For over one hundred years, Branksome Hall has been preparing young women to face the challenges and opportunities of our ever-changing world. Discover how they’re continuing to raise the bar at their Open House on October 23rd, 2012!
PHOTO CREDITS: Branksome Hall
Have you heard about Branksome Hall? It’s a private Traditional day and boarding school for girls in Toronto with an average class size of 16 to 22 students, an engaging IB curriculum at all levels (Primary Years Program (PYP), Middle Years Program (MYP) and Diploma Program (DP)), and more than 50 clubs and societies—just to name a few.
Did we mention the tablet laptop program for Grades 7 to 11, the various athletic teams throughout the fall, winter and spring, and International exchanges for girls in Grade 8 to 11 to Australia, Bermuda, England, France, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa and Spain? Cool!
With enrolment of 810 day students and 70 boarding students, Branksome Hall has plenty to offer with their Junior School gym, Senior & Middle School double gym, fitness centre, erg room, Film Studio, three art studios, seven science labs, and Innovation and Imagination Centres. They also feature Dedicated Middle School for Grades 7 and 8 and three heritage residence buildings.
Julia Drake, Executive Director of Communications and Marketing, highlights some new and exciting features for the future too: “We are in the process of building a new Athletics and Wellness Centre which will have a 25-metre saltwater pool, a smaller teaching pool, a running track, double gym, dance/yoga studios, erg room, and a cafeteria for 300 students. Expected completion date is September 2014.”
Wow! Can you believe that? It’s no wonder that the variety of students that thrive at Branksome Hall are engaged and thoughtful learners “who seek knowledge and think critically”, Julia notes. They are also, “comfortable with differing points of view, understand that our world is a complex, changing place that needs caring, compassionate and principled leaders, and take action to make the world a better place.” Sound like any girls you know?
Branksome Hall students also thrive in IB programs at all grades, from JK to Grade 12, where they are able to nurture and develop a capacity to be:
- Highly motivated, well-organized and willing to work hard
- Interested in doing independent inquiry, with guidance, in an area of her choice
- Ready to gain advanced standing and succeed in university
- Eager for a variety of learning opportunities
- Keen to combine academic studies with participation in athletics, creative pursuits and community service
- Internationally minded
Students graduate with both the Ontario Secondary School Diploma and the IB Diploma. The IB Diploma Program, according to Julia, is an enriched liberal arts program that is viewed as the gold standard in education worldwide. It emphasizes inquiry-based learning and prepares young women to face the challenges and seize the opportunities of an ever-changing world.
The school’s location also has some incredible advantages. The 13-acre campus is not only located in the heart of downtown Toronto, in the residential neighborhood of Rosedale, but it’s also within walking distance of the University of Toronto, public transit, libraries, theatres and the vibrant intersection of Yonge and Bloor streets.
The atmosphere at the school is described as being a caring community of students, parents, faculty and staff with over 5,00 active alumnae. It’s a warm and welcoming school environment where students are continuously support to grow and learn.
Why else should parents think about a Branksome Hall education for their child? “Branksome is a fully authorized IB World School, offering a liberal arts program that is designed to ignite a spark in each girl,” Julia adds, “We are committed to helping each student reach her full potential as she explores her own interests, builds positive relationships, and learns to understand the world around her.”
The school’s emphasis and mission to challenge and inspire girls to love learning and shape a better world is reflected highly in the direction and success of their students after their education at Branksome Hall has ended. Not only do graduates receive both an IB Diploma and the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, but an impressive 100 percent of those graduates attend a university or college of their choice, including prestigious universities spread across Canada, the United States, Asia and Europe. In 2012, 92 percent of graduates were also offered entrance/merit scholarships.
Amazing! So how does Principal Karen Jurjevich Murton (pictured right) feel attending Branksome Hall benefits students?
“Our graduates are welcomed by stellar universities around the world, most with scholarships — 92 per cent of our 2012 graduates were offered entrance or merit scholarships. Every year, graduates return to Branksome Hall and tell us that their education was excellent preparation for university. They arrive at university confident and well-prepared. In addition to outstanding post-secondary preparation, a Branksome education instills in students a global outlook and the importance of making a difference in the world.”
Join us at the Open House to see it for yourself!
Open House Details:
Date: Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012
Time: 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. or 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. for Grades 7 to 11
Location: 10 Elm Avenue Toronto, Ontario, M4W 1N4NO RSVP is required. There will be presentations at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., student-led tours of the school, an Opportunities Fair, and a chance to experience a day in the life of a Branksome student. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet students, faculty, administrators, parents and alumnae. Visitors can ask questions, view our facilities, and talk to our students about the impact of a Branksome education.
For more Open House information, please contact our Admissions Office at admissions@branksome.on.ca or by phone: 416-920-6265 ext. 26
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About Erin McLaughlin
