Beyond the Classroom

Haverford has numerous opportunities that allow students to develop leadership capacity. The Honor Council affords students the opportunity to take ownership of the School’s disciplinary process and develop education initiatives that inform the community about pertinent honor related issues. The Character Mentorship Program is a group devoted to building relationships with younger students and facilitating the personal reflection of students who break the Honor Code.

A group of sixth form leaders, The Signet Society, organizes School-wide community gatherings, spirit days, and orientation programming for third form students. Student Council is an active group that plans social events and addresses important student life issues. A group of fifth and sixth formers are leaders of Peer Counseling, a group devoted to discussing social-emotional issues and developing basic counseling techniques that provide resources for students in navigating peer relationships.

In order to cultivate a strong sense of connection among students there is time built into each day to gather and build community spirit. Depending on the day of the week, these gatherings may include the entire Upper School or may be smaller meetings of forms, advisories, or clubs. The division-wide gatherings typically consist of a student or faculty reflection, outside speaker, community service presentation, or a School spirit related activity.

Smaller form meetings are a time for students to build relationships with members of their grade by discussing pertinent community issues and participating in other activities that build a sense of inclusion and attachment.

Lead by a faculty member, the advisory period is a more intimate time for students to meet in mixed grade groups of 7-10 students. In addition to advisory being an informal period of time to gather for fun and fellowship, the faculty advisor also provides academic and non-academic guidance designed to support a student’s overall experience at Haverford.