Welcome
At Havergal College, our Junior School is a welcoming and supportive space that offers a program that teaches students the skills they need to be future-ready.
14
Specialist Teachers & Learning Support Specialists
Specialist Teachers and Learning Support Specialists
9:1
Student-Teacher Ratio
Offering individualized attention for students.
30+
Co-curricular Activities
To meet a variety of interests.
The Junior School welcomes young learners from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6 by offering a nurturing and inclusive community that supports students at every age and stage of their educational journey. Rooted in the foundations of a liberal arts education, the curriculum fosters a mindset of inquiry and equips students with a toolkit for both academic success and overall wellbeing, thus setting the foundation they need to meet the demands of a rapidly-changing world.
Grades
Experience
Our Campus
With the largest girls’ independent school campus in the city, Havergal’s 22-acres feature a natural protected tree-lined ravine, green playing fields and a combination of heritage and modern architecture. Our innovative new facilities are purpose-built to inspire learning and encourage self-discovery. Junior School students have access to all of the outdoor space, including playing fields, classrooms and a woodland trail.
Meet The Faculty & Staff
Our exceptional faculty and staff are what sets Havergal apart from other schools. They keenly participate in the life of the school as coaches, advisors and mentors and show our students every day that they care. Meet some of our team members:
Kate White
Head of the Junior School
Liz Watt
Assistant Head, Junior School
Lydia Abebe
Grade 5 Teacher
Holly Fournier
Child & Youth Worker
Miranda Kus
Math Coordinator
Emily Partyka
Junior Kindergarten Teacher
Dora Scharf
French Teacher
Nancy Tulli
Literacy Coordinator, JK–6
Michael Webb
Grade 2 Teacher
Kate White
Head of the Junior School
Since joining the Havergal community in 2014, Ms. White quickly emerged as a rising star at the Junior School, nurturing and developing our girls to be the very best they can be. A passionate advocate for the health and wellbeing of all of Havergal’s youngest learners, she has been an educator for close to 20 years and brings a very thoughtful and inspiring approach to her work. As Head of the Junior School, Ms. White successfully manages the operation of the Junior School while working with her colleagues to ensure the excellence of Havergal’s academic and co-curricular programs.
Liz Watt
Assistant Head, Junior School
Since joining the Junior School in 2018, Ms. Watt’s main responsibilities are to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Junior School and the social-emotional lives of our students. As Assistant Head of the Junior School, Ms. Watt models learning, innovation and risk-taking in education. She is an action-oriented individual who is committed to building a culture of mutual respect, cooperation and belonging. Ms. Watt is committed to fostering a sense of community within the Junior School by modelling integrity, inquiry, compassion and courage. Ms. Watt’s favourite part of her job is working with students. Her goal is to make sure each and every student feels known, valued and is most of all happy.
Lydia Abebe
Grade 5 Teacher
Ms. Abebe joined the Junior School community in 2020 as a Grade 5 teacher. Her journey prior to joining Havergal College included teaching experiences both in London, England and at an International Baccalaureate School in the Greater Toronto Area. She is an alumna of York University, holding Bachelor’s degrees in English Literature and Primary/Junior Education. Currently she is pursuing a Master of Education at the University of Ottawa, focusing on the intersections of equity and educational leadership.
Ms. Abebe deeply values the connections she builds with her students and is dedicated to creating an engaging learning environment that fosters a sense of curiosity, joy and community. Driven by a deep passion for social justice, inclusivity, and leadership, Ms. Abebe encourages her students to consider diverse perspectives with an open mind and reflective curiosity. She facilitates a social justice club for Grade 6 students and coordinates the Grade 5 leadership program collaboratively with Ms. Watt. Additionally, she finds joy in coaching volleyball and sharing her favourite sport with her students.
In her free time, Ms. Abebe is often immersed in a good book, enjoying her coffee and spending time with loved ones.
Holly Fournier
Child & Youth Worker
Ms. Fournier joined Havergal in 2022 as a Child and Youth Worker. She has since supported many students during their academic career. She has over eight years of experience helping youths and families with social and emotional development and learning. She completed her Child and Youth Work diploma at Centennial College. She went on to gain diverse experience through working in group homes, followed by transitioning into school settings.
Ms. Fournier is passionate about building meaningful bonds with students through the use of clear communication and proven strategies. She is an advocate for mental health, and makes sure everyone she meets with feels welcome and safe to discuss and work towards their individual goals. In her office, you always have someone on your side.
Miranda Kus
Math Coordinator
Ms. Kus joined Havergal in 2022 as the Math Coordinator. She is a graduate of Brock University, where she completed a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Studies and her Masters of Education with a focus in the Social and Cultural Contexts of Education. Ms. Kus earned her Bachelor of Education at the University of Windsor and worked for over 15 years at the Toronto Catholic District School Board as both a teacher and math consultant.
Ms. Kus has a great passion for mathematics and has dedicated the last 10 years to focusing on the study of teaching and learning mathematics with students and teachers. To support her interest, she earned her specialist in Primary, Junior and Intermediate Mathematics Education at York University. Most recently, she spent the last four years working with Pearson Canada, where she had the opportunity to research, ideate and create math resources with educators across Canada.
In her spare time, Ms. Kus enjoys going on walks with her dog Atlas, exploring new restaurants in the city and travelling to exciting new locations around the globe.
Emily Partyka
Junior Kindergarten Teacher
Ms. Partyka joined Havergal in 2017 as a Junior Kindergarten Teacher. She is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Partyka is also a graduate of the Institute of Child Study at the University of Toronto, where she earned Master of Arts in Child Study and Education, along with her Ontario Teaching Certification.
Ms. Partyka has a passion for Kindergarten. She has dedicated her teaching career to the early years and has spent over 20 years learning and growing with her young learners. One of Ms. Partyka’s greatest pleasures is instilling a love of learning in all of her students. Developing a strong sense of empathy, compassion and kindness is at the heart of her teaching.
In her spare time, Ms. Partyka enjoys being in nature, practising yoga, cycling, cooking and all things related to health and wellbeing.
Dora Scharf
French Teacher
Mme Scharf joined the Junior School community as a French teacher in September 2020. Prior to arriving at Havergal, she taught French at various grade levels from Kindergarten to Grade 8 at different independent schools in Ontario and Québec. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University, a Bachelor of Education from the University of Ottawa and a Masters of Education with a focus on Social Justice in Education from the University of Toronto (OISE).
Mme Scharf is passionate about helping students develop their language skills in a nurturing and stimulating learning environment. She works to foster relationships with students in order to make learning relevant to their lives and interests. She enjoys connecting with her students outside of class by coaching soccer and supporting the dramatic arts.
Like any native Montrealer, she loves a good bagel.
Nancy Tulli
Literacy Coordinator, JK–6
After teaching overseas for 13 years in Mexico, Nepal, Austria and Thailand, Ms. Tulli returned to Canada and found a new home amidst the ivy walls of Havergal College. Beginning as a Grade 1 teacher over 10 years ago, Ms. Tulli now serves as Literacy Coordinator at the Junior School. Her role allows her to immerse herself in some of the things she is most passionate about, namely, learning, supporting students and colleagues and curling up with a good book.
The ability of students to make sense of the world around them and express their thoughts and ideas are key foundational skills upon which further academic skills are built. Working with the amazing Junior School faculty, Ms. Tulli is dedicated to maintaining excellence in our approach and delivery of literacy instruction.
Michael Webb
Grade 2 Teacher
Hailing from Watford, England, Michael Webb is a dedicated Grade 2 homeroom teacher and proud coach of the Volleyball team, who strives to build strong connections with students, families and colleagues. He is motivated by the boundless enthusiasm and imagination that children bring to school each day and he works to create collaborative classroom environments that empower students to feel safe, take risks in their learning and connect meaningfully with their peers.
He completed his undergraduate degree in International Business and French at Aston University before earning a Postgraduate Certificate in Education at the University of Hertfordshire, in order to pursue a career in teaching. He moved to Vancouver in 2013, where he taught Kindergarten and Grade 6 at an independent school. His Havergal journey began in 2017 when he became a part of a stellar Kindergarten team that championed intentional play-based learning and highlighted the extraordinary capacity of our youngest learners.
Outside of school, he can be found spending time with his two young children, playing football (“soccer”) or relaxing with a nice cup of tea.
HC-X
Built with intention, HC-X–Havergal’s innovation hub–is designed to support students and faculty through new contemporary programs and innovative future-ready learning experiences.
FAQ
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While we recognize that there are many factors that affect when a family is ready to apply to Havergal, the strong foundation of both skills and knowledge provided in the Junior School are incredibly valuable. The discovery of the value of their voice, listening with purpose and the confidence that our youngest learners possess in their ability to persevere and be resilient serves students well throughout their education.
From Grade 5, an expanded co-curricular program offers more opportunities for students to take on leadership roles and try something new. Students develop a sense of independence and are appropriately challenged to step up and contribute to the broader life of their community. The Junior School program fosters curiosity, critical thinking, open-mindedness and an understanding of living our values of courage, compassion, inquiry and integrity. This approach enables students to achieve an increasing depth and breadth of knowledge and understanding and prepares them for further learning in the Middle School and beyond.
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In the Junior School, leadership skills are developed at every grade level and responsibilities increase with age and grade. In Grade 6, students rotate through a leadership framework. The year is divided into thirds and for each section Grade 6 students take on the formal leadership roles of House Captain, Student Council and Community Council. In this way, there is a deliberate preparation and development of skills and mindsets that is age-and-stage appropriate and contextualized.
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Our students learn that wellbeing is made up of skills and attributes that require attention and practice. They participate in physical activities, such as a run through the Lisa Hardie Woodland Trail, and engage in guided meditations for mindfulness journaling to calm and balance themselves and help them better understand their thoughts and feelings. They also explore student rights and responsibilities and then work together to co-create classroom agreements that support learning, communication and respect. In each of these activities, and in monthly themes like “Connection and Belonging” or “Understanding Personal Strengths and Challenges,” the first step with our youngest learners is to help them to see and name their experiences. Through finding the words that best express their identity as a learner, a friend and a member of the community, our students build a deeper self-awareness and a sense of belonging, which is the foundation of wellbeing.
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At Havergal, we recognize the individuality of each child and know that each person learns in different ways. We aim to develop students’ self-knowledge as a learner, encourage confidence and nurture their agency. We encourage every student to be their own person, to challenge themselves and to celebrate successes.
The Junior School Learning Support team is responsible for supporting students, families and faculty in a collaborative model with the goal of improving student learning and social/emotional wellbeing. The team provides academic and social/emotional support, monitors student progress, manages accommodations and liaises with outside service providers to ensure students experience an education that builds on their strengths and supports their areas of challenge.
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The Junior School Learning Support team works in collaboration with faculty and families to monitor student growth and provide early and intensive intervention. Interventions are targeted to the specific needs of the student. When more information is necessary to provide effective support, families may choose to obtain an extended assessment (ex. Psycho-educational assessment). If necessary, specific recommendations based on the student’s learning profile will be considered and outlined on an Individual Education Profile (IEP). The IEP will list specific instructional, environmental and assessment accommodations that support a student in achieving their potential.