Family Handbook 2019-20

The Role of Social Media A growing number of students under the age of ​ 11 are registering for social media accounts, both with and without parental knowledge and / or consent. This is despite the fact that most social networks do not allow children under 13 to 18 to register. ​ Currently, the minimum age to open an account on ​ Facebook ​ , ​ Twitter ​ , ​ Instagram ​ , ​ Pinterest ​ , ​ TikTok ​ and ​ Snapchat ​ is 13 years. While these platforms can certainly be used in positive and productive ways, the brains of children under the age of 13 are often not developed enough to consistently make good choices or understand the impact of what they are posting, observing and sharing. When students make inappropriate choices on social media, the damage done can be long lasting and can cause real harm to the individual and others. All students, faculty and staff are expected to follow the Havergal Code of Conduct, as well as the school’s Acceptable Use of Technology Agreement. Havergal reserves its right to apply a full range of sanctions to any offence committed by a student, as outlined in our progressive discipline approach. Resilience Resilience is the ability to bounce back from disappointment, which develops from learning how to manage and recover from low-risk failure. When we rescue girls from age-appropriate errors, they cannot learn from their experiences. As a result, they begin to view small setbacks as great disasters. As educators, one of our goals is to help girls learn from their mistakes, rather than preventing them from making any. A child who never faces failure is a child who becomes fearful and risk-averse. Students who make mistakes will be supported and guided to take ownership, forgive others and themselves and reflect upon a plan to move forward in a positive way. Community Circles By helping students develop their social literacy skills, our aim is that each girl sees herself as a capable problem-solver with a bank of strategies and skills to develop and maintain healthy relationships. The goal is not necessarily to avoid problems, but rather to know what to do when problems inevitably arise. Core and Specialty teachers guide students in these meetings, with a focus on the following, as outlined by the The Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum:

● interact positively; ● take responsibility for your actions; ● communicate effectively; ● be an effective team member; ● be willing to work with any partner;

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

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