Torch - Spring 2014

student Engagement

At Havergal, students develop the confidence and resilience that are vital to self-efficacy by bringing their ideas forward in the safe and supportive environment of the Institute at Havergal. In the Junior School, all students are welcome at the Student Institute Team (SIT) meetings on Thursdays at lunch. In the Upper School, students can walk into the Forum for Change any time to share their ideas. With the support of the Institute, student councils and clubs, students have been creating and leading various initiatives and events to support their learning above and beyond classroom expectations. Often, these initiatives are about issues that are close to their hearts, and they want to share the knowledge and passion they have for these issues with the Havergal community. Listed below are a few of the student-initiated campaigns from the 2013–2014 school year. Getting Involved & Experiencing Impact

In the Junior School

GirlsHelpingGirls at the Junior School   Grade 11 student Susanna Manziaris is expanding the work on her non-profit organization GirlsHelpingGirls in the Junior School. Together with her Junior School liaisons Lauren Rozenberg and Margot Dent, they are raising awareness about the lack of quality education globally for girls. Visit www.girlshelpinggirls.ca for more information.

Angel Hair   Inspired to help children who lose their hair as a result of medical treatments, Grade 5 student Carolyne You started an Angel Hair initiative at the Junior School. “My idea was to encourage girls to grow, cut and donate their hair,” she explains. On February 24, she kicked off the campaign by having a hair stylist cut her and Grade 6 teacher Andy Lucacescu’s hair.

Free Wild Animals in Captivity  Grade 4 student Samantha Blackstein invited animal protection specialist and author Rob Laidlaw to speak to the Junior School. After reading one of his books, Samantha felt inspired to raise awareness about the issue of animal captivity. During SIT, Samantha phoned Zoo Check to invite Rob Laidlaw to speak to her peers about what animals need to thrive. Samantha will continue her efforts in the Junior School to build a community that cares about the health and safety of animals.

In the Middle School

Gators in the Kitchen — The Havergal College Cookbook:   Three Grade 8 students are compiling a cookbook to celebrate Havergal’s 120 th anniversary and to raise money for the school’s community partnerships. The cookbooks will be for sale at Celebration Saturday 2014.

20 Havergal College