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Grade 10 Student Wins Silver in Table Tennis at the Pan Am Championships

For Gina, the eight years of table tennis she’s played have really paid off—at the recent Pan American Championships, in November in Lima, Peru, she finished in the silver medal position on the podium.
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Branksome Launches Student-Run Newspaper, The Elm Editor

Branksome's newest newspaper, The Elm Editor, has hit screens all across the school. Co-editors Vita and Sophie, both in Grade 12, have been working to make this dream a reality, and finally, The Elm Editor is here.
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Grade 11 Debaters Make it to Final Round at British Parliamentary Championships and Finish Fourth Nationally

They’ve done it again. Grade 11 student debaters Hao and Elizabeth competed at the recent National British Parliamentary Championships, an incredibly competitive tournament with the best teams in the country vying for coveted spots in the finals.
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Little Women Production a Labour of Love for Grade 11 and 12 Theatre Students

After weeks of preparation, it’s almost here. Branksome’s Senior School Theatre Ensemble will get the chance to stand in the spotlight during the upcoming screenings of their production of Little Women.
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National Coalition of Girls' Schools Symposium explores impact of societal transformations on girls’ learning and teaching

Could there be a more inspired and timely way to illustrate one woman’s journey toward, as she put it, “stepping up and standing out?” The day before Marci Ien was to speak at a keynote session of the National Coalition of Girls' School’s (NCGS) Virtual Educating Girls Symposium, she learned she’d been appointed to the federal cabinet by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and will serve as Canada’s new Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth.
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Noodle Pitch Grand Prize Will Charge Teens’ ‘Happiness Battery’

The second annual crash course in entrepreneurship, courtesy of Branksome Hall’s Noodle Pitch Competition, came to a close this week. In just 38 weeks, four student teams built a company from the ground up, complete with online shops and revenue—no small feat.

… and, this year’s winning venture is Happiness Battery.
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Branksome Student Earns Prestigious Diploma and Medal in Piano

Grade 12 student Catherine has trained for years for this moment. With dedication and practice, she recently earned an Associate Diploma (ARCT) from The Royal Conservatory of Music, a prestigious achievement requiring the completion of many levels of theory, history and performance tests.
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Senior Girls’ Basketball Team Victorious at CISAA Championship

“We have played basketball together since we were kids,” said Senior Girls’ Basketball Team Captain and Sports Prefect Blair about fellow co-Captain Caitlin.

All that practice has paid off, as the team recently won the Canadian Independent Schools Athletics Association (CISAA) Senior Girls’ Basketball Championship against De La Salle College on November 4. Throughout the season, they played against The Bishop Strachan School, Lakefield College, Albert College and De La Salle College and were undefeated.
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An exciting SSUNS experience for both new and experienced Model United Nations students

An impressive 20 students from Branksome attended the virtual Secondary Schools' United Nations Symposium (SSUNS) on November 11-14, hosted by McGill University, participating passionately in committee and debate sessions.
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Branksome debate teams make their mark at two recent tournaments

As debate season kicks off, our student debaters have been attending competitions and making their mark.
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Dr. Lisa Damour helps navigate youth mental health and diffuse complexity of anxiety

It was a timely return for a trusted friend to Branksome, Clinical Psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour. She made an expertly informed and extremely reassuring case for the idea that youth can best manage strong but perfectly normal feelings such as pandemic-induced anxiety with a combination of expression and containment strategies.
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National Truth and Reconciliation Week offers opportunity for community reflection, with a focus on kindness, inclusion and respect

The first federally legislated National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30 was a time for reflection, discussion and learning for the Branksome community. Dedicated assemblies, in-class reflections, resource sharing and Advisor discussions, Orange Shirt Day and activities all week supported opportunities for learning and recognition of the painful legacy of Canada’s residential schools.
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Installation 2021 celebrates power of community, listening and truth-seeking

There was a renewed appreciation for the joy of in-person celebration, as Senior and Middle School students, along with Grade 6s, watched Branksome Hall’s 93rd Installation⁠—a longstanding tradition to honour student leadership⁠—together in their Period 5 classes on Thursday, September 23.
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Branksome hosts first-ever IB Summer Virtual Workshops

Pre-pandemic, it wasn’t unusual for professional development conferences to cancel a particular session due to low registration. However, thanks to the intimacy and immediacy of Zoom, and the opportunity for convenient, global participation, the power of virtual, small-group collaboration emerged at the first-ever International Baccalaureate (IB) Summer Virtual Workshops, hosted by Branksome Hall from July 27-29, 2021.
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Filmmaker comes of age with biographical debut

When Bec Pecaut’11 was 14, they saw the classic coming-of-age film Juno, written by breakout screenwriter Diablo Cody. “I was so taken with it I turned to my dad and said, 'I want to do that.’”
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Creative video showcases youth-friendly city for Geography project

With scooters for rent, right-of-way for bicycles and plenty of greenery along the river, Heilbronn, Germany is a youth-friendly place for teens, especially in summer. It’s no wonder then, that Grade 12 student Sophie Schreiweis gave it a score of 71 out of 100 for a recent Geography project that required students to investigate their neighbourhoods to determine what they want to see in their local, public spaces.
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Paying tribute to Deputy Principal Karrie Weinstock as she takes on new role

Branksome Hall has many qualities that make it a special place to learn and work. From state-of-the-art classrooms and heritage buildings to our respected IB program, the school provides students with a warm and caring environment alongside stellar teachers and enriching educational experiences.
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GY student surprises inspiring French teacher with an ‘Outstanding Educator’ Award

Year-end teacher appreciation gifts are a thoughtful gesture, especially in a year when “frontliner” has unexpectedly been added to the faculty job description. Katherine Chen’21, who’s off to study economics at the University of Chicago this fall, went above and beyond this year—recognizing Diploma Program French teacher Nicole Hallett with a University of Chicago Outstanding Educator Award.
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On-campus year-end celebrations offer closure, comfort and joy

A mix of rain and shine was in the cards for on-campus closing celebrations, but nothing could dampen the joyful sense of togetherness students, staff, faculty and parents experienced on June 15 and 16 at the Junior School, and June 18 for Middle and Senior School students, following this year’s virtual Green Carpet Celebration.
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