October 2022

Havergal Highlights

Headshot of Emily Simms-Brown

Message from Admissions

Emily Simms-Brown, Executive Director of Strategic Enrolment Management

The 2022-23 school year is already well underway and off to a fantastic start at Havergal—and with the return to school has also come the return to many of our traditions and events that connect our community. We were particularly thrilled to host Celebration Saturday last month—a hallmark Havergal event filled with energy, spirit and fun—which helped to set the tone for the year ahead.

Even though our school year has just begun for our staff and students, in the Admission Office, we are already looking ahead to next September. Connecting with our applicants and prospective families through the return of in-person events has been a wonderful way to start the year. We have hosted two very busy Open Houses, continue to offer weekly Group Tours and have started our interview process for our Entry Years.

In this edition of Havergal Highlights, you will learn about the many ways we are connecting, learning and celebrating as a community—from the return of comprehensive co-curriculars in the Junior School, to the debut of our new empowering advertising campaign, to the re-launch of the Forum for Change in the Upper School—there is a lot happening here worth celebrating!

We look forward to getting to know you and your family during these months ahead. 

Emily

Principal’s Message

Dr. Katrina Samson

We are so pleased that you are interested in learning more about becoming a part of the Havergal College community!

I’m energized when I contemplate the future we’re building at the school, which includes relaunching the Forum for Change this year, a program that highlights global citizenship. Programs through the Forum for Change help our students understand what it means to be strong, ethical, global leaders who can work cross-culturally, across languages and geographies. 

Havergal is known for our traditions, which create bonds in the community; I’ve seen alumni across the world find connections by reminiscing about their Havergal experiences and finding common ground. Recently we celebrated Reunion Weekend, where hundreds of Old Girls/Alums returned to Havergal to reconnect, reflect and reminisce. The sentiment I heard repeated throughout Reunion Weekend was how the values learned at Havergal—inquiry, integrity, compassion and courage—have shaped the lives of Havergalians, enabling them to make a positive difference in the world moving forward. 

As we look ahead to a successful school year I’m energized to see our girls exploring everything from artificial intelligence and contemporary finance through our HC-X Micro-Credential Program, to learning life lessons on leadership and developing friendship through the study of Shakespeare in our Theatre Program. We hope you learn a lot about the Havergal experience this fall and I encourage you to reach out to our Admissions Team if you have any questions or you’d like to book another tour. 

Katrina

Inside Havergal


illustration of a city with digital connections

Discover HC-X, Havergal’s Centre for Innovation

The letter “X” has long evoked a sense of wonder, exploring the unknown and intersecting ideas. For Havergal, the “X” represents the mindsets, strategies and learning experiences that will be a differentiator for Havergal students and faculty.

Guided by research from within and beyond the educational sector, HC-X designs and experiments with learning experiences and programs that promote, provoke and allow our girls to practise these future-ready skills. Digital Wisdom, our first major project, is now in its third year, engaging students from Grade 5 to 8 in examining, questioning and critically thinking about their identity and relationships in a digitally mediated world. HC-X continues to lead the development of Havergal’s distinguished Blended Learning Model that prioritizes student agency. In this model, faculty intentionally use digital tools to present developmentally appropriate choices to our students in how, when and where they learn. Students make these choices, learn to take responsibility for their learning and reflect deeply on who they are developing as a learner.

Most recently, we launched our Digital Micro-Credentialing Program. This is a distinctive, unique-to-Havergal offering for students in the Upper School to pursue a new learning pathway in areas outside of traditional offerings. Partnering with Old Girls/Alums, current parents, Harvard Student Agencies and Inspire AI, we are offering 20-hour courses on Contemporary Finance, Pre-Med studies and Artificial Intelligence, respectively. Each of these courses have “sold out” for this first term and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, both from our students and from our partners.

For more information you can visit:

HC-X Introduction

Digital Micro-Credentials

Forum for Change logo

Exploring Global Learning Through the Forum for Change

The Forum for Change (F4C) is the global heartbeat of Havergal College. It serves as the hub of global learning, community partnership programming and social innovation work. The F4C supports students in learning different service approaches to making a difference in their world locally and globally.

This dynamic department builds bridges and networks to support incredible opportunities for our girls to learn new perspectives, meet people and discover their cultures. This sense of exploration is reflected in our new branding. One of our newest partnerships to highlight is with Round Square. Round Square values are captured in their IDEALS (Internationalism, Democracy, Environmental stewardship, Adventure, Leadership and Service); this alignment means more opportunities for our students to engage in global projects, conferences and connections beyond our ivy walls.

The F4C stretches and challenges our students in ways that support their academic learning, development of identity and sense of self, with a disposition to action. Global Exchanges, International Learning Service Trips, our Community Partnership Program and the Global Learning & Leading Diploma (GLLD), equip students to make a positive difference in the world with a focus on global mindedness; these programs provoke students to broaden their cultural fluency, and make an impact through deep and meaningful learning experiences.

Junior School students wearing chef uniforms participating in the Teaching Kitchen.

Personal Development Beyond Academics Through the Junior School Co-Curricular Program

The Junior School’s passion for learning goes far beyond the walls of our classrooms. Students in Grades 1 to 6 are encouraged to explore new interests through the Junior School Co-Curricular Program as a way to develop skills in a variety of fields, make friends outside of the classroom and build confidence in a supportive environment.

Designed to meet the interests of every student in Grades 1 to 6, the Junior School Co-Curricular Program aims to enrich the Havergal experience and provide students with new activities and pursuits they may not have considered otherwise. Our students are encouraged to explore, investigate and develop new passions through a variety of clubs, athletics and the performing arts. “A robust co-curricular program is a fundamental component of a liberal arts education,” says Head of Junior School Kate White. “These opportunities are carefully designed to complement what students are learning in class while providing a plethora of opportunities to further enhance their intellectual, social, moral, creative and physical development.”

Co-curriculars are run after school by Havergal faculty and staff, as well as by outside coaches for athletics and instructors for clubs. We encourage all students to get involved in something outside of their academics, whether it be dance, cooking, discovery lab, soccer, strings, chess or choir; there’s something for everyone! It’s just another way the Junior School faculty and staff instill and encourage lifelong learning as a part of personal development.

Meet the Admissions Team


Alexandra Zourntos headshot

Alexandra Zourntos

Associate Director of Admissions, Senior School 

Alexandra is passionate about the intricacies of our education system and finding ways in which they can best serve our students. Her excellent understanding of the industry was developed through her previous work as a teacher, counsellor and principal at both international and domestic private schools. She solidified her place in admissions and recruitment while managing experiential education programs throughout South America, Europe and Oceania. Having studied various educational methods around the world, Alexandra always looks to bring a celebration of culture and diversity within her practice at Havergal.

Now serving as the Associate Director of Admissions, Alexandra ensures that both students and parents who are new to Havergal are well supported before, during and after the onboarding process. She believes that an open mind, a strong work ethic and the ability to navigate a healthy support system will yield success for a Havergalian. “The mark of a successful school year is when both parties are involved,” she says. “Havergal takes pride in providing both guided and meaningful opportunities, which is the very platform that allows our students to drive those opportunities forward.” Alexandra takes great care when working with prospective families during the admission season and looks forward to her international recruitment travel throughout the year. 

Alexandra holds a Bachelor of Kinesiology from Western University, a postgraduate certificate in Public Relations from Humber College and a Masters of Education from Canisius College.


Havergal's four different advertisements, each focused on a different area: hockey, STEM, breaking the glass ceiling and music.