Torch - Fall 2016

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| FALL 2016 • TORCH 13
Finding Their Voice
Central to the development of confidence-building for girls and
young women is finding their voice. When girls give themselves
permission to speak, they access their own beliefs, are exposed to
alternate views and spur their own social, emotional and intellectual
growth.
Havergal provides ongoing opportunities for girls to emerge so
they can learn to express themselves. By creating safe spaces to ask
questions and offer ideas, each girl comes to see that her voice is
honoured.
Inquiry-based learning inherently promotes a student’s ability to
express her thoughts and ask questions. As one example, Harkness
teaching utilizes student-centred discussions in which girls explore
ideas together as the focal point for learning. And to ensure there
are diverse opportunities for all students—especially those not
naturally inclined to speak up—teachers often introduce alternate
methods such as journalling so that every girl can engage in the
dialogue in her own way.
Knowing Themselves
Confident people have a strong sense of who they are—their beliefs,
capacities, passions, skills and preferences. They also see and accept
the limits and boundaries of their talents and inclinations.
When students focus on developing their own interests and pursue
them fully, they expand their distinctive qualities and come to know
and understand themselves better. Our role is to enable them to
discover everything there is to know about themselves. With that
knowledge, they can make authentic commitments to walking their
own paths.
Havergal offers an enormous range of experiences so that anything
a girl is interested in pursuing is available to her. From cultural
exchanges and service trips to debating, athletics, the arts, social
interactions, diverse learning opportunities and social justice
projects, Havergal students have so many opportunities to grow
their self-confidence from the inside out.
As we evolve in the face of the shifting educational needs of our
students, we apply best practices of teaching and learning not just to
the academic and co-curricular areas, but also to the personal
development of our girls. From this base, we can ensure that they
have the confidence to leave the Supergirl illusion behind and do
the #RealGirlThings that make a positive difference in their own
lives and the lives of others.
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Havergal offers an enormous
range of experiences, so that
anything a girl is interested in
pursuing is available to her.
Junior School students openly discuss ideas and issues during Community Circles time.