Sign up for our Slingshot Summer Studio Information Session: Thursday, April 25 from 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Branksome Hall News
Spirit Week puts spotlight on bonding and high-energy fun
Claiming top honours in the final event of Spirit Week, the Raptors-themed troupe performed an inventive, pumped-up version of a basketball game on February 13 in the Senior School gym. (Two students even wore cardboard backboards on their heads and used their arms as nets in which team-members could “score.”)
“I love how much thought, purpose and planning go into everything,” says Spirit Week Chair Isabel.
The week kicked off with an assembly in which the grade themes for the week were announced and a super-energized Lip Dub was screened. It was prepared in advance by all Spirit Week participants and includes some great faculty cameos. In addition to the Raptors, themes included Oceans8 and 7Seas. Team-building events throughout the week included a tug-of-war and a service-learning drive in which Grades 8 and 12 tied for first place, followed by Grades 9 and 10 in second, and Grades 7 and 11 in third. (See full results at end of article.)
The popular Cheer event on February 12 was the culmination of months of planning, requiring each grade to put lyrics to the tunes of well-loved songs. Each grade typically met weekly to prepare. “It’s [so meaningful] that each grade often centres the lyrics of their cheer around moments throughout the year that have brought them closer together,” says Isabel.
Faculty judges for the Cheer and Lip Synch competition included Deputy Principal Karrie Weinstock and Principal Karen Jurjevich, in addition to a crew of teachers, staff and faculty, and some parents, who came out to watch and support students.
“In terms of community, Spirit Week is the greatest way a grade can bond together here at Branksome,” says Isabel.
Here are the complete Spirit Week results, and please visit our YouTube channel to experience the Lip Synch, Lip Dub and Cheer competitions.
Overall Ranking:
1st - Grade 12 (180 points)
2nd - Grades 8, 10 and 11 (145 points)
3rd - Grade 7 (85 points)
4th - Grade 9 - (80 points)
Lip Dub:
1st - Grade 8 (30 points)
2nd - Grade 7 (25 points)
3rd - Grades 10 and 12 (20 points each)
4th - Grade 11 (15 points)
5th - Grade 10 (10 points)
Athletics Event:
1st - Grade 8 (30 points)
2nd - Grade 12 (25 points)
3rd - Grade 9 (20 points)
4th - Grades 7, 10 and 11 (15 points each)
Cheer Event:
1st - Grade 12 (60 points)
2nd - Grade 10 (50 points)
3rd - Grade 11 (40 points)
4th - Grade 8 (30 points)
5th - Grade 9 (20 points)
6th - Grade 7 (10 points)
Lip Synch Event:
1st - Grade 11 (70 points)
2nd - Grade 12 (60 points)
3rd - Grade 10 (50 points)
4th - Grade 8 (40 points)
5th - Grade 7 (30 points)
6th - Grade 9 (20 points)
Back
The week kicked off with an assembly in which the grade themes for the week were announced and a super-energized Lip Dub was screened. It was prepared in advance by all Spirit Week participants and includes some great faculty cameos. In addition to the Raptors, themes included Oceans8 and 7Seas. Team-building events throughout the week included a tug-of-war and a service-learning drive in which Grades 8 and 12 tied for first place, followed by Grades 9 and 10 in second, and Grades 7 and 11 in third. (See full results at end of article.)
The popular Cheer event on February 12 was the culmination of months of planning, requiring each grade to put lyrics to the tunes of well-loved songs. Each grade typically met weekly to prepare. “It’s [so meaningful] that each grade often centres the lyrics of their cheer around moments throughout the year that have brought them closer together,” says Isabel.
Faculty judges for the Cheer and Lip Synch competition included Deputy Principal Karrie Weinstock and Principal Karen Jurjevich, in addition to a crew of teachers, staff and faculty, and some parents, who came out to watch and support students.
“In terms of community, Spirit Week is the greatest way a grade can bond together here at Branksome,” says Isabel.
Here are the complete Spirit Week results, and please visit our YouTube channel to experience the Lip Synch, Lip Dub and Cheer competitions.
Overall Ranking:
1st - Grade 12 (180 points)
2nd - Grades 8, 10 and 11 (145 points)
3rd - Grade 7 (85 points)
4th - Grade 9 - (80 points)
Lip Dub:
1st - Grade 8 (30 points)
2nd - Grade 7 (25 points)
3rd - Grades 10 and 12 (20 points each)
4th - Grade 11 (15 points)
5th - Grade 10 (10 points)
Athletics Event:
1st - Grade 8 (30 points)
2nd - Grade 12 (25 points)
3rd - Grade 9 (20 points)
4th - Grades 7, 10 and 11 (15 points each)
Cheer Event:
1st - Grade 12 (60 points)
2nd - Grade 10 (50 points)
3rd - Grade 11 (40 points)
4th - Grade 8 (30 points)
5th - Grade 9 (20 points)
6th - Grade 7 (10 points)
Lip Synch Event:
1st - Grade 11 (70 points)
2nd - Grade 12 (60 points)
3rd - Grade 10 (50 points)
4th - Grade 8 (40 points)
5th - Grade 7 (30 points)
6th - Grade 9 (20 points)
1
/
20
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We wish to acknowledge this land on which Branksome operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous peoples from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work and go to school on this land.
Setting the new standard for girls' education everywhere takes collective action. From all of us.
