UPPER SCHOOL
Important Information Regarding Early Class Dismissal – Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024
As you may have heard, on Monday, April 8 there will be a total solar eclipse in the afternoon between 2:04 pm and 4:30 pm ET. This rare meteorological event will impact parts of Ontario, including Toronto and will bring periods of darkness and possible safety risks during our dismissal time.
After careful consideration, we have decided to alter our special schedule for the day and dismiss all students at 1:30 pm to ensure we are providing a safe dismissal time.
- All students will be asked to leave campus at 1:30 pm.
- Any students remaining on campus must sign into the Library at 2 pm and stay in this space until 4:30 pm. It will be supervised by the Heads of School.
- Boarders will be asked to remain in the Boarding School until 4:30 pm.
- It is the final day for TC9 and the program will wrap up at 1:30 pm.
We understand the rarity of the eclipse can be exciting and offers a good learning opportunity for all ages. As we approach the date, we are looking forward to learning more about this unique event.
You can read more information about the solar eclipse here, along with guidance from the Canadian Association of Optometrists on safe viewing practices.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we adjust our daily schedule with everyone’s safety in mind.
Leadership Opportunities at Havergal
Parents from Grade 7 – 12 interested in learning more about student leadership at Havergal are invited to join a webinar on March 4 from 6:00 pm – 6:30 pm.
We will outline the school’s approach to developing leadership at Havergal and some of the many opportunities students have to explore their interests in leading. Please contact Fiona Marshall if you have any questions.
Please click the link to find the zoom information. This meeting will be recorded and shared in The Weekly after the presentation.
Global Education & Global Learning Project Information
We are excited to share with you the Global Learning Experiences for June, 2024, and for the academic year of 2024-2025: Please note: these are live documents and are subject to changes.
There will be a Student Information Session on April 10 in person (location TBC) and a Family Information Session on April 15 between 12:00 – 1:30 pm via Zoom. All Zoom sessions are posted on Veracross, and will be recorded and shared.
Student applications will open on April 15, and close on April 26. Selections will be made in mid-May.
Financial Assistance is available to those students who are currently on Financial Assistance. For more information, please CLICK HERE
Parents as Partners: Parenting for Wellbeing
As part of our Parents as Partners speaker series, Havergal is proud to welcome David Bott as our next speaker on March 27 at 7 pm. David is a best-selling author, consultant, former teacher, and expert in designing and implementing system-level approaches to wellbeing and cultural change. His talk will focus on Parenting for Wellbeing, including the evolution of wellbeing science, what wellbeing is not, and the key role parents & caregivers play. There will be an opportunity to ask questions. Current and new families are welcome and encouraged to bring additional guests; registration for the event can be found here.
David Bott will be at Havergal for the week of March 25, working with our Upper School students as well as running professional development with our faculty and staff throughout the week.
Report Cards – March 5, 4:00 pm
March Report Cards are available March 5 at 4 pm. The report cards are available on the parent portal. The instructions are linked here.
June Exams
Final exams will take place June 3 – 12 for Senior School courses, and June 10 – 12 for Middle School courses. The detailed and finalised exam schedule will be published for students and families on April 2nd.
Should you have questions about Havergal’s final exam planning or process, please don’t hesitate to contact the Director of Academic Operations, Jennifer Goldberg (jgoldberg@havergal.on.ca).
If you are wondering, “How many exams might my child be writing in total over the exam period?”
- Middle School students: 2 exams (Science and Math)
- Grade 9 students: 3 exams (Science, Math, Geography)
- Grade 10 students: 4 exams (Science, Math, History, English)
- Grade 11-12 students: variable depending on their elective course enrolment
An Invitation from Lakefield College School
Lakefield College School invites Parents from CAIS Schools to join their upcoming THRIVE speaker event: “Never Enough: What we can do to Raise Healthy Strivers.”
Speaker: Jennifer Wallace, Award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and Journalism Fellow at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Date & Time: Tuesday, April 30 – 7:00 – 8:30 PM ET
Format: Hybrid (In-person and virtual options available) Register here
Spring Athletics Registration Open now; closes Friday, March 8
Registration for Spring Athletics opened Thursday, February 29 and will remain open until Friday, March 8 at 12:00 pm.
Below are some important reminders to help you with this season’s registration.
Parents may register by visiting the Veracross links below:
https://programregistration.veracross.com/App/hc/ProgramRegistration/USAthleticsSpringParent/Landing/Auto
- ONLY PARENTS may complete registration – This registration allows parents to log on and provide permission via an eAAR approval process for the teams that your Upper School child(ren) would like to try out for.
- Students may not attend tryouts unless permission has been given during this registration period via Veracross. This is the only way to complete the spring athletics registration. Please do not email me your child’s registration. It is important that online (Veracross) registration is completed.
- Students may register to try out for only TWO teams (this does not include Coach Mentor or OFSAA Soccer) – please consult with your child/children to confirm the two teams that they would like to try out for before you complete the online registration.
- Students may participate in one spring sport with the only exception being OFSAA soccer.
- Spring Tryout Schedule – The tryout schedule is below and can be found on Veracross. The season schedule will be finalised on April 5, 2024. When you click on the link below, make sure you are looking at the third tab – “SPRING 2023-2024”.
Spring 2023 -2024 Schedule
- Please note there is no reminder email of when specific tryouts take place. It is the responsibility of the students and parents to look at the schedule to know when and where the tryouts are occurring.
- HAVERGAL TRACK JACKET or ¼ ZIP SWEATER: All students on a Havergal team must wear either the Nike track jacket or the Havergal ¼ zip to all games. Athletic clothing will be given out during uniform distribution days. Please write your child’s name on the clothing item as many students will have the same apparel. If your child participated in a fall sport, they likely already have one of these items.
Athletic Fees
An athletic fee will be charged to help cover the escalating costs of entry fees, transportation, awards, equipment, uniforms, referees, outside coaches, facility rentals and other costs that are incurred by the department. Student accounts will be charged for athletics at the end of each sport season.
Please see a list of student charges by activity below:
- Badminton – $225
- Golf – $225
- Learn to Golf (TBD) – $225
- Rugby (Touch) – $225
- Rugby 7’s (Full Contact) – $225
- Soccer (OFSAA Tournament) – ~$1100 (inclusive)
- Softball – $225
- Tennis – $225
- Track and Field – $225
- Triathlon – $225
- Ultimate – $225
- Coach Mentor Program – $0
Clothing
- Havergal Nike track jacket – $130.00
- Havergal ¼ zip sweater – $70.00
What is the Coach Mentor Program?
The coach mentor program develops the leadership skills in our older students and at the same time helps develop the fundamental athletic skills of our younger students. It is a program that bridges the gap between the Junior, Middle and Upper School. Students in grades 7-12 will be paired with a grade 3-8 team and help the coach and athletes at practices and/or home games. They are required to attend at least 6 practices throughout the term. A Google form to assess team interest will be sent to registrants during the tryout process.
DATES TO REMEMBER FOR REGISTRATION
- Registration will close Friday, March 8 at noon.
- Tryouts will run from Tuesday, March 26 to Tuesday, April 9 – please consult the schedule for exact times.
If you are having trouble with the registration process or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Carla Di Filippo.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Middle School students will enjoy two assemblies next week. On Tuesday they will participate in full House assembly; on Wednesday, they will enjoy their monthly assembly hosted by our Grade 8 Forms. This month, Forms 8G and 8H have chosen “Marching your into your Break” as their theme. It promises to be a spirited event for all to enjoy.
SENIOR SCHOOL
Grade 12 Parent Education Evening – Tuesday, March 5, 7:00 pm
Many of our Grads will start travelling around the world on their own starting as early as this March Break. Being away from home, without adult supervision, means that they may find themselves in different social situations. On Tuesday, March 5 at 7:00 pm Lexi Koster, a Toronto-based Sexual Violence Prevention Educator, Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist & Child Life Specialist will be here to present to our Grade 12 parents. The students will be hearing from the same presenter the next day at 3 pm. We hope that you will join us to learn more so that you can continue the conversation at home. To register please CLICK HERE.
If you have any questions please reach out to Deirdre Timusk.
Grade 12 Parents: Reminders of Special Upcoming Events
Please take a moment to update your calendars with these exciting events Havergal is hosting to honour the Class of 2024.
Grade 11 Parents: Class of 2025 Upcoming Events & Important Information
Please take a moment to update your calendars with these special events for Grade 11 students and families.
TC-9: Grade 9 Course begins after March Break
TC-9 begins for all Grade 9 students on the first day of school after the March Break, running from March 26 to April 8 inclusive.
TC-9 focuses on the UN Sustainable Goals (SDGs). Being a UNESCO Associated Schools member, we believe that the UN SDGs offer an accessible framework for students to understand some of the most challenging issues of our time, while also seeing how they are interconnected and interrelated. TC-9 will also incorporate specific topics from Geography, Science, and Math, and will include Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing.
A welcome letter will be sent to all Grade 9 students and families next week containing:
- A link to an asynchronous course that all students are responsible for completing
- Information on two curricular excursions (Geo and Science).
- A Canvas link to the course with all of the resources. These resources will be important for their learning in TC-9 as well as other subjects.
We will be sending out the AARs for our two excursions early next week and appreciate your prompt attention to registering your student for these two important learning excursions.
For more information see the resources below.
For more information, please contact Garth Nichols, Vice Principal, Experiential Education & Innovation (gnichols@havergal.on.ca)
In Advising This Week
Our student grade representatives in grades 9, 10, and 11 have organised a series of engaging activities for their peers to enjoy during the last week before March Break. From a survivor game to a meditation session, our students have developed experiences that deepen the sense of community within each grade. Our Grads will have a university session focusing on the next steps in residence and admission offers. Ms. Crokam will be introducing the Grads to the HOGA mentor alumni site. This site lists alumni who have volunteered to mentor our students who are interested in careers that our Old Girls are pursuing . This will be a great resource for the class of 2024 for many years after they have left Havergal.
UK University Visits
Individual University Reps will be visiting Havergal College to speak to Grade 11 and 12 students during the lunch hour from 12:15 pm – 1:00 pm or after school from 3:30 pm – 4:15 pm. This is a great opportunity to see what the universities offer.
Monday, March 4 from 12:15 pm – 1:00 pm in Room B16
- Bangor University
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Bristol
Wednesday, March 6 from 12:15 pm – 1:00 pm in Room B16
Senior School Music Night – March 6, 7:00 pm
We invite you to hear the phenomenal musicians in our Senior bands, choirs and orchestras performing in the Brenda Robson Hall on Wednesday March 6 at 7pm.
REMINDERS
The Gator Gala 2024 – Saturday, April 13
Moms’ Night Out
Save the date – Thursday, May 23
NEXT WEEK IN THE UPPER SCHOOL
Mon Mar 4
Leadership at HC – Virtual Webinar for Parents – 6:00 pm
Tue Mar 5
Sexual Violence Prevention Speaker for Parents – Lexi Koster, Ellen Knox Library, 7pm
Wed Mar 6
Senior School Music Night, 7:00 pm
Fri Mar 8
Boarding School closes at 6:00 pm
The Weekly: Upper School 