Inspired by Extraordinary Women
Hawthorn School is built on a house system that shapes the fabric of our close-knit community from kindergarten to Grade 12. Every fall, new students are inducted into one of our four houses of which they remain a member of throughout their Hawthorn years. Each house is named after an extraordinary, inspirational woman who has had a significant impact in the world and who exemplifies the qualities that we wish to see in our graduates.
CURIE HOUSE
“We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves.”
Curie House is named after Marie Curie, whose contributions to physics and chemistry led her to become the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. Her relentless resolve and insatiable curiosity made her an icon in the world of modern science. Indefatigable despite a career of physically demanding and ultimately fatal work, she discovered polonium and radium, championed the use of radiation in medicine, and fundamentally changed our understanding of radioactivity.
FRANK HOUSE
“I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything, I believe people are really good at heart.”
Frank House is named after Anne Frank, one of the best known of Holocaust victims. Her renowned Diary of a Young Girl traces her family’s two years in hiding during the WWII German occupation of the Netherlands and is a classic of war literature, remaining an important account of the treatment that Jewish people suffered at the hands of the Nazis. A testament to her persecution, adversity, and struggle, Anne’s writing has made her an international symbol of faith and courage.
NIGHTINGALE HOUSE
“I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse.”
Nightingale House is named after Florence Nightingale, founder of the first nursing school in London, transformer of healthcare, and virtual mentor to millions of nurses in the world. Prolific author on nursing, hospital management, and feminism, her most famous work, Notes on Nursing, is still used widely today. Her lifelong campaign for improved sanitary conditions in hospitals made her a legend in her own lifetime and one of the most famous women in history.
TUBMAN HOUSE
“We will not be paralyzed by fear.”
Tubman House is named after Harriet Tubman, an escaped enslaved woman who became a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, leading enslaved people to freedom before the American Civil War, all while carrying a bounty on her head. An abolitionist and a women’s suffrage supporter, she is one of the most recognized icons in history and her legacy of freedom fighting, civil rights activism, and heroic leadership has inspired countless people from every race and background.