Branksome Hall is an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

day A day is the time rotation period, period of a full Earth's rotation, rotation of the Earth with respect to the Sun. On average, this is 24 hours (86,400 seconds). As a day passes at a given location it experiences morning, afternoon, evening, ...

and

boarding Boarding may refer to: *Boarding, used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals as in a: **Boarding house **Boarding school *Boarding (horses) (also known as a livery yard, livery stable, or boarding stable), is a stable where hor ...

school for girls in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, Canada. It is Toronto's only all-years

International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), more commonly known as the International Baccalaureate (IB), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the I ...

(IB) World School for girls. Branksome Hall is located on a 13-acre campus in the Toronto neighbourhood of Rosedale and educates more than 900 students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12. Branksome Hall has an athletics and wellness centre, spaces dedicated to innovation and technology, indoor rock-climbing wall and tennis courts. The school has a boarding program for Grades 7 to 12 and a study abroad program with its sister school,

Branksome Hall Asia Branksome Hall Asia is an independent educational institution in Seogwipo, Jeju Province, South Korea. The institution opened in October 2012 and is the city campus of the Canadian school Branksome Hall. Overview Branksome Hall Asia is an ...

, on

Jeju Island Jeju Island (Jeju language, Jeju/) is South Korea's largest island, covering an area of , which is 1.83% of the total area of the country. Alongside outlying islands, it is part of Jeju Province and makes up the majority of the province. The i ...

, South Korea. Financial assistance is available for new and returning students in Grades 7 to 12. Branksome Hall is led by principal Grace McCallum.

History

Branksome Hall was founded in 1903 by Margaret Scott, who was the school’s first principal. It is named for

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

’s poem, "

The Lay of the Last Minstrel ''The Lay of the Last Minstrel'' (1805) is a narrative poem in six cantos with copious antiquarian notes by Walter Scott. Set in the Scottish Borders in the mid-16th century, it is represented within the work as being sung by a minstrel late in ...

", which references Scotland’s

Branxholme Castle Branxholme Castle is a five-storey tower at Branxholme, about 3 miles south-west of Hawick in the Scottish Borders, Borders region of Scotland. History The present castle is on land owned by the Clan Scott since 1420. The Earl of Northumber ...

. The historic building was previously named Hollydene House and was the home of Canadian railway magnate Hugh Ryan. Branksome Hall was originally located at 102 Bloor Street East. In 1910, the school relocated to 592 Sherbourne Street and Edith Read was appointed principal. In 1912, the school purchased 10 Elm Avenue. Between 1912–1948, principal Read added five homes to the campus and built a gymnasium and pool. She introduced the Prefect and Clan systems and adopted the Hunting Stewart tartan for the school uniform. Branksome Hall students in grades JK-2 wear a tunic, and those in grades 3-12 wear a kilt - a nod to Margaret Scott's heritage. In 1940 a small group of girls and staff from Sherborne Girls’ School in England was evacuated to Branksome Hall. The relationship between the two schools continues; every year, students from each school participate in an exchange where they stay with host families in each country, sharing school and family life. Edith Read retired after 48 years as principal in 1958. Six principals have led the school since: Dr. Jennie MacNeill (1958–68), Miss Margaret Sime (1968–74), Miss Alison Roach (1974–93), Dr. Rachel Phillips Belash (1993–98), Karen L. Jurjevich (1998–2024) and current principal Grace McCallum. The school became a fully-authorized IB World School in 2003, opened Branksome Hall Asia in 2012, the athletics and wellness centre in 2015, and hosted feminist icon

Gloria Steinem Gloria Marie Steinem ( ; born March 25, 1934) is an American journalist and social movement, social-political activist who emerged as a nationally recognized leader of second-wave feminism in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. ...

in 2017. In 2022, ground was broken on the school’s Innovation Centre and Studio Theatre. The school was recognized as an Apple Distinguished School in 2023. ''The Road Well Kept'' by Heather Robertson was published in 2002 to mark Branksome’s centennial. The book provides a synopsis of the history of the school, including archival photographs.

Campus and Facilities

Branksome Hall’s campus includes East and West campuses divided by Mount Pleasant Avenue, as well as a ravine woodlot. Facilities include junior, middle and senior school buildings, administrative buildings, a uniform shop, two boarding residences, an outdoor classroom, lower field and tennis courts. In 2015, the new athletics and wellness centre opened, designed by MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects. The facility has two saltwater pools, a gymnasium, a fitness centre, yoga and dance studios, an erg rowing room, a dining hall with a kitchen, and rooftop terraces. In 2017, the landscape design for the building, created by PMA, received the Toronto Urban Design Award of Excellence. Branksome Hall is currently constructing the Karen L. Jurjevich Innovation Centre and Studio Theatre (iCAST), designed by Ennead and MJMA, which will have spaces for performing arts, innovation, and collaboration, including a STEAM studio, wood and machine shops, robotics lab, design space, and a black-box studio theatre.

Academics

Branksome Hall’s curriculum offers all three

programs: the

Primary Years Programme The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) is an educational programme managed by the International Baccalaureate (IB) for students aged 3 to 12. While the programme prepares students for the IB Middle Years Programme, it is ...

(PYP),

Middle Years Programme The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) is an educational programme for students between the ages of 11 and 16 around the world as part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum. The Middle Years Programme is intended ...

(MYP) and

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry int ...

(DP). Faculty In 2022, Math Instructional Leader and teacher Edith Louie was recognized with the René Descartes Medal. She has taught mathematics at Branksome Hall for 25 years. In 2023, Junior School Innovation and Technology Coordinator Isabella Liu received the Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence in STEM. Heather Friesen, Head, Curriculum Innovation & Professional Learning, was awarded the 2022 Continuing and Professional Learning (CPL) Award of Excellence from the

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE/UT) is Canada's only all-graduate institute of teaching, learning and research. It is located at 252 Bloor Street West on the university's St. George campus in ...

(OISE) of the University of Toronto.

Student Life

Branksome Hall follows the IB’s experiential learning framework of creativity, activity and service. IB Diploma students are required to complete approximately three to five hours per week of Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) during their final two years of high school. Service learning activities for students include Reading Buddies and JUMP Math at Rose Avenue Public School, Kapapamahchakwew (Wandering Spirit School) Reading Program, engaging with students at Sunny View Public School, and volunteering at Let’s Grow Learning and Living Hub for medically complex, physically disabled adults. Athletics Branksome’s Athletics teams are called the Highlanders. The school is a member of the Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario Athletic Association. Fall teams include basketball, flag football, cross country running, field hockey, rowing, soccer and swimming. Winter teams include alpine skiing, badminton, ice hockey, rowing, squash, swimming and volleyball. Spring teams include golf, rowing, softball, tennis, track and field, and ultimate frisbee. From the 2022 fall season to the 2023 spring season, Branksome athletes won 11 CISAA (Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Association) championships in cross country running, swimming, badminton, alpine skiing, softball, volleyball and tennis. In June 2023, Branksome rowers took part in the Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association Regatta in St. Catharines. In the finals, gold medals were awarded to Branksome’s Junior 63kg 4+, Senior LTWT 63kg 4+ and Junior LTWT 63 kg 8+. Debate Branksome Hall and the

Munk Debates The Munk Debates are a semi-annual series of debates on major policy issues held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are run by the Aurea Foundation, a charitable foundation set up by Peter Munk, founder of mining company Barrick Gold, and his wife ...

have partnered on Re:Solved, a worldwide public speaking and debate competition. In April 2024, a Grade 12 Branksome student became World Champion of the 2024

World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk of a "plu ...

, held in Canberra, Australia.

Community

Branksome Hall is administered by an 18-member Board of Governors. The current chair is Mona Malone, Chief Human Resources Officer and Head of People & Culture for BMO Financial Group. The Branksome Hall Foundation, a registered charity in Ontario since 2005, is overseen by an independent board of trustees chaired by Scot Martin, and manages the school's endowment.

Notable alumnae

Heather Elizabeth Apple Heather Elizabeth Apple (born 1948) is a Canadian writer, artist, and educator, with an interest in organic horticulture. She was awarded a 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal in 1992. Early life She attended Branksome Hall ...

, writer, artist, and educator * Mary Pat Jones Armstrong, founder of Camp Oochigeas and Ronald McDonald House Toronto * Shelby Austin, CEO, Arteria AI *

Jackie Burroughs Jacqueline Burroughs (2 February 1939 – 22 September 2010) was a British-born Canadian actress. Burroughs starred in over 100 films and television shows over her career, including ''Heavy Metal (film), Heavy Metal'', ''The Care Bears Movie'', ...

, Canadian actress who portrayed Aunt Hetty on CBC's ''

Road to Avonlea ''Road to Avonlea'' is a Canadian television series first broadcast in Canada between January 7, 1990, and March 31, 1996, as part of the '' CBC Family Hour'' anthology series, and in the United States starting on March 5, 1990. It was created ...

'' *

Carmen Busquets Carmen Busquets is a Venezuelan entrepreneur, philanthropist and investor who was an early champion of the fashion-tech space. She was the co-founder and founding investor in Net-a-Porter. Since 1992, Busquets has invested £50 million in fash ...

, entrepreneur in fashion and luxury industries, co-founder and investor of Net-A-Porter *

Joan Chalmers Margaret Joan Chalmers, D.F.A. L.L. D. (May 30, 1928 – December 2, 2016) was a Canadians, Canadian philanthropist and supporter of the arts. Biography Born in Toronto, Ontario, to Floyd Chalmers, Floyd and Jean Chalmers, she attended scho ...

, arts patron and philanthropist *

Grace Morris Craig Grace Morris Craig (February 20, 1891 – 1987) was a Canadian writer and artist living in Ontario. The daughter of James Lewis Morris and Mary Agnes Menzies, both of Scottish descent, she was born Grace MacFarlane Morris in Pembroke and stud ...

, writer and artist *

Frances Dafoe Frances Helen Dafoe (December 17, 1929 – September 23, 2016) was a Canadian pair skater. She was born in Toronto, Ontario. Competing with Norris Bowden, they captured four Canadian titles and two World Figure Skating Championships. They also ...

, world champion figure skater and Olympic silver medalist *

Lindsey Deluce ''Your Morning'' is a Canadian breakfast television program that is broadcast on CTV and CTV News Channel. It debuted on August 22, 2016 and airs live from 6-9 a.m. in the Eastern Time Zone and simulcast elsewhere in Canada according to local sc ...

, news anchor of CP24 *

Miranda de Pencier Miranda de Pencier (born August 20, 1968, in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian film and television director, producer, and actress. She is most noted for her 2011 film '' Throat Song'', which won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Live Action Sho ...

, award-winning film producer *

Stacey Farber Stacey Farber (born August 25, 1987) is a Canadian actress. She played Ellie Nash in seasons 2 through 8 of the television series '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''. From 2010 to 2011, she starred in the CBC series '' 18 to Life.'' From 2014 t ...

, actress, best known for her role as Ellie Nash on the Canadian teen drama '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' *

Amy S. Foster Amy Skylark Foster (born July 29, 1973) is a Canadian songwriter and author. She is the daughter of record producer and songwriter David Foster and Bonnie Jean "B.J." Cook. Career The ''Nashville Scene'' described Foster as a "successful songwrite ...

, author and songwriter *

Marjorie Gross Marjorie Gross (April 18, 1956 – June 7, 1996) was a Canadian comedian best known for her work as a television writer and producer. She wrote for ''Seinfeld'', ''Newhart'', ''The Larry Sanders Show'', '' Get a Life'' and '' Square Pegs''. Bio ...

, television writer and producer * Tricia "CK" Hoffler, attorney, CEO of The CK Hoffler Firm, civil rights and children’s rights advocate * Andrea Lenczner, co-founder and designer for Smythe * Sarah Levy, actress, best known as Twyla Sands on the Netflix TV show ''

Schitt's Creek ''Schitt's Creek'' (stylized as ''Schitt$ Creek'') is a Canadian television sitcom created by Dan Levy (Canadian actor), Dan Levy and his father, Eugene Levy, that aired on CBC Television from 2015 to 2020. It consists of 80 episodes spread ove ...

'' * Trish Magwood, host of Food Network Canada’s ''Party Dish'' * Helen McCully, food writer, critic and cookbook author *

Linda McQuaig Linda Joy McQuaig (born September 1951) is a Canadian journalist, columnist, author and social critic. She worked as a reporter investigating the Patti Starr affair. She wrote books and newspaper columns focusing on corporate influence in econ ...

, journalist and author of works of non-fiction, including ''The Wealthy Banker's Wife'' * Mary Louise Northway, psychologist * Susan Quaggin, nephrologist *

Ann Rohmer Ann Margaret Rohmer (born March 2, 1958) is a Canadian television personality known for her work on Citytv and CP24 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Early life and career Rohmer's father is Richard Rohmer, an officer with the Royal Canadian Air For ...

, lead anchor of CP24 *

Evany Rosen Evany Rosen is a Canadian comedian and actress, most noted as a founding member of the comedy troupe Picnicface and as co-creator with Kayla Lorette of the Crave original series '' New Eden''. Early life and education Rosen was born in Ontar ...

, actress, stand-up comic and founding member of the sketch comedy troupe Picnicface *

Nancy Ruth Nancy Ruth Rowell Jackman (born January 6, 1942) is a Canadian heiress, activist, philanthropist and former Canadian senator. Prime Minister Paul Martin appointed her to the Senate on March 24, 2005. While initially appointed as a Progressiv ...

, Ontario senator and philanthropist *

Meredith Shaw Meredith Shaw (born December 4, 1981) is a Canadian radio and television personality, model, body positivity activist, style expert, and singer-songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario. She was the co-host of CityTV's ''Breakfast Television'' from 2 ...

, radio and television personality, model, body positivity activist, style expert, known for co-hosting

CityTV Citytv (sometimes shortened to City, which was the network's official branding from 2012 to 2018) is a Television in Canada, Canadian television network owned by the Rogers Sports & Media subsidiary of Rogers Communications. The network consis ...

's ''

Breakfast Television Breakfast television (Europe and Australia) or morning show (Canada and the United States) is a type of news broadcasting, news or infotainment television programme that broadcasts Live television, live in the morning (typically broadcast pro ...

'' *

Frances Alice Shepherd Frances Alice Shepherd, is a Canadian oncologist recognized for her research on lung cancer and her contributions to the design, development, and conduct of clinical trials. She is currently a senior staff physician at Princess Margaret Cancer Cen ...

, Canadian oncologist recognized for her research on lung cancer * Christie Smythe, co-founder and designer for Smythe * Claire Wallace, journalist and radio broadcaster for

CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...

from 1936–1952 *

Budge Wilson Budge Marjorie Wilson (née Archibald; May 2, 1927March 19, 2021) was a Canadian writer. She was noted for her work in children's literature. Wilson started her career in writing in her fifties. Her first book was published in 1984, when she ...

, award-winning Canadian author

Notable faculty and staff

* Dr. Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Latvian politician who served as the sixth President of Latvia from 1999 to 2007. She is the first woman to hold the post. *

Portia White Portia May White (June 24, 1911February 13, 1968) was a Canadian contralto, known for becoming the first Black Canadian concert singer to achieve international fame. Growing up as part of her father's church choir in Halifax, Nova Scotia, White ...

, Canadian contralto, known for becoming the first Black Canadian concert singer to achieve international fame.

Affiliations

* The Association of Boarding Schools *

Canadian Accredited Independent Schools Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) is a national organization for independent schools in Canada. The current executive director is Anand Mahadevan. History Canadian Association of Independent Schools The Canadian Association of Independ ...

* Coalition of Single Sex Schools of Toronto *

Conference of Independent Schools A conference is a meeting, often lasting a few days, which is organized on a particular subject, or to bring together people who have a common interest. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always d ...

Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario Athletic Association The Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario Athletic Association, or CISAA, is a sports conference for various private schools located primarily in the southern part of the province of Ontario. Many of the institutions are located in or near ...

G30 Schools G30 Schools, formerly G20 Schools, is an association of secondary schools founded by David Wylde of St. Andrew's College, Grahamstown, South Africa and Anthony Seldon of Wellington College, Berkshire, United Kingdom in 2006. The G30 Schools ha ...

International Coalition of Girls' Schools Founded in 1991, the International Coalition of Girls' Schools (ICGS) is a non-profit membership association serving Pre-K through 12th-grade single-sex girls’ schools across the globe. It includes independent, public, charter, and religiously- ...

National Association of Independent Schools The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1962, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, board ...

* Ontario Federation of School Athletics Associations

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Girls' schools in Canada Boarding schools in Ontario Educational institutions established in 1903 Elementary schools in Toronto High schools in Toronto Private schools in Toronto Preparatory schools in Ontario International Baccalaureate schools in Ontario 1903 establishments in Ontario