Reflections of Havergal: 1994-2019

SCHOOL LIFE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CLUBS , PUBL ICAT IONS & AWARDS PROGRAMS

Awards

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award has been an important activity at Havergal since the early 1980s, as Ms. Robson explained during Prayers in September 1996: Many moons ago, before some of the people in this room were even born, some people who moved to the Toronto area from Britain began to set up small groups of Duke of Edinburgh Award participants. Unfortunately, all of the groups were for boys, and, try as we would, we could not get any help to set up a program at Havergal until the early 1980s, at which time this was the only Ontario school with girls to be involved in the awards … Because you have to be 14 to be a participant in the award program, because most students in the Middle School are not yet 14 and because many of them wanted to be involved in such a program, we developed the Havergal Achievement Awards, which also have three levels, each of which is named after one of the symbols of the school. They are the Ivy, the Marguerite and the Torch awards … What is the nature of the challenge of the Duke of Edinburgh Award? It is to develop a lifestyle that makes the individual stronger in body, mind and spirit, that enables her to understand and appreciate the world around her and to reach out to help others in whichever way she can—in other words, to make a difference in the world for the benefit of other people and herself. For many years, activities related to the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award at Havergal were supervised by Mary Davis, the Religious Education teacher in the Upper School. When The Institute was created, it took on responsibility for the award. Given the ease with which students can now work independently through the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award’s website, The Institute’s role has changed. However, given that the award program, as its

An issue of the Ludemus, 1907.

From its inception, however, it was very clear that preparing each year’s Ludemus took dedication—and very strong organizational skills. It is also clear that the production was not without drama. Given the increasing demands on the time and energy of students preparing each year’s Ludemus , a new technology course offered by the Ontario Ministry of Education was greeted with enthusiasm. Since the 1999–2000 school year, students in that senior-level course have worked diligently to ensure the production of a yearbook that girls from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 will cherish for years to come.

Ludemus Covers Through the Years

REFLECTIONS OF HAVERGAL  137