Torch - Fall 2016

Junior School students in different grades collaborate on geometry projects as part of the HaverPals program on Wednesday, October 5.

reach across disciplines and create interactions across grades. Those initiatives include HaverPals, where girls three grades apart work in pairs on integrated academic activities; House, where students engage in small group activities to promote initiative and leadership; and Community Circles, where students come together to build relationships, explore issues and reflect on their learning and progress. These special Wednesday afternoons help build that sense of belonging that is the bedrock of self-confidence. CONTINUED >> “ “ Mindful of the need for balance, we will equip each girl with the tools she needs to respond to challenges.

Promoting Belonging When an individual feels part of a group or broader community, that individual develops a sense of place and belonging that becomes the foundation for confidence-building. Feeling part of something, anchored in a group and valued, prepares girls to be challenged at the optimal level. From a base of belonging, students are comfortable taking well-supported risks, making mistakes, reflecting on their progress and contributing to the world around them in meaningful ways. Many systems in the school help to build community and relationships. For example, the Teacher Advisory (TA) groups in the Senior School are comprised of small clusters of cross-grade students from Grades 9 to 12 and one Teacher Advisor who stay together throughout their high-school experience in order to build a trusting bond. In the Middle School, students are gathered into same-grade Home Form groupings and take some of their classes together, which promotes a sense of familiarity. There is a similar base of a common Homeroom group in the Junior School, along with new initiatives this year that expand community building: HaverPals, Community Circles and regular House meetings. On Wednesday afternoons in the Junior School, the day ends early and all of the girls engage in community-building activities that

TABLE OF CONTENTS | FALL 2016 • TORCH 11