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
Raeme Lockington
Grade 1 Teacher
Andy Lucacescu
Grade 3 Teacher
Cheryl MacKinnon
Head of Learning Support, Junior School
Jeff MacLean
Music Teacher
Rachel Read
Integrated Arts Teacher
Megan Robar
Health & Physical Education Teacher
Usha Shanmugathasan
Senior Kindergarten 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.
Raeme Lockington
Grade 1 Teacher
Ms. Lockington joined Havergal in 2009, starting her career as a Grade 4 teacher in the Junior School. Over the years, she has taught in both Primary and Junior divisions. Currently, she is enjoying teaching Grade 1.
One of Ms. Lockington’s greatest joys is working closely with her students to promote a love of reading. Sharing rich and diverse literature with her students and nurturing thoughtful conversations has elevated the thinking and discourse in her classroom. Spending time getting lost in stories together has fostered a strong bond between her and her students and among the students themselves. Ms. Lockington feels that watching previously reluctant readers discover the joy of reading, connecting students with books they love, getting book recommendations from her students and being a part of a large reading community are the greatest aspects of her role.
If she had to summarize how her students might see her, she would simply quote what one of her current students wrote to her: “You are all of the things I look for in a great teacher: fun, fair and firm.”
Andy Lucacescu
Grade 3 Teacher
Mr. Lucacescu joined the Havergal College community in 2012. Since being at the school, he has taught both Grade 3 and Grade 6. Mr. Lucacescu graduated from the University of Toronto and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. He also has Primary/Junior Mathematics Specialist and Intermediate Mathematics qualifications.
He is particularly interested in mathematics education for girls, which has made him an asset to the Havergal community. As a recipient of the Gardiner Chair of Teaching and Learning, Mr. Lucacescu’s research focuses on leveraging spatial reasoning to improve mathematics achievement for Havergal’s students.
In his spare time, Mr. Lucacescu enjoys swimming, cycling and strumming his guitar. He has also coached the Junior School Swim team, which highlighted his love of swimming and his commitment to the community.
Cheryl MacKinnon
Head of Learning Support, Junior School
Ms. MacKinnon has been working in Learning Support at Havergal since 2013. She joined from St. Margaret’s School in Victoria where she was a learning support teacher. She has a Masters of Arts in Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies/Special Education from the University of Victoria as well as a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Arts from Brock University.
Jeff MacLean
Music Teacher
Mr. MacLean joined the Junior School faculty in 2012 and has taught in independent schools for more than 10 years. He envisions the Junior School music program as an opportunity to build community through music-making and to hook students into a lifelong love of music. The vocal music program focuses on performing repertoire that captures a student’s imagination and heart. He enjoys musically collaborating with many of Havergal’s talented students, faculty and staff members.
As a professional musician, Mr. MacLean has worked as a pianist, singer, vocal coach and choral conductor. He has been a professional chorister with the Exultate Chamber Singers, Elora Festival Singers, Arcady and St. Johns Parish Choir, Elora. For several seasons, Mr. MacLean conducted the award-winning Oakville Children’s Choir. Having an interest in musical theatre, he co-wrote the musical comedy Long Dark Night that premiered at the 2011 Summerworks Festival. He also regularly plays accompaniment for singers, choirs and instrumentalists in performances, competitions and auditions, and is frequently heard leading from the organ or piano at church services.
Mr. MacLean keeps updated on music education trends by regularly attending choral concerts, workshops and conferences. He completed his Intermediate/Senior Vocal Music Part 2 qualification at OISE and holds the Honours Specialist Qualification in Music.
Rachel Read
Integrated Arts Teacher
Ms. Read joined Havergal College in 2012 and has taught in independent schools for more than 10 years. She is currently the Grade 5 and 6 Integrated Arts Teacher.
Ms. Read has a passion for music, visual arts and drama, and their expression in cultures around the world. She shares this love with her students through an integrated lens, where they develop a deeper understanding of drama, art, music and culture. Ms. Read values the voice and perspective of culture bearers and works in partnership with visiting artists to explore a wide variety of artistic expression. From Ghanaian music and dance of the Ewe people to traditional Métis beading, students experience both the artistic expression and the cultural importance of music, drama and art making.
As a young musician, Ms. Read completed her ARCT in Vocal Performance and her Grade 10 Piano from the Royal Conservatory of Music. She continued her musical studies through a Bachelor of Music, earned with Distinction in the Concurrent Education program at Queen’s University. She went on to gain her Bachelor of Education in the Artist in Community Program Track at the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University. Ms. Read completed her Master’s of Arts in Music Education at the University of Toronto in 2009.
Since 2019, Ms. Read has served as the Curriculum Executive for Art Canada Institute. In this role, Ms. Read develops interdisciplinary educational content with a focus on Canadian artists that are shared through teacher resource guides, independent student learning guides, Art Canada Institute’s education social media platform and educational newsletters.
Ms. Read holds additional education qualifications from the Ontario College of Teachers in the Primary and Junior Divisions, Science and Technology, Mathematics, Special Education and First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples: Understanding Traditional Teachings, Histories, Current Issues and Cultures. She holds both Visual Arts and Dramatic Arts specialist qualifications. Ms. Read regularly presents and publishes her work on cross-curricular learning through the arts.
Megan Robar
Health & Physical Education Teacher
Ms. Robar is grateful to be at Havergal for the 2021-22 school year, teaching Grades 2 and 3 Health & Physical Education in the Junior School. This is her eighth year teaching and she is thrilled to continue to be a part of the Havergal community.
Before arriving at Havergal, Ms. Robar attended Nipissing University where she obtained her Bachelor of Health & Physical Education. After graduating, she moved to the beautiful city of Kingston where she taught fitness classes and developed summer camp programs while finishing her Bachelor of Education. Realizing she had a strong urge for adventure, she decided to teach abroad at International Baccalaureate Schools in Kuwait, South Korea and Singapore. These opportunities allowed her to experience different cultures and ways of life, which has afforded her the ability to incorporate international-mindedness in her teaching. As part of her teaching philosophy and technique, Ms. Robar incorporates inquiry-based learning which allows the students to connect and show interest in the world around them.
When she’s not enjoying the beautiful Havergal campus, Ms. Robar spends her time exploring trails around the city, either walking or biking. If she’s not out on a trail, you can find her enjoying yoga and running Bootcamp classes in her local community.
Usha Shanmugathasan
Senior Kindergarten Teacher
Ms. Shanmugathasan is a Senior Kindergarten Teacher at the Junior School, who has been at Havergal since 2017. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto where she earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts with High Distinction, followed by her Bachelor of Education. She also recently graduated with her Masters of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy. Ms. Shanmugathasan is a dedicated alumni volunteer and is a 2021 recipient of the University of Toronto’s Arbor Award.
Ms. Shanmugathasan brings with her a wealth of knowledge about teaching and learning, specifically in the early years. She taught at the largest all-kindergarten school in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and was a Lead Teacher in the area of mathematics. She also has experience in curriculum and program development as well as educational coaching.
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.