Chronicle 2017

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

The sense of a CARING COMMUNITY

TONY DI COSMO, CFRE Executive Director, Advancement and Community Relations

As a new member of the Havergal community, I can say without hesitation that I have come to a very special place. There is a level of care, commitment and enthusiasm that is unparalleled in my experience. I am thrilled to be here every day and honoured to have been welcomed so warmly into this wonderful community. Not long ago, I had the privilege of meeting a very successful Old Girl during a visit to Manhattan. Her memories of being a boarding student have remained constant over the years. She shared with me, her voice full of emotion, “I may not have been the smartest or the most well-behaved student, but Havergal did not give up on me. Havergal believed in me when I didn’t.” This spoke to me of the care and attention which our school places in the education and development of each and every one of our girls. The theme for this issue of the Chronicle is the five senses. I believe that we all play a role in sustaining Havergal’s stimulating approach to the senses. When I think of smell and taste, I go back to the very first day I worked here last fall. Fragrant, delicious, made- from-scratch food was available in the Hawkins Dining Hall. The staff puts special effort into making food which is healthy and delicious, ensuring that our

girls develop a great relationship with food. The sound of music is around me each day at Havergal. The excited voices of the girls talking in the hallways about their projects and about ideas, intermingled with the sounds of choirs practising and musicians trying to perfect their craft are heard everywhere on campus. I probably don’t have to remind you of the beautiful sight of our heritage buildings on our 22 acres of land – what a rare gift to have such a beautiful, green campus right in the middle of the city. As we begin the renovations and additions to both our Junior and Upper schools, improvements necessary to providing the best teaching and learning environments possible, I hope that you will consider what you can do to help make these projects possible. Your gift will ensure that a Havergal education is something which girls will continue to value, for generations to come. Every gift matters. Like your memories, each gift is personal and special. And most important, to me, is the tactile sense of a caring community. Like the Old Girl whom I met in Manhattan, the Havergal touch leaves its mark and a legacy for life.

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