Branksome Hall

Infobox Private School
background = #f0f6fa
border = #ccd2d9
name = Branksome Hall


established = 1903
type = Private, Boarding
religion = Non-Denominational
head_name = Principal
head = Karen Murton
city = Toronto
state = Ontario
country = Canada
campus = Urban, 13 acres
enrollment = 885
faculty = 100 total
class = 10-20 students
ratio = 15:1
year = 2005
athletics = 16 interscholastic
colors = Red, Green, Black and White
motto= Keep Well the Road!
mascot = Ribbit the Frog
homepage = http://www.branksome.on.ca/|www.branksome.on.ca/

Branksome Hall is a Toronto private girls school for day and boarding students from kindergarten to graduating year. Founded in 1903, the school consists of 12 buildings, the oldest is the 150 year old building on Elm Avenue. The school is an International Baccalaureate World School and a university-preparatory school. It is the only all-girls IB school (offering PYP, MYP and DP) in the world and is one of the most prestigious schools in Canada. Branksome is located at Elm Ave. and Mt. Pleasant, one block north of Bloor St., in Rosedale, Toronto. 100% of the graduating year go to university.

The school takes students from kindergarten to Grade 12 and emphasizes preparation for post-secondary education.

etting

Branksome Hall is situated on 13 acres in Rosedale, one of Toronto's haute neighbourhoods. The campus contains a section of Carolinian forest with an outdoor classroom, four tennis courts, a large lower field used by teams and classes, two playgrounds, and a "quad", where senior students often relax and eat lunch during the warmer months. There are 10 buildings on the Branksome Hall campus: Sherbourne House, Sue Bett House, Read Acres, etc. Tuition this year was around 23,000 CAD for day-girls (25,000 for IB1 and IB2) and 42,000 CAD for boarders.

Junior School
*14 classrooms spread throughout a two-story building
*Kindergarten wing
*comprehensive library/resource centre
*sky-lit art studio with kiln
*gymnasium
*Performing Arts Room
*cafeteria with hot lunch program
*outdoor creative play space
*Forum on the first floor
*The Gillam Atrium on the second floor
*Design and Technology Centre

Middle School
*2 state-of-the art science labs
*7 classrooms spread throughout a 3-story building
*drama room
*fitness centre
*change rooms and lockers
*3 student work/study areas
*meeting and work areas for faculty and guidance staff

Senior School
*MIDI lab
*four science laboratories
*art, drama, and music studios
*Allison Roach Performing Arts Centre
*gymnasium and fitness centre
*swimming pool
*cafeteria and tuck shop
*Reading Room for senior students
*Grade 12 (IB 2)(GY) students' recreation room, known as the "grad room".
*4 computer labs

Residence

Many girls live on the campus from all over the world (Korea, Germany, U.S., Hong Kong, Taiwan, Canada etc). There are 3 residence buildings and it houses 67 students. Each room is for one/two/three girls to live in.

Uniform

The most basic and formal uniform (also known as #1 Dress) consists of an ivory-coloured blouse, a tie, and a kilt.

Ties

There are four ties in Branksome. The most basic one is a tie featuring the same plaid as the kilt. The second one is a navy blue tie with yellow stripes, which is for the grade 10 clan chieftains and grade 8 clan reps. The third one is a green tie with patterns, and is for Heads of Clubs and Societies. The forth one is a red plaid tie for girls in the Graduating Year.

Kilt

There are two kilts in Branksome. Most of the students wear the Hunting Stewart Kilt, which is green. Prefects, however, wear red kilts that are Royal Stewart.

Blouses and Polo Shirts

There are long sleeve and short sleeve ivory blouses that students must wear for #1 Dress with a tie. However, students may choose to wear long sleeve or short sleeve polo shirts on a normal school day when #1 Dress is not necessary.

Blazers and Sweaters

There are two kinds of blazer: a green one for all the students, while prefects wear a red one. On non-#1 Dress days, students may choose to wear a zip-up green sweatshirt, a green wool sweater or the green button-up vest.

Gym Uniform

There are different team uniforms for all the sport teams, and all of them are green. During gym class, students usually wear white T-shirt with the school crest, a pair of green shorts that says "Branksome Athletics", or a pair of black sweatpants. During some team games like badminton and tennis, students must wear a "Branksome Athletes" polo shirt, Branksome shorts, and the red athletic sweaters. Branksome in 2007 adopted a team name: The Branksome Highlanders.

Prefects

12 Prefects are elected each year to lead the school and ensure that the student body is represented. Prefects wear a distinctive red kilt and red blazer; unlike the white blazer which forms part of the UCC uniform, the Prefect's Blazer is red. They, like the rest of the Graduating Class, also wear the red tie.

There are 12 Prefects in Branksome for the 2007/2008 school year:

*Head Girl
*Admissions
*Arts
*Beta Kappa (Social)
*Clans
*Clubs and Societies/ IB CAS
*Community Service
*Junior School
*Middle Division
*Residence
*Senior School
*Sports Captain

Extracurricular Activities

Clubs

Clubs play a very important part in the lives of the students of Branksome Hall. In the 07/08 school year, 39 clubs exist, with about 80 heads. Some of the clubs allow Branksome students to meet people from other schools in Canada, Toronto, and even other countries. The school is also represented at conventions such as the International Model United Nations in The Hague, SSUNS in McGill, World Affairs Conference, SOMA held by University of Toronto, and possibly the Ontario Model Parliament this coming school year. The Debating program in Branksome participates in numerous public speaking and debating tournaments, Canada-wide and international. Branksome Hall is a member of the Fulford League, a group of independent schools that compete in several tournaments each year to achieve the Fulford Cup at the end of the year. Branksome Hall was the first all-girls school to win this cup.

Peer Support

There are approximately fifteen Grade 11-12 students in Branksome Hall who act as mentors and "peer supporters" for the school community. This small group tackles issues like drugs and alcohol, body image and bullying, and other problems that might affect an all-girls' school. Potential peer supporters apply for these positions and go through interviews with a guidance counsellor and a current peer supporter. To identify themselves to fellow students, peer supporters wear a yellow patch in the bottom left corner of their kilts.

Arts

Drama, visual arts, and music are also important to the Branksome community, with several productions put on by both the drama students and other groups throughout the year. Celebrations of art such as Collage and Paper Magnolia happen regularly. The multicultural music, drama and reading show, Infusion, is held every two years. Students' prodigious literary and visual arts creations are celebrated through art shows and several publications including the annual collection "Perennial", and the school papers "The Kilt Press" and the annual "Slogan" (yearbook).

Music

Every year the music students and band members put on several concerts to show off their own distinct styles and tastes. There are many different music groups in Branksome:

Choirs

*7/8 Singers
*Senior Choir
*Chamber Choir
*Jazz Choir

trings

*Chamber Strings
*Strings Orchestra
*Beginner Strings

Bands

*Concert Band
*Stage Band
*Senior Band
*Woodwind Ensemble

The heads are of the Music Council by default, along with the music department teachers.

port Teams

Under the Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) principle, girls are encouraged to participate in sports. Branksome Hall offers several sports teams each season:

Fall

*Basketball
*Swimming
*Rowing
*Soccer
*Field hockey

Winter

*Badminton
*Volleyball
*Synchronized Swimming
*Winter Swim Team
*Rowing
*Hockey

pring

*Rugby
*Tennis
*Rowing (regattas)
*Softball
*Track and Field

Clans

There are 8 clans in Branksome Hall senior school:

*Scott (blue)
*Ross (red)
*Douglas (pink)
*Campbell (purple)
*MacGregor (yellow)
*McAlpine (green)
*MacLean (black)
*McLeod (orange)

There are also 8 clans in the junior school:

*Robertson
*Duncan
*Bruce
*Johnston
*Grant
*MacDonald
*Gordon
*Fraser

Every clan has three leaders, a grade 12 chieftain, a grade 10 chieftain and a grade 8 rep. There are always competitions between clans, ranging from intramurals (dodgeball, ultimate Frisbee, floor hockey, etc.) to the Terry Fox fundraisers. Chieftains host Clan Homerooms and Assemblies about once a month to keep the school updated on past and coming clan events. Students are usually encouraged to participate in clan activities, and it is a big part of Branksome's school life.

Other Community Activities

Branksome offers several "communities" within its main student body. Each student is assigned to an Advisor Group. This is a group of students that meet several times during the school's eight-day schedule, and usually consists of 8-10 students and an Advisor teacher. The students in each advisor group all belong to the same clan.

In addition to this each grade is encouraged to become a close community. Each year in April the school hosts a week of grade celebration called "Spirit Week". Normal class continues during this week but is punctuated by lunchtime activities such as tugs-of-war and grade banner painting. The most celebrated events of the week are the lipsync and cheer that occur on the final days. Each grade is assigned a colour, which is used as a way of expressing grade pride. The grade is given a colour in grade 7 and continues with that colour until they graduate, with new grade 7's inheriting the colour of the previous year's graduates. Colours for each grade:

*Graduating Class of 2013 and 2019 - Purple
*Graduating Class of 2012 and 2018 - Blue
*Graduating Class of 2011 and 2017 - Orange
*Graduating Class of 2010 and 2016 - Yellow
*Graduating Class of 2009 and 2015 - Red
*Graduating Class of 2008 and 2014 - Pink

During each day of Spirit Week, students dress in a specific fun way. Traditionally Tuesday is Crazy Hair Day, followed by Crazy Tie day (Wednesday), Crazy Socks Day (Thursday), and then Friday is a "Grub Day" where students are free to wear whatever they choose so as long as it meets the dress code. Typically, each grade orders an item of "grade wear" and wears them on Friday.

In addition to grade pride, last year Branksome organized the "Walk for the World" as a grade event during Spirit Week. This was a walk around Rosedale to raise money for two outreach programs, the Queenstown GAP School in South Africa and the Sheila Bal Bavan Home for Girls in Jaipur, India.

Currently, 9 students go to Outward Bound for outdoor camping, which helps them develop leadership skills. Grade 8 students take part in many activities in Stratford, ON.

Alumnae

100% of the graduates go to university. A list of university destinations for the graduating class of 2008 is provided on the Branksome website: http://www.branksome.on.ca/about/universitydestinations/

Congratulations.

Noted alumni

* Stacy Farber, actress, best known as Eleanor in the Canadian TV show "Degrassi"
* Jennifer Lees and Fiona Lees, founders of Balmshell, a lip-gloss company
* Budge Wilson, an author of several short stories, including "The Courtship"

Related

* Upper Canada College
* St. Andrew's College (Aurora, Ontario)
* Crescent School
* Havergal College
* Hawthorn School for Girls
* Bishop Strachan School
* St. Michael's College School

External links

Official Websites
* [http://www.branksome.on.ca/ Branksome Hall] Official website.