Torch - Fall/Winter 2019-20

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ANNUAL REPORT

Farewell

Saying Goodbye to Our Retirees

Charlene Lucas Upper School Day Matron

faculty, staff and students, many of whom greeted her with smiles and would enjoy engaging in conversations about her favourite sport teams: the Toronto Raptors and the Blue Jays. She was also a big fan of the soap opera The Young and the Restless . In honour of her retirement on Friday, March 29, 2019, the Food Services department themed a special lunch of Maritime cuisine in honour of Charlene, which included bouillabaisse (with fire-roasted Prince Edward Island mussels) as the main with delectable date squares for dessert. Since retirement, Charlene has been spending time with her niece and visiting Nova Scotia, where her extended family lives. drill-masters and the creativity to challenge the ones who were already learning beyond grade level. She set the standards high, but built the framework and scaffolding to enable students to achieve success and she motivated them to do so. For years, Ms. Mackasey trained Middle School students to compete in the Independent Schools Math Olympics. In 2003-04, she held the Havergal Chair to refine the Middle School Math curriculum. She was the driving force behind the Reach Ahead Grade 8 Math program and she introduced the AP Statistics course at Havergal College. Students, parents and colleagues all speak of Ms. Mackasey’s dedication to her students and her passion for teaching depth and understanding in Mathematics. We wish her all the best in her retirement.

Charlene Lucas retired from Havergal in spring 2019 after providing more than 30 years of cleaning services to the Upper School community. She was first introduced to the school in 1986, when she was assigned to a cleaning contract at the Upper School through the Hurley Corporation and Waterford Services company. After more than 16 years in this role, she was hired as Day Matron in the Facilities department in 2006, making her an official Havergal College employee for the next 14 years. Throughout her time at the school, Ms. Lucas’ colleagues enjoyed her warm smile and her dedication to her role. She was a thorough cleaner who enjoyed making connections with Karen Mackasey retired in spring 2019, after 29 years of teaching Mathematics at Havergal College. In her role as a form teacher, Ms. Mackasey nurtured and cared for the Middle School students. She was truly a “Havergal mom” to every girl in her form—helping them navigate friendships, social issues and everyday life. The girls respected and adored her. Ms. Mackasey always put her students first, giving up her mornings, her lunch and sometimes even meetings to help them. She was kind, caring and nurturing, but the students also knew she had a no-nonsense policy. Ms. Mackasey was the master of differentiation in her instruction to meet the needs of every student in her class. She had the patience to equip the ones who never came to class with a pencil, the perseverance to turn the finger counters into Karen Mackasey Upper School Mathematics Teacher

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