Message from Head of Junior School: September 13, 2019

On By havergaljuniorschool

Dear Junior School Parent:

We have now completed our first full week of school, and are slowly but surely settling into our daily routines.  I have had the pleasure of visiting each classroom throughout the week. Your daughters are learning, having fun, and it is already becoming difficult to distinguish between our “new” and returning students.

In prayers, and in our Primary assembly this week, we have continued to emphasize the importance to:

BE KIND

BE SAFE

ASK QUESTIONS 

As you head into the weekend, I encourage you to engage your daughter in why these things are important to our community, and how they set us all up for a more successful school experience. 

Finally, we welcome back our Grade 6 students this afternoon, as they return from a 2-night, 3-day excursion to Camp Onondaga, where they learned about their role as leaders in the Junior School this year! The pictures they sent to us leave no doubt what a fantastic time they had. Check our Havergal’s Instagram and Facebook pages to learn more.

Yours sincerely,

Kate White

In this message, read about:

Math Academy for Parents

Session 1a – SK to Grade 3 . 9 am – 11 am 

This session focuses on fundamental math concepts of visual spatialization, quantity and unit, which is the foundation of your daughter’s mathematics program, this year.  A handout will be provided to be used at home.

Session 1b – Grades 4 to 6 . 1pm-3pm 

This session focuses on fundamental math concepts of visual spatialization, quantity and unit, which is the foundation of your daughter’s mathematics program, this year.  A handout will be provided to be used at home.

Sign-up for Math Academy for Parents

Day 9: Friday, September 20, 2019

This year Day 9s will continue to offer a diverse, curriculum-based program for our students. All parents/guardians will receive an Email from our Vice Principal of Student Engagement and Experiential Development with the itinerary and (if necessary) excursion confirmation links for this September 20th Day 9.

To those new to the Junior School, we want to introduce you to the purpose and intended outcomes of Day 9 so that we can all share the understanding of Day 9s as unique opportunities to have your child engage in their own learning. To this end, future Day 9 programs are determined organically as our academic program unfolds. We also invite all of you to support this strategic initiative in specific ways. To learn more click on the following link:

 Purpose of Day 9

Finally, to learn even more about Day 9: Watch this VIDEO.

Celebration Saturday

September 28, 2019: 9 am to 1 pm

Mark your calendar: Saturday, September 28 is Celebration Saturday, an event that raises funds to support Havergal’s Community Partners and brings together students, parents, Old Girls, faculty, and staff for activities and games. For parents new to Havergal, this is a wonderful day to interact with members of the entire community. Feel free to bring your extended family and friends—everyone is welcome. The fun will begin at 9 am in the South Quad. Enjoy cookiegrams, a bake sale, inflatable activities, midway games, a haunted house, and food carts.

***We remind you to bring cash to the event so you can enjoy and partake in these fun activities!***

Other highly anticipated activities include:

  • Online Auction
    • The online auction will go live on Wednesday, September 25 at 5 p.m. and will close on Celebration Saturday at 11:30 a.m. The link to the site with instructions will be posted soon.
    • Items can be picked up on Saturday starting at 12 pm in the Ellen Knox Library.
  • Vendors’ Market
    • Over 30 vendors will be selling everything from jewelry to accessories to food. Swing by to shop to your hearts’ content and see what these vendors have donated to the online auction.
  •  Farmers’ Market
    • Last year we re-introduced the Farmers’ Market and it was such a resounding success that we are expanding it. A cornucopia of fresh vegetables and fruit grown here in Ontario will be available. More information to follow.
  •  Vintage Clothing Sale
    • Do you have clothes in your closet that you no longer wear, such as sweaters, shirts, ties, dresses? This year we will be having a vintage clothing sale for women and men’s clothing. Bring in your old clothes and perhaps buy some new ones! All clothing items that are not sold at Celebration Saturday will be donated to New Circles Community Services, a long-standing Community Partner.
  •   Book, CD and DVD Drive
    • We welcome you to bring your new or gently used books, CDs and DVDs to the Upper School Rotunda or the Junior School Learning Hub.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kipper

Rev. Douglas would like to invite interested girls whose families mark Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur in their homes to prepare a message for Prayers on Thursday, September 26th.

We will be working on the message next week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday during the lunch hour and long recess.  Girls are to meet Rev. Douglas outside the library with their lunches.
If your daughter is interested, please email Rev. Douglas at sdouglasbowman@havergal.on.ca, so she can follow-up in person with the students.
Parents and grandparents are warmly invited to join us for this event, following which there will be a simple reception for parents in the library.

Junior School Volunteer Opportunity

The Junior School Admission office is looking for volunteers to be part of the Welcome Committee. The Welcome Committee give tours of the Junior School and help out at Admission events. This committee is a great way to get involved at HC and no experience is necessary!  It is a wonderful way for you to share your Havergal stories and experience with families going through the admission process.

If you would like to get involved, please sign up at the link below and join us at 8:30 am on September 24th  in the Learning Hub for an information and training session.

https://forms.gle/zumkRdBq5osK5ahU8

Thanks so much and we hope to see you there!

Hilary and Amy

Spotlight on the Family Handbook

Each week, we will be featuring a different section of the Family Handbook that is particularly important for the Junior School community.  This week, we are shining the spotlight on the use of cell phones in the Junior School.

Cell Phones in the Junior School

If your daughter brings a cell phone to school, she is not permitted to use it during the day, unless given permission by a teacher. Therefore, her phones should be off and kept in her backpack or locker. If your daughter needs to contact you during the day, she can use the school phone in the office or ask a teacher to use a classroom phone. Students found using a cell phone during the school day will be asked to bring it to the office, where it can be picked up at the end of the day. Students are only permitted to use their cell phone during dismissal, with the purpose of calling a parent or caregiver. These calls must be made in the front office.

To read the full Family Handbook:  CLICK HERE

Athletics

We have had a fantastic start up to Havergal Athletics. 

I have reopened the Fall Athletic online registration so that if your daughter has a change of heart and would like to participate in Cross Country Team, Squad Teams or Squads please registrar online. I will leave this registration open until Sept 20th. 

Good Luck to the Cross Country team on their first meet this Wednesday. 

Squad and Squad teams start the week of Sept 23rd. 

Practice, Squad and tryout schedule 

Below are the schedules for the Teams:

U11 Bball Team – Ms. Szolopiak & Mme. Rizzo

U12 Bball Team – Coach Alonzo & Ms. Coleman

U12 Soccer Team – Coach Segev & Mr. Webb

U12 Swim Team – Ms. Campbell & Rev. Douglas

U12 Cross Country Team – Mme. Gareau, Ms. Murphy, Ms. Bartlett & Ms. Carayannis

U9 Cross Country Squad – Ms. Lockington, Ms. Rodd & Ms. Bartlett

Frequently used Links

For information directly related to your daughter’s class, please be sure to visit the parent portal: Veracross Login

http://www.facebook.com/HavergalCollege
http://www.twitter.com/HavergalCollege
http://www.youtube.com/HavergalCollege

Next week in the Junior School

Monday, September 16 (Day 8)

  • 8:30 – 8:55 am: JS Prayers
  • 3:30 – 4:45 pm: U12 Basketball (JS Gym)
  • 3:30 – 4:45 pm: U12 Soccer Tryouts (lower Pitch)

Tuesday, September 17 (Day 1)

  • 7:00 – 8:00 am: Swim Team (pool)
  • 7:20 – 8:00 am: Cross Country (Lower Pitch)
  • 8:30 8:55 am: JS Prefects practice 2019-2020 School Cheer with Gr.1-6
  • 3:30 – 4:45 pm: U12 Soccer (Lower pitch)

Wednesday, September 18 (Day 2)

  • 8:25 – 8:55 am: Gr. 1-3 Daily Physical Activity (Gym)
  • 8:25 – 8:55 am: Gr. 4-6 Code of Conduct Assembly (Learning Hub)
  • 11:15 am: Cross Country Team dismissed to SAC
  • 11:50 – 12:20 am: Cookies and Conversation (Learning Hub)
  • 3:30 – 4:45 pm: u11 Basketball (JS Gym)
  • 4:30 pm: Cross Country Team return

Thursday, September 19 (Day 3)

** JS Photo Day – students to wear #1 dress **

  • 8:30 – 8:55 am: JK – Grade 6 Evacuation Drill Assembly (No prayers!)
  • 9:00 – 3:00 pm: JS Photo Day Schedule
  • 12:20 – 12:50 pm: Gr. 6 Council Captain Meeting (Learning Hub/Art Room)
  • 3:30 – 4:45 pm: U11 Basketball (US Gym C)
  • 3:30 – 4:45 pm: U12 Basketball (US Gym A/B)

Friday, September 20 (Day 9)

** Day 9 Special Schedule **

Day 9 Excursions;

  • 8:30 – 9:15 am: JK – Gr.6 Author Visit
  • JK/SK: Art Barn Workshops
  • Gr. 1 & 2: Highpark
  • Gr. 3: Toronto Island
  • Gr. 4: ZimArt’s Rice Lake Gallery
  • Gr. 5: McMichael Gallery
  • Gr. 6: Communities in Toronto

Important Dates on the Horizon

Sept 28: Celebration Saturday (8:30 – 1:00 pm)

Oct 11: Harvest Festival (8:30 – 10:15 am)

Oct 14: Thanksgiving (School Closed)

Oct 24: Parent-Teacher Conferences (4:00 – 7:30 pm)

Oct 25: Parent-Teacher Conferences (8:00 – 3:00 pm)

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