Torch - Spring 2015

Junior School

Kate White—A Passionate Educator I n August 2014, Kate White joined Havergal College as the Assistant Head, Junior School. Kate is a passionate and dedicated professional with senior administrative experience in many educational portfolios as well as more than a decade of classroom teaching experience in Can you talk about your role and how it fits with the overall goals for the Junior School? In my role as Assistant Head, I imagine how every girl in the Junior School goes through her day. What will challenge her? What will

working with students on an announcement for Prayers, supervising intramurals, getting ice for a student who has bumped her knee or supporting students, faculty, staff and parents with any number of personal or professional issues. No day is the same and that is how I like it. What has been your favourite Havergal tradition and why? While Harvest Festival, the Christmas Concerts and the Halloween Assembly all come to mind, I would have to say that the tradition I have enjoyed the most is Prayers. The opportunity for our community to come together three times a week to share messages, sing together and talk about values has been such a pleasure. Prayers is a priority here; it serves to make us feel a part of something bigger than ourselves and helps our students to grow spiritually— an important part of their growth overall, regardless of their own personal faith. What has surprised you about Havergal so far? I am impressed with the genuine care, compassion and knowledge of the faculty and staff at Havergal. While our meetings are often full of laughter, the professionalism that I have witnessed is outstanding. It is exciting to be part of a team of educators who are so engaged in research and current with best practices. For example, some of our professional development sessions this year have focused on ways to better integrate subjects across the curriculum and to develop consistent problem-solving strategies in mathematics. CONTINUED >>

independent school settings. As a member of the administrative team, Kate brings the voice of students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6 to leadership teams that set and evaluate strategic and operational goals for the school. She contributes to the provision of a rich and diverse student life and to the development of co-curricular experiences that are age and stage appropriate and promote a healthy body, mind and spirit. Kate’s connection with Junior School students is described as supportive, authentic and joyful. Working with the Head of Junior School, Leslie Anne Dexter, Kate ensures the Junior School is a welcoming and safe environment. Kate has very quickly grown to understand Havergal’s unique culture and what makes the school such a special place in which to learn and grow. We asked Kate a few questions about her Havergal experience. What attracted you to the Assistant Head, Junior School position? When I first saw the position posted, I remember thinking: “This sounds like my dream job!” Havergal’s reputation for excellence, tradition and innovation was already firmly established in my mind. As I started to do more research on the school, it became clear that the position was the perfect fit for me. In particular, the Culture of Capability was so closely aligned with my own views on education and child development.

inspire her? Who will she connect with? Why is she here? What is her experience at Havergal? In my prior positions, I was both an administrator and a classroom teacher in the Primary and Junior divisions, so I am quite familiar with the needs and concerns not only of elementary school faculty and staff, but also of the students and their parents. Children are naturally curious and have the capacity to make a difference wherever their passion leads them. Our role as educators is to help set the academic, social and emotional foundation for them to do just this. Moreover, as administrators it is our job to foster a positive school climate so that teachers feel inspired to do the same. One of the things that I love most about my job is that no day is typical! There are certainly things that are on my calendar that I can count on doing, allowing me to engage with students and to collaborate with colleagues. This includes visiting classrooms, meeting with faculty and staff and leading Prayers. These experiences allow me to get a sense of what is going on in the school and give me a better understanding of the day-to-day operation of the school and the history behind all that happens here. Much of my day is also spent addressing situations as they come up. This can be anything from Can you describe a typical day?

TABLE OF CONTENTS | SPRING 2015 • TORCH 13