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Student Life

Clubs and Clans

Sharing an interest or working together on an activity are wonderful ways to get involved, make friends, learn leadership skills and have fun.

Clubs

In Clubs, girls find kindred spirits who share their interests. Together, they meet regularly, plan initiatives and sometimes attend special events. We value all co-curricular activities as rich learning opportunities that allow students to explore existing interests and to discover new passions.

Junior School students receive new schedules of available co-curricular activities each term, with Senior & Middle School students learning about Slubs at annual Clubs Fairs and community time meetings. Please see the examples below of the types of clubs offered at the school.

Clans

In Clans, girls come together for friendly competition in groups that span the grades. Students might be competing to support a charity or simply playing high-spirited games against another Clan. Either way, the shared experience brings girls together in a fun and supportive environment.

There are eight Clans in both the Junior School and Senior & Middle School, named for our Scottish roots.

Junior School Clans

Senior & Middle Schools Clans

For generations, Clans have provided a forum for friendly sporting competition, charitable work, spirit-building and the transmission of traditions. Students enjoy belonging to their Clan, a small cross-grade group within the school community that promotes school spirit.

Every student and every faculty member belongs to a Clan, and Junior Clans are twinned with clans in the Senior & Middle School. Students moving from the Junior School to the Senior & Middle School will automatically be placed in their twinned Senior School Clan. Clan placement is also determined by a sibling’s clan or a related alum’s Clan.

Each Senior & Middle School Clan has a Senior Leader, elected by its own members, and an elected representative from Grade 8.

More About Our Clubs

List of 5 items.

Junior School Co-Curriculars +

   Art Expression
   Ballet
   Cartooning Club
   Choir
   Creative Memories Scrapbooking Club
   Free Swim
   Irish Dancing Club
   Jazz Dance
   Percussion and Recorder Consort
   Portrait Painting Club
   Puppetry
   Tennis
   Ultimate Frisbee Club
   Yoga Club
Senior & Middle School Co-Curriculars - Arts +

BH Dance Crew (Grades 7-12)
   The Creative Outlet (Grades 7-8)
   The Creative Outlet (Grades 9-12)
   Drama (Grades 7-8)
   Creative Memories Scrapbooking Club
   Drama (Grade 9)
   Drama (Grades 10-12)
   Improv Club (Grades 9-12)
   Jazz Choir (Grades 9-12)
   Kilt Press (student newspaper) (Grades 7-12)
   Perennial (arts magazine) (Grades 7-12)
   Writers' Guild (Grades 7-12)
Senior & Middle School Clubs and Societies +

   Animal Rights Club (Grades 7–12)
   Café Français – (French Club) (Grades 7–9)
   Classics Club (Grades 7–12)
   Culinary Society (Grades 7–12)
   Debating Society (Grades 7–12)
   Duke of Edinburgh Awards (Grades 9–12)
   Games Club (Grades 7–12)
   Gay-Straight Alliance (Grades 9–12)
   Geography Club (Grades 7–12)
   Innovation Club (Grades 7 & 8)
   I-Teams (Grades 7–12)
   KIVA (Grades 7–12)
   Mandarin Club (Grades 7–12)
   Middle School Science Workshop (Grades 7-8)
   Peer Support (Grades 10–12)
   Public Affairs (Grades 7–12)
   Red Maple Reading (Grades 7 & 8)
   Round Table Society (Grades 9–12)
   SLOGAN (Grades 7–12)
   Spanish Club (Grades 7-9)
Committees and Councils +

Sustainability: GAIA Environmental Club
In this council, the students are passionate about helping the school to have sustainable practices and facilities. They have the support of the Sustainability Co-ordinator, a position in the school that oversees all of our green initiatives.

Community Service
Also supported by a Co-ordinator, the Community Service Council includes members from all grades in the Senior School.

Arts
This council works towards supporting arts celebrations. They have representatives from all grades in the Senior and Middle School who work together to generate interest in Arts events, create events such as IB Jammin' and Collage, and work with the Arts' Prefect.

Beta Kappa
This group of socially minded girls helps organize events between schools, such as dances and holiday events.

Our House
In the Middle School, students on the Our House Committee decorate the Middle School wing, organize community service events and run lunchtime activities for Middle School students.

Assembly
The Assembly Committee helps to organize the speakers and presentations for the monthly Middle Schiool assemblies. They also emcee the assembly and sometimes make a special appearance as the birthday fairy.

Clubs Task Force
This council oversees new club applications, reviews clubs' progress and sustainability, and works with various community groups such as IT, to ensure that clubs are supported.

Student Leadership Task Force
This committee periodically reviews the leadership model to ensure it is current and relevant.

Boarding Councils
From planning activities and events to ensuring the meals meet everyone's tastes and dietary needs, the Boarding Council works with boarding advisors, administrators and students to oversee life in Boarding.
Music Ensembles +

   Senior Choir
   Chamber Choir
   Chamber Strings
   Concert Band
   Jazz Choir (Grades 9-12)
   Stage Band
   Symphony Orchestra (Grades 7-12)

Spirit Week Cheer 2024

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We wish to acknowledge this land on which Branksome operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the 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.*

*The Land Acknowledgement may evolve as we honour our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation in partnership with Indigenous communities.