A Welcome Message from the Head of the Junior School – Friday, September 15, 2023

On By havergaljuniorschool

Dear Junior School Families,

What a wonderful week it has been in  Junior School! We were delighted to have Dr. Samson give the message in Prayers on Tuesday, where she spoke about what a difference it can make when we choose to lift one another up, as opposed to putting others down. This is a theme that we will return to throughout the year. Our Athletics program is now fully underway, with this week seeing the start of participation in basketball, pickleball, soccer, swim, cross country, and multi-sport. We can’t wait to start with all of our clubs next week! Finally, it was such a pleasure to have so many families come out for our People and Program Night on Tuesday, where we had the opportunity to come together as a community, for all of you to meet your child(ren)’s teachers and to learn more about all that awaits them this year.  

For all those in our community who are celebrating Rosh Hashanah this weekend, we wish you a heartfelt Shana Tova.

Sincerely,

Kate

Today’s edition of “The Weekly” contains information on the following:

LATEST NEWS

Junior School Admission Ambassadors – Call for Volunteers

Although we have only just started the school year, the Admissions team is already looking ahead to September 2024! 

Beginning in early October, we will be offering Group Tours of the Junior School for prospective families, led by a group of committed parent volunteers. The tours will run on select Tuesdays and Thursdays each week at 9:00am, 10am and 1pm. Our Parent Ambassadors can sign up to give a tour according to their availability.

Our Parent Ambassadors play a crucial role in sharing the Havergal experience with prospective families. If you are interested in signing up to be a tour guide and joining our Parent Ambassador team for the upcoming school year, please sign up at this link.

We will be in contact with all volunteers to invite you to join us for a training session (with coffee!) on September 26th at 9am in the Junior School Dining Hall.

Thank you in advance for considering supporting our department as we work to share the Havergal Junior School experience with prospective community members.

If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Milligan in the Junior School Admission office (smilligan@havergal.on.ca).

REMINDERS

Labelling Your Child’s Belongings

With school now fully underway, it ESSENTIAL that all students belongings are labelled! This is especially important for all uniform items, jackets, water bottles and food containers. If unlabelled, it is incredibly difficult to have them returned to the proper owner.

Celebration Saturday Essential Information

We are so excited to see everyone at Celebration Saturday, which takes place on Saturday, September 23 from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm.  This event not only raises funds to support our Community Partners, but also brings together students, parents, Old Girls/Alum, faculty and staff for activities and games. All are welcome to attend and to contribute.

Attendance

  • Celebration Saturday is a community event for any and all that would like to attend!  While attendance is mandatory for students in Grades 4 – 12, students in JK – Grade 3 are highly encouraged to join in the fun! The more the merrier!

Purchasing Wristbands and Tickets 

  • Want to purchase tickets or wristbands in advance?
    • Click: HERE! Note the deadline for advanced tickets is Sunday, September 18!
    • All wristbands and tickets purchased in advance will be delivered to students in their classroom on Wednesday, September 20. If you have more than one daughter, it will be delivered to your oldest child’s class.
  • Wristbands and tickets will be available to purchase in person on September 23 but we would encourage everyone to buy ahead to avoid line-ups. 
  • Please note that this will primarily be a CASHLESS EVENT but some vendors and food trucks will accept cash.

Schedule

  • 9:00 AM Opening Ceremonies on Ratcliffe Field (students and their families are asked to come directly to the Ratcliffe field, rather than meeting at the Junior School, as has been done in the past.
  • 9:15 AM House Stalls, JS Activities, Inflatables, The Bazaar, Silent Auction open  (The fabulous hand painted Muskoka chairs that each Junior School grade created are sure to be hot items!)
  • 9:15 AM Gator Games begin
  • 10:00 AM Food trucks open for business
  • 11:00 AM HCPA Hotdog Hut starts serving
  • 11:30 AM Silent Auction closes
  • 12:45 PM Closing Ceremony on Ratcliffe Field
    •  Please note there is no official dismissal. Students will leave with parents.

What to Wear

  • Students are asked to come dressed in House Colours
  • Parents are encouraged to dress casually and comfortably

Supervision of Students

  • Primary girls (JK to Grade 3) must be accompanied by their parents.

Parking

  • There is extremely limited parking available at the school on this day.
  • Should you wish to drive, you may consider checking out Spot Angels which can assist in finding legal parking spots. 
  • We highly encourage everyone to explore alternative transportation options on this day, such as walking, biking, or taking public transit.

Green and Gold Shop’s Special Promotion in Support of Celebration Saturday

FALL CO-CURRICULARS

Athletics 

The gyms and fields were buzzing with excitement this week as Athletics started! All questions can be directed to the coach or if you’re not sure please email: abartlett@havergal.on.ca 

Clubs and Arts Start on Monday

  • To set your child up for success: please remind them about their after-school activities.
  • Questions? Please contact: srobertson@havergal.on.ca 

NOTES FROM THE HCPA

HC Spirit Wear – NEW!

Click here to purchase HC spirit wear: green and white fleeces, baseball hats and sideline coats!

WHAT’S ON THE MENU NEXT WEEK

YOUR CHILD’S PERSONALIZED CALENDAR

Use this link to see a personalized summary of your child’s activities next week, on the Parent Portal.

KEY DATES ON THE HORIZON 

Monday, September 25 – Friday, September 29

  • Acknowledgment of Truth and Reconciliation Week 
  • Friday, September 29 – Orange Shirt Day (students are invited to wear an orange shirt over their uniform)

Saturday, September 23

  • Celebration Saturday (9:00 am – 1:00 pm)

Thursday, October 5

  • Harvest Festival (9:00 am – 9:30 am)
  • Terry Fox Run (1:45 pm – 2:45 pm)

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