Torch - Fall/Winter 2018-19

The campus has grown from those early days in 1926.

— Lisa Massie

Facilities Director

Rendering of the future Learning Commons, currently under development.

A Network of Old Girls That Inspires

a variety of sports, was a Prefect in her senior year and took on the role of editor of the Ludemus , the school’s yearbook. She also became active as a volunteer when her daughters attended: as a Class Rep for several years, on the Board of Governors and now with HOGA. While she keeps up with friends from her own graduating class, Stoate says that a benefit of volunteering was meeting new people. “It was an opportunity to reconnect because there were other parents who were also Old Girls,” she says. “You have not only your own generation in common, but you also have connections with other generations.” Thanks to long-standing traditions, Stoate says that Old Girls have something in common even if they attended at quite different eras. “There still is that connection that binds us, something common that they can all relate to and talk to, although they may be 18 and 88, which is kind of neat to think about.”

the generosity of alumnae donations and volunteer time intersecting, she mentions a current project to transcribe the lively letters of Boarder Gwen Weaver, who graduated from Havergal in 1925. “They’re fabulous! She sent letters home every week and talks about the school and her friends and Toronto and life in Boarding,” says Latcham. Following the donation, a volunteer is helping Latcham make the most of the letters by not only transcribing them, but also putting last names to all the girls Weaver mentions. The volunteer has even visited the archives and the local church around the Weaver family’s hometown in southern Ontario. The enthusiasm has spurred the family to further donate the letters sent by the mother and they’re looking for letters from Gwen’s sister as well. “I’m grateful for my volunteers, they go above and beyond on everything!” says Latcham. And that’s just one of many stories from the Archives.

Edwina Stoate 1975 may be this year’s Havergal Old Girls Association (HOGA) President, but one of her best stories about the benefits of the Old Girl network comes from her own household. Stoate’s two daughters Sarah (2005) and Katharine (2002) both attended Havergal. When Katharine was deciding on a career path to combine her passions for biology and genetics, she reached out to the Old Girls network to ask about careers based on her interests. A couple of Old Girls responded to say they were studying genetic counselling. Katharine continued to communicate with them, asking them questions about the field and even meeting with one of them. That’s the field she’s in now,” says Stoate. Back when she was at Havergal, Stoate was an active student herself: she played

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