Sleep In, Hit the Slopes, Visit Vancouver – It’s Mid-Term Break!

Branksome's Junior School is buzzing with Olympic fever.

This Family Day, which occurs at the same time as our mid-term break at Branksome Hall, you will find me on the slopes spending the long weekend skiing with my son. The fact that this four-day weekend coincides with the opening of the Vancouver Olympics gives this year’s break a real punch, as most of us will either be glued to the TV for the opening ceremonies or, for the fortunate ones, attending this historical event in person!

All of our students have geared up with Olympic spirit in some way, thanks to the energy created around last week’s Spirit Week; Juliana Faircloth’s promotional Olympic videos in assembly; and our pending Branksome Olympic competitions, scheduled for next week!  Contributing to the excitement of the week, our Prefects handed out fortune cookies in assembly and the Residence Council organized celebrations in MacNeill House on Wednesday evening — so we could all share good food and warm wishes for Chinese New Year!

Grade 10s drumming their Spirit Week cheer.

For our residence students who are not able to join their families this weekend due to longdistance, one way that we help them stay connected is through the new Residence Blog on our password-protected website. There, Senior Residence Don Chevon Cragg writes about the girls’ experiences at Branksome, including their home-away-from home “family life.” The blog simply gives another perspective of life at Branksome while the girls themselves continue to connect with their families through regular e-mails, phone calls and Skype.

Wherever you may be this weekend, be it in Toronto, Vancouver or around the world, I wish you a happy mid-term break and a wonderful Family Day 2010!