Reflections of Havergal: 1994-2019

SCHOOL LIFE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CURRICULUM OVERVI EW

• new interactive whiteboards (seven), projectors (four) and laptops (48); • a consolidated library system in the Upper and Junior Schools called “Mandarin”; • a new online search tool of the Havergal library catalogue for students, faculty, staff and parents; and • a new digital audio workstation for professional-grade, multitrack audio recordings. Henry Ward Beecher, a 19th-century clergyman and social reformer, once observed that “[a] library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life.” Were he alive today, he would no doubt affirm that statement. Had he experienced the libraries at Havergal, he would likely add that they also offer the greatest satisfactions, particularly as they continue to take advantage of the possibilities offered by new technologies. When Havergal celebrated its centennial, the school’s libraries were being transformed in dramatic new ways, thanks in large measure to technological advances. By the end of 1997, for example, students could access books and audiovisual and professional reference materials online. Technology had not, of course, obviated the need for guidance from Havergal’s teacher-librarians. In fact, they became even more necessary because of the often startling changes to the educational landscape. As explained in Havergal’s 1997 report to the Canadian Educational Standards Institute, the teacher-librarians work in coordination with the subject teachers to design and implement resource-based learning experiences for students. Librarians encourage teachers to consult with them when planning research assignments, so that resource materials presentations can be distinctly tailored to suit their students.  As teachers revise and refine research assignments each year, they return to find new resources acquired with Students in Junior and Upper School Libraries

their courses and projects in mind. As courses change, so does the collection. When presented with research projects, wise Havergal students have learned to begin their searches in their own Resource Centre. Some 15 years later, the school’s libraries had metamorphosed into “learning commons.” (The Junior School library is now called The Learning Hub.) Not only do Havergal’s libraries cultivate the love of reading, but they also support the development of information communication technology (ICT) skills. In addition to having recourse to an expanded collection of books, magazines, periodicals and other print materials, students have access to ebooks, subscription databases and online video-streaming services. Technology, however, does not simply provide us with new tools. Technological development prompts new ways of looking at the world. The Spring 2012 Torch article, “From Library to Learning Commons,” by teachers Nicole Davies and Tony Nardi, sets out the major developments in Havergal’s libraries: 

From Library to Learning Commons” Torch , Spring 2012

Havergal’s teacher-librarians are, of course, lifelong learners and take deep pleasure in finding new and inventive ways of supporting students as they hone their critical and creative thinking skills and consider their role in a fast-changing world.

Tony Nardi, Head, Library Information Centre

As part of the 2013 CAIS Accreditation process, Havergal was asked how technology was being integrated into the classroom. The response still does the school proud: Currently at Havergal, technology is being integrated into the curriculum in a wide variety of ways. Essential computing skills (e.g., word processing, graphing with

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