Torch - Spring/Summer 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Past and present Guidance Counsellors have helped many students discover their paths beyond Havergal.

In addition to career preparation, Lori says that personal support services were also part of Guidance by this time, particularly for girls who were new to the school and also for those with learning challenges. Mental health support was also formalized. “Stress management was an issue, especially for Senior School students who were juggling their studies, along with sports, clubs and often leadership roles,” recalls Lori. “There were also girls who were dealing with personal issues that sometimes required a referral to an outside support service, and we had relationships with agencies and counsellors.” Further Developments Through to the Present Johnstone says that the developments that began in the ’80s and ’90s have further intensified since she started at Havergal. “We’ve seen huge evolution in the role of Guidance, the amount of support that guidance provides,” she says, adding that one area stands out in particular. “I think we’ve taken on quite a significant role in managing the emotional wellbeing of our students.” Johnstone attributes the rise in anxiety to several factors, including uncertainty about the future, competition and perfectionism. She says that the girls often put a lot of pressure on themselves. “There are many times where I’ll sit with kids and parents, and the parents will say, ‘We don’t know why she’s so stressed, because we don’t care if she gets 95: it’s she who cares.’ I find girls in particular, they’re very self-motivated, and it’s their own pressure they put on themselves,” says Johnstone. At the same time, Johnstone says the rise in anxiety and decline in resiliency are consistent across the province, so she’s glad that Havergal is able to provide so much support. “We’re fortunate here to have good ratios in terms of students to counsellors, which is not the case in public schools,” says Johnstone, who worked in the

public system before joining Havergal. Internally, Havergal’s entire Guidance team is trained in cognitive behaviour therapy, and there is a social worker and outside therapists on call. Today’s Guidance department includes two counsellors for each of the following grade groups: 7 and 8; 9 and 10; and 11 and 12. Johnstone says she loves that her team is specialized by grades. “We are age and stage specific. It’s a really great model, because it allows counsellors to be specialists—the needs of the Grade 9 student are very different than the needs of the Grade 12 student.” Today, the focus on study skills and time management that used to start in Grade 9 now starts in Grades 7 and 8. Grades 9 and 10 have a focus on peer relationships and social issues, and the Grade 11 and 12 group is focused on university preparedness. There’s also a First Six Weeks program to help Grade 9s with the transition to senior school, as well as a Gator Crew peer program in the House system. By Grade 11, the focus shifts to universities. The Tuesday lunch meeting tradition continues for Grade 12 students, where counsellors meet with students to help them stay on track with their university applications. Today, more than 75 schools are represented in the annual admission department visits from various universities. Guidance keeps records of graduating student university destinations and scholarships, so Havergal can track the progress of their graduates and refer other graduating students to them for advice in the future. Returning to the emotional wellness aspect, Johnstone says that while needs have expanded, it seems that student awareness has increased, too. It makes for a busy place. “Our office is a hub of kids coming in with questions on everything they do,” says Johnstone. “They recognize that they can get support here. It’s pretty great.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2020 • TORCH 27