Torch - Spring 2015

Heads’ Message

The Havergal Education— A Confluence of Experience

By Mrs. Leslie Anne Dexter, Head of Junior School, and Dr. Michael Simmonds, Head of Upper School

T he Rotunda in the Upper School is a thing of architectural beauty. The interconnected arches and domed ceiling supported by individual pillars create a memorable entrance that is often top of mind when people think about Havergal’s iconic spaces. But the Rotunda is special for another reason: no matter where you stand in the space, even a whisper will echo throughout because the domed structure was built to create confluence—an effect where sound from anywhere in the room joins (like the waters of a merging river) to create one voice. The Rotunda is a metaphor for how we design the academic and co-curricular programs that make up the Havergal education. The faculty and administration work together to achieve confluence by ensuring that all elements of a student’s experience merge to support the Whole Girl, especially when we think about well-being. It is no accident that well-being is so closely associated with wholeness. The Havergal approach to education integrates and connects the interests, abilities and needs of students in ways that encourage girls to seek out new experiences for themselves, both inside and outside the classroom. A student is not simply known as an athlete, a mathematician, a musician or an activist. Every girl is a confluence of her own abilities, energies and interests, which help to form her unique learning fingerprint; her profile is unlike anyone else’s. In this issue of the Torch , Lois Rowe, Vice Principal, describes the approach we use at Havergal to support the individual needs of students. Lois points out that adults must be continually aware that students can face physical, cognitive, mental, social and/or emotional barriers that may impede their development. Her point is made clear by emphasizing the important role faculty and staff play in providing the kinds of supports students need to see through challenges to a successful outcome. In conjunction with those supports, it is critical that the entire Havergal education address another kind of barrier that is often seen in schools—the tendency for people and programs to exist in isolation from each other. At Havergal, our approach is to join

together the distinct parts of a world-class education—the elements of which include: (1) academic programming that promotes a culture of thinking; (2) co-curricular experiences that inspire creativity, confidence and collaboration; and (3) service programs that build empathy and perspective. We ensure this integration by providing time for reflection in all disciplines, programs and activities. From self-awareness and goal- setting to mindfulness and persistence, we help our students to understand their experiences so that they can develop the confidence to overcome obstacles. And our emphasis on social-emotional learning in classrooms, at club meetings, on the stage and in the gymnasium means that girls develop a skill set that will prepare them for future challenges. Another way we build students’ sense of wholeness and well-being is by offering exceptional spiritual and relational experiences. This includes: Prayers, where girls reflect and connect with each other; the House system, where all ages cheer, laugh and sing together; and our diverse service offerings, where students work together to reach out to those in need. We also promote cross-divisional understanding and the sharing of ideas. Faculty from all grades work together in their professional development activities. Our Director of Curriculum & Faculty Development, Seonaid Davis, coordinates the academic program from Kindergarten to Grade 12. And we have an incredible process of learning and reflection in our parent speaker series, where parents, faculty and students come together to explore topics and to build community. The Havergal education is designed to create a confluence of experience and understanding that builds upon our girls’ internal strengths. Blending knowledge, interests and needs in this way prepares every girl for the challenges they will face tomorrow. Across the entire school, from the foundational work that begins in the Junior School, through to the special nature of the Middle School years and into the final stages of the Senior School grades, we prepare our students to graduate from Havergal—and to walk out of our Rotunda—with a whole and healthy self. Where there is confluence, there is wholeness. Where there is wholeness, there is well-being. And where there is well-being, there is internal strength to face our fast-paced and constantly changing world.

10  HAVERGAL COLLEGE