Family Handbook 2019-20

Student Leadership

Havergal recognizes that leadership comes in many forms and expressions. We ensure that each student in the school has leadership opportunities. Havergal celebrates the five interconnected domains of leadership, which include: formal leadership, informal leadership, intellectual leadership, leadership of the self and leadership in the community. It is our responsibility to prepare students for leadership and to develop their skills and personal characteristics to be successful, effective leaders. Beginning in Junior Kindergarten, our youngest students are expected to take responsibility for their own belongings (e.g., hanging up their own coats, putting away their own lunches, packing their own bags), rather than having the teachers do these things for them. In older grades, students often rotate jobs within the class, helping their own community group run smoothly (e.g., watering plants, ensuring all classroom materials are in working order, handing out papers). In doing these seemingly simple tasks, students start to see themselves as capable problem-solvers, rather than passive observers of their environment. As students move through the Junior School, opportunities for self-reflection abound to help students develop their ability to identify their strengths and challenges and set achievable goals. When this happens, they are better able to take responsible risks, exhibit flexibility in their thinking and exude confidence in what they do. Formal leadership roles in the Junior School come with maturity and experience. In these roles, students have hands-on experience working with a team, speaking publicly, coordinating events, setting agendas and reflecting on successes and failures in order to make necessary changes moving forward. All students are expected to support the leadership of those in formal roles who have the responsibility to carry out specific duties such as School Prefects, Senior Year Presidents, House Captains, Co-Curricular and Community Partnership Heads and Boarding School Junior Dons. Leadership opportunities also exist within our peer mentoring programs, including our Big Sister / Little Sister Program (linking Middle School students to girls in Grades 10 and 11) and our Havergal Buddies Program (connecting new Grade 9 to 11 students with experienced Havergal students in the same grade). CLICK HERE ​ for the Five Interconnected Domains of Student Leadership poster.

Last Edited: August 20, 2019 Havergal College Family Handbook 2019–20

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