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10
HAVERGAL COLLEGE
T
he Rotunda in the Upper School is a thing of architectural beauty.
The interconnected arches and domed ceiling supported by
individual pillars create a memorable entrance that is often top of
mind when people think about Havergal’s iconic spaces.
But the Rotunda is special for another reason: no matter where you
stand in the space, even a whisper will echo throughout because the
domed structure was built to create confluence—an effect where
sound from anywhere in the room joins (like the waters of a merging
river) to create one voice.
The Rotunda is a metaphor for how we design the academic and
co-curricular programs that make up the Havergal education. The
faculty and administration work together to achieve confluence by
ensuring that all elements of a student’s experience merge to support
the Whole Girl, especially when we think about well-being.
It is no accident that well-being is so closely associated with
wholeness. The Havergal approach to education integrates and
connects the interests, abilities and needs of students in ways that
encourage girls to seek out new experiences for themselves, both
inside and outside the classroom.
A student is not simply known as an athlete, a mathematician, a
musician or an activist. Every girl is a confluence of her own abilities,
energies and interests, which help to form her unique learning
fingerprint; her profile is unlike anyone else’s.
In this issue of the
Torch
, Lois Rowe, Vice Principal, describes the
approach we use at Havergal to support the individual needs of
students. Lois points out that adults must be continually aware that
students can face physical, cognitive, mental, social and/or emotional
barriers that may impede their development. Her point is made clear
by emphasizing the important role faculty and staff play in providing
the kinds of supports students need to see through challenges to a
successful outcome.
In conjunction with those supports, it is critical that the entire
Havergal education address another kind of barrier that is often
seen in schools—the tendency for people and programs to exist in
isolation from each other. At Havergal, our approach is to join
together the distinct parts of a world-class education—the elements
of which include: (1) academic programming that promotes a culture
of thinking; (2) co-curricular experiences that inspire creativity,
confidence and collaboration; and (3) service programs that build
empathy and perspective.
We ensure this integration by providing time for reflection in all
disciplines, programs and activities. From self-awareness and goal-
setting to mindfulness and persistence, we help our students to
understand their experiences so that they can develop the confidence to
overcome obstacles. And our emphasis on social-emotional learning in
classrooms, at club meetings, on the stage and in the gymnasium means
that girls develop a skill set that will prepare them for future challenges.
Another way we build students’ sense of wholeness and well-being
is by offering exceptional spiritual and relational experiences. This
includes: Prayers, where girls reflect and connect with each other;
the House system, where all ages cheer, laugh and sing together;
and our diverse service offerings, where students work together
to reach out to those in need. We also promote cross-divisional
understanding and the sharing of ideas. Faculty from all grades work
together in their professional development activities. Our Director
of Curriculum & Faculty Development, Seonaid Davis, coordinates
the academic program from Kindergarten to Grade 12. And we have
an incredible process of learning and reflection in our parent speaker
series, where parents, faculty and students come together to explore
topics and to build community.
The Havergal education is designed to create a confluence of
experience and understanding that builds upon our girls’ internal
strengths. Blending knowledge, interests and needs in this way
prepares every girl for the challenges they will face tomorrow.
Across the entire school, from the foundational work that begins in
the Junior School, through to the special nature of the Middle School
years and into the final stages of the Senior School grades, we prepare
our students to graduate from Havergal—and to walk out of our
Rotunda—with a whole and healthy self. Where there is confluence,
there is wholeness. Where there is wholeness, there is well-being.
And where there is well-being, there is internal strength to face our
fast-paced and constantly changing world.
The Havergal Education—
A Confluence of Experience
By Mrs. Leslie Anne Dexter, Head of Junior School, and Dr. Michael Simmonds, Head of Upper School
Heads’ Message