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This past October, new Branksome Grade 4 student Ashley travelled to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt to participate in the 2023 World Cadet Chess Championship held by the International Chess Federation. Having finished first in her age group in July’s 2023 Canadian Youth Chess Championship, Ashley was thrilled to have this opportunity to compete in the Girls U10 category after just four years of playing chess.
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Dr. Carolyn Mak, Branksome’s Director of Well-Being and School Counselling, has been honoured with the Ontario Association of Social Workers’
2023 School Social Work Achievement Award. The award is in honour of her support in the development and delivery of social-emotional learning (SEL) content school-wide, as well as leading the school’s team of School Counsellors and Social Workers. This is Dr. Mak’s ninth year at Branksome Hall, and she spent her first seven years as the Junior School Social Worker, working closely with the Junior School teaching team to provide in-class programming for students around development of social-emotional learning skills, as well as counselling and consultation to students and their families. As Director of Well-Being and School Counselling, Carolyn holds a key role in developing and implementing school-wide well-being programs and curriculum; supervising and building expertise in our counseling and social work team; and strengthening and developing parent education.
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A record number of graduating Highlanders participated in fall sports this year. Almost half of the graduating class played basketball, soccer, field hockey, ran, swam and rowed for their final fall season of their high school careers. Many of these athletes have been on teams at BH since Junior School! Here are some parting words from a few of our graduating athletes.
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There is never a dull moment in the Arts Department at Branksome Hall! From fantastic school plays to performances in Assemblies, our Theatre, Dance, Visual Arts, Film and Music students are always putting on a show, screening or exhibition. In October, our talented Diploma Programme 2 (Grade 12) Performing Arts students travelled to New York for a weekend of immersive, hands-on learning.
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Each fall, Branksome Hall welcomes Grade 9 students from
Branksome Hall Asia (BHA), our sister school on Jeju Island, South Korea, to campus for a week of hands-on learning in the Arts. From creating beautiful animations during the Interdisciplinary Unit Week (IDU), which took place from Monday, October 16 to Friday, October 20, 2023, to bonding with new friends at the Boarding cultural dinner, their most recent visit was one to remember.
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From Wednesday, October 11 to Saturday, October 14, Branksome Hall joined Greenwood College and St. Clement’s School in hosting the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) Senior Girls Soccer Tournament. Taking place in Oakville, this competition featured many exhilarating games of soccer played by students from schools across Canada.
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Excitement was in the air on September 21, 2023 as Branksome Hall launched the Centre For Strategic Leadership (CSL), led by Karrie Weinstock, Head, Centre for Strategic Leadership, and Patricia DiNicolantonio, Head, Talent Management. The first of its kind at a JK–Grade 12 school in Canada, the CSL plays a key role in the school's
strategic priority to invest in the growth, development and retention of its employees by taking a strength-based approach and using values-driven practices to uplift teams and build school-wide leadership capacity.
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Branksome alum and past parent Sasha DARLING'87 recently shared a powerful and timely message with the school. Tragically, Sasha and her partner Constance lost their beautiful daughter, Grace Peebles (step-sister of Brooke DARLING-CARTWRIGHT ’20), to Sudden Unexpected Death In Epilepsy (SUDEP) in April of 2021.
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Student leadership is an important aspect of student life at Branksome Hall. From Junior School Action Leaders to Prefects, every student has the opportunity to learn and grow in a leadership position, and each fall, Branksome holds its Junior School and Senior & Middle School Installation Ceremonies, kicking off a year of student leadership.
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After a successful return to in person performances during the 2022–23 school year, the Branksome Hall Senior & Middle School Integrated Arts Team is pleased to announce its latest season of student arts performances.
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On September 22, 2023, Branksome Hall celebrated the start of the new school year with the Welcome Back Event and the $30-million Make Way Campaign Launch— the biggest campaign in the history of the school. The centrepiece of the campaign is the new Innovation Centre and Studio Theatre (iCAST), a 32,000 square-foot first-of-its-kind space for JK to Grade 12 students to develop the STEM- and entrepreneurial-related skills that will be so valued in tomorrow's workplace. That afternoon, students emerged from their classes to see the Branksome campus fully transformed into a wonderland of fun. From food vendors to an update on this year’s exciting fundraising campaign, there was never a dull moment—and those moments are ones that this community will never forget.
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As the newest member of Branksome Hall’s Senior Leadership Team, having joined the school in August 2023, Ran Lewin brings expertise in many areas of finance and administration, with more than two decades of increasing responsibility for budgets, asset management and planning at York University. As Assistant Vice-President, Budgets & Asset Management at York, Ran oversaw financial planning and budgeting for the third largest university in Canada.
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Week Without Halls is an event that many students in the Senior & Middle School look forward to every year. Taking place in the fall, it is a trip that allows students to relax and take in nature while bonding as a grade. Grade 12 students usually stay back as their younger peers embark on fun adventures, but this year, many of our Graduating Year (GY) students were able to experience a brand-new bonding weekend.
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Congratulations to Hilary MacMILLAN'05, who was nominated for the 2023 CAFA Womenswear Designer of the Year Award.
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Summer lemonade stands are testament to children’s enduring entrepreneurial spirit. Usually, they wait until post-secondary programs for the opportunity to take their entrepreneurial aspirations to the next level—until now.
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“Ready, Aye, Ready”: The sailors of the RCN stand always ready to defend Canada and proudly safeguard its interests and values whether at home or abroad. (RCN Dec 16, 2021)
Last July, 230 Royal Canadian Navy sailors and officers welcomed 14 Canadian Leaders at Sea (CLaS’23) aboard the HMCS Winnipeg. Having participted in this rare and exciting opportunity to learn first-hand about life in the Navy, I am in awe of the commitment and talent of the women and men who serve our country.
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Siena IANNI-PALARCHIO’20 is the daughter of Branksome's very own Michael, who is Head, Innovation & Strategic Projects. The third-year student at the University of Western Ontario’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Program credits Branksome with instilling her love of STEM, and knows iCAST will light that path for even more students.
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At Branksome Hall’s annual Green Carpet Celebration, Senior & Middle School students, parents/guardians and employees come together to celebrate the end of the school year with student performances, award presentations and addresses by community members. This year’s celebration featured guest speaker Professor Raquel Urtasun, who inspired the crowd of possible future engineers, technologists and entrepreneurs with her moving talk about her journey in the field of artificial intelligence and how she became a trailblazer in a male-dominated field.
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While the Highlanders dominate the fields and courts, Branksome Hall coaches work hard behind the scenes to train, condition and most importantly, support students to help them reach their goals. This season, Highlanders sat down with two beloved coaches, Ms. MacKenzie and Ms. Rotherham, to discuss their journeys as athletes and coaches, their approach to coaching at Branksome and highlights from a remarkable year of Athletics.
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The Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) has announced that Branksome Hall Principal
Karen Jurjevich has been selected to receive a
CAIS Lifetime Achievement Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to an individual who has served 25 years as a Head of School, with a minimum of 20 years in a CAIS school. This recognition is a timely and meaningful way to acknowledge Karen’s 25 years of passionate, visionary and innovative leadership at the school. As she
shared with the Branksome community in October 2022, she will be stepping away from her role as Principal in June 2024.
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Debate and public speaking have been long-standing traditions at Branksome Hall. The school was one of the first girls' schools to become a member of the Fulford Debate League and the first Canadian school to host the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships in 2019. In the first full year back to having in-person competitions since 2019, the Branksome Hall Debate and Public Speaking Society continues to prove their excellence, having had one of the most successful seasons in the program's history.
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Mona Malone, Chair of the Branksome Hall Board of Governors,
has announced the appointment of
Grace McCallum as the school’s 8th Principal.
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On May 25, 2023, the Branksome Hall community gathered at the Winter Garden Theatre to celebrate the Class of 2023 at their Graduation Ceremony. The event highlighted the many incredible achievements these grads have accomplished thus far and gave us a promising glimpse into their future. To everyone watching, one thing was clear: The Class of 2023 is an impressive group of young people. From keeping their energetic school spirit despite having several years of their high school experience impacted by a global pandemic, to inspiring younger peers through their thoughtful and empathetic leadership, we could not be more proud of this year’s graduates. The hard work and resilience of these students has been recognized by universities in Canada and around the globe, as seen by the impressive number of admission offers received this year.
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As part of our strategic priority to challenge the status quo with an
innovation mindset, Branksome Hall’s
Chandaria Research Centre (CRC) initiates new research and explores educational excellence in teaching and learning, well-being and international mindedness within the school.
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Since May 2020, the Noodle accelerator program has inspired and developed the business ideas of Branksome Hall’s young entrepreneurs. The 38-week accelerator program is the first of its kind in a Canadian school—and ever evolving! Noodle has grown from eight students to 36, and this year Branksome also launched Noodle Junior for students in Grades 5 and 6, with 32 students participating. Guided by niche experts and mentors, students work towards sustainable solutions to real-world problems.
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Branksome is a home away from home for all of our students. On campus, teachers, advisors and coaches serve as inspiring role models, and co-curriculars allow students to grow, bond and connect by engaging in similar interests. But for Branksome Boarding students, the halls are more than just a place to spend the day. From weekend outings to baseball games and museums, to celebrating days of significance with incredible themed dinners, there is never a dull moment in this small but tight-knit community.
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The Branksome community has always celebrated and encouraged women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Whether that is discussing the achievements of women in a science class, participating in a competition or joining a club, there is always a way for students to get involved. For the students in the Robotics Club, exploring their passion for STEM recently led them to making Branksome history.
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The Branksome Hall Highlanders give it their all in every sport they take part in, and for some Highlanders, their dedication to their sport extends far beyond Branksome. Grade 9 student and squash player Zoe’s efforts have paid off in a big way this year!
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At Branksome Hall, three game-changing centres inform and advance our teaching, innovation and leadership. One of these is The Garage, an incubator that invites teachers and staff to ideate, experiment and prototype new ideas and initiatives, helping to spark new cross-functional and school-wide innovation.
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On February 24, more than 100 Grade 9 students and their chaperones embarked on the trip of a lifetime when they travelled to Branksome Hall Asia (BHA), our sister school on Jeju Island, South Korea. This visit was the second part of an annual exchange between the two schools.
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Branksome Hall has always worked to destigmatize conversations surrounding mental health, which is crucial for effective learning and overall well-being. As part of Branksome’s Well-Being Speaker Series, and thanks to the Class of ’86 Mental Health Initiative–a fund that allocates resources towards the well-being of our community–the school was able to secure the rights to the award-winning documentary
Angst.
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Branksome Hall and the Get Ahead Project (GAP) School in Queenstown, South Africa have been in a
close partnership for the past 20 years. From the exchange program that has fostered life-long friendships between students, to the
fundraising support carried out by the Branksome community every year, our two schools have always been close. This year, the partnership grew even stronger as our students came together for one of the most important competitions in the world.
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From painting a masterpiece in the art studio to running weekly clubs, creativity gives students the ability to do incredible things both inside and outside of the classroom. In January 2023, four Senior School students saw their creative efforts recognized for one of the most prestigious awards in North America.
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On Monday, February 13, 2023, the Branksome Hall Concert Band and the Grades 9/10 Class Band both won gold at the Ontario Band Association’s 21st annual Provincial Festival. Both groups are now invited to Nationals (MusicFest Canada) taking place from May 15-20, 2023. In addition, the Concert Band received the OBA Ensemble Award for “Brass Excellence.”
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On Thursday, February 9, 2023, hundreds of secondary students, teachers and staff from across the GTA—as well as a global audience who joined virtually—attended the 40th annual
World Affairs Conference (WAC), co-hosted by Branksome Hall and Upper Canada College. The theme of the conference was “Hybrid Thinking,” a call to strategize ways to work towards a better future.
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Model United Nations (MUN) at Branksome Hall is more than just an after-school club. Over the years, this group of students in Grades 7–12 has turned into something of a family, where older students uplift the younger ones and everyone is encouraged to use their voice to effect change.
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We are proud to share the refresh of Branksome Hall's current strategy, which was first released in 2014. Our updated school strategy builds on the strengths we have honed over our 120-year history, positioning us to thrive in today’s exciting and complex context. Grounded in our core values—sense of community, inclusiveness, creativity and making a difference—we are dedicated to developing a new generation of student and employee leaders with the skills, insight and commitment to shape a better future in an uncertain world.
Explore the strategy here.
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There are many characteristics that make Branksome Hall the institution that it is today, including its supportive teachers and staff, inclusive environment and the incredible facilities that the community enjoys every day. With such a big campus, it takes an incredible team of individuals to keep Branksome running smoothly.
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