How do students at Branksome Hall benefit from the plentiful co-curricular and leadership opportunities, IB programs, international community service efforts and a joy of discovery every day? Visit the beautiful campus on November 7th, 2012 at their Open House to find out!
Photo Courtesy of Branksome Hall
- How is Branksome Hall encouraging young women from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6 to face the challenges and opportunities of our ever-changing world?
To start, this private Traditional day and boarding school for girls has an atmosphere described as being a caring community of students, parents, faculty and staff with over 5,000 active alumnae. It’s a warm and welcoming school environment where students are continuously support to grow and learn.
They have 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. Their student life focuses on serving others, being a leader, arts, athletics, CAS, clubs and clans, sustainability, international exchanges, and learning strategies.
With enrolment of 810 day students and 70 boarding students, they school 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.
These facilities will be highlighted at their Open House for Junior Kindergarten through Grade 6, when the school will “host an ‘opportunities fair’ in the sunlit Atrium of our Junior School, where visitors can learn about the wide range of co-curriculars offered,” says Kimberly Carter, Director of Admissions. “Some of the clubs and activities available to Junior School students include robotics, photography, hip hop, chess, cartooning, musical theatre, yoga and debating.”
She also notes 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. The expected completion date is September 2014.”
No wonder that the variety of students that thrive at Branksome Hall are engaged and thoughtful learners “who seek knowledge and think critically.” 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 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.
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,” Kimberly 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.
Principal Karen Jurjevich Murton (pictured right) offers her thoughts below on how 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 for JK to Grade 6 to see how a Branksome Hall education can impact your child—meet students, faculty, administrators, parents and alumnae, as well as ask questions, and view the facilities!
Open House Details:
Date: Wednesday, November 7th, 2012
Time: 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. or 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. for JK—Grade 6
Location: 2 Elm Avenue Toronto, Ontario, M4W 1N4Pre-registration preferred. We will have Grade 6 Ambassadors conducting tours in the morning and evening, so our visitors will have the opportunity to witness our students’ enthusiasm for learning at Branksome Hall. There will also be an Opportunities Fair and a chance to experience a day in the life of a Branksome student. Visitors will also be able to meet faculty and current parents over refreshments in the library.
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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