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HAVERGAL COLLEGE
Being Explicit
We make a point of talking openly and directly about confidence so
that it becomes top of mind for students. Assuming that our girls
will develop confidence just because they are in a wonderful school
isn’t enough. Instead, we are explicit and deliberate about the skills,
habits and abilities that cultivate confidence.
The behavioural norms we are promoting in the Junior School this
year exemplify this approach. We explain why you welcome and
shake the hand of someone you meet. We discourage running in the
halls, not because it’s rambunctious, but because students lose the
opportunity to make eye contact and greet others by name as we
pass them. Our students wear the uniform with pride because it is a
symbol of our belief in each other and our school. And we teach our
girls to hold the door for other people as a way of saying:
I will take
care of you
.
Explicitly emphasizing habits that honour and include others helps
our students to build community, connection and self-confidence.
We believe that naming and explaining what we do make our
initiatives real and relevant to the lives of our girls.
Supporting, Rather than Affirming
To encourage risk-taking, we also provide a network of support that
reassures our students in times of need without undermining their
role as active agents in their own progress. We have created a culture
of trust, where each student knows that people are there to support
and encourage her.
We also emphasize that support and gratuitous affirmation are not
the same thing. Influenced by the widespread “affirm-me” culture
that has been created by social media, girls can seek a constant
stream of validation from others. With the democratization of
celebrity, there is pressure for girls to become style queens with an
emphasis on surface over substance.
To offset this effect, we focus on creating adult and peer support
structures that are genuine and health-promoting. From teaching
girls how to advocate for themselves and champion each other
to our faculty and staff adopting a deeply respectful and student-
centred approach, we support rather than gratuitously affirm our
girls so they are powered from within as they navigate their world.
Senior School students meet in a Teacher Advisor (TA) group. TA groups are held on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings.
Student Experience