Numerous inspirational guest speakers visited Branksome last term, including Academy Award-winning filmmaker and activist, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who spoke about the work she's doing to create change. During our Holocaust Education Week, we welcomed Hedy Bohm, a Holocaust survivor, who shared her courageous story with us. A group of Senior School students attended the Anita Hill Breakfast and heard stories of women's empowerment. Action was taken through various student initiatives like the Grade 6 Day of Service and our Pride Week, while two GY students grew their leadership skills on trips to the Yukon and Alaska.                      

The halls were alive with laughter, friendship and fun as students participated in the Arts, adventure and Branksome traditions. Synthesis, our sold-out annual cultural performance and fashion show dazzled the audience, as did the enchanting Senior Theatre Production of Narnia. New friendships were made between our Grade 9 students and our Grade 9 friends from Branksome Hall Asia when we hosted them in October, and those friendships will be strengthened when our students travel to South Korea in February. All Senior and Middle School students explored northern Ontario together during Week Without Halls. At Installation, students experienced a strong sense of community, while our Grade 6 students received their own memorable ceremony.            

Students across the school are taking coding by storm, including in the Junior School where all students participated in the Hour of Code week. Grade 1 girls saw their coding come to life, while Grade 4 students learned about digital design by creating unique wood carvings. Middle School students participated again this year in the VEX Robotics Competition and five Senior School teams have advanced in the Astro Pi Challenge: Mission Space Lab. The Junior School welcomed author and Program Manager, Komal Singh, who read from her children's book aimed to inspire girls to explore STEM subjects. We also learned more about how our innovative learning environments are working for our students.    

Whether personal or academic, students celebrated their countless achievements last fall, including those who participated on our 19 fall Athletics teams. Students also represented the school at various conferences like the Ontario Student Classics Conference and Secondary Schools' United Nations Symposium (SSUNS) . The Junior School Action team took on numerous initiatives, including the Terry Fox Run, which raised $14,000. The Arts were celebrated at our creative whole-school assembly, showcasing dances and musical acts. Grade 10 students completed their Personal Project Showcase, displaying their culminating task.