Torch - Spring 2018

Farewell

Saying Goodbye to Our Retirees Kate Balsara Pardoe: Chief Financial Officer

With more than 40 volunteer parents working in the shop with me, I will be forever blessed to have had the chance to learn more about them and their daughters. I formed many friendships that will continue well beyond my retirement. Through the very busy times and even during the slower quieter times, we have shared many laughs and serious conversations. I can never begin to thank them all for their dedication to the school. Taking time out their busy schedules to help me in the shop goes beyond a simple thank you. As a member of the staff, I came to know my colleagues on a very different level than as a parent. The atmosphere and school spirit at Havergal are unique. I am proud to be a part of this community. As I enter into the next phase of my life, I am both excited and saddened. It is difficult to say goodbye to the constant in your life. Thank you, Havergal, for the past 19 years! a sound financial foundation, solid technology infrastructure and investment management. This work brings me back to members of this community. Havergal derives enormous strength from its volunteers and I was fortunate to have had the support of the very best of this group in the form of the various Chairs of the Finance & Audit Committee, the Pension Sub-Committee and the Foundation Board. More than anything else, I shall miss my colleagues and members of my team: it was truly a privilege to work with you, given our shared values of a strong work ethic, dedication and integrity, all lightened by a hefty dose of humour. I hope you continue to enjoy Havergal as much as I did. personal challenges at Prayers. As a staff member who is not a teacher, if school was going to be my place of work, I was going to enjoy all aspects of its daily life to the fullest. On a professional level, work at Havergal became increasingly interesting as my portfolio expanded to include IT, Food Services and Facilities in addition to the core job in Finance. Sustainability emerged as a theme in my work, with a focus on establishing

Barb Hill: Green & Gold Coordinator For the past 19 years, Havergal has been very much a part of my life. From 1999 to 2008, I was fortunate to be a part of the community as a proud parent. I watched my daughter grow from a very shy and quiet girl to a confident young lady, ready to face the next chapter of her life. She entered university prepared for the challenges ahead of her, all thanks to the incredible and dedicated teachers at Havergal. I also met some amazing fellow parents, whom I am pleased to still call my friends today. In May 2009, I started working part time at the Green & Gold Shop. Being out of the work force for more than 15 years, the task ahead of me seemed very daunting. Thanks to the support of my co-workers, their warm welcome and knowledge, I soon settled in comfortably. My part-time position quickly became full time. Nine years have passed and I’m not quite sure where the time went. After more than 30 years of working in private industry, I decided to transfer to a not-for-profit environment in 2007. Transferring to a registered charity presented a significant shift in culture and opportunities for professional growth that I expected to be both stimulating and rewarding. And so began my time at Havergal. Having attended an Anglican-based all-girls’ school in Mumbai from Grade 1 through to graduation, it never ceased to amaze me that decades later and thousands of miles away, Havergal felt curiously and happily familiar: the House system, morning Prayers, intramurals, school plays, art shows, Christmas concerts and the students (more than anything else). I was delighted to participate in school life: assisting as a chaperone, sharing my background and story with the students (thanks to teachers who invited me to speak), enjoying the students’ talents in music, art and drama, and witnessing moments of immense courage as they spoke of

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