Torch - Fall/Winter 2019-20

H A V E R G A L C O L L E G E F A L L / W I N T E R 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 W I T H T H E A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 8 –1 9

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING Antonietta Mirabelli COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING ASSOCIATE Susan Pink GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

CONTRIBUTORS Vince Alexander Catherine Atkinson Jill Azis Suzanne Bowness Yvonne Chow Jenna Cowan Alison Crocker Tony diCosmo Helena Follows Jennifer D. Foster Pearl Goodman Heather Hudson Lisa Massie Andrew McKay Jennifer O’Rourke

PRIVACY OF INFORMATION Havergal College is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal information. Havergal’s Privacy Statement is available at www.havergal.on.ca/privacy Canada Post Publication Number: 40050122 The information contained herein may not be published without permission from Havergal College.

Jennifer Patterson Maggi Patterson Diane Peters Leah Piltz Graham Powell Karen Sumner Shannon Wainman Liz Watt Lisa Zanlungo

THANK YOU We would like to thank all members of the Havergal community who participated in interviews, submitted articles, contributed photographs and reviewed articles. SUSTAINABILITY AND THE TORCH The Torch is printed on Forest Stewardship Council-approved paper. Please help reduce landfill waste by disposing this magazine in your recycling box when you are finished enjoying it.

Carol Tsang Kate Whelan

Table of Contents

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Principal’s Message Discovering the Excellence, Innovation and Joy at Havergal

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Snapshots Photos of Life at Havergal

10 School Profile

Outside of the Comfort Zone 12 Message from the Heads of Schools The Power of Belonging 15 Forum for Change Laying the Foundation for Community Involvement 16 Feature Story A Little Help from My Friends 22 Student Awards Celebrating Student Success 2018–19 26 Students Speak Lessons from a Friend 28 Traditions Havergal Celebrates 125 Years of Excellence with New ebook 29 Farewell Saying Goodbye to Our Retirees 30 Reunion News Celebration Weekend 2019 32 Community & Old Girls Updates

33 Annual Report 2018–19

60 Grad Profile 2019

Front cover photo: Middle School friends in the Rotunda in the Upper School. Inside front cover photo: Upper School House Captains greet students on Orientation Day 2019.

1451 Avenue Road Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5N 2H9 Tel: 416.483.3519

havergal.on.ca

Havergal’s NEW ebook is here!

ebook

Reflections of Havergal 1994 to 2019

WRITTEN BY J EAN SHEPPARD

Read more about the past 25 years of Havergal College here:

havergal.on.ca/reflectionsbook

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Principal’s Message

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When you are values-based and community-driven, it is hard to go too far wrong.

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Discovering the Excellence, Innovation and Joy at Havergal By Catherine Misson S ince beginning my tenure this past August, I’ve been

I believe strongly in excellence in education and embracing innovation, while injecting joy in all we do. Our girls are serious about their academic work and their future plans. They need humour and the support of others to wrap around them as they strive toward success. In the first week of school, for example, the Food Services team worked with me to set up a good old Aussie BBQ on Ratcliffe Field, with sausages and tomato sauce, just like we eat back at home. Seeing our students gather in their Houses, relax with each other and their teachers and take in the glorious sunshine as they smiled was all it took to ease the back-to-school jitters. That specialness I keep hearing about Havergal, it seems to boil down to relationships, community and connections. In particular, teachers here really connect to students and accept them for who they truly are, allowing them to make mistakes and find their own way. Girls remember these empathetic moments decades later. I plan to keep supporting this specialness. Some things may shift at Havergal, but those valued connections will continue, I expect, for another century and beyond.

impressed with the strong sense of community, the kindness and encouragement here at Havergal College. Students, faculty and staff, and the Old Girls I have met at alumnae events express great pride in this community. The sense of specialness rings loud and clear. I was motivated to join Havergal College, given its reputation for offering an exemplary education to girls. The perception that Havergal is a “traditional school but we are not traditional” encouraged me to believe that I would find a community here open to advancing contemporary and resonant initiatives, eager to ensure students are truly prepared for the world they will live in well beyond “the ivy” of Havergal’s incredible campus. Educators globally are wrestling with the proposition that the current model of schooling is no longer fit for purpose. I believe the 125-year history of Havergal suggests we should not fear the new: successive eras have demonstrated that the school has had the wisdom and capacity to evolve and keep pace with what girls need in order to be confident citizens.

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Snapshots

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Principal Catherine Misson (centre) with the School Captain and Prayers Prefect after the first Prayers of the school year. Mother and daughter at the Junior School on the first day of school. An Upper School student performs in Prayers. Junior School students accessorize their wardrobes on House Day. Mothers join their Grade 12 daughters for a special luncheon.

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6. Kindergarten students work with clay on Day 9. 7. Upper School students learn about leadership on Day 9. 8. A Grade 1 student studies the colours of nature. 9. A student hosts the She Clothing Co. booth at Celebration Saturday 2019. 10. Staff and students promote the Harry Potter Club at Club Fest 2019.

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11. Junior School students carry baskets of food to the Upper School for Harvest Festival 2019. 12. An Upper School Art student focuses on her stone carving. 13. Student Ambassadors wait to host tours at this year’s Grade 7 Open House. 14. The Senior Year Presidents host a fun Halloween Assembly. 15. Junior School students dress up for Halloween. 16. Havergal celebrates Diwali at the Junior School.

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School Profile

Outside of the Comfort Zone

How School Captain Jordan Murrell Pushes Herself and Others to Explore the Unknown

By Heather Hudson

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J ordan Murrell wants her fellow students to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. As the 2019–20 School Captain, she hopes to inspire others to try new things and open the door for frank discussions. “I want our school to be a place where people come to get out of their comfort zones and try things that they didn’t think they could do. I hope students will push themselves this year and grow as students and people.” Murrell also wants to encourage an open dialogue on topics that can be difficult to talk about. “Diversity is something that should be acknowledged every day, all year-round. Being able to share our different experiences, listen to new points of view and recognize any issues, even if it’s uncomfortable, are the first steps to growth. I want every student to feel seen and heard.” If these seem like lofty goals for a School Captain, you clearly haven’t met Murrell. The determined Grade 12 student has been barrelling her way through Havergal since Grade 1. In the Junior School, she eagerly participated on the Volleyball, Soccer, Track & Field, and Cross Country teams. When she moved to the Upper School, she joined clubs such as knitting, rock climbing and DECA, of which she became a passionate member. Last year, Murrell was co-head of HCTV, a biweekly student-inspired YouTube show of goings-on at Havergal. “I’ve always loved being around people and having the opportunity to connect and have fun with others. It’s what draws me to clubs. I’m also very competitive, so sports are a great outlet and a good way to make friends,” she says. Murrell credits an intrinsic motivation, the example of her family and the ambitious school culture for her drive to pursue challenging goals. “My parents have always shown me that, to get where you want to be, you need to work hard. And at Havergal, the Upper School is not an environment where you can be lacklustre. We’re encouraged to grow and be the best we can be.” In Grade 9, she and three friends founded She Clothing Co., a non-profit organization that sells sweatshirts, hats and socks with positive feminist messages. “It’s been a fun way and accessible way for us to show that feminism is about equality.” All proceeds support organizations that empower women and girls. When they were in Grade 11, the She Clothing Co. founders won Startup Canada’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. She says the experience has been pivotal in showing her that amazing things can happen when you try new things and work hard.

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Don’t tell yourself that you’re not good at something—if you apply yourself, you can achieve anything.

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Next year, Murrell plans to study economics or statistics at university, though her ultimate plan is to be a corporate lawyer, a goal she’s had since she was very young. “I like to argue, negotiate and find agreements between two parties.” She says she’s been thinking about running for School Captain since Grade 7, when her older sister first pointed out the impact student leaders can make as the voice of their peers. More than that, Murrell wanted to be a role model for all students. “It’s difficult not seeing people who look like you running for positions like this. I wanted other people who are part of the black community to have more representation. Not just for me, but also for other girls like me.” Despite a hectic schedule—she has three agendas to help juggle everything—Murrell is intent on facilitating a school environment where people feel welcome, are encouraged to try new things and have the confidence to share their thoughts, ideas and concerns. As School Captain, she considers herself a member of a school-wide team and plans to encourage and lead students of all ages. Her message for her fellow students is twofold: “Don’t limit yourself. You never know where something will take you. And you need to work for what you want. Don’t tell yourself that you’re not good at something—if you apply yourself, you can achieve anything.” And when all else fails, get uncomfortable.

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Message from the Heads of Schools

The Power of Belonging Our Orientation Process Ensures that Every New Girl Feels Known, Valued and at Home

By Lindsay Norberg, Jennifer Patterson and Kate White

generate a strong sense of belonging. To belong is to feel that we’re not alone, that our human journey is shared and that our joys are greater and disappointments smaller together. Generating a sense of belonging begins well before a new girl shows up for the first day of school. First, our Admission team works closely with families to determine each prospective girl’s fit for Havergal (and vice versa). Then, once admitted, we include new families and students in a series of events to familiarize them with their new community, well before opening day. The last thing we want is a girl starting classes in a strange place, with mysterious customs and unfamiliar faces. So we make sure she knows more about what to expect in the coming days and weeks as she begins her Havergal journey. New families tell us there is so much they need to know as the entire first year unfolds. No matter how many touchpoints we provide as a school, questions pop up at the dinner table or during the bedtime routine that experienced parents are delighted to field. Is that special event tomorrow Number One Dress? How does pizza lunch work? What time is band rehearsal? Conversations and connections between homes are as valuable for creating the family feeling we have at Havergal as everything that happens on the school grounds. Speaking of buddies, setting up our new girls to make personal connections before classes start is an important part of the Havergal welcome. In the spring, new Junior School students are invited to attend a JS New Family event; for smaller entry years, students have an opportunity to visit their new classmates. In the Middle School, new and returning Grade 7 students meet for a special lunch, where they sit in their House groups and learn their House cheer. On this occasion, future classmates have a chance to share food, stories, songs and laughs—and work off some of those new-girl jitters. In the Senior School, students are contacted by their House leaders in June as a welcome to the community. Last, before stepping into the classroom for first lessons, all of our new students enjoy an exciting event just for them: Orientation Day, which occurs the day before returning students arrive back at school. Designed for their age and grade, the girls enjoy exclusive access to the Junior, Middle or Senior School buildings and resources. They take tours, find their classrooms, meet their teachers, ask questions, play relationship-building games and, best of all, spend time with each other. They begin to forge those special friendships that will last throughout their schooling and even beyond graduation as Havergal Old Girls.

From left: Head of Senior School Lindsay Norberg, Head of Junior School Kate White and Head of Middle School Jennifer Patterson. E ach of us is an “I” and a “we.” We are individuals with unique traits. We are attached to others through close personal relationships, and we identify with social and cultural groups much larger than ourselves. When the needs of our individual, relational and collective selves are well met, we have confidence in who we are and strength in the face of new challenges. When new girls arrive at Havergal College, we attend equally to these three selves. We want to know and nurture each girl’s distinctive identity, while also helping her establish new friendships and a larger bond to the whole school. What researchers call “belongingness” has a powerful impact on emotional well-being, cognitive development and the ability to manage stress. 1 A new girl who is seen for who she is and wholeheartedly welcomed into a community feels valued, performs academically at her best and shows resilience when working through the inevitable setbacks of life. The school’s approach to welcoming new families and students holds these truths in mind. Our ultimate goal is to help girls build the connections they need to thrive individually and through their attachment to others—their friends, teachers, coaches, counsellors and so on. That is why we are deliberate about the ways in which we engage students and their families when they join our community. Our programs and interactions are designed first and foremost to

1 Baumeister, R.F. and Leary, M. “The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation.” Psychological Bulletin , Vol. 117 (3), May 1995, pp. 497–529. Accessed via https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497.

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Grade 9 students participate in group activities in their Houses on Orientation Day (left). A new Junior School student and parent meet HC faculty on Orientation Day (right).

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Most important, in our view, is that Orientation Day is when our new students have their fullest experience yet of Havergal’s culture of kindness. We hear from girls who toured the school that it was the warmest, most welcoming place they visited. Yes, the spring events only strengthen that feeling about Havergal traditions. But here, early in September, each new girl is touched by the kindness of our student Prefects, House Captains and other student leaders who join them on their special day and set the tone for the years to come. This is a place where we hold our values dear, with compassion and courage leading the way as our new girls have their first immersive experience as Havergal students. Because it takes time to build a true sense of belonging, we continue to familiarize our new students well after Orientation Day has passed and classes are underway. Number one on our list throughout the first term is a series of check-ins with our new girls. Junior School students attend a lunch in different age groups, so the adults in their lives can see how they are doing and answer any questions they still have. It is a time to pause and reflect, and to let them know we are watching out for them. The Head of Middle School meets with every new Grade 7 student individually, and all new Senior School students are part of our first six weeks Guidance program, meeting with their Guidance Counsellors weekly and their Teacher Advisors on an individual basis. Throughout all grades, parents are also contacted to gather the view from home. We attend to the individual student this way—to each girl as an “I”—to express our commitment to personal growth and to relieve any pressure that may be building beneath the surface. With a

tendency toward perfectionism, girls can be quite adept at denying or minimizing their distress and, instead, wearing a brave face to avoid worrying parents, teachers and friends. As University of Houston researcher Brené Brown puts it, “Perfectionism is, at its core, about trying to earn approval.” 2 Both checking in with new students and talking to parents about what they’re seeing and hearing at home help our girls avoid setting unrealistically high expectations of themselves. Our girls’ relational selves—the “we” that desires intimate bonds— is especially nurtured when we situate students within small groups. “ To belong is to feel that we’re not alone, that our human journey is shared and that our joys are greater and disappointments smaller together.

2 Brown, B. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead . New York: Penguin Random House, 2012.

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Message from the Heads of Schools

The core classroom in the Junior School, the Form in the Middle School and the Teacher Advisory group in the Senior School are warm and welcoming mini-communities within the larger Havergal world. Within each, new girls enjoy the comfort and familiarity of daily contact and year-long relationships that grow and strengthen as they continue to settle into school life. As an additional support, new girls throughout the school can opt into “big sister” programs, and each Teacher Advisor group is composed of students in Grades 9 through 12. Our veteran students love to lend their hands and hearts to younger girls finding their way. Smaller communities within the school are also formed through the House program, club membership and extensive co-curricular options. Each new student belongs to a mixed-grade House, with fellow members becoming, as some girls put it, “your squad.” In addition, as we know that students involved in activities outside the classroom feel more connected to their peers and their school, we actively encourage new girls to join groups that spark their interest. All Grade 7 students belong to a club each session—selecting from options as diverse as dance, robotics, photography and Mandarin— so they can pursue their passions and meet like-minded friends. In the rest of the school, girls can opt into a similar array of clubs, as well as the arts, athletics and leadership activities available to all. The unique structures we have in place to onboard new students and families exist because it takes time for girls to feel secure in a new place and to make new friends—in fact, quite a lot of time. A University of Kansas study found that it takes about 50 hours to form a casual friendship, 90 hours to transition to being a friend

Students at this year's Middle School Club Fest.

and more than 200 hours to become close friends. 3 Those are big numbers! That’s why we’re deliberate and intentional when it comes to helping new students navigate the social landscape and make connections for life. And we know our approach works. As one Grade 9 student said last year when surveyed about her experiences, “I wish I worried less about making friends when I arrived.” We would love all our new girls to worry less, but we know that they do. It’s human nature. We also know that, in time, they will find their place and feel the power of belonging.

3 Journal of Social and Personal Relationships , Vol. 36 (4), April 2019, pp. 1,278–96. Accessed via https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0265407518761225.

Grade 7 students bond at Kilcoo Camp.

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Forum for Change

Laying the Foundation for Community Involvement When Mentorship Leads to Community Outreach

By Tanay Naik

I n October 2019, Old Girl Selina Chow 2018 posted the following information on the dementia blog that she and her Havergal peers started in 2016 in support of their Dementia Awareness Program, one of the Upper School’s Community Partnerships: According to the World Health Organization, there are currently around 50 million people worldwide living with dementia, with nearly 10 million new cases each year. By 2030, there will be an estimated 82 million people with dementia around the world, and 152 million by 2050. 1 Chow was first inspired to create the Dementia Awareness Program after her grandfather was diagnosed with the illness. “I didn’t know how to feel because I didn’t know much about the disease, nor was it something that we ever talked about at school,” she says. “As his condition worsened, I turned to my friends for support and was shocked when not many people understood what I was going through. To change this, I wanted to offer students the opportunity to volunteer with and enrich the lives of seniors with dementia.” In September 2016—under the mentorship of Forum for Change Program Manager Jennifer Russell, Havergal teacher Erika Friesen and Head of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Dr. Nathan Herrmann—Chow established the Dementia Awareness Program as a Community Partnership between Havergal, a local nursing home and Sunnybrook’s Health Sciences Centre. The purpose of this program was to raise awareness of and de-stigmatize the illness. “Leading a group of passionate student volunteers, we visited Cedarhurst Dementia Care Home (from 2016–17) and Briton House (from 2017 on) weekly to enrich the lives of the residents living with dementia,” Chow explains. “We shared what we learned about the illness on our blog, which has more than 3,500 readers worldwide [ http://dementiaawarenessprogram.blogspot.ca ].” Chow continues her work on raising awareness about dementia today, demonstrating how Community Partnerships and their connections to new people, places and communities go beyond the

Selina Chow 2018 writing one of her dementia blog entries (here in 2017).

physical experiences of volunteering by having a deeper impact on student perspectives. In the Forum for Change, Community Partnerships are a cornerstone of the Global Experience Program (GEP) offered to students. At the core of these initiatives is our department’s approach to People, Partnerships, Perspective and Place. Through our Community Partnership initiatives, our students learn to embody the values of our school as they demonstrate tremendous empathy and compassion. Since Chow’s graduation, the program has new eager and engaged student leaders at Briton House, where participants connect with residents through music, puzzles, games and conversations. Chow continues to support this group as an unofficial advisor, demonstrating how mentorship can both nurture and inspire community service.

1 World Health Organization. “Dementia.” September 19, 2019. Accessed via www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia.

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Feature Story

A Little Help from My Friends

By Suzanne Bowness

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T he girls around the table in a classroom exchange to graduate, the topic of lifelong friendships plunges them into a state of nostalgia, and for good reason—Renee Chan, Joyce Riad, Lauren Rozenberg, Joanne Stavropoulos and Julia Tien have all known each other since Junior Kindergarten. “There’s a level of comfort because I trust these girls. I’ve known them for literally 14 years and I’ve grown up with them,” says Tien as she looks around the table at the faces nodding back. knowing glances when asked about examples of the friendships they’ve found at Havergal, and each piles on the others’ stories as they are offered. Grade 12s poised

It’s a sentiment shared not only between these friends, but also more widely by those whose long-term connections began at Havergal. And further good news is that the health benefits of friendship are well- documented. Research from the Mayo Clinic shows that friendships boost your sense of belonging, purpose and self-worth, and reduce stress. They also help to get through life traumas such as divorce, job loss or the death of a loved one. 1 And the opposite is unsettling, too: an article published by the Harvard Women’s Health Watch quotes a study that examined data from more than 309,000 people and found the absence of strong relationships increased the risk of premature

death by 50 per cent, roughly comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and greater than obesity and physical inactivity. 2 In an attempt to explore these relationships and friendships from different perspectives, we not only sought out these upcoming Grads, but also a family that graduated multiple generations, a mentor who demonstrates a professional connection by giving back her time and expertise, and a couple of Old Girls from the tight-knit class of 1961 now planning their 60th reunion. Predictably, they all had a lot to share about the classmates they have kept in touch with since their time at Havergal.

1 Mayo Clinic. “Friendships: Enrich your life and improve your health.” August 24, 2019. Accessed via www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/friendships/art-20044860. 2 Harvard Health Publishing. “The health benefits of strong relationships.” August 6, 2019. Accessed via www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/the-health-benefits-of-strong-relationships.

“I feel like friendship is like knowing there’s someone in your corner when you need them.”

—Joyce Riad

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“Those early friends, there’s just something special that’s intangible. You can’t really pinpoint it, but it’s just we’re always there for each other.”

—Jill Trennum, Class of 1961 Rep

Members of the Class of 1961 at Havergal's Reunion Cocktail Party in 2016.

The Tight-Knit Class of 1961

off-site celebration and they’re hoping for the same for their 60th reunion. Trennum says that reunions see even better turnout now than they did after graduation because lives are calmer after the whirlwind of university, career building, marriage and children has passed. When you look up from a busy life, you realize you miss your friends. “You didn’t appreciate the value of your friendships as the years passed. And then you realize how lucky we are,” she says. Until five years ago, she would even hold reunions at her cottage, hosting 25 or more women. Activities included homemade chicken pot pie dinners, canoe and boat rides and late-night swims in the lake. Trennum, who had attended Havergal since she was a Junior School student in Grade 1 and became a teacher after graduation, says she loved English and biology, and was active in field hockey, volleyball and tennis. She also credits activities outside of school, like going on ski weekends and volunteering together at summer camps for underprivileged children, as bonding experiences. More low-key activities also stand out for helping to solidify friendships, like movies on the weekend or skating at the big oval rinks in Eglinton Park.

Armitage, who attended from Grade 8 to 13 and was into sports like track & field, field hockey and basketball, was voted Class Rep and has always helped to organize reunions for her class. She later came back to work in the Old Girls Office and continued to organize reunions in Canada and England. She says regular connections through the five-year reunions have been valuable. “I like renewing the friendships, seeing people you haven’t seen for five years and catching up,” says Armitage, noting that regular contact helps. “Because we’ve nurtured our friendships all along, we feel we know these people pretty well.” While the class is at the age where they are starting to lose a few classmates, Armitage says the reunions provide a nice “grounding” in shared experiences. “It makes you feel like you’re still young again,” she says. “You may only see some of them every five years, but you can seem to pick up with them right away again.” Trennum agrees. “We shed our tears, we shared our laughter (mostly it’s laughter), but it’s a valuable thing. Those early friends, there’s just something special that’s intangible. You can’t really pinpoint it, but it’s just we’re always there for each other.”

Jill Trennum is reminded of Carole King’s song “You’ve Got a Friend” when she thinks of her Havergal network of friendship. As a graduate of the Class of 1961, Trennum says it’s wonderful to have kept such close connections with so many. “There are 14 or 15 of us from Grade 1, plus 30 or so more from our class who still talk all the time. That’s, like, 71 years of friendship.” Susan Armitage, another Grad from the class of ’61, points to a central factor in the close bond that the class shares—Jill Trennum. “Jill is the reason we’ve got such a good turnout and we’re so close. She’s the glue that keeps us together and continues to personally phone every classmate at least once a year,” says Armitage. Their recent 55th reunion saw more than 40 Old Girls turn out to their

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Feeling a Family Connection

she says, adding that plans are already underway for the 20th reunion next year. Cortellucci, who was enrolled from Grade 6 to 13 and was Head of the Art Club (she now works as an interior designer), has found reconnections with other parents. “A number of girls that I had gone to school with are parents and we were students, so we have that common ground. It’s been nice to reconnect with those girls after all these years.” Cortellucci says she’s pleased that her daughters seemed to fit into the school right away. “They love it. It’s been a really smooth transition. The school is very welcoming,” she says, adding that her daughter Allegra came home on day one reporting four new friends and day two added six more. Allegra’s already joined the Basketball team and the Choir. Cortellucci says this comfort level has reaffirmed her decision to enroll her daughters. “They’re teaching my daughters in the way they taught us, which is to be good people above anything else,” she says. Despite leaving in Grade 10, Smulders says that she also had a great experience at Havergal. A teacher herself in her career, she particularly remembers adoring her Grade 4 teacher, Mrs. Love. “I have dyslexia, and she was just so compassionate that it just made the whole experience of school so much better,” recalls Smulders, rhyming off equally fond memories of teachers in other grades. She even had some overlap with her daughters’ teachers!

When she heard that Allegra would be enrolling, Smulders pulled out her photo albums to look over her own Grade 4 pictures with her granddaughter. Her daughters’ reports from reunions have also inspired her to start attending, including a recent Celebration Saturday. “I realized I had been missing out. I had not taken advantage of the reunions. I will be attending them in future.” All family members say it’s interesting and nostalgic to return to school at formal events. While she’s now regularly in the Junior School with her daughters, Cortellucci says that being in the Upper School for Harvest Festival this October felt even more surreal. “Seeing the girls in their blazers, the uniforms that I used to wear that haven’t changed a bit, and hearing them singing the same hymns that we used to, it was very emotional. That totally caught me by surprise,” she says. Smulders says that the Junior School is totally different than it used to be (in her time it was in the basement of the Upper School). Yet, at the same time, she sees the physical changes as evidence that the school is responsive to growth and a changing world. “Havergal is not sitting still, it’s going forward constantly,” she says approvingly of her daughter’s choice. Cortellucci confirms that when choosing a school for her daughters, Havergal was top of mind. “It would feel weird to send my daughters to a different school. It’s like part of the family,” she says.

For the Smulders family, the connection to Havergal is, well, in the family. Alice Smulders (neé Austin) 1973 attended from Grade 4 until the end of Grade 10, when her family moved to Vancouver in 1970. She also sent her daughters Nicole Cortellucci 1997, Robin Richmond 2000 and Mary Smulders MacKinnon 2002 to the school. This year, Cortellucci enrolled her daughters Allegra in Grade 4 and Bianca in Grade 1. Each family member has kept up connections in different ways. Robin, who started in Grade 5 and was very much into sports and co-curriculars, says her main core friend group is still her Havergal classmates. “It’s pretty awesome that I’ve been able to get through different universities, adulthood, parenting trials, career changes, we’ve all been able to stay together as a tight-knit group,” says Richmond, who now works as a real estate agent and has a one-year-old daughter. “They’re all very smart, upstanding women, with great careers and families. I’m lucky to have met such great girls.” Today she sees her closer girlfriends every couple of months and chats weekly online. She also attends more formal reunions and events, and as class rep has set up a Facebook group and Instagram account to help her classmates keep connected. “Social media has really made it easy to stay in touch with people and in tune with everybody’s lives and happenings,”

“It would feel weird to send my daughters to a different school. It’s like part of the family.”

—Nicole Cortellucci

A Havergal Legacy Family: Alice Smulders 1973 (left), Nicole Cortellucci 1997 (right), Bianca and Allegra Cortellucci.

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Professional Connections, Too Havergal was also the first choice for Eileen Jurczak 1993 when she was thinking about a testing ground for her new financial literacy program for students. In fact, she was inspired to start Bay Street Deconstructed after participating in the speed mentoring events at Havergal, where she shared details of her work as a director on the trading floor with BMO Capital Markets. Realizing how little the students knew about financial services careers prompted her to take action. “I thought, if Havergal girls are not getting this information, then nobody’s getting it,” recalls Jurczak. Today the program has reached more than 7,000 students in cities that include Vancouver, Halifax and Calgary, and across Ontario, including Toronto and Ottawa. Offered in Grade 10 to fit in with the civics curriculum, the Bay Street Deconstructed programming provides a two-hour overview of financial services by using case studies

to help students explore different aspects of financial services, including personal, business and investment banking. The session is made even more interactive through the use of iPads, live actors and a video featuring a panel of experts from the field. Jurczak says that Grade 10 is the perfect time for this information, since students are making crucial course decisions that will limit future career possibilities in the field. She’s also careful to emphasize that the field involves skills beyond math, and the impact of financial services on life more generally. “We’re not expecting all of the students to go into financial services, but at some level they should understand what’s involved. It will impact their lives personally,” she says. Jurczak says that an initial consultation with Havergal’s administration spurred the program’s development, and that the first pilot of the program was executed with Havergal students. Today the non-profit’s board includes Havergal’s Head of Economics Denise Hartford and Head of Guidance Heather Johnstone. Arriving at Havergal in Grade 3, Jurczak had many great teachers during her time at the school, including her Middle School

Eileen Jurczak 1993, Founder of Bay Street Deconstructed, a financial literacy program for students.

math inspiration Mrs. Elder. She still keeps in touch with many Havergal friends, in addition to her professional contributions through the program. Jurczak is also still offering to meet with students through speed mentoring sessions and beyond. “I’ll get emails from students asking for a coffee or a meeting. I’m always happy to meet and answer any questions,” she says.

Havergal students participate in Bay Street Deconstructed in September 2019.

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From left: Renee Chan, Joyce Riad, Joanne Stavropoulos, Lauren Rozenberg and Julia Tien have been classmates and friends since Junior Kindergarten.

“We’ve seen each other grow up—we really know each other. Sharing our common experience from the Junior School gives us a sense of commonality and is also a comfort.”

Grade 12s Reminisce

—Renee Chan

That also brings up memories of their last major transition, from the Junior School to Upper School. They all remember their Grade 6 end-of-year boat cruise as the transition to Grade 7, or the Grade 7 trip to Kilcoo Camp. They remember making new friends with girls who joined Havergal in the Upper School, which expanded their circle while reinforcing their connections to each other. “New girls come in and they changed the dynamic of things. In a good way, but some of the people I’ve remained friends with, we’ve always had this common bond of being together at Havergal,” says Stavropoulos, who enjoys math, English and social sciences and is also involved with theatre and Model UN. Another thing that makes these Grade 12 students nostalgic is seeing their “mom squad” of parents together. “Seeing each other at Mother-Daughter Luncheon, catching up because they don’t see each other as much was really nice,” says Stavropoulos. As for their own relationships, Riad, who enjoys math and sciences, and is in the pre-med club, notes that despite not seeing each other all the time, the longevity of their connection means they will always be close. “I feel like friendship is like knowing there’s someone in your corner when you need them. If I was ever really going

through something, I would definitely go to one of them because there is a level of trust.” Chan, who is into math and sciences, and also on the Swim team, agrees. “We’ve seen each other grow up—we really know each other. Sharing our common experience from the Junior School gives us a sense of commonality and is also a comfort.” While the group plans to keep in touch on social media, they also hope to see as much as they can of each other and their other classmates this final year. “I think we’re all trying to prioritize hanging out together and bonding as a grade before we all go off,” says Stavropoulos, who is also a Class Rep for their graduating class. The girls anticipate using social media to stay in contact, likely Instagram. “It’s a really easy way to keep in touch with people and see what they’re doing,” says Tien. Chan says that same connection has come about with all of their classmates regardless of longevity. “If you’re having a bad day, you can go to a lot of people, and they can offer you support and advice,” she says. But she adds the JK to Grade 12 group is also special. “Growing up with people for 14 years, not a lot of people experience that. You’ll always have that sort of connection and bond.”

Back in the classroom, Lauren Rozenberg, Joanne Stavropoulos, Julia Tien, Joyce Riad and Renee Chan continue to muse about the meaning of friendship as they prepare to set off on the next adventure of university and life beyond. Tien, who enjoys classes in math and sciences, and plays on the school Volleyball team, notes that sometimes the group of them will remember some moment from Junior Kindergarten (JK) and it’s like an inside joke. “Something will just come up that happened in JK. We’ll talk about it, and everybody would get mad with us because they don’t really understand,” she says, adding that being in Grade 12 has made those bonds even more important because they realize this will be the last time they will be together so regularly. “It’s a little emotional,” she says. From informal moments like playing imagination games based on the movie High School Musical together to more formal occasions like trips to Black Creek Pioneer Village or rehearsing the Christmas plays, the girls have a lot to reminisce about. Rozenberg, who is into computer science and plays on the Softball team, says just being in physical spaces can raise memories. “The other day we went to visit the Junior School, which was really nostalgic.”

FALL/WINTER 2019–20 • TORCH 21

Student Awards

Celebrating Student Success 2018–19 The Havergal community congratulates the following students for their achievements during the 2018–19 school year. Special awards ceremonies were held on Tuesday, June 11, for Junior School students and on Monday, October 7, for Upper School students as a way to honour and acknowledge the many award recipients at Havergal.

JUNIOR SCHOOL GRADE 6 PRIZES AND AWARDS The Hulbert Holmes Award: Sophie Stuart The Ismay McCarrick Award: Grace Hodgson The Mohan Award: Audrey Gage The Levy, Revell, Wilkinson Award: Olivia Kellner & Emilia Emmrich The Laurene Watson Award: Isabelle Ho PRIZE FOR HIGHEST GENERAL PROFICIENCY Grade 9 (Class of 1937 MacDonald Memorial Prize): Zoë Mohan Grade 10 (Class of 1937 MacDonald Memorial Prize): Sienna Wall Grade 11 (The Luella Gertrude Lovering Memorial Prize): Sabrina Wong

SENIOR YEAR ACADEMIC PRIZES The Arts:

Band: Lauren Marley Strings: Angeline Pang Grade 10 Visual Arts: Emma McCurdy-Franks, Karan Wu & Sophy Wu

Grade 10 Visual Arts, Non-Traditional: Jenna Dale Grade 11 Visual Arts: Kaylee Yang & Hannah Zhao Grade 11 Visual Arts, Non-Traditional: Carlotta Greiner Languages: Grade 12 French: Emily White Advanced Placement French: Cass McGarry Latin: Maggie Lin Mandarin: Shirley Guo & Paige Manning Spanish: Swanee Douglas, Emma Margie & Sabrina Wong Mathematics: AP Calculus and Vectors: Soleil Krcmar AP Statistics: Sabrina Wong Data Management: Lauren Rozenberg Physical Education: Introduction to Kinesiology: Arianna Yu Social Sciences: Canadian & International Politics: Lara Ground Technological Education: Communication Technology: Stephanie Liu Computer and Information Science: Sabrina Wong The W. G. Charlton Prize for Creative Writing: Hillary Mak UPPER SCHOOL SPECIAL AWARDS The Robin Urquhart Beddis & Jean Macpherson Urquhart Scholarship: Shanti Mehta Havergal College Parent Association Prizes:

UPPER SCHOOL ACADEMIC AWARDS The Ancerl Prize for Music: Taylor Machado The O’Rorke Middle School Music Award: Band: Kaitlyn Dean

Strings: Katelyn Cai & Emma Gratzer Vocal: Carys Doyle & Katie Sievenpiper Dorothy Bevan Prize for Junior Mathematics in Grade 10: Sophy Wu Dorothy O’Dell Memorial Prize for Mathematics in Grade 11: Kaylee Yang Class of 1937 Proficiency Prize in Science: Antonia Knoth Dorothy Symons Scholarship in Canadian Studies: Lauren Perri The Louise Cholette-Rees Award: Baylee Wilson Constance Pudan Prize for French in Grade 11: Sophy Wu The Coltman Drama Cup: Joanne Stavropoulos The Yale Book Prize: Swanee Douglas

UPPER SCHOOL ENTRANCE SCHOLARSHIPS The Wendy J. Thompson Scholarship: Grade 7: Yasmin Atwal, Lingyi Chen & Sienna Grossi Grade 9: Sarah Cooke, Sloane Kotler & Madison Yang Havergal House Scholarship:

Grade 7: Ella Carrique Grade 8: Lily Haskins Grade 9: Tess Gillanders Grade 10: Ella Braun Grade 11: Elisa Shi

Frances Ridley: Lauren Mandala, Grade 7 & Riley Worth, Grade 9 Ellen Knox: Isabella Janczewski, Grade 7 & Lesley Cirillo, Grade 9 Kate Leonard: Abigail Smith, Grade 9 Edith Nainby: Sarah McQuillen Young, Grade 7 Catherine Steele: Kaylee Wang, Grade 7 Mary Dennys: Julia Tontodonati, Grade 7 Marcelle De Freitas: Dalia Mohammed, Grade 7 Margaret Taylor: Emma Tam, Grade 7 & Emily Xu, Grade 9 The Havergal Canadian Boarding Scholarship: Mathilda LaBrash-White

Old Girls’ Prizes:

Grade 9: Hannah Hagos Grade 10: Amy Edwards Grade 11: Seher Moosabhoy The Debating Prize: Alexandra Couch The Bets Kiddell Debating Prize: Sara-Grace Lien The Middle School Award for Leadership: Grace Bunker The Class of ’56 Mary Dennys Torch Award: Emma McCurdy-Franks & India Tory The Havergal Award for Exceptional Academic Standing: Sabrina Wong The New Girl Cup: Fidan Sadig

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ANNUAL REPORT

Upper School Honour Roll and Award of Distinction Grades 9, 10 and 11: Honours is achieved when a student earns an average mark of 80–89.4% in her best six courses. Distinction is achieved when a student earns an average mark of 89.5% or greater in her best six courses. Grade 12: Honours is achieved when a student earns an average mark of 80–89.4% in her best five courses. Distinction is achieved when a student earns an average mark of 89.5% or greater in her best five courses. (H = Honour Roll; D = Award of Distinction)

AGNES HANSEN HOUSE

CATHERINE STEELE HOUSE Rachel Aceto – H Jaime Anderson – D Catherine Andison – D Emma Andison – D

Julia Alderman – H Lauren Anderson – H

Kimrandeep Johal – H Kennedy Johnstone – H

Jala Malcolm – D Annika Margie – D Emma Margie – D Mia Morassutti – D Senaida Ng – D Nana Ohene-Darkoh – D Sarah Omoumi – H Alexandra Opferkuch – H Danielle Roth – H Lauren Rozenberg – D Zara Salman – D Kendall Simon – D Ava Siskind – H Bailey Tarder-Kadaner – D Linh Tran – D Marlowe Venier-Falk – H

Katherine Barr – D Ceinwyn Beattie – H Kristen Borland – D Madeline Campbell – D Catherine-Rose Campione – D Elizabeth-Anne Campione – D Marie-Therese Campione – D Caroline Cansfield – D Kaitlyn Chin – D Katherine Cook – H Zhi-Xian (Andrea) Cui – H Amy Edwards – H Ann Elliott – D

Eileen Kong – D Kaitlyn Lee – D

Kyla Leong-Poi – D Sara-Grace Lien – H Laura Lui – H Molly McCaig – H Sheena McKeever – D Shanti Mehta – D Anaïs Mortazavi Zadeh – D Victoria Robertson – D Ainsley Robertson – H Kathleen Ross – D Huixin (Alicia) Shen – D Amy Stewart – D Hannah Tahami – D Claudia Velimirovic – H Emma Wang – D Jiayan (Jessica) Yu – D Yixing (Elina) Yu – D Jingying (Ella) Zhu – D Anna Zufferli – D Rachel Quan – H Julia Quarin – H

Skylar Banks – D Lilian Battista – D Mackenzie Birbrager – D Beryl Chen – D Jenna Dale – D Madeline de Jager – H

Isabel Farkouh – H Erin Gallagher – D Jasmine Heath – H Ella Keown – D Arriette Kim – D Rachel Kim – D Christine Kong – H Leandra Laslavic – H Maria Li – D

Kaitlyn Wagman – D Michelle Wang – D Cindy Wei – D Fei (Sophy) Wu – D Chen Xing – D Julia Zigelstein – D

Phoebe Ferguson – D Taylor Ferguson – D Emily Frank – D Carlotta Greiner – D Olivia Guy – D Meaghan Hill – H Erin Howard – D Miao (Lexie) Hu – D

Noelle Lim – D Sarah Lum – D Trinity MacNaughton – D Donna Mahboubi – D

FALL/WINTER 2019–20 • TORCH 23

Student Awards

FRANCES RIDLEY HOUSE

EDITH NAINBY HOUSE

Lucy Gabrielle

Margaret McKee – D Gillian McKenzie – D Kayla McMillan – H Alexis Neal – D

Sydney Brajer – D Emily Burrows – H Yue Xin (Natalie) Cao – D Tiffany Cirillo – D Alexa Daniel – H Carling Davies – D Abigail Diduck – D Oluwatomisin Fadeyi – D Tess Gillanders – D Sasha Guy – D Alexandra Houston-White – H Catherine Jia – D Maya Khalili – H Victoria Lyn – D Zoey Maclean-Howard – D Alexandra Marley – D Lauren Marley – D Samantha Marley – D Sara Marley – D Caroline Martin – H Meghna Katyal – D Simran Katyal – D

Rachel Meyerowitz – H Nicole Miehm – H Brooke Mitchell – D Avery Nadalini – D Olivia Nadalini – D Charlotte Orcutt – D Tory Osler – H Georgia Pickersgill – D Olivia Roland – D Michelyn Smith – D Sarah Smith – H Shannon Smith – D Amy Soetikno – D Victoria Stanley – D Nicole Tao – H Leah Thompson – H Juliette Trepanier – H Olivia Wall – D Yishi Yang – H Arianna Yu – D Clarissa Yu – D Shan (Angelina) Zhai – D

Zeina Alsibai – H Nina Ashgriz – D

Anderson – D Christina Au – H Kylie Black – H Julianna Botros – D Margot Dent – D Devon Eisen – D Osemudiamen Elimimian – H Praise Elimimian – H Margaret Gilchrist – D Sarah Graham – H Amanda Hacker – D Jiatong Han – D Caroline Hughes – D Hailey Ip – D Hana Jamal – D Chae Young (Chelsea) Kim – D Antonia Knoth – D Sabrina Kong – H Charlotte Lancaster – H Rebecca Lawrence – D

Tiffany Boughner – D Emma Cardinale – H Annika Caswell – D Renee Chan – D Stephanie Chen – H Ellie Chisholm – D

Danielle Neichenbauer – H Kennedy Neichenbauer – D Samantha Newman – D Ou Ching Angeline Pang – D Sophia Pawliw – D Jena Ravindran – D McKenna Reardon – D Cadance Shearer – D Han Shen – H Nadia Shirtliff-Hinds – H Kaelyn Soon-Shiong – D Katherine Stock – D

Hope Clubb – H Laura David – D

Jacqueline Fell – D Sarah Forestell – D Zara Giamberardino – D Elia Gross – D Lara Ground – D Zi Shan (Shirley) Guo – D Emma Gurney – D Rebecca Henry – H Alexandra Jones – D Emma Kalles – H Moriah Kalles – H Emily Kellner – D Brianna Kerr – H Soleil Krcmar – D Veronika Kus – D Abby Lechtzier – D Karinya Linford – H Emilie Lu – D Anna McCracken – D Marley Melbourne – D Jordan Murrell – D Adrianna Neretlis – D Elena Neretlis – D Raigan Spector – H Kelly Sun – D

Lindsay Stock – D Abigail Stout – D Alexandra Stout – H Kendra Sturdee – D Summer Vilanez – D Sienna Wall – D Lucy Wang – D Sabrina Wong – D Emily Zaltz – D Lei (Lily) Zhou – D

Denise Lee – D Talia Levine – D Olivia Marotta – D

Alyson McCarvell – D Victoria McCarvell – H

KATE LEONARD HOUSE Oluwanifemi Abiola – H Sarah Andersons – D Elizabeth Andersons – D Jacqueline Bai – D Megan Buitendag – D Madison Cameron – D Catherine Chen – D Janet Chen – D Abigail Copeland – H Clara Copeland – H Ana Del Mazo Bellato – H Jaqueline Elliott – D Catherine Feng – D Arianna Forgione – D Allison Hall – D

MARCELLE DE FREITAS HOUSE Darby Blackwell – H Neha Chandrasekaran – D Andrea Chiu – H Lauren Fong-Hollohan – H Helena Gopinath – H Rebecca Grant – D Linxuan (Linda) Gu – D Leah Hilson – D Selina Hu – D Taylor Johnson – D Leila Koohi – H

Jillian Menikefs – D Zoë Mohan – D

Charleigh Priestman – D Ella Root – H Nadia Salem – D Ariana Seyed Makki – D Anjalie Sharma – H Payton Southam – D Katelynn Thien – D Zhengying Tian – D Jacqueline Tkachuk – H Rachel Turnbull – D Safa Usman – D Ava Van Den Thillart – D Eryka Vella – D Alexandra Vorobyeva – H Katherine Weldon – D Cathy Xu – H Qifan (Rita) Yang – D Schehrezade Yousafzai – D Zoe Zemla – H Sophia Zhang – D Zoë Stevens – D Jessica Stokes – H

Seher Moosabhoy – D Madeleine O’Brien – D Seeyeon (Stephanie) Oh – D Alexandra Panos – D Aditi Pundit – D Anushri Pundit – D Maya Rao – D Hailey Rockandel – D Delaney Sharp – H Megan Sharp – D Ruoyun (Elisa) Shi – D Miriam Tam – D Rachel Tam – D Katie Taub – D Kirsten Tighe – H Bernadette Tolentino – D Emily Vella – D Chuhan Wang – D Yufei Wang – D Zhi Ying (Hannah) Zhao – D Xinyi (Cindy) Zhu – D

Alexa Swales – D Galila Tegene – H

Catherine Thomas – D Caroline Thomson – D Charlotte Turk – H

Emma Turk – D Kate Turner – H

Maria Villaseñor – H Madison Wang – D Elizabeth White – H

Julia Kulidjian – H Cassandra Lee – H Kaitlyn Luepann – H Hillary Mak – D Parastoo Malakian – H Emma McCurdy-Franks – D Jennifer Morris – H Alexandra Muchalov – H Ekin Ozince – D Sydney Patterson – D Lauren Perri – D Dorothy (Lok Yin) Poon – D

Emily White – H Kailee Zhou – D Madison Ziedenberg – H

Madeleine Hall – D Theodora Jucan – D Michelle Koshy – D Kwan An (Joyce) Li – D Myah MacDonald – D Taylor Machado – D Amelia Majewski – D

Paige Manning – D Cass McGarry – D

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