Belonging
Agility
Responsibility
COMMITTED TO
Belonging, Agility, Responsibility
ENA HARROP HEAD OF SCHOOL
The 2024 – 2025 school year marked the second year of implementation of our strategic plan, Thriving in Possibility. Throughout this time, I found myself reflecting on how well our three commitments— Belonging, Agility, and Responsibility— were helping us navigate both opportunities and challenges. While these three concepts have always been at the heart of CHS throughout our long history, they seem to have acquired an additional relevance in the times we live in.
Amidst the speed of technological change, its impact on society, and the increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape, it is essential that, as a School, we put front and centre what makes us truly human and what every person needs to thrive. Only if we do so will we be able to serve well our students, staff, families, alumnae and our broader community. At the heart of human flourishing are three fundamental needs that have remained unchanged since the beginning of evolution: a sense of connection, a sense of agency, and a sense of hope. Or, in other words, belonging, agility, and responsibility.
This is the reason why, as the School continues to shift to reflect new realities, we will hold on firmly to our belief in the power of relationships, the joy of learning, and the importance of contributing meaningfully to the greater good. More than ever before, we need our students to build a better future for all. This means giving them the confidence and the competence to lead with courage and compassion, to appreciate complexity, and to approach difference with curiosity and without fear. To deliver on the promise of women’ s agency for a better world, we need our students to be leaders who understand the importance of belonging, agility, and responsibility.
In this fifth edition of The Ivy magazine, you’ ll find examples of how our three commitments came to life at the School last year— from fostering belonging through student leadership, to building agility through teacher research, the Work Experience Program, and student metacognition, to embracing responsibility through an evolved outdoor education program and continued investment in financial assistance.
These are just a few examples. You know, like I do, that there are a multitude of other ways these commitments come to life on campus every day. Many of these moments are captured in the images inside this magazine— from parent volunteer activities and alumnae events to student productions, graduation celebrations, Learning Together sessions, and athletic achievements.
I hope you will enjoy looking back over the 2024 – 2025 school year and that you will take pride in everything we achieved. I certainly do, and I continue to feel immensely privileged to be part of a community so deeply committed to girl-centred education.
Belonging
A culture that foster community and a strong sense of connection.
Agility
Approaches that promote personal growth, resilience, and school improvement.
Responsibility
Practices and partnerships that ensure social responsibility and stewardship.
Look for this icon designating an article as a deeper dive into one of our commitments.
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