Branksome Hall News

In the final episode of Season 1 of PrincipalED, Grace McCallum welcomes Hayley AvRUSKIN’87— Branksome Hall alum, long-serving school counsellor, dedicated coach and co-founder of Let’s Grow Learning and Living Hub for adults with complex disabilities.

In the latest episode of PrincipalED, Grace McCallum sits down with Senior & Middle School Science teacher Mujib Ahmadiy as he reflects on his extraordinary journey—from his childhood in Afghanistan to his meaningful years in the classroom, including time spent in Nunavut and, most recently, his two years at Branksome Hall.

As we get ready to celebrate Graduation today, we want to congratulate our Class of 2025. GYs, while your time at Branksome is almost at its end, you have made such an incredible impact on our school and community. You have distinguished yourselves in the classroom, through your co-curricular activities, community engagement and in your university placements. You are well-positioned for your next exciting chapter and we could not be happier for each one of you.

Congratulations to Amanda Kennedy, Deputy Principal, who is leaving Branksome Hall after 14 years of warm-hearted, impactful leadership to join Holy Trinity School, an independent, co-educational, university preparatory institution located in Richmond Hill, as their new Head of School. Amanda’s last day at Branksome will be June 30.

This year is the Class of 2020's first Reunion, so we're catching up with what they've been up to leading up to the event in May. This week, we’re talking with Katie KOSCHE’20 all about their academic and outdoor adventures!

For episode four of the PrincipalED podcast, Principal Grace McCallum is joined by the inspirational Lori-Ann Muenzer, a two-time Olympian, Canada’s first Olympic gold medalist in cycling and a proud inductee into three Halls of Fame.

On Saturday, April 5, 2025, Branksome Hall’s very own Grade 12 student Helen Ziomecki was crowned overall winner of the 2025 World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships (WIDPSC), held this year in Kuala Lumpur. It was a moment of déjà vu in the best way as Helen’s win comes only one year after Branksome’s Anna GAGE’24 brought home the trophy at the 2024 WIDPSC competition in Australia. This back-to-back win is not only a testament to the dedication and calibre of Branksome’s debate students and coaches, but it is also an historic achievement for the school. Only three other schools in the history of the competition have had consecutive Worlds champions—and all of them have been Canadian—which is truly a testament to the deep commitment to and belief in the value of debate and public speaking in this country’s schools.

The PrincipalED podcast has officially dropped its second episode, “Hockey Day with the Branksome Highlanders,” featuring a candid conversation with Branksome Hall’s very own hockey stars.

Behind the glossy and now digital pages of Branksome Hall’s literary and arts magazine, Perennial, lies a dedicated team of student leaders, each playing a vital role in showcasing the school's creative talent. This year, Senior Communications Editor Emma, Senior Arts Editor Sylvia and Senior Writing Editor Naomi, along with their three junior editors, are offering a glimpse into the inner workings of this beloved publication, which is celebrating its 30th year!

A new Branksome Hall podcast, PrincipalED: Conversations with Grace McCallum, launched today—an exciting first for the school and its host, Branksome’s Principal Grace McCallum. Released just seven months into McCallum’s first year, the podcast spotlights the future of girls’ education and the people who are invested in advancing it, taking listeners inside the halls of the school for candid conversations with educators, students, friends of Branksome and experts in their fields.

Branksome’s halls were filled with good luck and fortune on January 29, 2025 when the school hosted its Lunar New Year celebrations in the Athletics and Wellness Centre. It was a day to remember, with crafts and activities for families, mesmerizing performances by students and a delicious dinner of traditional foods to ring in the year of the Wood Snake.