Torch - Spring 2015

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| SPRING 2015 • TORCH 13
Kate White—A Passionate Educator
In August 2014, Kate White joined Havergal
College as the Assistant Head, Junior School.
Kate is a passionate and dedicated professional
with senior administrative experience in many
educational portfolios as well as more than a
decade of classroom teaching experience in
independent school settings. As a member
of the administrative team, Kate brings the
voice of students from Junior Kindergarten
to Grade 6 to leadership teams that set and
evaluate strategic and operational goals for
the school. She contributes to the provision
of a rich and diverse student life and to the
development of co-curricular experiences that
are age and stage appropriate and promote
a healthy body, mind and spirit. Kate’s
connection with Junior School students is
described as supportive, authentic and joyful.
Working with the Head of Junior School,
Leslie Anne Dexter, Kate ensures the Junior
School is a welcoming and safe environment.
Kate has very quickly grown to understand
Havergal’s unique culture and what makes
the school such a special place in which
to learn and grow. We asked Kate a few
questions about her Havergal experience.
What attracted you to the
Assistant Head, Junior School
position?
When I first saw the position posted, I
remember thinking: “This sounds like
my dream job!” Havergal’s reputation for
excellence, tradition and innovation was
already firmly established in my mind. As I
started to do more research on the school,
it became clear that the position was the
perfect fit for me. In particular, the Culture
of Capability was so closely aligned with
my own views on education and child
development.
Can you talk about your role and
how it fits with the overall goals
for the Junior School?
In my role as Assistant Head, I imagine how
every girl in the Junior School goes through
her day. What will challenge her? What will
inspire her? Who will she connect with?
Why is she here? What is her experience at
Havergal?
In my prior positions, I was both an
administrator and a classroom teacher in the
Primary and Junior divisions, so I am quite
familiar with the needs and concerns not
only of elementary school faculty and staff,
but also of the students and their parents.
Children are naturally curious and have the
capacity to make a difference wherever their
passion leads them. Our role as educators
is to help set the academic, social and
emotional foundation for them to do just
this. Moreover, as administrators it is our
job to foster a positive school climate so that
teachers feel inspired to do the same.
Can you describe a typical day?
One of the things that I love most about
my job is that no day is typical! There are
certainly things that are on my calendar
that I can count on doing, allowing me to
engage with students and to collaborate with
colleagues. This includes visiting classrooms,
meeting with faculty and staff and leading
Prayers. These experiences allow me to get
a sense of what is going on in the school
and give me a better understanding of the
day-to-day operation of the school and the
history behind all that happens here. Much
of my day is also spent addressing situations
as they come up. This can be anything from
working with students on an announcement
for Prayers, supervising intramurals, getting
ice for a student who has bumped her knee
or supporting students, faculty, staff and
parents with any number of personal or
professional issues. No day is the same and
that is how I like it.
What has been your favourite
Havergal tradition and why?
While Harvest Festival, the Christmas
Concerts and the Halloween Assembly all
come to mind, I would have to say that the
tradition I have enjoyed the most is Prayers.
The opportunity for our community to
come together three times a week to share
messages, sing together and talk about
values has been such a pleasure. Prayers is
a priority here; it serves to make us feel a
part of something bigger than ourselves
and helps our students to grow spiritually—
an important part of their growth overall,
regardless of their own personal faith.
What has surprised you about
Havergal so far?
I am impressed with the genuine care,
compassion and knowledge of the faculty
and staff at Havergal. While our meetings
are often full of laughter, the professionalism
that I have witnessed is outstanding. It is
exciting to be part of a team of educators
who are so engaged in research and current
with best practices. For example, some
of our professional development sessions
this year have focused on ways to better
integrate subjects across the curriculum
and to develop consistent problem-solving
strategies in mathematics.
Junior School