Torch - Fall/Winter 2019-20

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