Reflections of Havergal: 1994-2019

Education, Director of an undergraduate BEd program at the University of Calgary and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Education. She has held senior leadership positions with the Calgary Board of Education, currently as Director with supervisory responsibilities for 29 schools, grades K–12. The background facts in this notice gave the community understandable confidence. However, no one yet knew how profoundly positive Dr. Ditchburn’s impact on the school would be. No one yet knew how her leadership, marked by nuanced reflection and committed action, would ensure that Havergal thrived in the early years of the 21st century. The community did, however, gain more insight when Dr. Ditchburn was interviewed for the Chronicle in August 1997, a month before the beginning of her first school year. Prior to moving to Toronto from Calgary, Dr. Ditchburn had visited Havergal a number of times, and in that interview, she shared perceptions of the school that revealed the qualities that made her the perfect choice for principal: a powerful intellect and an intuitive appreciation of the spirit of Havergal. During the third of my visits, each one a rich opportunity to learn more about Havergal, I sought a moment of solitude outdoors. The air was heavily laden with moisture, perfumed by the lush foliage of Havergal’s beautiful grounds. Clusters of young people from the teen camp gathered under shady branches, languid in the humid mid-day heat. For a moment, I felt as if I had stepped into the past, a scene unchanged in a century. Yet, Havergal, while embracing the traditions, values and pursuits of its proud history, confidently asserts, “Our time has come.” As I seek to understand all that Havergal represents, I am exploring its past and its present, and reflecting upon how the school will choose to create its future. Cherished values will shape that future, among those, compassion, integrity and confidence.

Susan J. Ditchburn, Havergal’s ninth principal.

Susan J. Ditchburn, 1997–08

In June 1997, as Dr. Winn Barlow was preparing to return to the United States, another very important notice appeared in The Globe and Mail : Wendy J. Thompson, Chair of the Board of Governors, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Susan J. Ditchburn as the ninth Principal of Havergal College. An educator with extensive leadership experience who has lectured and published internationally, Dr. Ditchburn holds an MA in Curriculum and Instruction, and a PhD in Educational Policy and Administrative Studies from the University of Calgary. Throughout her career, Dr. Ditchburn has been actively involved with schools and educational policy, as teacher, vice-principal, and consultant with the Calgary Board of

Havergal Grounds in Summer

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