"Hawthorn School partners with parents to form well-rounded young women grounded in the Catholic faith. Through personalized attention, each student excels in academics and character. Students take on leadership roles as emcees and club leaders, managing budgets, building entrepreneurial skills, and participating in an international exchange program in Spain. Sixty-five percent of last year’s graduates earned engineering scholarships to the University of Toronto. All receive offers from their university of choice."
Some families who knew little about Hawthorn attended our Upper School Closing Ceremony, and commented how confident our students are. These families remarked how loud the cheering and applause were as students were going on stage to receive their awards. The Hawthorn guests said, “Only confident girls cheer for others. The insecure are jealous of others’ achievements.” Another parent said, “Hawthorn doesn’t just reward academic success. Students are accepted for who they are because they are also recognized for different virtues.” Hawthorn's school play was entirely student-led. Students bought the script, held auditions, fundraised, directed, made the costumes, etc. The play was not just great entertainment. It was also an opportunity to reach out to lonely seniors because one student had the idea to invite seniors from a residence to watch the play for free. Our younger students greeted the seniors and served them coffee and pastries. The seniors said, "We felt like royalty."
To maintain our personalized educational approach, we have deliberately chosen to keep our school community small. This decision limits the number of students we can accept, ensuring that each young woman receives the individualized attention and mentorship that distinguishes our program. The tradeoff involves allocating resources towards maintaining low student-to-faculty and student-to-mentor ratios, which may mean fewer large-scale facilities or programs. However, this focus allows us to uphold our commitment to a holistic education grounded in Catholic values, prioritizing character development alongside academic excellence. We believe these tradeoffs are essential to preserving the quality and integrity of the Hawthorn experience.
The establishment of Hawthorn School for Girls in 1989 marked the beginning of our journey towards providing a unique educational experience for young women. Over the years, our adoption of a classical liberal arts curriculum inspired by Catholic values has been a defining moment, setting the foundation for our character-focused education. The development of our mentorship program further distinguished our approach, emphasizing individualized attention and fostering personal growth. Additionally, our strategic partnerships with programs like Toastmasters have enhanced our students' public speaking and leadership skills. These pivotal decisions have shaped Hawthorn into a nurturing environment where students thrive academically and personally.
A student who thrives at Hawthorn School for Girls is one who is eager to engage in a holistic educational experience that emphasizes both academic excellence and character development. She is curious, motivated, and open to exploring a liberal arts curriculum enriched by Catholic values. A good fit is a student who appreciates personalized attention and is willing to actively participate in mentorship opportunities. She values a supportive community and is enthusiastic about contributing to the school culture through extracurricular activities, community service, and leadership initiatives. Ultimately, she is a young woman who seeks to develop her unique gifts while embracing intellectual challenges and personal growth.
While we strive to accommodate diverse needs, there are circumstances where Hawthorn School for Girls might not align with a family's expectations. If a student seeks a very large school environment with numerous facilities or programs, our intimate setting may not meet her desires. Our focus on a classical liberal arts curriculum, inspired by Catholic values, may not be suitable for those preferring a different educational philosophy or a secular approach. If a family prioritizes competitive sports programs over our well-rounded athletics and house system, they might find our offerings limited. Additionally, if a student requires highly specialized resources that exceed what we can provide within our personalized approach, we would advise seeking an alternative that better addresses those needs. Our goal is to ensure that each student thrives, and a good fit is crucial for a fulfilling experience.
Visitors to Hawthorn are often struck by the maturity, eloquence, and generosity of Hawthorn students. When a 15-year-old student was asked to name one good thing that she had done recently, she said, "Put school work behind my family. For the past few years, I was so caught up with trying to balance my school work and family time. Now I realize that one will be there forever if I want it to be and the other will not." This same student also mentioned how her faith has grown since attending Hawthorn: "When I was little, I would see my parents and the people around me being very consistent with their faith. But as a little girl, I always thought that Sunday Mass was the only way for me to grow in my faith. Attending Hawthorn has changed my whole perspective on faith. For example, something that I have known for a really long time but I just realized is that serving and loving others really shows that we are loving God above all else."
At Hawthorn's Closing Ceremony we stop for a moment and honour students for something more than academics, more than sports, more than scholarships. Recognition is given to students for displaying virtue at various times during the school year. Because we believe that a true education goes beyond grades. It’s about who one is as a person. Parents have commented that the best part of Hawthorn's ceremonies is not the recitation of names for the Honour Roll and other awards but the explanation of how students have lived various virtues. One student was recognized for the virtue of fortitude as follows: "This young lady is unstoppable. She got hit in the head while performing on stage but stitches and lack of sleep from waiting hours in the Emergency Department didn’t stop her from performing in the play the following afternoon. She may be small but she’s a powerhouse."
We respect the shared goals of our students and their families. We pride ourselves not only on preparing the girls for a postsecondary education, with a 100% university acceptance rate, but also on helping them to succeed in their life’s path – no matter what it may be. Our curriculum provides cultural literacy, critical reasoning skills, and aid in the growth of virtue, in a smaller school environment that allows teachers and mentors to know every girl, their personal interests and abilities.
One of the ways that we keep making a difference is by listening and changing, but not only the requirements of an increasingly competitive and complex world – but by listening to and working together with parents. Hawthorn was founded upon the principal belief that parents are the primary educators of their children, and our commitment to educate together in partnership with them, is part of what continues to make Hawthorn different.
Hawthorn is implementing the REAL (Real Excellence and Attitude for Life) Character Education program which promotes an engaging and compelling case for young people to live a life of virtue, grow in character strength, improve their well-being, and ultimately live happier and more balanced lives. Katrina Alvir, the creator of REAL, says: "Excellent students need a strong character, and likewise strong characters are forged through effort in academic endeavours, creativity, sports, social life and service to the community." Through engaging, meaningful, and practical workshops, journaling, and discussions, we will continue to lead girls towards discovering the truth in Aristotle's timeless conviction: 'Happiness is the reward of virtue.'
In the next five years, Hawthorn School for Girls will continue to evolve while staying true to our core values of academic excellence and character education. We plan to further integrate technology into our curriculum, enhancing digital literacy and preparing students for the demands of a rapidly changing world. Our mentorship program will expand, offering more personalized support and fostering stronger connections between students and mentors.
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