Junior School
Building Emotional Intelligence with RULER The RULER approach, now in its third year at Havergal, continues to help Junior School students develop emotional literacy. This year’s focus on Classroom Charters and the Mood Metre has introduced a shared vocabulary that empowers students to recognize and express their emotions — and to understand those of their peers. RULER’s impact reaches beyond wellbeing time, enriching lessons in Mathematics and Literacy as students explore emotions and motivations in stories and problem-solving. This shared emotional language strengthens our school community by fostering common values and positive behaviour.
Empowering Students through Student-Led Conferences For the first time this year, Junior School hosted Student-Led Conferences, shifting the traditional parent-teacher meeting to a student-driven experience. This format encourages children to take ownership of their learning by reflecting on their progress, setting goals and engaging directly with their families. Feedback from students, parents and teachers was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the meaningful conversations sparked by this new approach and its role in nurturing students’ voices and their self-awareness.
House Spirit and Student-Led Fun Spirit is something you see and feel every day in the Junior School. It comes to life when our community gathers for House Meetings, cheers one another on during intramurals, and proudly participates in House Shout or Spirit Week celebrations. From friendly competition to shared traditions, students show enthusiasm, pride, and a strong sense of belonging. These moments of connection foster joy, teamwork, and a vibrant school culture where every student feels included and celebrated.
Deepening Community Connections through Service This year, Havergal’s Grade 6 students strengthened their relationship with the North York Harvest Food Bank beyond food collection. Each class visited the food bank to witness the vital work behind the scenes, from sorting and packaging donations to understanding the impact on nearly 17,000 local people relying on its services. This hands-on experience deepened students’ awareness of community needs and inspired a greater sense of responsibility and possibility for making a difference.
Middle School
Leadership in Action This year, Middle School students embraced leadership in new and meaningful ways, from serving as Form and Spirit Reps to joining Senior School student councils. Lunchtime programs led by older students offered even more opportunities for connection, confidence-building and creativity.
Belonging by Design Students across all grades co-created community agreements that reflected their shared values and hopes for an inclusive school environment. Workshops with Nicole Cozier, Executive Director, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging, deepened this work, helping students understand the importance of equity, fairness and seeing one another with empathy and respect.
Screens Down, Friendships Up Students reconnected in person with the launch of a new digital device policy, joining lunch events, participating in Coalition of Single Sex Schools of Toronto (COSSOT) socials in record numbers and building deeper friendships. The screen-free environment nurtured a more positive, vibrant school climate.
Real-World Learning Through the Win@Social program and the student-led 1,000 Can Initiative, Middle School students tackled real-world issues such as online hate, the ethics of AI and food insecurity. These experiences sparked important conversations and inspired meaningful action.
Senior School
Grade-Level Programming with Purpose Each grade experienced thoughtful, tailored programming designed to meet them where they are — and prepare them for what’s next. Students were supported through it all, whether adjusting to the jump to high school or making plans after life at Havergal.
A Full-Circle Experience: Grade 12 Camp Whether students joined in Grade 7 or Grade 9, they’ll remember their camp experiences as bookends to their Upper School journey. In September, our Grade 12s headed off campus to reconnect and reflect. They explored their unique strengths through the Core Strengths program, began thinking about the legacy they’ll leave behind and even dove into post-secondary planning. Time away brought them closer together — and back to school with a renewed sense of purpose.
Grade 12 Programming: Real-World Ready We took career prep to the next level this year by connecting our grads with Havergal’s own HR team. Students had their resumés reviewed and participated in mock interviews to sharpen their skills — and their confidence. Our School Captain, Carol Rong, was one of many who took advantage of the opportunity to learn from experts, including tips on networking and using LinkedIn.
Grade 11 Retreat: Leadership Starts Within We believe every Grade 12 student is a leader in their own way — and that leadership starts with self-awareness. This year, the Class of 2026 participated in a full-day retreat focused on growth, community and courage. Students explored the question “What’s holding you back?” and ended the day by tossing their fears into a firepit. As one student said, “It was symbolic and freeing. We walked away ready to take on our final year together.”
Teacher Advisory Programming More than just a homeroom, our Teacher Advisory Program (TA) prioritizes deep trust and connection, establishing advisors as key figures in a student’s support system. We measure success by the comfort of our students, the active engagement of our families and the authentic knowledge our staff holds for every child. These mixed-grade groups, led by our advisors, ensure a supportive environment where students feel safe to grow and take risks.
New-to-Grade 9 Mentorship Program Starting somewhere new can be daunting — but not at Havergal. Our long-standing buddy program pairs new Grade 9s with a peer in their House, and this year we went a step further. Thanks to a student-led initiative from our Admission Prefects, we piloted a mentorship program pairing Grade 9s with Grade 11 mentors based on shared interests. The goal: long-term connections, built on trust and experience. When students help shape programs, they meet real needs — and this one’s already making a difference.
BOARDING
Student Leadership & Spirit Boarding students made their mark this year, from leading spirit events to proudly launching the “Boarder Supporter” sticker — an initiative to recognize those in the community who make a difference in the lives of Boarders. Grade 12 Boarders also led tours during our Old Girl/Alum dinner, showcasing both leadership and pride in their Havergal home.
Active in Every Corner of School Life From the curling rink to the stage, Boarding students embraced every opportunity this year. Seven Boarders rowed for Havergal, others acted and sang in the school musical and Fay Sun earned the Coaches Award for Curling. With three Boarders named Prefects for next year — the most in recent memory — the future of student leadership looks bright.
Growing Our Global Family Boarding’s Parent & Grad Student Tea in June welcomed over 30 guests – the highest turnout in years – reflecting a growing sense of community and connection.
Global Connections, Local Community From international advisory dinners to weekend outings, the Boarding School continues to foster bonds that reach across the globe.
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