Torch - Spring 2016

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| SPRING 2016 • TORCH 3
When I first arrived at Havergal College in 2014, one of my first
tasks was to start developing a strategic plan for the school
(Havergal 2020: Our Vision is Limitless). I knew that in order to
live and own that plan, it had to align with the other statements
established at the school: our mission and our values.
We had a mission statement, but we needed to make sure it still
reflected the true ethos of our school. We had a list of values, but
they had not been examined in a long time. So we started a process
to get these key messages working together. It took nearly a year
to get feedback from our stakeholders and hone the direction of
the strategic plan. A committee of governors, parents, faculty and
administrators then focused on the framework of the plan and on
the vision of the school.
It was an equally important and involved process to craft a list of
characteristics that truly reflect the values of this community. We did
that by putting together a working group of staff and faculty. We also
consulted with students. Together, we fine-tuned the precise wording
of our mission statement and our values.
The four core values—integrity, inquiry, compassion and courage—
now truly underpin our mission statement and guide us, even on a
daily basis.
Each of these carefully chosen words reflects what we aim for at
Havergal. They are not a benchmark for us to judge the girls or the
curriculum. The values are signposts to help guide us and shape our
decisions. I believe, for a lot of our girls, these words will resonate
Focusing on Our Values
Helen-Kay Davy
even more after they graduate. These are our values, and we are all
lifelong members of this learning community.
Integrity is about respecting ourselves, respecting others and owning
up to our mistakes. Our students are young and they will sometimes
fail and need to find a way to move past their mistakes, not hide
from them.
Inquiry very much drives our learning process at Havergal. We
are passionate about the foundations of knowledge, but even our
younger girls are encouraged to explore what learning really means
and to ask bigger questions.
Compassion drives the community aspect of our school. We are
raising girls to be citizens of the world—empathetic citizens who can
see beyond themselves.
And courage, while the last value on our list, I think pulls them all
together. So many of our girls are courageous every day in ways
that not everyone sees…at home, in their school work and in their
community work. When we have courage, we speak up for ourselves
and others; we are able to take risks and try new things.
These values have given us a renewed focus at Havergal. We can now
move forward with ideas in our classrooms and in our community
that truly align with our common goals. These characteristics are
going to influence how we speak to each other in the hallways and
will drive research on the part of our faculty. Havergal’s values will
influence learning at our school today and the lives of our alumnae
for many years to come.
“
“
The values are
signposts to
help guide us
and shape our
decisions.
Principal’s Message