Torch - Fall 2016

| FALL 2016 •

TORCH

Promoting Belonging

When an individual feels part of a group or broader community,

that individual develops a sense of place and belonging that

becomes the foundation for confidence-building. Feeling part of

something, anchored in a group and valued, prepares girls to be

challenged at the optimal level. From a base of belonging, students

are comfortable taking well-supported risks, making mistakes,

reflecting on their progress and contributing to the world around

them in meaningful ways.

Many systems in the school help to build community and

relationships. For example, the Teacher Advisory (TA) groups in

the Senior School are comprised of small clusters of cross-grade

students from Grades 9 to 12 and one Teacher Advisor who stay

together throughout their high-school experience in order to build

a trusting bond. In the Middle School, students are gathered into

same-grade Home Form groupings and take some of their classes

together, which promotes a sense of familiarity. There is a similar

base of a common Homeroom group in the Junior School, along

with new initiatives this year that expand community building:

HaverPals, Community Circles and regular House meetings.

On Wednesday afternoons in the Junior School, the day ends early

and all of the girls engage in community-building activities that

reach across disciplines and create interactions across grades.

Those initiatives include HaverPals, where girls three grades apart

work in pairs on integrated academic activities; House, where

students engage in small group activities to promote initiative and

leadership; and Community Circles, where students come together

to build relationships, explore issues and reflect on their learning

and progress. These special Wednesday afternoons help build that

sense of belonging that is the bedrock of self-confidence.

CONTINUED

“

Mindful of the need for

balance, we will equip each

girl with the tools she needs

to respond to challenges.

Junior School students in different grades collaborate on geometry projects as part of the HaverPals program on Wednesday, October 5.