Dear Junior School Families,

It was so much fun to have all of our students, faculty and staff dress up for Halloween on Tuesday! We know how much they look forward to this special day, and were thrilled to be able to participate in a variety of activities to celebrate together.

Today, we had the opportunity to learn more about the Festival of Diwali, from some of our  students who celebrate this in their families. Diwali is the festival of lights that originated in India. It is one of the major festivals celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddists, and other religions based in India. Even though the meaning of the celebration may be different, the enthusiasm, and joy it brings to people’s lives is what binds everyone together. While the story varies from place to place, people together learn to rejoice in the inner light of their lives. Be sure to check our Havergal’s social media pages to see photos!

A reminder that we will have our Mid-Term November Break next week. Students will have school on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. They will return to school on Tuesday, November 14. We hope our students have a wonderful holiday!

Warmly,

Kate White

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

• New Junior School Playscape!
• How You Can Help to Reduce the Spread of Respiratory Viruses this Fall and Winter
• Green and Gold Shop Hour Next Week
• Making Changes to Your Child’s Attendance and Arrival/Dismissal Schedule
• Dressing for Outdoor Play
• Junior School Parent-Teacher Interviews 
• Winter Co-Curriculars – Registration Opened Today!
• Fall Co-Curriculars
• Notes from the HCPA
• What’s On the Menu This Week
• Your Child’s Personalized Calendar
• Key Dates on the Horizon

Latest News

New Junior School Playscape!  

We are excited to announce that the Junior School will be getting a new outdoor playscape later this fall! Thanks to the generosity and commitment of our donor community, this new play structure will not only support play, discovery and learning but also provide an inclusive space for children of all abilities and serve as a gathering place to build friendships. 

Faculty, academic leaders and our Facilities department have collaborated with designers to create a structure that facilitates open-ended, creative play and complements our natural landscape. Some key features include: 

• Wood and engineered wood fibre composed of sustainable materials;
• Slides, bridges, ramps, a tunnel, rings and flat spaces; and
• 2,400 square feet in size. 

The playscape will be situated at the edge of Lower Pitch, adjacent to the Lisa Hardie Trail and neighbouring woodlands. Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-November and will take approximately six weeks to complete. All construction zones will be fully fenced, enclosed and signed appropriately for safety purposes and our Facilities Director will be monitoring the project.

Please note that there will be no impact on Junior School athletics, co-curriculars or academics during construction of the playscape. Lower Pitch will remain open for use and both recess and lunch will proceed as usual outdoors. 

We look forward to having an exciting new outdoor space for our students to enjoy! 

How You Can Help to Reduce the Spread of Respiratory Viruses this Fall and Winter

Reduce virus spread

• Stay home if sick or have symptoms of being sick, even if they are mild.
• Use the TPH screening questionnaire or the provincial COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool before attending school or work if there are symptoms of illness.
• Clean hands often.
• Cover their cough or sneeze with a tissue or their elbow.
• Wear a well-fitted, high-quality mask in crowded indoor settings with poor ventilation, especially if at higher risk of getting very sick

Get the updated COVID-19 and flu vaccine this fall

• Both vaccines are important to prevent serious illness.
• The updated COVID-19 vaccine targets the XBB variant and will better protect from the variants spreading now and long-COVID.
• Everyone six months and older can get the updated COVID-19 vaccine and flu vaccine starting October 30^th, 2023 at:
  • Toronto Public Health fixed-site vaccination clinics. Book an appointment at TPHbookings.ca. Only one appointment is needed to get both vaccines.
  • Participating pharmacies or health care provider’s office.

Visit toronto.ca/health to learn more about: Respiratory Viruses: Information for Parents & Caregivers

Green & Gold Shop Hours Next Week

• The Green & Gold Shop will be closed on Wednesday, November 8, and Thursday, November 9.

REMINDERS

Making Changes to Your Child’s Attendance and Arrival/Dismissal Schedule

The Junior School Office (JSO) is requesting parents/guardians to use Student Logistics Requests on the Parent Portal to update all attendance matters, including full day absence(s), late arrivals, early dismissals, as well as leaving early/returning to campus. As well as updating Veracross please kindly email your child’s teacher.

Please click here to see a parent guide for using the Student Logistics Requests.

Thank you kindly for your support.

Dressing For Outdoor Play

With the colder weather now here, please ensure that your child comes to school with the appropriate clothing so that they can enjoy their time outdoors. 

A reminder that students are permitted to wear Havergal “Spirit Wear,” such as HC plaid lounge pants or sweatpants. These can be a great option, as an extra layer of warmth,   when they come to school, or go out at recess, before we get into “snowsuit” season. They are NOT, however, permitted to wear these items in class, or during the regular school day.  

Junior School Parent-Teacher Interviews 

The first Junior School Parent/Teacher Conferences of the school year will take place virtually via Zoom on:

• Thursday, November 16 from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm 
  • There will be an early dismissal on this day
    • JK- Gr. 3: 1:30-1:45 pm
    • Gr.4-6: 1:45-2:00 pm
    • Gator Care will run from 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm; billing begins at 2:00 pm and be sure to register for Gator Care by Monday, November 13th, so that we can ensure we have the appropriate staffing.
• Friday, November 17 from 8:00am – 3:00pm 
  • Please note there are NO CLASSES or Co-Curriculars on this day

Havergal’s online booking system – PickAtime

The online conference booking system used by Havergal College is called PickAtime. 

PickAtime is now open and CLOSES: Thursday, November 9 at 6:00 pm

• Once you have finished booking your appointments; the Zoom link will appear 
• If you have any last changes, please contact Sarah Robertson (srobertson@havergal.on.ca) 

Please note:

• CLICK HERE  to sign into your pickAtime account with your password.
• If you do not have a pickAtime account, please create a pickAtime link in advance of the online opening. 
• Please be sure to select the “Junior School” option in the drop down menu (not the “Upper School” or “Green and Gold”).

Need any Further Help?

For assistance with pickAtime, please contact the IT Service Desk at servicedesk@havergal.on.ca (416) 483-3843 ext. 6663 and they will assist you. Their hours of operation are from Monday – Friday 7:30 am to 5 pm.

Winter Co-Curriculars

Please note:

• All registration for clubs, arts and athletics can be done in the “Registration” section of the Parent Portal. Here is the:  JS Winter Co-Curricular Catalogue for your review
• Registration is now open and can be found on the parent portal. 
• Registration will close on Tuesday, November 14th at 8:00am.  
• Clubs and Arts programming begin the week of January 15. 
• Most athletic programming begins the week of November 14th.
  •  Please reference the JS Athletics Schedule for more information.

Clubs and Arts 

• Questions? Please contact: srobertson@havergal.on.ca 

Fall Athletics

We wrapped up fall athletics last Monday with our U12 XCountry finals. Congratulations to Elle D, Vanessa R, Leigh S and Viviana S who all placed in the top 10. A special shout out to our very own Charlotte G who placed 1st out of 133 runners! 

In case you missed it, these pictures are taken by our professional photographer who captures the moments and the spirit that the students display.
Fall Athletic Photographs. 

NOTES FROM THE HCPA

Ivy Market – Tuesday, November 21 

Use the links below to purchase tickets:

• Cocktail Party Tickets
• Gingerbread House & Lucky Draw Tickets

Use the links below to contribute baked goods, or to volunteer at the Bake Sale:

• Sign Up to Contribute Baked Goods
• Sign Up to Volunteer 

HCPA Marketplace

The HCPA Marketplace is now online—get your holiday shopping done early! 

• View Marketplace Catalog 
• Place Your Order 

HCPA Coffee Mornings at HC – For Parents, By Parents (Grades 4 – 6; Friday, December 1)

We look forward to seeing you for coffee and conversation in the beautiful Old Girls BioWall/Student Commons space at the Upper School from 8:00 to 9:30 am. 

(RSVP – hcpa.parentevents@gmail.com).

WHAT’S ON THE MENU NEXT WEEK

• JS Menu for November 6 – November 8 

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 

Tuesday, November 7

• Remembrance Day Prayers (8:30 am – 9:00 am in the JS Gym)

Thursday, November 9 – Monday, November 13

• November Break – No Classes
• Thursday, November 9 – Professional Development Day for Faculty

Tuesday, November 14 

• Classes Resume

Thursday, November 16

• Parent Teacher Interviews 3 pm – 7:00 pm 
• Early Dismissal
  • JK- Gr. 3: 1:30-1:45 pm
  • Gr.4-6: 1:45-2:00 pm

Friday, November 17

• Parent Teacher Interviews (8:00 am – 3:00 pm)
• No Classes

Tuesday, November 21

• Ivy Market & Cocktail Party

Friday, December 1 (8:00 am – 9:30 am at the Upper School Bio Wall)

•  HCPA Coffee Morning for Parents by Parents in Grades 4 to 6