Family Handbook 2019-20

Guidance

We know that successful people cultivate resilience and a resolve to face challenges, setbacks and disappointments. As such, Havergal aims to help girls develop the confidence and fortitude required of them to persevere through difficult times to achieve their goals. Guidance Counsellors help our students get to know themselves socially, emotionally and intellectually. Not only do they work directly with students, but they also act as liaisons with faculty, Boarding staff, Wellness staff, Administrators and, where appropriate, external agencies. Our Upper School Guidance Counsellors work closely with Upper School students at every grade to help them navigate the normative social / emotional turbulence that defines the Middle School (Grades 7 and 8) and Senior School (Grades 9 to 12) years. They visit classes regarding course selection in January and help Senior School students make sense of how their elective choices can impact their university admission prospects for different programs. Guidance Counsellors work with students one-on-one, in small groups and grade-specific groups. Two designated counselors also work closely with our Grade 11 and 12 students with their postsecondary career and university admission aspirations. A Framework for Reporting the Disclosure of Personal Information by Upper School Students It is not uncommon for an Upper School student to have a conversation with a Guidance Counsellor, School Nurse, the school Social Worker, a coach or another trusted faculty or staff member in which the student discloses sensitive personal information about herself and / or her family. In so doing, the student might specifically request that the information she discloses not be shared with her parents. While we encourage Upper School students to share important disclosures they might make to faculty and staff about their physical and / or mental health and well-being with their parents, it is key that Upper School parents appreciate that capable students have legal rights to their privacy and the confidentiality of their personal information, including personal health information, under applicable laws. Our graduates attend highly competitive institutions in Canada and internationally.

Last Edited: August 20, 2019 Havergal College Family Handbook 2019–20

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