Torch - Spring/Summer 2019

Message from School Leaders

Empowerment in action (clockwise from left): Junior School students present Women Worth Knowing Prayers; Upper School students participate in RBC Capital Markets’ Ladies Who Lunch event; Old Girl Shivani Nathoo 2016 (centre, left) visits Havergal to speak at Upper School Prayers about women in engineering.

are structured options, and our teachers ensure their interests are covered over the course of a week. But in guiding themselves, our Junior Kindergarten girls learn that they can make choices, that their voice matters and that they are capable. They see the outcomes of their decisions, exercising their independence in both making and revising them as needed. Our Grades 5 and 6 “Cookies and Conversation” drop-in program also invites our girls to make decisions that matter. Here, students find their own answers to the question, “What kind of difference can I make at Havergal and in the larger community?” They select topics of their own interest and drive the conversation on themes like sustainability, leadership and bullying. In talking through their concerns and deciding on action, the girls feel capable of leading change. Older students who act as mentors to the younger girls—for example, sharing how student initiatives have been implemented in the Upper School—also feel empowered as advisers. Shifting the lens to “power within,” we can consider the ways in which Havergal helps girls develop a strong sense of confidence and self-worth. That begins with every girl being listened to, accepted for who she is and having a voice to express herself. While this happens in classes, activities and discussions every day, Prayers

offers an established venue and time when the community gathers to reflect, share stories, express the school’s values and discuss topics relevant to girls’ lives. There are numerous other ways the power of solidarity is created throughout a Havergal education, with our Forum for Change coming immediately to mind. Working alongside others in the community toward a shared purpose, students make a difference as allies and partners. To paraphrase Indigenous Australian artist and activist Lilla Watson, our girls’ liberation is bound up with the freedom of others: genuine collective action is both the means of achieving freedom and one of its ultimate goals. Day 9 experiences also deepen our students’ sense of connection as they engage directly with our ever-changing world. Together, they explore ideas and generate new perspectives on topics such as community building, the performing arts, STEM, wellness, leadership and many others, including learning experiences generated by the students themselves. When our girls join together to try new things and think in new ways, they bond and gain strength from one another. And that close tie remains in place after graduation as they continue to support one another throughout their lives.

14  HAVERGAL COLLEGE