Torch - Fall/Winter 2018-19

Farewell

Saying Goodbye to Our Retirees

a warm smile and a sense of satisfaction for what she did. Her ease and grace interacting with her colleagues and students were what you would expect from someone who spent a large part of her career at Havergal. Originally born in Jamaica, Ms. Clarke would talk about her wonderful immediate and extended family who were spread from Texas to New York, Toronto to London and, of course, Jamaica. Ultimately, it was her desire to spend the next chapter of her life being closer to her loved ones that prompted her retirement. Ms. Clarke now enjoys the freedom to travel and see all those who she loves. After three decades, Ms. Clarke’s impact has been felt on the school. Her quiet but steadfast nature still resonates in the halls of Boarding and among those she worked closest with for so many years. We wish her well in her new endeavours and hope she knows she will be truly missed! school year (and there were many) and he always knew exactly how many tables and chairs were stored in each location. Many members of the U13 Badminton team enjoyed his coaching style and dedication. He admits to thoroughly appreciating his time with the students (taking pride in quickly memorizing each of their names) and often commented that he wished he had started coaching sooner in his career. In a letter to the school on his retirement, he wrote: “I believe Havergal supports girls to make a difference in the world and I hope for its continued success in this endeavour.” We wish Mr. Baker all the best in his retirement, knowing that he will be enjoying his time on the tennis courts!

Lavene Clarke Team Leader/Housekeeping Attendant The Havergal Boarding community has gone through many ideations over the past 37 years, from having more than 100 Boarders in the ’80s and ’90s crammed in bunk beds, four students to a room, to our current population of housing 50 students with much more spacious accommodations. We saw the end of Grade 13 and Grade 8s in Boarding, coin-operated phones and movie nights on the VCR. Thirty-seven years has brought a lot of change. One constant during these years was Lavene Clarke. Ms. Clarke retired in June 2018, having dedicated more than three decades of service to Havergal College’s Boarding School. As one of three cleaners for this part of the school, she imposed an impressive aptitude for efficiency and thoroughness. Each day, one was always met with Steve Baker Building Maintenance Technician After more than 25 years of service, Steve Baker retired from the Facilities Department at Havergal College. His journey at the school was a long and productive one. He was hired in 1992 as a summer worker with Havergal’s Groundskeeping team, joining the school full time and moving to building maintenance, where he honed his technical skills overseeing the boiler system serving the Upper School. The school reaped the benefits of Mr. Baker’s eidetic memory and attention to detail in every task he undertook. He was key in overseeing the set-ups for the many events held throughout the

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