A Message From The Head of the Junior School – Friday, February 21

On By havergaljuniorschool

Dear Junior School Families,

Welcome back after the Family Day Long Weekend. It has been a snow-filled and chilly winter wonderland over the last couple of weeks, and it has been so lovely to see our students playing outside. We are excited to bring out some new winter recess equipment next week, so that they can participate in some creative play and building. We are excited to see what they come up with!

A friendly reminder to please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the cold weather, so that they can fully enjoy the outdoors.

Warmly,

Kate

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

Latest News

Reminders

LATEST NEWS

Spring Catalogue for Athletics and Clubs Available for Viewing 

We are excited to share the Spring Catalogue for our Athletic and Club offerings with you! 

VIEW SPRING CATALOGUE HERE

Please note that the following about Registration:

  • OPENS: Friday, February 28th at 10am
  • CLOSES: Friday, March 7th at 8pm 

Student-Led Conferences Sign-Up (Grades 1 – 6)

As previously communicated, Student-Led Conferences have been scheduled for Friday, April 11, 2025 from 8:00 am – 12:00 pm. 

Please note:

  • Families will receive an email from me on Monday, to sign-up for our upcoming Student-Led Conferences.

As a Reminder:

  • Our goal, with Student-Led Conferences, is to empower students to take ownership of their learning, while fostering a meaningful dialogue between students and parents. This is part of our ongoing commitment to incorporate student voice and reflection into our parent-teacher conferences and formal reporting, a key initiative in our strategic plan.  
  • Student-Led Conferences offer an opportunity for students to highlight what they are currently learning in the classroom and to provide them with the chance to present their progress to you formally. 
  • Our hope is that these conferences will allow for rich, reflective conversations that highlight not only what your child has accomplished, but also the ways in which they are thinking about and growing in their learning. 

Optional Parent-Teacher Interviews (JK – Grade 6) – Virtual

Our teachers work closely with families to ensure parents are current on their child’s progress throughout the year, providing key insights and a plan for continued growth. When teachers have concerns or feedback about a child, they contact parents. Parents can also reach out to teachers to discuss their concerns at any time throughout the school year. 

Please note that, in addition to this, we have set the following times aside for those families wishing to have an extra touch-point after the report cards in March and the Grade 1-6 Student-Led Conferences in April to connect with teachers. 

  • Friday, April 11 (8:00 am – 2:00 pm) – JK and SK (with Homeroom Teachers Only) 
    • Please note that these interviews are with homeroom teachers only.  Should you wish to meet with a specialist teacher you are invited to book a time on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm. 
  • Wednesday, April 30 (4:00 pm – 7:00 pm) – JK & SK (Specialist Teachers); Grades 1 – 6 (Homeroom & Specialist Teachers)

We will provide a link to sign up for a meeting on Pick-A-Time in the coming weeks.

North York Harvest Food Bank Volunteer Opportunity

What better way to spend the March PD day than by spending time with your daughter(s) while lending a helping hand to one of our community partners? North York Harvest Food Bank is offering 10 parent/daughter spots (a total of 20 participants) on March 24 from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM for an active food sorting session. If you’d like to sign up, please contact Liz Watt (lwatt@havergal.on.ca) by Friday, March 7th, 2025.

REMINDERS

Pink Shirt Day – Wednesday, February 26 (Pink Shirt on TOP of regular uniform)

Students in JK to Grade 12 will be marking the importance of Pink Shirt Day on Wednesday, February 28th. All students in JK to Grade 12 are invited to wear a pink shirt on top of their uniform on this day.

Please visit the Pink Shirt Day Website to learn more!

CO-CURRICULARS

The catalogue for JS Athletics and Clubs is now available for viewing. Please see information in the “Latest News” section.

Registration will:

  • OPEN on Friday, February 28th at 10 am
  • CLOSE on Friday, March 7th at 8 pm 

Athletics

  • Good luck to the Volleyball teams and the Swim team with their Championship week!
    Please see the details as links in the JS Athletics Schedule. 

Clubs

WHAT’S ON THE MENU NEXT WEEK

NOTES FROM THE HCPA

Grade Socials

The Grade Evening socials are coming up!  Please see below some details and also the Evite links to RSVP.  We hope to see you all there!

  • Grade JK, SK, 1, 2 & 3: Thursday, February 27, 2025.7- 9 pm,  
  • Theme: Wine and Cheese
  • Evite: Click Here 

A-mazing Race

  • A-mazing Race! Save the date – Sunday, May 4. All Junior School students and an adult guest are invited to join us for the always popular A-mazing Race—more details coming soon!

HCPA 2025-26 Nomination

The 2025-26 Havergal College Parent Association (HCPA) nomination process will begin later this month. This is a great chance to get involved with the school and join our parent leadership team! Please check out the email that was sent out earlier this week with a list of open positions.

  • We encourage self-nominations and are committed to an open, transparent, and inclusive process. For more information, contact the HCPA Co-Chairs at hcpa.committee@gmail.com.
  • Join us for a hybrid Q&A on Monday, Feb 24, from 9-11 am in the JS Dining Room, or via Zoom:

HCPA Volunteering Video

  • Please click the images below to hear Alison Markowitz (HCPA Vice Chair) and Leah Li (HCPA WeChat Liaison) speak about their positive experiences volunteering with the HCPA:

HCPA’s Moms’ Night Out

  • Mark your calendars for the HCPA’s Moms’ Night Out (MNO) on Thursday, May 22. Watch for the official invitation in early April.

KEY DATES ON THE HORIZON

Tuesday, February 25

  • What Is Pink Shirt Day – Prayers (8:25 am – 8:50 am)

Wednesday, February  26

  • Pink Shirt Day (Students are invited to wear a pink shirt on top of their uniforms on this day)

Friday, March 7

  • Last Day of Classes

Monday, March 10 – Monday, March 24

  • March Break

Tuesday, March 25

  • Classes Resume for Students

Friday, April 11

  • JK & SK Parent Teacher Interviews (Homeroom Teachers Only)
  • Student-Led Conferences
    • NO CLASSES

Thursday, April 17 

  • Grandpals’ Day (10:00 am – 11:20 am)

Friday, April 18 

  • Easter Friday (No Classes)

Monday, April 21

  • Easter Monday (No Classes)

Wednesday, April 30 

  • Optional JS Parent-Teacher Interviews (4:00 pm – 7:00 pm Virtual)

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