty, where she has been working closely with the Dean to meet the faculty’s $75M capital campaign target. While at the University of Toronto, Ms. Paul also co-chaired two university-level committees on stewardship and on equity with senior university leadership. Prior to her role at U of T, Ms. Paul held senior roles in a variety of educational and not for profit sectors including the United Way (Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington), Queen’s University and the Daily Bread Food Bank. Ms. Paul will join Havergal on May 9th , 2022 and parents can expect to meet her over the course of the spring and early fall.

Ramadan – Food Drive

For the month of Ramadan, Muslim communities often act charitably to give to those in need. This special act represents thankfulness to God for helping them complete their month of fasting. Sunday marks the end of Ramadan and Eid will be celebrated on May 2nd. You can wish an “Eid Mubarak” to your friends and colleagues who have fasted during this holy month.

This year, the Muslim Student Affinity group (MSA) has set up boxes around the school for a school food drive. Please contribute with dry or canned goods. The last date to bring food is Wednesday, May 4. 

Report Cards from Semester 2

Please note that the incorrect attendance data on the second semester report cards has been removed from the report cards. Thank you for bringing this to our attention and we apologize for the error. Please reach out to Ms. Seonaid Davis if you have any further questions.

Dates on the Horizon

Student Leadership Announcements

• May 2

AP (Advanced Placement) Exams

• May 2 – 20

PD Day

• Friday, May 6 – No School for Students

Middle School Gator Games

• May 10, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
• Email from Ms. Di Filippo with details, Registration Link (deadline to register is May 5)

Beatstock

• May 13

Victoria Day Weekend

• Monday, May 23 –  No School

House Shout – House Colour Dress Down Day

• Tuesday, May 24 @ 1 pm, regular classes in the morning.

Connections Prayer (new date)

• Thursday, May 26

Kilcoo Camp Overnight Excursion

• Grade 8: May 30 (7:10 am drop off) – June 1 (approx. 1 pm pick up at Havergal)
• Grade 7: June 1 (7:10 am drop off) – 3 (approx. noon pick up at Havergal)

Celebrate Grade 8

• Wednesday, June 15, 1:30 – 3:00 pm 

Photos from the Last Few Weeks

Earth Week, Sustainability Prayers with Earth Prize, Thrift Store and Advisign Activity

Sports, Founders’ Day, Music Night and Elections kept us busy!

Arts Week: Bracelet making, Just Dance at lunch, Bob Ross art, and the Dance Show

Arts Week Salon

Dear Parents,

It’s been busy at the Upper School this week with a lot happening in sports, music and personal growth.

Teams are practicing and preparing for their upcoming season, enjoying the warmer weather that has finally arrived. Students and coaches alike are excited to be back on the courts, field, and track again.

The Senior School Music Night was a highlight made extra special because we were able to welcome parents on campus for a live audience experience. The multiple ensembles performed beautifully! Thank you the Music department for all of their effort and dedication over the course of the year. We invite you to view the performances through the Havergal YouTube Channel linked HERE. 

We hosted Dr. Alex Russell for a faculty professional development session after school on Wednesday, followed by an in-person and virtual session for parents in the evening. His topic of supporting teenage children during challenging times addressed many pertinent issues such as anxiety, the importance of the parent-teacher-student triangle, how ‘flow’ is a true marker for happiness and engagement, and when, as parents, we need to sit on the park bench and not step into their experience, even when that experience involves a non-catastrophic, painful failure. We encourage you to view the recording of the session through this LINK.

As we head into this long weekend, we wish you a Happy Easter, Happy Passover and Ramadan Mubarak. We hope you’re able to safely spend time with those you love on the weekend.

The US Blog contains information and updates on the following: 

• Principal & HCPA Updates
• Recording of Dr Alex Russell’s presentation on Supporting Teenage Children
• Founders’ Day – Community Event on Campus
• Founders’ Day – Registration Reminder
• Earth Week (April 14-22, 2022)
• Grade 11: OELC Leadership Training 
• Learn to Golf
• Dates on the Horizon

Sincerely,

JJ Patterson, Head of Middle School

Deirdre Timusk, Head of Senior School

Latest News

Principal & HCPA Updates

Dear Havergal Families:

We would like to thank all who participated in our survey regarding the Father Daughter Dance, Mother Daughter Breakfasts, Grade 12 Mother Daughter Brunch and Junior School A-Mazing Race. We had very strong participation from both our parent and our Upper School student community. Your feedback is important to us and we thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and ideas with us.

We’ve shared information below on the responses to our parent and student survey. Overall, the vast majority of respondents (over 70%) were supportive of renaming the events to ensure that families of all shapes and sizes felt welcomed to participate. This is no doubt reflective of the variety of families represented within our school community. Given this insightful feedback from both students and parents, we will be making the following changes:

• The Father Daughter Dance will be renamed to Gator Gala and will take place on Thursday, June 9, 2022. Students attending can invite one significant adult of their choosing.
• The Mother Daughter Breakfasts will now be called Havergal Family Breakfasts. Students attending from our major entry years (Grades 1, 5, 7 and 9) can invite one significant adult of their choosing. 
• The Grade 12 Mother Daughter Brunch will now be known as Grad Family Brunch. Grade 12 students will be encouraged to bring up to two significant adults to the event, which takes place in the fall.
• The Junior School A-Mazing Race will retain its name and students can bring one significant adult of their choosing.This event will take place on Sunday, May 15, 2022.

Tickets for the Gator Gala will go on sale Monday, April 18 and the planning committee is creating a great evening that honours tradition and celebrates this special one-on-one time with your daughter. There will be dinner, dancing, games, prizes, a silent auction and opportunities to participate in time-honoured traditions between parents and students. As per the Ontario College of Teachers guidelines, any school-sanctioned event where students attend as guests will not have alcohol served. A wide selection of signature mocktails, non-alcoholic beers and beverages will be served alongside a delicious dinner. Please watch for the Gator Gala invitation to arrive via email on April 18. 

Once again, thank you to everyone who shared feedback with us. We are looking forward to a wonderful series of community events this spring and fall.

Sincerely,

Dr Alex Russell’s Presentation

If you were not able to tune in on the evening, here, again, is the link to Dr Russell’s presentation.

Founders’ Day – Community Event on Campus

This year, our Founders’ Day theme, Strong Foundations: Bright Future compels us to celebrate our history while focusing on what we, as individuals and as a community, will do to help create a bright future as we move through this pandemic.

To mark this historic time and honour the strength of our collective community, each student and family member will be given a stone upon which they can write their name and, for students, their graduating year as well. These stones will be collected and made onto an art installation, similar to what is pictured below.

This installation will live in the Simpson Family Quilted Garden, bordering on both the Junior and Upper School and be a reminder of our community’s strength, perseverance.

We look forward to welcoming our families to campus and to building together a bright future for the Havergal community. Parents are invited to join their child(ren) for an opportunity to tour the school with their child(ren), to participate in our Strong Foundations, Strong Future community activity and to take a family photo at our photo booth. 

At 2:30 pm, students will meet their parents at a reception hosted by the HCPA:

• Grade 7 & 8 Parents – Brenda Robson Hall
• Grade 9 & 10 Parents – Student Commons
• Grade 11 & 12 Parents – Temerty Commons

Founders’ Day Registration Reminder

As was communicated last week, we are thrilled that our Upper School Students will once again be returning to St. Paul’s Cathedral for Founders’ Day next Thursday, April 21.

If you have not already done so, please complete this permission form and confirm your child’s participation in this event. Forms must be completed by noon on Tuesday April 19. Please note that registration for this event is not required for members of the Middle and Senior School Choirs.

If your child will not be attending, please email dso@havergal.on.ca before the 3:30 pm on Wednesday, April 20th and let them know the details of their absence and be sure to indicate if they will be absent all day or attending classes in the afternoon.

Earth Week (April 19 – 22, 2022)

Earth Week begins next week! This year’s Sustainability Council has planned many fun and educational events around various sustainability themes. Please check this schedule for a description of the week’s events.

Grade 11: OELC Leadership Training

With the understanding that each and every student at Havergal has the potential to be a leader, this June we will be holding leadership training for every student in the Class of 2023 to prepare them to lead, whatever their role, during their final year at Havergal. 

Students will be on-campus and the experience will be led by the Ontario Education Leadership Centre and will take place all day on Tuesday, June 14 and Wednesday, June 15 in place of classes. The Candlelight Ceremony, in which all Grade 11 students participate, will take place on June 16.

In the past, a leadership retreat was held in August for the Prefects, House Captains and Senior Year Presidents. Muskoka Woods is no longer able to accommodate us in August due to the changes they have made to their summer program. These students will be on campus in August to spend time preparing for their portfolios. The June leadership training will be focussed on the entire Class of 2023 to enable all students to have the greatest amount of growth, and impact on the school community. More information will follow. Please reach out to Deirdre Timusk, Head of the Senior School, if you have any questions.

Learn to Golf

Havergal is excited to offer a Learn to Golf Program this spring. This program is for students who want to learn more about golf and who do not have as much experience as those on the golf team. This program is not for students who are on the Havergal golf team, or who are playing another spring sport.

The sessions will be run by Lindsay Knowlton from Iron Lady Golf and will take place at Havergal College. To participate in the program, students will need to provide their own golf clubs. If your child would like to participate in this program, please sign up here. Parents may sign up on behalf of their children.

Dates on the Horizon

Easter Weekend

• Friday, April 15 – No School
• Monday, April 18 – No School

Global Exchange Program – In-Person Mandatory Meeting

• Wednesday, April 20 – 6:30 pm

Founders’ Day

• Thursday, April 21 
• Please note all students will be meeting at St. Paul’s at 8:50 am (Gr. 12) or 9:00 am (Gr. 7-11) and the Upper School building does not open until 11:15 am. 

Senior School Dance Troupe Performance

• Thursday, April 21 – Legacy Theatre – 4 pm 
• Friday, April 22 – Legacy Theatre – 7 pm 

PD Day

• Friday, May 6 – No School for Students

Victoria Day Weekend

• Monday, May 23 –  No School

House Shout – House Colour Dress Down Day

• Tuesday, May 24 @ 1 pm, regular classes in the morning.

Connections Prayer (new date)

• Thursday, May 26

Dear Parents,

Although we were not scheduled to send a blog today, we have some important updates that we wanted to share with you. 

The US Blog contains information and updates on the following: 

• Principal’s Updates
  • Wishing a Fond Farewell to Tony diCosmo, Executive Director, Advancement & Community Relations
  • Seeking Your Input: Havergal’s Next Steps in Supporting Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • Founder’s Day – Parents Welcome on Campus
  • The Power of Girls’ Education

• Head of Middle School Announcement
• Upper School Global Exchange Program for 2022-2023
• Student Resilience Survey – Parent Consent
• COVID Reporting
• Absence Reporting
• Connection Prayers Date Change
• Founders’ Day Reminder
• Dates on the Horizon

Sincerely,

JJ Patterson, Head of Middle School

Deirdre Timusk, Head of Senior School

Principal’s Updates

Wishing a Fond Farewell to Tony diCosmo, Executive Director, Advancement & Community Relations

After almost six years in his role, Tony diCosmo has resigned as Executive Director of Advancement and Community Relations. His last day with Havergal is Friday, April 8th.

After leading the school through the successful completion of the Limitless Campaign, and as the school looks to the future as it emerges from the pandemic, Tony felt it was the right time to step away and pursue other opportunities.

I would like to thank Tony for his significant contributions to Havergal, specifically his leadership of the Limitless Campaign and the great work he has done with both our alumni and parent communities. His warmth and professionalism have made him a pleasure to work with and he will be missed by faculty, staff, parents, and alumni. 

Please join me in wishing Tony all the very best in his future endeavors. We’ll miss his warm and compassionate nature and are grateful for the significant contribution he has made to the Havergal community.

Seeking Your Input: Havergal’s Next Steps in Supporting Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Havergal College is moving ahead with the recruitment of the new Executive Director, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). This is an important role in fulfilling Havergal’s commitment to fostering an inclusive culture for its community. We have engaged the executive search firm KBRS to support the recruitment process which will be led by Amorell Saunders N’Daw, Partner and EDI Lead. A brief overview of the consulting firm and the lead Partner is included below.

For this inaugural role at the College, we value input from students, faculty, staff, as well as Havergal College’s other stakeholders, such as families, and this feedback will be important for informing the position profile and priorities for the role. It will also be helpful in providing guidance and direction to the Search Advisory Committee. Given this, we want to hear from you about what you think the ideal skills, characteristics and competencies should be by offering you the opportunity to provide input on priorities for the role by participating in the attached survey.

KBRS will administer the survey and will provide the results to the Search Advisory Committee for consideration.  Rest assured that your privacy will be respected and the collection of information will be conducted in a confidential manner.

Please click on the link below to participate in the survey process:

http://surveys.verticalresponse.com/t/show/255082/5e2d06410b/0

We look forward to hearing from you and thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts with us.

About KBRS: www.kbrs.ca

Amorell Saunders N’Daw, BAA, M.Ed.

Partner & EDI Lead | asaundersndaw@kbrs.ca

Amorell uses her unique combination of corporate communications, governance and diversity and inclusion skills and experience to assist organizations in the search and recruitment process. Amorell has provided search and recruitment leadership and support to academic institutions and not-for-profit organizations. During a 12-year career at the University of Toronto Scarborough, Amorell served on hiring committees across multiple departments, providing advice about making the recruitment process more inclusive and diverse. A trained journalist who speaks English and French, Amorell completed her Master of Education degree at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto, with a focus on adult education and community development.

Founders’ Day – Parents Welcome on Campus – April 21

As previously communicated, we will be celebrating Founders’ Day on April 21, 2022. This annual event marks the anniversary of the cornerstone being laid in 1926 at Havergal’s “New School” on Avenue Road. It holds special meaning because it provides an opportunity to reflect on the values and traditions established at Havergal since its founding in 1894.

You will have received grade-specific information earlier about how you can join your daughters on campus for part of this special day. Please check your inbox and mark the date on your calendar!

The Power of Girls’ Education

From time to time, I like to share articles and information with parents that support our mission and core values.  While you have made the conscious choice to invest in a girls’-centred education for your child, it’s good to have the facts about why education for girls and women must continue to be a priority across the globe.  In February, the World Bank updated their Girls Education Overview with statistics showing the impact of COVID-19 on girls education globally.  It’s a quick read and a great reminder that the investment we make in girls and women supports shared prosperity for all.  As a UNESCO School we are called to foster positive social change, and reminding ourselves about the importance of investing in our girls is an important way to live Havergal’s mission to prepare young women to make a difference. 

Latest News & Reminders

Head of Middle School Announcement

We are delighted to share that after an extensive search, Cissy Goodridge has been offered and accepted the position of Head of Middle School. Cissy is a passionate educator and leader who is focussed on providing Middle School students with opportunities that allow them to develop their unique identities, connect with their classmates and extend beyond their communities. 

The Havergal community is well aware of the success she has had both as a music teacher and Director of Performing Arts. She has played a key role in supporting students and planning Prayers for the Upper School. In addition, she supported the grade 7 admissions process this year and provided leadership to the Upper School Affinity groups as the Coordinator of Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.

We know you will join us in congratulating Cissy. We are grateful for the leadership that JJ Patterson has provided to the Middle School, and Cissy looks forward to collaborating with her to ensure a seamless transition for our students.

Upper School Global Exchange Program for 2022-2023

We are excited to announce that Havergal will offer a global exchange program in the 2022-2023 academic year for Grade 8 and Grade 10 students. If your child(ren) is currently in Grade 7 or 9, this opportunity is for them.

For more information, please CLICK HERE. There are important dates/requirements that are coming up quickly, so please don’t delay. For any questions, please contact Garth Nichols.

Student Resilience Survey – Parent Consent

As part of the school’s ongoing commitment to wellbeing as outlined in the Strategic Direction 2020+, we are conducting a School Resilience Survey. The pandemic has triggered unique and dynamic issues that can affect our students’ wellbeing and sense of connectedness to the school. To keep our community healthy, we are committed to taking proactive steps to ensure a positive school climate where students are able to flourish. 

Resilience is defined as the maintenance of positive adjustment in the context of exposure to significant adversity. A resilience survey can help us gather actionable data about our students’ mental health and wellbeing as well as their sense of connection with peers and adults at school. Results from the survey will enable us to make the most impactful changes to our programming as it relates to wellbeing by being thoughtful and responsive to our students’ needs, as well as helping to monitor progress.

To help support us in this important work, we have hired Authentic Connections. The questionnaires were developed from several standard measures that ask youth questions about their feelings and behaviours. No identifying information – including IP addresses – will be collected. Your child’s name will not appear anywhere on their responses, and questionnaires are all stored according to random ID numbers, specially allotted for this survey. The survey will be administered on May 3, 2022.

• Students in Grade 2 to 5 will be invited to complete the Children’s Resilience Survey (CRS), which is designed to take between 10 and 15 minutes, online during class time. 
• Students in Grades 6 through to 12 will be invited to complete the High Achieving Schools Survey (HASS), which is designed to take approximately 40 minutes, online during Homeroom/Form/Advisory time. 
• Participation is voluntary and students can skip questions they do not want to answer. 

If you do not want your child to participate, please complete this google form and submit by April 22, 2022. 

Sincerely,

Meagan Yarmey

PhD, Director of Wellbeing

COVID-19 Reporting

We have been receiving queries regarding COVID-19 and ‘what to do when,’ so we would like to remind you of the following:

• If your child is unwell for any reason, they should stay home.
• If your child is unwell and any experiencing Covid-19 symptoms, please refer to the TPH Screening and Isolation guidelines to determine if testing is needed prior to returning to school, and if household members must also isolate. 
  • For specific details on testing options available through Havergal consult the Testing Options for Individuals with Symptoms at Havergal.
  • Please reach out directly to the Havergal Health Centre at covid@havergal.on.ca if you have any questions related to your Covid-19 scenario. 

If your child has tested positive on a covid-19 test, please contact covid@havergal.on.ca.

Reporting Absences

• If your child will be absent from school for any reason, please input the absence into SchoolPass and be sure to include the reason for the absence in the notes field. Helpful instructions on using SchoolPass.
• If your child is isolating due to Covid-19, please be sure to enter ‘isolating’ in the notes field. Only students who are isolating for covid reasons will be permitted to join Zoom.
• If your child will be absent for multiple days, you can select all the days in the SchoolPass app. We recommend and ask that you do this if your child is going to be absent for multiple days due to isolation or for an extended absence.
  • Please do not select one day for an absence and then use the notes section to report they will be away for multiple days. Instead, please select all of the dates on the SchoolPass calendar and then put the reason in the notes field.

Connection Prayers

Just a quick note to let you know that Connection Prayers has been rescheduled and will be held on Thursday, May 26. 

Founders’ Day Reminder

For reasons of health and safety, students who do not attend the Founders’ Day service at St. Paul’s Church, may not enter the school building until 11:15 AM. There will be no faculty or staff on the premises to provide proper supervision. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Dates on the Horizon

Upper School Update Report Card

• Monday, April 11 – 4 pm – Update report cards are available to parents and students through Veracross (click here for instructions on how to access)

Senior School Music Night

• Tuesday, April 12th – 7:00 pm 

Dr. Alex Russell Parent Presentation 

• Wednesday, April 13th – 6:30 – 8:00 pm (in-person or virtual)

Easter Weekend

• Friday, April 15 – No School
• Monday, April 18 – No School

Global Exchange Program – In-Person Mandatory Meeting

• Wednesday, April 20 – 6:30 pm

Founders’ Day

• Thursday, April 21 
• Please note all students will be meeting at St. Paul’s at 8:50 am (Gr. 12) or 9:00 am (Gr. 7-11) and the Upper School building does not open until 11:15 am. 

Senior School Dance Troupe Performance

• Thursday, April 21 – Legacy Theatre – 4 pm 
• Friday, April 22 – Legacy Theatre – 7 pm 

PD Day

• Friday, May 6 – No School for Students

Victoria Day Weekend

• Monday, May 23 –  No School

House Shout

• Tuesday, May 24 @ 1 pm, regular classes in the morning.

Connections Prayer (new date)

• Thursday, May 26

Dear Parents,

Students arrived after the break to discover many exciting surprises. Chartwells opened the Servery to the Havergal Community, offering service as it was pre-Covid. Students were welcomed with a Carnival theme complete with festive decorations, games, free cotton candy and popcorn. Later in the week, students left the building with hot chocolate and cookies in hand. Finally, we had an amazing Winter Athletics Awards Assembly which highlighted the accomplishments of the 16 different teams. 

Although the weather is not yet cooperating, spring is in the air. We have had a record number of students trying out for our numerous spring teams and the excitement is palpable. Arts Week is coming up and there will be dance and music performances that parents can attend in person. 

We are delighted to see all these changes and are looking forward to a wonderful spring term with many exciting events to share with families. 

The US Blog contains information and updates on the following: 

• Upper School Update Report Card – Monday, April 11 @ 4pm
• Recording from NEDIC presentation
• University Information: Applying to UK and US Schools
• In-person Parent Presentation by Dr. Alex Russell
• Performing Arts
• Arts Week
• Senior School Dance Troupe Performance
• Grade 7 Parents: Reach Ahead Grade 8 Math Application Reminder
• COVID-19 Testing & Reporting Positive COVID-19 Results
• Reporting Student Absences
• Student Immunization Update (meningococcal, human papillomavirus, hepatitis B)
• Mask Reminder
• COSSOT Event: Relay for Life 
• Book Drive Update
• Dates on the Horizon

Sincerely,

JJ Patterson, Head of Middle School

Deirdre Timusk, Head of Senior School

Latest News

Upper School Update Report Card – Monday, April 11 @ 4:00pm

Parents and students will be able to access the update report card on Monday, April 11 at 4 pm through Veracross. Middle School parents should be aware that for the full-year courses (Math, French, English, Health & Physical Education), there have been few classes and a limited number of assessments since the Parent-Teacher conferences in March. For details on the report card format and how to access the report, please click here.

Recording from NEDIC Parent Presentation

Thank you for joining us on Wednesday for our evening event with NEDIC – Finding the Balance: Navigating Conversations Around ‘Healthy’ Eating and Exercise. For those of you who were not able to attend the event, please find the video recording here. We hope the event was insightful and helpful to our parents and school community as we partner to promote disordered eating awareness, prevention and treatment. Together, through health promotion, early intervention, and prevention efforts we continue to support the wellbeing of our community. You will find a list of resources provided to us by NEDIC here. 
We value and appreciate your input as we continue to develop presentations for our parent community. Please take a few minutes to complete the embedded google feedback form.

University Information: Applying to UK & US Schools

Please find here the recording from the presentation earlier this year.  Here is the slidedeck for UK University information. Here is the slidedeck for the US University information.

In-person Parent Presentation by Dr. Alex Russell

You are invited to join us Wednesday, April 13, 2022 in the Brenda Robson Hall to hear psychologist Dr. Russell speak about this important and timely topic. This evening will offer parents an understanding of academic, social and emotional impacts of the pandemic, as well as clear and helpful guidelines to help support teenage children in the months and years ahead.

Doors open at 6:00 pm; the presentation will run from 6:30 – 8:00pm. The session will be livestreamed over Zoom if you prefer to attend virtually, and will be recorded for viewing and reviewing. Please RSVP here by April 8 if you plan to attend in person, and submit any questions you would like Dr. Russell to answer. All guests must be fully vaccinated and pass Toronto Public Health’s health screening.

Performing Arts

Check us out on our Performing Arts Instagram page!

Keep up to date on what’s happening in the performing arts on our new insta page. You can find us at: @hc.performingarts

April 4 – 8 is Arts Week!

The information regarding the daily activities, can be found here: Arts Weeks Poster

Senior School Dance Troupe Performance

The Senior School Dance Troupe is thrilled to be putting on the annual Dance Show: It Came to Me in a Dream with two live performances Thursday, April 21st at 4pm and Friday, April 22nd at 7pm. Why are we so sleep-deprived? What are our dreams really trying to tell us? The show features an amazing collection of original student choreographies in ballet, urban and contemporary dance all revolving around what happens between sunset and sunrise. 

If your family, friends or your child would like to see the show in person, tickets can be purchased by your child at lunchtime in the Temerty Commons during the week of the shows, through Mme Bryant in the Languages Office, or tickets can be bought at the door. Tickets are limited; $20 will be charged to your student account. 

Come celebrate live dance and a good night’s sleep in the Legacy Theatre! No pyjamas required.

Grade 7 Parents: Reach Ahead Math Application Reminder

Please be reminded that if your child would like to apply for Reach Ahead Grade 8 Mathematics, you must complete this registration form by April 30. All Grade 7 parents have already received an email from Alex Shum, Head of Mathematics & Computer Science, with all the pertinent and detailed information. Please refer to this email and, if you have any questions, contact Alex Shum at ashum@havergal.on.ca.

COVID-19 Testing & Reporting Positive COVID-19 Results

When a student is ill, or has symptoms associated with COVID-19 they may test using a PCR take home test, two Rapid Antigen Tests separated by a minimum of 24 hours, or isolate for a minimum of 5 days after symptom onset. See details on how to complete testing in the Symptomatic COVID-19 Testing For Students and Employees at Havergal. Even with negative test results, students must have symptoms improving for 24 hours, prior to returning to school. All students should maintain a stock of two Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) at home in the event that they become ill. Most students will have many tests at home from our previous Rapid Antigen Screening Program (RASP). If a student does not have any RATs at home, or has used up their test supply due to illness, please contact covid@havergal.on.ca or visit the Health Centre to obtain a pack of two additional RATs. As the RASP has concluded, we are no longer using the Thrive Health web-based application, so please inform covid@havergal.on.ca of any positive COVID-19 tests and we will continue to update the COVID-19 Case Reporting Spreadsheet. 

Reporting Student Absences

In order to maintain accurate attendance records, we need parents to use SchoolPass to communicate student absences to the DSO. We need a SchoolPass entry for each day your child is absent. For a multi-day absence, you can make a single entry where you select ALL dates they will be absent. Please do NOT indicate a multi-day absence in the “Notes” section. If the absence is due to COVID isolation, please include “Isolating” in the “Notes” section.
Click here to review instructions on reporting student absences in SchoolPass.

Student Immunization Update (meningococcal, human papillomavirus, hepititus B)

Beginning in March 2022, Toronto Public Health will be re-starting community vaccine clinics to administer meningococcal, human papillomavirus and hepatitis B vaccines for any students in grades 7 to 12 who are missing these vaccinations. These vaccines were previously administered in school-based clinics in grades 7 and 8, however, all TPH school-based vaccine administration was placed on hold at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the last 2 years, many students have received these vaccinations through their family doctors or primary care providers.

If your child has not yet had the above-mentioned vaccines, families may review the Parent Vaccine Information Package, book an appointment for a community clinic at www.tphBookings.ca/tph/studentvaccines, and complete the TPH Consent Form to bring to the appointment. The meningococcal vaccine is mandatory for school attendance, so please ensure that your child’s vaccination records are updated on the Toronto Public Health Vaccine Reporting Webpage. 

Mask Reminder

The Ontario government announced that mandatory masking for schools has been removed as of March 21. Masking at Havergal will now be optional for all students and employees. We recognize that students and employees may choose to continue to wear their masks and Havergal will remain a mask-friendly environment. We ask that everyone in our community be supportive of students and employees’ individual choices and model kindness and compassion.

Additionally, we ask that you have individual discussions with your children about being respectful of individual choice, including refraining from asking questions about why or why not someone is wearing a mask, and to ensure that children understand there are some circumstances at school which will still require mask-wearing, such as during some group assemblies. Students are still required to have a medical mask with them for times and circumstances in which they are required.

Instances in which masks will still be required:

• For this period of transition, we ask that all students continue to wear masks when in large gatherings such as Prayers.
• For 14 days upon return from travel outside of Canada, as required by current federal travel requirements.
• For six to 10 days after a self-isolation period of five days, following a COVID-19 diagnosis as outlined by TPH.
• If you are identified as a close contact of someone with COVID-19, masks are required for 10 days from your last exposure, as outlined by TPH.

COSSOT Relay for Life

This year, a group of leaders from Havergal and UCC are organising the annual COSSOT (Coalition of Single Sex Schools of Toronto) Relay for Life in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. The event will be from 4:30pm to 8:30pm on April 28th, 2022. This year’s entertainment will include themed laps, mechanical bulls, dunk tanks, food trucks, and so much more!  Crescent, RSGC, BSS, Branksome, Haveragal will all be attending this event at UCC.

We will be looking for teams of students to sign up to fundraise for and participate in this event to support the Canadian Cancer Society, and strongly encourage all of your children to join a team and participate in this exciting event. Parents are also welcome to put together a team. To sign up or support please click here. 

Book Drive Update

We collected a grand total of 1,402 books from the Havergal community! Thank you for your support with this project, we couldn’t have done it without you. 

Dates on the Horizon

Senior School Music Night

• Tuesday, April 12th – 7:00 pm 

Dr. Alex Russell Parent Presentation 

• Wednesday, April 13th – 6:30 – 8:00 pm (in-person or virtual), details above

Easter Weekend

• Friday, April 15 – No School
• Monday, April 18 – No School

Founders’ Day

• Thursday, April 21 – details to come 

Senior School Dance Troupe Performance

• Thursday, April 21 – Legacy Theatre – 4 pm 
• Friday, April 22 – Legacy Theatre – 7 pm 

PD Day

• Friday, May 6 – No School for Students

Dear Upper School Parents,

We, like you, have been watching the devastating humanitarian crisis in Ukraine with profound sadness and disbelief. As we are steadfast in our mission to prepare women to make a difference, we recognize the strength and courage of all of those involved. As a global community, with boarding students, faculty and staff from around the world, we are acutely aware of the many personal connections to what is happening. Many of our students have questions about what is happening, and are trying to make sense of what they are seeing and hearing. We are navigating these conversations at Havergal, in ways that are age and stage appropriate and wanted to re-share some resources that may be helpful, for discussions at home.

• How to talk to children about the invasion of Ukraine, and why those conversations are important
• How to Talk About War and Conflict with Kids, According to a Child Counselor  – Save the Children
• How to Talk to Kids About Violence, Crime, and War – Common Sense Media
• In Times Of Division, Strategic Communication Matters – Learning Forward 

Crisis and Grief Response

We also wanted to share a couple of donation opportunities, initiated by members of our community: Ukraine Relief Donation Opportunities.

The Upper School College Blog contains information and updates on the following: 

• Chartwells Transition to Retail Services in the Upper School begins March 28, 2022
• Rapid Antigen Screening Update
• Travel Information
• GO-VAXX Mobile Vaccine Clinic at Havergal 
• Spring Athletic Tryouts 
• Performing Arts Update
  • Spring Performance Dates to Note
  • Middle School Musical Theatre Auditions
• Founders’ Day – Thursday, April 21
• HOGA Annual Events
• Upcoming Wellbeing Initiatives 
• US/UK University Information Session for Grade 10 & 11 – March 29 @ 7pm
• Upper School Book Drive
• Dates on the Horizon
• Student Life Images

Sincerely, 

JJ Patterson – Head, Middle School

Deirdre Timusk – Head, Senior School

Kate White – Head, Junior School

Latest News

Chartwells Transition to Retail Services in the Upper School begins March 28

We are excited to announce that Chartwells Food Services will now be offering a retail food service program in the Upper School Servery starting Monday, March 28, 2022. The final day to place orders will be Wednesday, March 2 with the final week of service being the week of March 7. Once the new retail service starts, pre-ordering lunches will no longer be available to Upper School students. The lunch program in the Junior School will remain the same with no changes.

The new hours at the Upper School Servery are as follows:

• 7 to 8:30 am: Breakfast available
• 8:30 to 11:30 am: Severy closed 
• 11:30 am to 1:30 pm: Lunch available
• 1:30 to 4 pm: Snacks available 
• 4 pm: Servery closes 

There will be a variety of hot food items, grab-and-go salads and sandwiches, homemade soup, snacks, hot and cold beverages, and fresh baked goods available every day. We will also be featuring a weekly food pop-up station, along with fun food-related games and activities to engage and educate the students about healthy eating. A four-week menu cycle will be available closer to opening day and the weekly menu will be displayed on our digital screens.

Students are required to use their Havergal swipe cards to purchase items in the Servery and pricing for all items will be clearly marked. As with the pre-order system, all items will be charged to the student account.

The following food stations will be opening on Monday, March 28:

• Chop’d and Wrap’d – custom make your own deli sandwiches and wraps
• The Kitchen – homestyle cooked meals with entrée and side options
• Grab-and-Go – pre-packed sandwiches, salads, snacks and beverages
• Hydration – cold beverages
• Bake Shoppe – fresh baked goods 

We look forward to serving and welcoming you to the Servery following March Break. Our friendly Food Services team will be on site to answer any questions students will have. Click here to read FAQs for more information.

Rapid Antigen Screening Program Update

Havergal will be discontinuing the school-wide Rapid Antigen Screening Program (RASP) for all fully vaccinated students at the beginning of March Break (March 11) and all student accounts  will be deactivated. Remaining testing kits do not need to be returned to Havergal, but rather we ask that students keep tests at home and use the Rapid Antigen Tests if/when students develop symptoms of COVID-19. 

Consult the Symptomatic COVID-19 Testing for Students document for further information about how to conduct rapid antigen testing if your child develops symptoms. All students should maintain a stock of at least two Rapid Antigen Tests at home, to use in the event they develop symptoms. Please note that SchoolPass screening questions, along with guidance documents and reporting processes will be updated over March Break to reflect the discontinuation of Thrive and rapid antigen screening. 

The RASP will continue for the Boarding School and any Upper School students who are not fully vaccinated. Information about how to report results and confirm testing will be shared with these groups directly.

Travel Information

Note that Havergal follows Toronto Public Health Screening Guidelines and thus federal travel quarantine travel rules. The federal government has loosened requirements for children under 12 travelling with vaccinated adults beginning on Feb 28, 2022. Please review the Federal Quarantine Requirements for Children and Families to determine how this impacts your family and travel. If travelling with vaccinated adults, students under 12 are now able to come to school without needing to quarantine, even if not fully vaccinated.

GO-VAXX Mobile Vacine Clinic at Havergal

On Saturday, March 5, GO-VAXX mobile vaccine bus will be on-site at Havergal College’s Upper School parking lot (1451 Avenue Road) from 10 am to 6 pm to administer first, second and booster doses for those aged 12 and up, and paediatric Pfizer vaccines for children ages five to 11. Vaccinations will be available to everyone—students, parents, faculty and staff, Alums/Old Girls—as well as friends, neighbours and beyond. All are welcome!

GO-VAXX is a partnership between the Ontario government and Metrolinx, whereby GO buses have been converted to serve as mobile vaccine clinics to provide a safe, reliable and convenient option for people to receive their COVID-19 vaccine. Walk-ins are available, while supplies last. To book an appointment, visit the COVID-19 vaccination portal or call the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900. Bookings are available beginning Friday, March 4 at 8 am. Visit Ontario.ca/vaccinebus for more information.

Spring Athletic Tryouts

Please see below for a reminder about spring athletics:

Registration opens: Thursday, March 3 at 8 am

Registration closes: Wednesday, March 9 at 12 pmThe tryout schedule can be found HERE (3rd tab – Spring 2022) and the Veracross link for registration is https://events.veracross.com/hc/332-springus. Students and parents have received more information in their email from Carla Di Filippo, Director of Athletics. Please reach out directly to Ms. Di Filippo if you have any questions.

Performing Arts Update

Congratulations to all who were involved in the Drama productions: The Orphan Train and 13 Past Midnight. The shows were excellent and highlighted the talents of our students both on and off stage. Bravo!

Spring Performance Dates to Note:

• Senior School Music Night April 12, 7pm
• Dance Show: Thursday April 21 4pm, April 22nd, 7pm
• Middle School Musical Theatre Review: May 19th, 7pm
• Middle School Concert: Thursday May 26, 7pm

Middle School Musical Theatre Auditions:

Live auditions for the Middle School Spring Music Theatre Club (Grade 7 & 8 only) will be held on Tuesday, March 29 in the Theatre. Details regarding the audition process will be posted on the Middle School bulletin board and can be found here: Audition Requirements for the Middle School Mini Musical Review If you have any questions please contact Cissy Goodridge, Director of Performing Arts.

Founders’ Day – Thursday, April 21, 2022

The Upper School will be returning to St. Paul’s Bloor Street for our annual Founders’ Day service on April 21st. Founders’ Day is an annual event at Havergal that celebrates the laying of the cornerstone of our present Upper School building, which was laid on April 23, 1926. To commemorate this event, the school Upper School community will gather in-person at St. Paul’s Bloor Street. More details to follow. 

HOGA Annual Events

The HOGA Annual Events committee invites you to attend the upcoming webinar Wellbeing in a Pandemic: Is This Even A Thing? Featuring Dr. Shelly Dev 94’ MD FRCPC, Sunnybrook, Staff Intensivist. As we close out two years of the pandemic, many are finding themselves burnt out. Join Dr. Shelly Dev 94′ who will lead us in a discussion on what it means; how to recognize it and what we can do to cope.

Date: March 29, 2022

Time: 12:00 to 1:00 PM (EST)

Location: Virtual EventPlease register here: https://events.veracross.com/hc/330-Wellbeing-in-a-Pandemic

Upcoming Wellbeing Initiatives

We are looking forward to welcoming the following guests to engage in important conversations around wellbeing with our student and parent communities. If you have any questions about these presentations, please contact Meagan Yarmey PhD, Director of Wellbeing.

Hosted by NEDIC (National Eating Disorders Information Centre)

On March 29 and 30, Middle School and Senior School students will engage in separate interactive workshops over the course of two mornings that blend best practices in health and education policy in order to help increase students’ confidence around navigating the vast array of information around food, weight, exercise, and health. 

NEDIC Parenting Panel on March 30th (7:00-8:30pm)

Join us for an evening of discussion with NEDIC: Finding the Balance: Navigating Conversations Around ‘Healthy’ Eating and Exercise

How do messages about health impact your children and families? In this evening panel discussion, we will hear from parents, clinicians, and youth with lived experience of disordered eating as they share their experience and strategies for supporting your family’s relationship with eating, exercise, and body image.

https://havergal.zoom.us/j/82523187504?pwd=aHF5UXdXYWEyY0Fqa2VPQ3VFZ3Z6dz09

Webinar ID: 825 2318 7504

Passcode: 819563

Hosted by Canvas Programs 

For Grade 12 students

Throughout the month of April, Grade 12 students will be engaging in a two-part workshop on consent culture to prepare them for real-life social situations. Using interactive digital programming, students will explore the impacts of social expectations and sexual pressures while discovering tools to enact consent and develop consensual relationships.

For Grade 11 students

Throughout the month of May, Grade 11 students will be engaging in their own two-part interactive workshop on interpersonal consent, where they will be guided through a nuanced definition of consent, leaving students with skills to communicate in relationships and tools to identify social pressures.

US/UK University Information Session for Grades 10 & 11 – March 29, 2022 at 7pm

Current Grade 10 & 11 parents are welcome to attend a virtual Guidance information night for international applicants interested in attending universities in the US and/or the UK..

• US information is at 7:00-7:45 pm
• UK info is at 7:45- 8:30 pm

Here are the Zoom details:

https://havergal.zoom.us/j/88923948443?pwd=SUJJWlpTMGhCcm5pSmFEeFlCaEl4QT09

Meeting ID: 889 2394 8443

Passcode: 095018

Upper School Book Drive

To date, our Havergal community has donated 500 books for the Children’s Book Bank! Thank you so much for your generosity. Donations will be accepted until the end of day, Thursday March 10th. There are donation boxes in several locations throughout the school, but books can also be dropped off at the front security desk (attention to Genevieve Shepherd). Thanks so much to those who have volunteered to help deliver books to the Book Bank. Please reach out to Ms Shepherd (gshepherd@havergal.on.ca) if you are interested in helping with delivery. The delivery will be after March Break on the afternoon of Thursday March 7th. Books need to be dropped off at the Book Bank prior to 3pm and the boxes of books to deliver will be available for pick up at the front entrance of the school.

Dates on the Horizon

Event	Dates	Time
Spring Athletics Registration	OPENS: Thursday, March 3 CLOSES: Wednesday, March 9	8:00 am12:00 pm
Grade 12 Havercrest Social	March 9, 2022	4:30 – 6:30 pm
March Break	Friday, March 11 – Sunday, March 27 (inclusive)
UK/US University Session	Tuesday, March 29, 2022	7:00 – 7:45 pm (US)7:45- 8:30 pm  (UK)
HOGA Speaker: Dr. S. Dev ‘94	March 29, 2022	12:00 – 1:00 pm
NEDIC Parenting Panel	March 30, 2022	7:00 – 8:30 pm
Easter Break	Friday, April 15 – Monday, April 18 (inclusive)

Student Life!

Gallery 44

A few of our students from first semester (Media 10 class) submitted photography in response to an themed exhibition at one of Torontos’ Photo Galleries – Gallery 44. The theme this year is Silver Linings. The show is virtual and the work of our students and other submissions from schools around Toronto can be seen at this link: https://www.gallery44.org/cameralinks.  Go to “Independent Submissions” and sideswipe to see the photos submitted by Alison Y, Ella W, Abbie S. and Charlotte P. The online show closes on March 31st 2022.

Action in Prayers and the HC/UCC Virtual Talent Show

Middle School: St Donat Comes to HC!

Senior School: Rosetta Lee Speaks to students

Dear Parents,

What a week! The halls of Havergal are still reverberating with the cheers and laughter of the students this week. Spirit Week helped to bring some fun and excitement to help get everyone through the winter.

The week opened with every student being greeted by a valentine on their locker, and the fun and games kept coming. You can see below the images from this week which show our students having fun and smiling, even through their masks, while playing bench ball with great enthusiasm and vigour. 

Hockey Day was a wonderful experience and it was so great for the Class of 2022 to be able to experience it in person for their last time as students. 

Each grade met several times to practice their cheer in order to win the cheer-off on Thursday. Seeing the students of each class all together in one space planning, practising and cheering was such a delight to witness. These moments in time help our students create the memories and bonds that will last a lifetime. 

This week’s US Blog contains information and updates on the following: 

• Updates on Covid Protocols and School Visitors
• Restricted Access to Classes via Zoom – starting Feb 22
• Senior School Plays
• Earth Prize: Finalists
• Leadership Information 
• Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test Information 
• Book Drive for Children’s Book Bank
• Dates on the Horizon
• Photos from the Week 

We hope you enjoy a lovely Family Day long weekend. 

Sincerely,

JJ Patterson, Head of Middle School

Deirdre Timusk, Head of Senior School

Latest News

Updates on COVID-19 Protocols & School Visitors

As the province eases some of the COVID-19 public health measures, Havergal will be implementing a gradual and safe approach to having visitors on campus. All visitors will still be required to complete a wellness screening and provide proof of vaccination along with valid photo identification upon entry to the school. 

Guests will now be permitted to visit the school for appointments and Prayers. For athletics, performing arts, and other Havergal group events there are slightly different protocols based on the capacity limits of spaces. 

• Athletics – If you are attending an athletics event, you will need to check in at the Athletic Centre doors by completing an online Wellness screening and showing proof of vaccination (with ID). Please note that spectators are permitted into the building a maximum of 30 min before the athletic event.
• Performing arts and other events – If you are attending performing arts or another Havergal group event you will receive instructions from your event organizer regarding entry, screening, and proof of vaccination requirements, as they may vary depending on the size of the event and the space where the event is being held.

Next week following the February Break, we will begin a rotational schedule that allows three grades to experience Prayers in-person, together in the Brenda Robson Hall. Two grades will be seated on the floor and one grade will be seated in the gallery, to help maintain appropriate physical distancing. We are looking forward to having students attend Prayers in person in the coming weeks!

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us protect the wellness of our school community and ensuring we are taking every precaution to keep students learning in person on campus. 

Additional Resources

• Havergal College Visitor COVID-19 Health and Safety Policy 
• Athletics COVID-19 Spectator Guidelines 
• Proof of Vaccination Guidance

Restricted Access to Classes via Zoom – starting February 22, 2022

Starting Tuesday, February 22, 2022, accessing classes via Zoom will only be available for students isolating due to COVID-19 or those with a medical/visa accommodation.

• If a student is away due to COVID-19 isolation, families should communicate this to the school by putting a note/reason in SchoolPass that says “isolating.” It might take up to 24hrs for teachers to make their Zoom links available to a student depending on when we get the information. Assessments will be written in person unless the teacher requests otherwise. 
  • As a reminder, certain symptoms require entire households to isolate. Havergal follows the  Toronto Public Health School Screening and Isolation Guidelines, please consult these, or email covid@havergal.on.ca if you have symptoms and need guidance on isolation and returning to campus. Isolation is required for a minimum of 5 days should a student or anyone they live with, test positive for COVID-19. 
  • For information on testing options if you have symptoms please consult:COVID-19 Testing Options for Individuals With Symptoms
• If students are going to be away for longer than 5 days, please contact your child’s Head of School to discuss the situation. Extended absences will include access to class materials on Veracross and asynchronous work only. Access to zoom links will not be permitted.

Senior School Plays

The Senior School is putting on two plays this year, both of which are running this week at 4pm and 7pm. 

• The Orphan Train, our 9/10 play,is the story of a few of the 250,000 orphans that were transported from New York City and other large urban centres to homes in the midwest to get adopted. The Orphan Train is at 7pm on Thursday (Feb 24) and at 4pm on Friday (Feb 25).
• 13 Past Midnight, our 11/12 play,is a murder mystery farce that will keep you guessing and laughing until the end. 13 Past Midnight, is at 4pm on Thursday (Feb 24th) and Friday (Feb 25) at 7pm.

If your child would like to see the shows in person they can buy tickets to the 4 pm shows in the Temerty Commons at lunchtime, find Ms. Morris in the English/Drama office, or they can buy them at the door. Tickets will be charged to the students’ accounts. Tickets are limited. We hope you will choose to celebrate the reopening of live theatre with us in the Legacy theatre this week.

The Earth Prize: Finalists

Congratulations to the Gators, Emily in Gr. 11 and Errita in Gr. 10, who have been named as finalists in The Earth Prize. The winner of this global environmental sustainability competition will be announced on March 25th and could potentially win $100,000 to be split in half between the winners and the school.  Other schools in the finals are Eton College in the UK and the International School of Zug and Luzern in Switzerland.  Good luck, Errita and Emily!

Leadership Information

With leadership season upon us please find here a few resources to help clarify the process. 

• A letter for grade 11, grade 10 and grade 9 with basic information and dates. 
• Here is the LINK to the video presentation from Wednesday night’s parent presentation.

Thank you to all the parents who attended. We hope it was helpful. If, after viewing the presentation, you have any feedback please share it with us here.

OSSLT (Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test) – Wednesday, April 27

On April 27, all Grade 10 &11 students will write the OSSLT in the morning and have in-person classes through the afternoon. This will not impact the Middle School classes and Grade 7 & 8 students will have in-person classes as per usual. However, due to restrictions and limitations on space throughout the testing period, Grade 9 & 12 students will have remote learning for the day. 

Book Drive for Children’s Book Bank

Get started on your spring cleaning early by donating to Havergal’s Book Drive which will be running from February 21st to March 10th! All donations will go to the Children’s Book Bank, an organisation that provides children and teens in need with access to literature. The Book Bank has asked for new or gently used books for ages up to 17 and is in need of graphic novels, comics and manga. There will be boxes around the school where students can place their book donations.

The Book Bank does not accept: Adult books, textbooks/school workbooks, books printed more than 10 years ago, self-published books, magazines, or damaged books.

We would really appreciate parent volunteers to help us drive the books down to the Children’s Book Bank, so please let us know if you are interested and we will send you further details. Feel free to email gshepherd@havergal.on.ca if you have any questions or would like to drive. 

Dates on the Horizon

March 3 & 4: Parent/Teacher Conferences

Photos from the Week

Anything But a Backpack!

Hockey Day!

Benchball Games!

Family Feud!

Dear Parents,

Although the Upper School Blog was not scheduled to go out today, there are a few important items that we wanted to share with you. 

The US Blog contains information and updates on the following: 

• DEI Update from the Principal
• Rapid Antigen Test Review
• Hockey Day Live Stream Link
• People & Program Evening – Recording

Sincerely,

JJ Patterson, Head of Middle School

Deirdre Timusk, Head of Senior School

Latest News

DEI Update from the Principal

The Principal has committed to providing ongoing updates as to Havergal’s progress on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programming and initiatives.  Please see her February letter for a community update.

Rapid Antigen Test Update

Families may consult the COVID-19 Testing Options for Individuals With Symptoms document for more information about testing options available when students have symptoms. Remember that a student must have 2 negative tests separated by at least 24-48 hours and that a single positive Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) is considered a positive result, requiring isolation for COVID-19. Please make sure to upload positive results into Thrive, so the Health Centre is aware and can provide guidance on isolation and returning to school. 

Hockey Day Livestream

Join us and cheer on our Senior Hockey team as we compete for the Hewitt Cup! Tune in on Tuesday, February 15 at 1:00 pm using this LINK.  Go Gators!

People & Program Evening – Recording

Thank you for joining us on Thursday evening for the Semester 2 People & Program Evening. If you missed it and would like to see the recordings, Faculty will post their course presentations to their Veracross pages and the main welcome session can be viewed HERE.