Reflections of Havergal: 1994-2019

SCHOOL LIFE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COMMUNI T Y ENGAGEMENT

The emphasis on student engagement beyond the ivy was also increasingly reflected in curricular activities, like the Live Toronto project that for a number of years was tied to the Grade 10 English curriculum. In that 2009 Torch article, Um explained the project’s rationale: Community Programs follow a three-pronged approach for students: experience, reflection and action, as demonstrated in the innovative community initiative Live Toronto. Through a three-day forum held [in] February, Grade 10 students experienced Toronto from the perspective of other people living in the city. Students spent a day at one of 14 community and social service organizations. Students interacted, connected [with] and listened to the stories of the adults and youth with whom these organizations work. “Live Toronto allows our students to work as individuals, to understand themselves and their purpose in making a difference,” says Chantal Gionet, Vice Principal, Academic Operations. “As a community, the students come to understand the world we live in more fully and learn to work together to realize the world we want.”

The refinements to the school’s philosophy were neatly summed up in “Making a Difference the Havergal Way” in the Spring 2005 Torch . Opportunities for community engagement encourage girls to: • discover and understand the root causes of social issues that lead to distress in the lives of people in local, national and global communities; • develop awareness of their own areas of interest, talents and limitations, so that they can find the best way to be of service; • become aware of existing ways in which people in need are being helped; • develop leadership attributes and skills; • develop courage and the will to struggle to find solutions to societal issues; • search for and take up opportunities to serve people and areas of need in their communities; and • develop a lifelong commitment to community service. This approach is fundamental to all the partnerships the school has nurtured over the years—and students have shown themselves more than eager to participate.

Strengthening Our Partnerships Saira John, BTI , September 2008 “Being part of [the Derrydown Saturday Morning Program] has allowed me to realize how easy it is to feel connected with a group … Being there made me feel that we were not the leaders but the learners.”

“Strengthening Our Partnerships”

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