IN THIS ISSUE … DEAR 2020 … THE DOCTOR WHO HELPS TRANS YOUTH STOP TECH-SHAMING GIRLS … ARTS AND LAUGHS … A STEAM-Y TOY STORY THE MAGAZINE FOR THE BRANKSOME HALL COMMUNITY SPRING 2021
CURTAIN CALL
Legendary d d drama tteacher h JJudith dith FRIEND’7 FRIEND’75 leaves a legacy of applause Page 10
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THANK YOU! Your generous donations to the Alum Association Endowed Bursary Fund have allowed it to reach a milestone: $1,000,000! Each and every gift continues to support financial assistance to a deserving student.
Branksome.on.ca
Vision To be the pre-eminent educational community of globally minded learners and leaders. Mission Each day, we challenge and inspire girls to love learning and to shape a better world. SPRING 2021
Values Sense of Community, Inclusiveness, Creativity, Making a Difference
Contents ON THE COVER: Judith FRIEND’75 was photographed in the Allison Roach Performing Arts Centre. PHOTO: Jeff Kirk
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The READ Committee Editor Tanya Pimenoff Editorial Advisor Berton Woodward Cris Coraggio Karen L. Jurjevich Karrie Weinstock
Features
10 Curtain Call
20 Arts and Laughs
After 32 years as the lifeblood of Branksome Hall’s Performing Arts program, legendary teacher Judith FRIEND’75 leaves a legacy of applause.
Heather MacINNES Travis’97 is spreading joy through her bright and bold creations.
16 Care and Empathy Dr. Margaret Lawson’80 is one of Canada’s leading medical specialists in helping transgender youth.
22 An End to Tech-Shaming Trend forecaster Elizabeth PERLE’04 wants to see more support for young women online.
24 Toy Story Maha KHAWAJA’00 is building a successful start-up around kids having STEAM-y fun.
Contributors Andrea Aster, Jonathan Barker, Becca CLARK’17, Chris Daniels, Caroline HOUNG’00, Patricia Hluchy, Leda HOFFMANN’05, Roger King, Jeff Kirk, Elizaveta KOZLOVA’15, Sarah LEVY’04, Jane LOCKHART’87, Gillian Minsky, Natalia PAYNE’99, Janet Sailian, Caley Taylor, Nora Underwood, Amy VERNER’98 Alums, Employees and Friends of Branksome Hall
Design and Production Michael Cherkas + Associates
In Every Issue
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Principal’s Message
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Editorial
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School Scoop Resilient Branksome Honouring Portia White Branksome’s world class debaters Nurse Sage Kavander on the frontline
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Alum Life A Reunion band-aid Winning Women The spy we loved: remembering Molly MacNEILL’92
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Class Notes*
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Passages
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Remember When Photos from the past century
Correction Fall 2020 issue of The READ On p. 48, the notice of Sally DALTON Wallace’s death omitted noting that Sally was the mother of Gabbie WALLACE Laberge’79.
Branksome Hall 10 Elm Avenue Toronto, ON M4W 1N4 Tel: 416-920-9741 www.branksome.on.ca Email: tpimenoff@branksome.on.ca Spring 2021 Volume 61, Number 1 Canadian Publications Mail Agreement No.40010445
*View The READ online at branksome.on.ca/our-community/alum/the-read. For privacy purposes, Class Notes is not available in digital format.
From the Principal
On Loss, Learning and Optimism This year we saw how creativity and compassion are a winning combination By Karen L. Jurjevich
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n May of this year, we found ourselves hosting two graduation ceremonies: one for the Class of 2020 and one for this year’s graduates, the Class of 2021. Both were elaborate productions—and both took place on Zoom. While this may sound unusual, it likely comes as no surprise. After 15 months of living through a global pandemic, we have learned how to adapt, cutting out the familiar, embracing the unknown, and “rolling with the punches,” as they say. To put it bluntly, this was not the year we expected. As we reopened school in September 2020 following a four-month lockdown, there was great anticipation that “normal” was just around the corner. In fact, our early-stage plans for Installation still carried the possibility that all senior students would celebrate together, in-person on campus. Plans for Carol Service at Rosedale United Church were in full swing, and we eagerly anticipated welcoming the Class of 2020 to an in-person graduation ceremony, scheduled for December. Before too long, reality began to set in. The pandemic had a mind of its own. We quickly learned that every plan we made required at least three possible scenarios: “Give me your best case, mid-case and least desirable case,” I heard myself saying, on more than one occasion, as we grew accustomed to working in the moment, pivoting on a dime and collaboratively creating ways to keep our community connected. Looking back, I believe we did well. Our Branksome spirit shone brightly in schoolwide, student and GY events, such as the
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“At a time when we have experienced extraordinary shifts, we have also experienced a change in our relationships with each other and with ourselves.”
IB Art Show, IB Film Showcase, the Carol Service, Assemblies and Clubs Fair. This was also true with creative opportunities for outdoor learning: cross-country skiing appeared on the soccer pitch and, as it turns out, outdoor basketball and volleyball are easily played on the tennis courts. Erg training for the rowers? They found a new home on the AWC rooftop garden. Our Boarding students adapted to life in a much smaller family grouping, yet learned the beauty of living together in one house, sharing cooking classes in the Principal’s
House and joining me for Saturday morning yoga classes.
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hese examples—and there are many more—emphasize for me that creativity and collaboration are a winning combination. In fact, loaded with these characteristics, the stress of the pandemic unleashed in us the need to dig deep and find the capabilities and skills to ensure our students and employees can learn and proudly look back on their year’s accomplishments.
From the Editor
The pandemic brought to the forefront what we have always known: challenges abound and life can throw you more curve balls than one might ever expect. Without question, this generation of students will face some of the world’s most intriguing and complex challenges. Solutions will require brainpower, collaborative thinking and ingenuity—the kind we see every day at Branksome Hall from our students and employees. This thought was reinforced for me recently by University of Virginia professor Leidy Klotz, who reflected in a Globe and Mail article on how the pandemic has forced us all to cut things out of our lives—and in some cases, for the best. The article was titled, “Addition by Subtraction.” In a year when creative problem-solving was required on a daily basis, we were forced to revisit our familiar ways of thinking. The pandemic subtracted much from our lives—yet it also gave us the opportunity to add to and transform our thinking. As Klotz points out, “Subtracting our own mental baggage is how we can chart a better path forward.” As you read through these pages, fi lled with stories of how our community is charting exciting paths forward—the life-changing impact of the arts, the building of more inclusive communities, and a new online alum hub, Branksome Connects, to name just a few—these stories remind us of another new reality we are facing. At a time when we have experienced extraordinary shifts that have vastly curtailed our freedoms and forced us into new routines, we have also experienced a change in our relationships with each other and with ourselves. By looking at things differently, by facing challenges with curiosity, creativity and optimism, we have learned there is a huge range of possibilities. And with a collaborative approach to problem-solving, I truly believe we have become better thinkers, learners and leaders. While the pandemic may have isolated us more than ever before, it has also brought us closer together. We now have greater empathy for each other and for ourselves, and a clearer sense of the road that lies ahead. R
Friend Forever Our retiring Performing Arts leader inspired everyone she worked with By Tanya Pimenoff
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ot everyone is fortunate to work in a place that provides positive experiences for oneself as well as for one’s family members. But I am. One such experience was introducing my then very young daughters, Melanie and Katie, to Branksome’s Senior School theatre productions. Over many years, for a modest ticket price, we sat in front row seats where the talents of an engaging cast of characters played out before us. The girls and I loved the music, singing and dancing, artistic backdrops, colourful costumes and props— all right in front of our noses. Many of the talented actors and crew we applauded back then have since added TV shows, radio shows, stage productions, Emmy Awards and Academy Awards to their impressive resumes. It didn’t matter what was on the playbill, whether Peter Pan, Twelfth Night, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Wizard of Oz, The Centennial Play—the list goes on—they were all first-class productions. And very present, behind the scenes, was drama teacher Judith Friend. I remember, as the curtain went down on one closing night, Miss Friend was encouraged to appear on stage, where she modestly accepted the accolades of the audience and the cast alike. Fast forward to 2004—Melanie, my brother and I were watching Katie on the stage in the Allison Roach Performing Arts Centre. She was part of the cast of Our Town, and I must say, with great parental pride, she delivered her one line flawlessly. All of those productions bore Judith’s deep imprint. So, too, did all the people who knew her during her many years as a Branksome faculty member. She has been a towering presence in Branksome’s approach to the arts. The Arts program, whether drama, music, visual arts, photography or dance, impacts everyone, and we’ve all missed the in-person experiences since March 13, 2020, when COVID-19 took its grip on our lives. But as our world gradually, tentatively, opens up again, the show not only must go on, but it will. I hope you enjoy this tribute to Judith and the Arts at Branksome in our cover story, “Curtain Call.” You may wonder about that delightful opening picture on page 10. During the photoshoot, I spotted a rusty old wheelbarrow lurking in the wings, so we decided to have some fun with it. Without a moment’s hesitation, Judith fell into the wobbly prop and we had our shot. She is, indeed, the marvelous Miss Friend. R
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SchoolScoop NEWS FROM THE BRANKSOME HALL COMMUNITY SPRING 2021
Waves of Resilience In the face of unprecedented challenge, we laughed, cried, supported each other and prevailed In an academic year like no other, Grade 10 student Elizabeth Li spoke for us all—winning a prestigious writing competition with her work titled “Dear 2020, I think we should break up.”
returned to distance learning, a.k.a. students’ bedrooms, after that delayed break, in late April.
Though our year was underscored by a constant stream of provincial health directives, we joyously returned to on-campus learning in September, only to flip to a cautious period of virtual learning after the winter break. The new year’s return was then delayed until February, and March break was (unheard of!) postponed. Then, in the wake of a looming third wave, we
Nevertheless, as this digest of 2020-21 highlights shows, living means learning. Branksome, as always, delivered exceptional, high-support experiences and our resilient students continued to show the world what they’ve got. Fingers crossed that “risk-taking in unfamiliar situations” is one of the IB Learner Traits they’ll be able to exercise a little less vigorously, in time.
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Dizzy yet?
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Farewell
It’s Not Me, It’s You Everyone can sympathize with Grade 10 student Elizabeth Li, whose prose poem about 2020 earned her first prize from Ontario’s Conference of Independent Teachers of English. Her work was selected from the entries of more than 90 students from 20 independent schools. “At the start of the lockdown, I was so excited to use this time for my dreams and aspirations, but it felt like it went by in a flash.” says Elizabeth. “I wrote this prose poem to capture this sense of regret over wasted opportunities and how it has helped me grow as a person.”
Dear 2020, I think we should break up. I’d like to say it’s not you, it’s me, but it’s honestly just you. You’re clingy, possessive, locking me away from my friends. But I guess you freed me too; you pooled time at my feet like cascading jewels—you made me rich with opportunity, wealthy with freedom. You gave me what I’ve always craved in spades— time I’d never had. And I grew drunk on the thrill of spending. Life’s swung back into normalcy, but I’d gotten used to your slow, loping rhythm and now scramble to keep up. Regulations by which I lived have eroded away since you sauntered into my life. I hate you for that. I blame you, even as I stare down at my hands and watch the sands of time slip through my fingers. I stare and remember how carelessly I’d chosen to spend. So…it’s you, but maybe it’s me too. You were suffocating, intoxicating, a pain in the ass. You were Opportunity; I was Sloth. I was drawn to you because you let me be complacent. You murmured sweet nothings in my ear, and I let myself get swept off my feet, carried along by the currents of life. I can see that now, and I’ll be damned if I let myself stay a passenger in my own body. I may no longer be rich with time, but now I know how to save. So, thanks for everything. Let’s never meet again.
Black History
Honouring Portia White On February 1, during Black History Month, special AZoombly guest George Elliott Clarke, author, poet and professor, spoke with Senior & Middle School students. The proceedings opened with the music of Clarke’s great-aunt, former Branksome Hall music teacher Portia White (1911-68), the first Black Canadian concert singer to win international acclaim. Later that month, English instructional leader Jill Strimas and Diversity Council Student Life representative Maria Muiruri announced that, this fall, a plaque will be established at the corner of Mount Pleasant and Elm Avenue in her honour. “Symbols and monuments create meaning,” Strimas says. “This is a lasting tribute and a commitment to diverse, equitable and inclusive spaces at Branksome Hall.”
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Speakers
Great Debaters
Failing our First Nations
Third in the World!
“We like to say, ‘We have been here since the beginning of time,’” said Tanya Talaga, award-winning Ojibwe author and journalist and this year’s Rebecca CHISHOLM Clarkes’66 speaker. She spoke to Grades 7 to 12 on February 22 about her investigative book, Seven Fallen Feathers, which delves into the lives of seven Indigenous students who died while attending high school in Thunder Bay between 2000 and 2011. Creating awareness about and questioning why institutions continue to fail our First Nations, specifically our Indigenous youth, made for a powerful message.
Branksome debaters had a world-class showing at the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships, hosted virtually by South Korea. The only school with two top-10 finishes, Branksome had all four of its competitors advance to finals. To watch a playlist of several of their speeches and see how it’s done, visit Branksome Hall on YouTube and click playlists.
Recognition
A Big Award for Our Sister We are proud of our sister school in South Korea, Branksome Hall Asia, which won the 2021 International School of the Year Award in recognition of its innovative, caring and collaborative community, as well as its strategic approach to online learning. Sixty-two countries competed for the prestigious recognition from ISC Research, a leading international schools data organization.
Standing Against Racism
Doing the Work Branksome launched a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group, involving volunteers who will meet regularly to support the strategic development of DEI initiatives for the school. The Working Group includes staff, faculty, and alums Tiffany RAMSUBICK’04 and Monique MILLER’07. The goal is to bring perspective to the interpretation of data and to proposed institutional recommendations. “Being anti-racist is rooted in a love for humankind,” says group member Jordan Small. “I care deeply about my students, colleagues and community; there is no option other than to stand against racism.”
Mental Health
Not in the Same Boat Class of 2021
A Virtual Send-Off On May 26, to conclude this historic year, “Readacres” grad and valedictorian Elizabeth BREDT, who said goodbye after 14 years, framed her speech around a “time capsule” of cherished memories, saluted the class’s resilient teachers and said that, above all, “we were each others’ heroes this year.” No doubt, these unprecedented times will bond this class for life.
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Dr. Andrea Levinson, psychiatrist-inchief at the University of Toronto, spoke to our parent community on February 19. In a wide-ranging talk packed with expert research and evidence, she said that individuals struggling with mental health issues are some of the most authentic and courageous people she knows, and urged a compassionate, destigmatizing lens—an important message as Branksome continues to promote mental health in school and beyond. As one of her slides said: We are not all in the same boat. We are all in the same storm. Some are in super-yachts. Some have just one oar.
CALEY TAYLOR
Employee Profile
ON THE FRONTLINE FOR BRANKSOME School nurse Sage Kavander blends empathy and tough choices By Chris Daniels
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head of the second Easter of the pandemic, families were looking forward to quality time together. But as the third wave of the COVID-19 virus gained momentum, Branksome nurse Sage Kavander was having important conversations with school families from the 500-sq.-ft. condo she shares with her fiancé. As a key member of Branksome’s COVID response team, that included calls with parents whose daughters had tested positive for the virus. “They felt very vulnerable and guilty,” says Sage, “and I reassured the families, ‘This is not your fault. It could happen to anybody—you can’t completely mitigate the risk.’” Sage had to be just as sensitive, empathetic and clear in her medical advice when she spoke with families whose daughters had been exposed to the virus at Branksome.
“You’re telling them to self-isolate, explaining what that actually looks like because there is so much conflicting information,” she says. “You also have to allow them to express their feelings of worry, while reassuring them without compromising the confidentiality of the positive cases.” Everyone has been moved by the dedication and compassion of those working to fight COVID-19. Whether at school, where a student complaining of a runny nose is suddenly cause for concern, or from her condo during lockdowns, Sage has been on the frontline for Branksome and as co-chair of the Health Services Network with the Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario. Not many schools have a full-time nurse. “In Canada, there might be 250,” says Sage. But it was what she wanted to do from the
time she was a middle school student at St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn in Oakville, Ont., and later, as a boarder at Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ont. “I was a clumsy kid, and kept the nurses busy,” she says, laughing. She found the school nurse offered a safe space in other ways. “I was bullied and had other issues in middle school, and she was a source of respite when I needed it,” explains Sage. “This inspired me to want to do the same for other kids one day.” After earning her degree at Queen’s University (where during a get-to-know-you circle “I was the only one who said I came to nursing school to be a school nurse”), she fulfilled her childhood dream at Hillfield Strathallan College in Hamilton, Ont. In school nursing, no day is the same. “It can range from a paper cut to acting as an emergency responder for a student with a medical crisis,” says Sage. “And just when you’ve seen it all, the universe throws you a curveball.” When she joined Branksome in September 2019, after 10 years at Hillfield Strathallan, never did she imagine the curveball would be a global public health crisis. But in January 2020, she found herself on Branksome’s risk management team, helping to formulate a pandemic plan. She is now also on the school’s transition team, aiming to reopen Branksome to students as safely as possible. Through it all, she has had to make tough recommendations, keeping to a family nickname, “Safety Sage,” in putting the physical health of the girls first. “That is why we spend so much thinking about how to best communicate about the virus, because it can affect mental health, and I know others try to safely inject fun back into school life.” What will Sage do when it is safe to do so? Hugging her parents is at the top of her list. She is also excited to see Branksome girls do the same with their friends. It is those thoughts she comes back to during the most challenging moments of the pandemic. “We have to find the things that pull us through,” says Sage, “because one day this will be over.” R Chris Daniels is a Toronto freelance writer and editor.
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Meet our New ‘ACErs’ Even in a pandemic, the newest members on our Advancement and Community Engagement (ACE) team are here for you.
Leadership Moves
A Banner Year
Grad Prank for the Ages On the morning of May 20, this recently installed congratulatory banner outside the Athletics and Wellness Centre miraculously reappeared in front of The Bishop Strachan School. The banner was back in its rightful place at the corner of Elm and Mount Pleasant in time for the virtual grad festivities later in May. And our social channels extended hearty congratulations to BSS grads from everyone at Branksome.
Deliverance
Agile, empathetic and steady leadership is needed more than ever in this extraordinary time.
Effective July 1, Emily MacLean will take on the position of Head of the Junior School. Most recently, MacLean served as Deputy Head of the Junior School at Trinity Grammar School in Melbourne, Australia.
The Joy of Not Cooking It was a beautiful day on May 29 for this year’s first #BHEats, prepared by Aramark’s food services director Julie Trudeau and Chef Peter for Branksome employees and their families. Preparation of the 500 boxed dinners was one monumental task, but so was the delivery coordination—handled seamlessly by Jennifer Narjes, executive assistant to Principal Jurjevich, who organized the fleet of volunteer drivers and their helpers.
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A new Centre for Strategic Leadership, to build leadership capacity and development opportunities for faculty and staff, was announced earlier this spring, with Deputy Principal Karrie Weinstock (left), to take the helm as Head of the Centre. Junior School Head Amanda Kennedy will move into the Deputy Principal role, also on July 1.
Margaret Barry Manager, Stewardship How I’m here for you: Branksome donors are making a difference. I look forward to connecting with you and showing you what an incredible impact you’ve had on our students and staff.
Katie Gillespie Associate Director, Marketing & Advancement Communications How I’m here for you: I’ll be providing strategic and tactical expertise in the development of all BH alum communications and marketing materials.
Rachel Loo Alum Relations Officer How I’m here for you: Working closely with the Alumnae Association Executive Committee and ACE team members, I will develop events and programming, and find opportunities to strengthen alum relationships. Please say hello at rloo@branksome.on.ca—I am eager to hear your stories.
Grade 12 students Lauren Mahoney (left) and Emma Zhou spent six months helping to organize the World Aff airs Conference.
Student Profiles
OPEN TO THE WORLD Two Branksome students helped make this year’s World Affairs Conference a global success By Gillian Minsky
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’s the people,” says Grade 12 student UCC students, and opened up registration Lauren Mahony. “I’ve never been to students from all over the world. surrounded by a more motivated Emma’s shared drive for a stellar event group of people.” helped her succeed in her role as Head of As Chair for the World Affairs Programs. Conference (WAC)—North America’s She is particularly proud of a new addilargest annual student-run current affairs tion to the conference this year—a networkconference, co-hosted by Upper Canada ing opportunity for attendees. College (UCC)—Lauren worked closely “Those networking sessions were the with a dedicated team of students, including most successful part of the day,” says Emma. Grade 12 student Emma Zhou. “I got such positive feedback and others Themed “Together Towards Tomorrow,” asked if we could host more of those. the 2021 conference offered sessions on Without the pandemic, we wouldn’t have commercial spaceflight, been able to run the social justice, social media, networking sessions.” and business during the As Chair, Lauren relished Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the chance to participate in careful planning, fact, for the first time in its all aspects of planning. “We the conference history, the organizers moved spent six months debating went off without the conference to a comdates, times, schedules and a hitch, with pletely virtual platform due themes,” she says. “We had more than 1,000 to the ongoing pandemic. to make sure it wasn’t only in attendance. They also made attendance North American-based and optional for Branksome and this really changed our at-
titude and mindset.” The team mostly marketed the event using social media, which helped reach an international audience. Even deciding what time the conference would run was a challenge in terms of participants from other regions and countries. “We worried about time zones,” says Emma. “But a school in Australia made a WAC club, and even though our conference was going on at 2 a.m. their time, they ordered pizza and watched it all together.” Thanks to the careful planning, the conference went off without a hitch, with more than 1,000 in attendance. Lauren is particularly proud of being able to welcome Canadian poet and playwright George Elliott Clarke as the keynote speaker. “That was the proudest moment of the conference for me,” she says. A Branksome student since Grade 3, Lauren is this year’s Clubs Prefect. She loves science, with her favourite classes biology and chemistry. “I grew up with both of my grandmothers as nurses, so medicine has always been in my career path,” she says. Next year, she will study medicine at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Emma is also a Prefect this year, in charge of Student Government. “I’ve always been a humanities girl,” she says. “I really pushed this year to study Chinese history in class and it was my highlight. It felt full circle to learn more about my birth country.” Emma is also a world-class debater and competes internationally. Next year, she will attend the University of California, Los Angeles, studying political science, with hopes of one day attending law school. Lauren and Emma look back fondly on their experience planning WAC together. “Everyone wants to be there, and that’s what makes the conference so special,” says Lauren. “Essentially, you are making a conference for someone just like yourself.” R Gillian Minsky is a communications officer at Branksome Hall.
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R ANKSOME B F O D O O L HER LIFEB ARS AS THE AM, LEGENDARY TEAC SE E Y 2 3 R E T AF PL AU ROGR ING ARTS P EAVES A LEGACY OF AP M R O F R E P HALL’S ND’75 L IRK JUDITH FRIE Y BY JEFF K BY ANDREA
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“THE ESSENCE OF DRAMA IS NOT WHAT YOU DO OR WHAT I DO BUT RATHER WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN US.” QUOTATION ON JUDITH FRIEND’S DRAMA ROOM WALL FOR 32 YEARS
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fter more than three decades staging productions, Judith Friend’s final act was on Zoom. Undaunted, her uncompromising eye for lighting, costume and set design remained exacting. Before a virtual background of her beloved South Devon coastline, her beautifully draped scarf matched the blue sea, as did her choker of oversized beads. In a galleryview of hoodies, bad lighting and collegial dishevelment, Judith’s perfectly coiffed red hair, pre-pandemic elegance and expert make-up were reassuring signals that, while the Branksome stage went dark this academic year, a sense of show must go on. (continued on page 12)
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The sound booth in the Allison Roach Performing Arts Centre provides Judith with a bird’s eye view of the stage below.
(continued from page 11) “There’s definitely a level of formality,” says Melissa Shaddick, a drama and fi lm teacher who’s worked with Judith since 2010. “She writes every email in complete sentences: ‘Hello Melissa, Thank you very much for the link you shared about clowns in 18th-century Italy.’” To the uninitiated, Judith’s impeccable exterior comes across on first impression as prim and proper, even intimidating or inscrutable. But that’s just testament to her professionalism. In due course, this precision and attention to detail are understood as the necessary traits of a consummate performing arts teacher, with absolute commitment to the school and her craft.
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ow else could she have managed her time, directing 45 senior theatre productions—overseeing 10 technical crews, plus costumes, sets and lighting—and ultimately working on more than 120 shows and 60 curricular pieces, including docu-dramas and anthologies. She tucked away costumes well into the night after each performance, sourced an eccentric array of props from Kijiji and beyond, designed lighting, ran the lightboard, and oversaw annual school events including the Carol Service, Senior Spring Concert, Middle School Concert and 15 Graduations. How? Hint: Her binders with plastic organizing pockets to assist with this extraordinary output are legendary. Also, as colleague and dance teacher Annie Wood puts
it: “Judith’s level of extra is not replaceable. People don’t understand how much ‘extra’ she puts in.” To Judith, the reward is always about more than getting to opening night. “What the audience sees is the end of the journey,” she says. “I have the privilege of seeing the whole journey. The theatre process is like a chemistry experiment, and with the right combination of elements, magic is created.” Yet, any student who’s worked with Judith knows the experience doesn’t end with the production’s run. “I’m going to miss her ability to see her students’ potential when they can’t,” says Eleanor Stirton, who’s graduating next year. “She pushes people to take risks in a way that they feel completely supported.”
“WHAT THE AUDIENCE SEES IS THE END OF THE JOURNEY,” SHE SAYS. “I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SEEING THE WHOLE JOURNEY. THE THEATRE PROCESS IS LIKE A CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT, AND WITH THE RIGHT COMBINATION OF ELEMENTS, MAGIC IS CREATED.”
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When she’s asked to describe what she hopes to be her legacy, it has nothing to do with fame, despite the number of alums who have indeed chosen a career in the arts (see p.14). “Most of all, I hope they learn to walk in the shoes of another human and, by doing so, expand their empathy and compassion,” she says. For generations of students, Judith herself has “always been front and centre,” says Deputy Principal Karrie Weinstock, who works each year with Judith to write the famed and muchanticipated faculty skit, a satirical take on the annual Senior School play in November, performed each year at the final holiday assembly. Typically, it includes music, dances, in-jokes, songs about the International Baccalaureate program and weeks of rehearsal, resplendent with costumes. “Judith took it as seriously as she took the main production,” says Karrie. “You would have thought we were on Broadway, and there was always a wonderful levity and sense of fun.” Karrie also admires her flexibility. “Judith always knows what’s best for Branksome Hall and she has a deep and abiding loyalty. She’s deeply respectful of tradition while open to new ways of doing things.” Indeed, her institutional knowledge is a
Top Performance Two decades of enhancements to the Arts Program ince its founding, Branksome Hall has viewed its Arts Program as a major source of strength and pride for the entire community. Almost every year, it seems, there is a new and important enhancement to some aspect of the program. Now comes another key milestone. Starting this Fall, music, visual art, dance, film and drama will fall under one Integrated Arts department. The curricula will be led by an instructional leader and supported by three Arts coordinators: visual arts, music, and drama & dance. This will ensure that the Arts at Branksome operate as a cohesive unit, offering strength and support across a range of skill sets as we build on past achievements. Here is a brief timeline of the last two decades of Arts evolution at Branksome.
S function of the fact that Branksome is literally her second home. In terms of her backstory, a fateful mail strike while she was a boarder factors prominently. In 1974, Judith arrived from Sherborne School for Girls (now Sherborne Girls) in Dorset, U.K., as a boarder on a one-year exchange, planning to attend Bristol University. Caught in the midst of a Canadian mail strike, she applied and was accepted to York University to study drama, then did her master’s at the Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Toronto. Th roughout her post-secondary studies, she retained her ties to Branksome boarding as a don and became dean of residence from 1984 to 1989. Having completed her teaching qualifications at the University of Toronto in 1983, she became an English and drama teacher, eventually rising to head of drama in 1989. And after music and dance were brought into the overall program in 2014, she became head of performing arts and subsequently the instructional leader.
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Renovation of the Allison Roach Performing Arts Centre
Stage extensions and wireless microphone system installed
Symphony Orchestra created
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ith the same discretion she applies to sharing personal details, Judith is initially ambivalent about detailing memorable anecdotes about particular students, sensitive as she is to excluding or exposing anyone in particular. She does, however, mention a few, including a courageous new Grade 9 student who auditioned for the Senior School theatre production on her first day at Branksome. Having shone in the audition, she was cast in a supporting part, and quickly graduated to a central role, says Judith. “When a fellow cast member was obliged to drop out of the production due to a timetable conflict, this student went on to produce one of the most memorable performances in the production, and the following year she was cast in the leading role—all because she took a creative risk on her first day.” Judith encouraged students to explore a (continued on page 14)
2009
2015
2016
Installation of stage lights in the Senior Drama Studio
Dance Studio included in the new Athletics and Wellness Centre; creation of the Dance Company
Introduction of the Diploma Dance Course
2020
2021
Creation of a new Virtual Art Gallery
Launch of an Integrated Arts structure and new Branksome Arts website
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THE
ART S
AT BRANKSOME
Passion, Joy and Mentorship
Alums remember their times with ‘Miss Friend’
Jane LOCKHART’87
Natalia PAYNE’99
Caroline HOUNG’00
TORONTO PRINCIPAL, JANE LOCKHART DESIGN; TV PERSONALITY AND AUTHOR
NEW YORK CITY TELEVISION AND THEATRE ACTOR
TORONTO PRINCIPAL DANCER/INSTRUCTOR, CADENCE DANCE ACADEMY
“I’m so proud to know Miss Friend! What a wonderful inspiration, who brought a breath of fresh air to the set and theatre design. A kind and positive person, delightfully British, who helped nourish my creative direction, which I have pursued all my life.”
“Miss Friend’s drama class inspired me to aim high in my artistic endeavours. I learned the temperament one needed to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Drama classes exposed me to all the elements that go into preparing an acting role, from analyzing a script to imagining the inner life of a character. I learned the joy of stepping into the spotlight and sharing my creative vision with an audience.”
“With the support of my teachers and fellow students, I founded the Dance Crew in 1998. Leading this club helped fuel my confidence at later audition and dance performances. I am happy that dance is an integral part of the Arts Program—the state-of-theart dance studio is a dream come true! Performing in school plays with Miss Friend also taught me other important life skills and I’m thankful to have had the privilege to learn from her.”
(continued from page 13) character’s motivation and intention, in order to inspire their physicality and movement on stage, says veteran music teacher Nancy Olfert, who retired in June 2020. “She discovered a lot of students who wouldn’t have excelled in other areas, and drama became a touchpoint,” says Nancy. “She was so incredibly professional with everyone, but when her guard was down, late at night during a rehearsal, that’s when her interesting and fun sense of humour emerged.
Students got very close to her in productions and it was wonderful for them to see a different side of the teachers they worked with.” Likewise, it took some time for Scott Harbin, music coordinator and band teacher, to see the offstage version of Judith. He first met her when interviewing for his position in 2014. “She can be quite difficult to read—seemingly serious and intimidating—when you don’t know her,” he says. “Then, the first time I worked with her, I was completely over-
whelmed at a full staff meeting and I hadn’t been told to get lunch, so Judith gave me half of hers. I very quickly learned she has every department member’s back in any circumstance.” And Melissa, as a new faculty member, also discovered that Judith had an offstage whisper she didn’t hesitate to use in real life, when necessary. “We did a diploma program theatre trip to New York,” Melissa recalls. “The hotel was, maybe, a one star. After a moment of us watching colour drain from her face, Judith took me
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Sarah LEVY’04
Leda HOFFMANN’05
Becca CLARK’17
LOS ANGELES/TORONTO ACTOR (TWYLA ON SCHITT’S CREEK)
COLUMBUS, OHIO ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN THEATRE COMPANY (CATCO)
TORONTO RECENT GRADUATE OF THEATRE STUDIES AT QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY
“The drama program was my creative outlet and Miss Friend was instrumental in helping me cultivate my talent and discipline as an actor. She supported my love of acting by encouraging and challenging me to push myself beyond what I thought I was capable of. I have no doubt Miss Friend’s influence will live on through her students.”
“Through her teaching, Miss Friend built community, by teaching us the value of mentorship and trusting us with leadership. Now, every day in my work, I strive to build community.Understanding the “whole picture” has been invaluable for my career—from stage performances to painting sets. Recently, I directed a production of Welcome to Keene, N.H., a play inspired by Our Town. This took me back to 2004 at Branksome, when we built Grover’s Corners with a few trellises, some tables and our imaginations. ‘We all know that something is eternal.’”
“Miss Friend exemplifies the Branksome experience for me. The Senior School drama room was a sanctuary, built by the most passionate, supportive and encouraging theatre teacher you could ask for. Three years of classes, as well as performances in two shows, a trip to New York City and an Extended Essay, played an integral role in shaping the person I am today. Miss Friend allowed me to be myself while amplifying my strengths to become the best version of myself.”
aside and said, ‘Go to Kmart and buy sleeping bags.’ Much to everyone’s relief, we never stayed at that hotel again.” Colleagues new and old shed more than a few tears discussing the sense of absence they anticipate when Judith retires this summer. “She’s like my right arm and I’m like hers; I cried when I heard she was retiring,” says Sandra BOLTÉ’73, Senior and Middle School coordinator. Along with Karrie, the three have organized graduation since 2004. In a testament to Judith’s unwavering profession-
alism, Sandra says she’s “always on.” Sandra’s favourite memory is, in itself, a final curtain call—a beautiful vignette of an irreplaceable teacher who, when asked the font of her boundless energy and dedication says simply, “my students.” “My favourite time each year was walking with Judith down Mount Pleasant Road to St. Paul’s to discuss graduation,” says Sandra. “And then, at graduation, when we had a police officer stop traffic and lead the procession, there was Judith, 12 paces in front of the piper,
this professional, petite lovely lady, smiling with her little ducks behind her, two by two.” As Judith settles into her well-earned retirement, she will enjoy more time in her Englishstyle Toronto home with her husband Bernard and golden retriever Roxane (named from the play Cyrano de Bergerac). And, when permitted, she hopes to return for an extra long visit with her family in South Devon, England. R Andrea Aster is a communications associate at Branksome Hall.
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Features
CARE AND EMPATHY Dr. Margaret LAWSON’80 is one of Canada’s leading medical specialists in helping transgender youth By Patricia Hluchy Photo by Jonathan Barker
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n 2006, pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Margaret Lawson started getting a few calls from psychologists who treat transgender adults. They had been hearing from trans youth looking for medical treatment and were hoping Margaret could provide it. For Margaret, who was—and still is—on staff at CHEO, a pediatric health and research centre in Ottawa, it was a catalyst: she recognized that these young people needed care. But it was a bit of a challenge to figure out just what that treatment should be. “Before then,” she says, “pediatric endocrinologists were not being taught about or exposed to the needs and care of trans and non-binary individuals. When I read journal articles which reported on the very poor health and social outcomes for trans adults at that time, I realized that I could help young people avoid those outcomes and have goals for their future—and for their families to accept them as their true selves. Because, I knew how to block hormones that shouldn’t be there and, if required, how to replace hormones that aren’t being made.” And so began her work with trans and non-binary youth at CHEO. Margaret soon understood that it was as important to care for parents as for their trans or non-binary children. She was the only physician at CHEO providing treatment to these kids and their families until November 2011, when she co-founded its Gender Diversity Clinic, the fi rst of its kind in Ontario and the second in Canada. There, young people who have started puberty, along with their parents, are cared for and supported by a team that includes a social worker, adolescent health physicians, endocrinologists (continued on page 18) and endocrine nurses.
Margaret, who has used a wheelchair since a biking accident in 1983, poses in her Ottawa garden amid a backdrop of abundant spring blooms.
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(continued from page 17)
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linical work takes up about 40 per cent of Margaret’s working time and primarily involves treating trans and non-binary youth, with most of the remainder devoted to research. Endocrine care for young persons diagnosed with gender dysphoria begins with a two-hour appointment for them and their family. That involves an affirming-gender assessment and counselling, and under an informed-consent model, initiation of reversible hormone blockers, which put a pause on puberty. At least six months later, if the youth is at least 14 or 15, gender-affirming hormones may become part of treatment. The clinic’s role throughout is to support the young people and their parents through their gender journey. About three-quarters of the trans young people presenting to CHEO are trans males, which is also the case across Canada and abroad, Margaret says. That outsized percentage may be explained in part because youth assigned female at birth start puberty earlier than those assigned male. As well, she adds, “Non-normative gender expression in assigned-female young people is often supported. In contrast, trans-feminine youth are often disapproved of, victimized or unsupported. Transmisogyny may delay coming out and acceptance.” At CHEO and across Canada, Margaret notes, less than one per cent of trans youth change their minds and decide to return to the gender they were assigned at birth, “with each saying they have no regrets and had to go through this journey to figure out who they are.” Because of broader social awareness of trans people in recent years, the demand for treatment at the Gender Diversity Clinic has grown “exponentially,” says Margaret. “We stopped counting because we were so busy providing care.” As the need has grown, so has Margaret’s passion for her work. “You see these kids who come in—they may not be attending school, or if they are, they’re not relating to their classmates or to their friends, they’re not talking
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“Once the youth begins to receive gender-affirming care and support, their anxiety usually begins to decrease, as do other mental-health issues,” says Margaret. “They start having hope for their future.” In her CHEO office in 2019, Margaret advises youth and parents as they share their gender story.
to their families. They may be hiding in their rooms, not communicating and not having hope for their future.” Margaret had already accomplished a great deal before shifting her attention to trans youth. After earning her B.Sc. in 1984 at the University of Toronto (Trinity College, where she became Head of College), she gained a master’s in health administration, and graduated from medical school at McMaster University. While undertaking her pediatric endocrinology fellowship at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, she began another master’s degree, in clinical epidemiology, at McMaster before joining CHEO and the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine in 1995. At CHEO, Margaret became division chief of endocrinology and metabolism for more than a decade before taking a research sabbatical. Then she became senior scientist at the CHEO Research Institute and full professor at U of O. Her research is now almost exclusively devoted to trans and non-binary youth. She is the co-principal investigator and the clinical lead for Trans Youth CAN!, a groundbreaking, multidisciplinary research
study funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research examining the medical, social and—in a world first—family outcomes for transgender and non-binary youth (transyouthcan.ca). Starting in 2019, the study has been following 178 youth and 164 parents/ caregivers referred to 10 gender-affi rming clinics across Canada.
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argaret’s empathy for these young people and their families leads her to put in long hours. “I definitely struggle with work-life balance,” says the mother of 21-year-old Sophie and 19-year-old Is, both university students. Margaret is married to Jonathan Barker, a lawyer who is co-founder of an Ottawa medical research software company. “As our kids and my mother will tell you,” she says, “I spend too much time working. I truly love my job—providing care for the youth I see in my diversity clinic and my research. Still, my most important ‘job’ will always be that of parent. In her off time she is enthusiastic about the Toronto
Blue Jays, international travel with her family, her book club and “all kinds of news.” Margaret says the inspiration for her choice of medicine goes back to her time at Branksome, which she attended from Grade 8 through 13, and where several other family members, including her mother, Wendy WILSON Lawson’52, studied. Branksome has been very proactive in creating gender-affirming policies and accommodations for its students (see story at right). “Things are evolving at schools,” says Margaret, “but many Canadian trans youth still struggle.” Last year, Trans Youth CAN! presented some sobering information about school experiences reported by the youth and parents in the study. Among its findings: 40 per cent of parents had to get involved with their trans/non-binary children’s schools regarding gender issues; 19 per cent of students did not feel safe at school; 63 per cent of youth were avoiding change rooms or school washrooms; and 14 per cent of youth felt they had to change schools because others had issues with their gender. Parental and caregiver support is critical for trans young people, Margaret adds. “I’ve seen all kinds of reactions when the youth finally tells them. Some parents say, ‘I love you no matter who you are.’ Others think it’s a phase. Others are completely against it. But ultimately, the parents always come on side, realizing that love and acceptance never hurt anybody. Once the youth begins to receive gender-affirming care and support, their anxiety usually begins to decrease, as do other mental-health issues. They start talking to their parents and siblings again and attending school, and start having hope for their future. Parents realize that their child is the same person they have always loved. “It’s a tremendous amount of work,” concludes Margaret, “but it’s so worth it in terms of the difference it makes in the lives of these youth and their parents. It’s the most satisfying and amazing thing I’ve ever done in my life.” R Patricia Hluchy is a Toronto freelance writer and editor who has worked for Maclean’s, the Toronto Star and other publications.
Five Years Later Branksome’s transgender guidelines have led to some changes, including dress and language
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ranksome Hall has taken a leading and quite public role in supporting transgender students and alums. The award-winning Winter 2015-16 issue of The READ featured two trans male alums on its cover, and articles about each of them soon headlined in the Toronto Star as “The Boys of Branksome”. At the same time, the school was taking action. In 2015, the school created a Transgender Working Group whose participants included those two alums, Andy SPRUNG’04 and Reed WANLESS’04, as well as current students, staff, faculty, parents and an outside transgender consultant. The group developed Transgender Guiding Principles, which were approved by Branksome’s administration in 2016. “Transitioning, transgender or gender-diverse students have the right to express openly who they are,” the document states. “This includes expressing their gender identity without fear of unwanted consequences and with the expectation of being treated with dignity and respect.” Deputy Principal Karrie Weinstock and Lead Social Worker Joelle Therriault led the Transgender Working Group and realized that once the guidelines were published, it was important to meet regularly with interested students to discuss how to apply the guidelines and address individuals’ needs. Student input has resulted in, among other things, the creation of male-designated washrooms and shower stalls for students in the school (trans male students indicated they really wanted “male spaces”). Pants are now an optional part of the school uniform, which traditionally only included kilts. As well, Branksome has altered its practices regarding language and pronouns to reflect the gender fluidity of the student body. “This is about removing obstacles, so all students are able to participate fully at Branksome in a way that feels safe and inclusive,” says Therriault. Previously at Findlay Law in Hamilton, lawyer Andy Sprung is currently an investigator at Barker Hutchinson & Associates, Toronto. Reed Wanless Patterson teaches science and social studies at St. Clement’s School, Toronto, where he is also a faculty advisor for the Gender Sexuality Alliance and a member of the school’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee. Patricia Hluchy
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Features
AND ARTS LAUGHS
Heather MacINNES Travis’97 is spreading joy through her bright and bold creations By Amy Verner Photo by Jeff Kirk
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ince early this year, Heather Travis has been hosting a Saturday morning art class through Instagram Live that is as entertaining as it is instructional. For a recent session, she dedicated the 30 minutes to drawing a colourfully striped fish to which she added a crowd-pleasing surprise. Thanks to a folding paper trick, Wanda the Fish revealed a wavy red tongue and bubbles rising from its other end. “I’m going to be real cheeky; this is my 10-year-old boy coming out, y’all,” Heather warned those following. “We have got some fish farts happening here.” What might be dismissed as puerile coming from someone else felt lively and lighthearted from Heather, who works out of a spacious loft above her garage in Tara, Ont., where she lives with her husband and their dog, Eddie Vedder. “We’re not making masterpieces; we’re making shitty art because there’s joy in that, too,” she continued. Hence the name of her series: #ShartwithHeather. Heather, who began painting in a profes-
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sional manner roughly six years ago, is the antithesis of an introverted, solitary artist. Rather, she exudes infectious enthusiasm and enjoys an audience. Visit her website and you’re unlikely to find flatulent fish. But her images of canvases covered in giant confetti, swirling figurative landscapes, and a whole lot of pink speak to a style that is positively Pop (emphasis on the positive). Describing her approach as intuitive, Heather recalls classes with Heather Pratt at Branksome and wonders out loud whether the sturdy portfolio she has kept all this time remains the property of the art department. Back then, however, she never imagined that art could become a career or, at least, something she could do and take seriously. After seven years at Branksome, Heather attended Queen’s University and studied sociology, unsure where this would lead. Subsequently, a course at Seneca College introduced her to the world of public relations, sales and marketing and this is where she landed
for many years; she held positions at Cérvelo Cycles, then at Canada Beef. “I’m a total foodie and a more traditional PR opportunity with beef was cool,” she says. She joined an agency in Guelph—“I was their city girl who could speak agriculture”—only to go freelance six years ago. Today, she continues to develop her client roster and expertise and says, expressing relief and gratitude, that she has been at full capacity throughout the pandemic.
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rt, meanwhile, had been shifting from a hobby to a practice with real potential. A number of years ago, simultaneously with her work, Heather had launched a lifestyle blog. She mentions it with some sheepishness—as though having one pegged her as a certain type of person—but it was this outlet that allowed her to explore and embrace her creative side. She would post about her DIY home improvements—whether painting, refinishing or recovering furniture—and found
massive mural alongside a local pool and has ended up on the shortlist. “I love the potential murals have,” she says, noting the one she grew up with in her childhood bedroom. In June 2021, she was to be the community artist spotlight at the Tom Thomson Art Gallery in Owen Sound and is also planning her solo exhibition in collaboration with Bruce County Museum in the fall of 2022.
W Due to COVID-19 restrictions, photographer Jeff Kirk used the smartphone app CLOS to direct and photograph Heather remotely in her home studio in Tara, Ont.
fulfilment from carrying out the projects and sharing the results with the world. Gradually, as Heather started focusing more time on art, she realized it could co-exist with her PR work. “I had compartmentalized my businesses as two unique things, and now, it’s like, ‘No I’m creative.’ I no longer need to separate them out,” she says. Most artists can recall the moment they started defining themselves this way. For Heather, this happened over three years ago when she walked into a flower shop and asked whether they would display her paintings. “I had painted a lot of happy flowers, but I was taking a big risk,” she remembers. “It was
nerve-racking to wonder what people thought.” As she tells it, everything sold in a weekend. These days, she estimates that commissions make up 10 per cent of her sales, with the website serving as her main storefront for people to browse and buy what’s currently available. Instagram has also been instrumental in generating interest in her work. In the coming months, she will be expanding into printed fabrics—including organic quilting cotton, heavy cotton and linen canvas—that will be made in Montreal to start (she hopes even more locally in time). As for exhibitions and other public projects, Heather had the ambitious idea to propose a
As Heather started focusing on art, she realized it could co-exist with her PR work. “I had compartmentalized my businesses as two unique things, and now, it’s like, ‘No I’m creative.’ I no longer need to separate them out.”
hile Heather often refers to herself as an “abstract artist,” something about this feels too removed and imprecise from what she produces. At times, she plays around with pointillism, marking up a surface with coloured dots; at times, she veers more towards playful illustration; at times, as with her lone tree landscapes swirling with pink, it’s as though she is channeling the Fauvists. Combining a love for colour with a sense of humour, Heather aims for happiness, not perfection. Unsurprisingly, this approach goes over well with kids. Last year, she kickstarted a Friday session which, go figure, she calls Fart. “I love how kids think that everything I do is awesome, which is super-great for ego, but there’s also this innocence and the fact that liking colours can be enough.” There’s another takeaway, too—one she applies to her own practice and insists that people consider when experimenting with art themselves: it’s okay to start again. Often, when a painting has not sold for a period of time, she will happily paint over it. “The lesson of starting again is a very freeing thing,” she says. In more sensitive, personal terms, Heather reveals how it was only after trying unsuccessfully for years to have a child, among other life challenges, that this revelation changed everything. “I feel like the universe has told me ‘no’ a lot and I really hate no. I like yes,” she says. As her style develops, Heather’s running theme is that art should be fun and uplifting. “I’m not precious about it. To me it’s the feeling it evokes,” she says. “I wear my heart on my sleeve.” And on messy days, she wears her art on her sleeve, too. R Amy VERNER’98 is a freelance writer covering lifestyle and culture from Paris and Toronto.
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Features
An End to Tech-Shaming Trend forecaster Elizabeth PERLE’04 wants to see more support for young women online By Nora Underwood Photo by Elizaveta Kozlova
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hen Elizabeth “Liz” Perle was in Grade 3 at Branksome Hall, something happened in class that shaped the person she was to become. An incredibly shy child, Liz preferred to spend her free time working on her “novel.” When her teacher discovered that, she asked Liz to read a chapter out loud each week to the class. Not only did this help the young student come out of her shell and start to talk to her classmates, but she realized that writing was something she was actually good at. “It basically changed everything for me in terms of my self-confidence and deciding what I wanted to do with my life,” says Liz. There were other experiences at Branksome that Liz still counts as formative, including a computer science course in Grade 11, which allowed her to dive more deeply into another big interest. As a very young girl, Liz taught herself HTML so she could create a website, “Liz’s Awesome Star Wars Page.” She was also involved in online Star Wars communities, where she quickly learned that she was more respected when she pretended to be a boy. “I think a lot about how my career would’ve been very different had I been a boy,” she says. “I would’ve absolutely
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pursued my career in tech sooner—I have no doubt about that.” Those experiences alone go a long way to explain a career that has been centred around young people and technology, particularly young women. While still a writer—Liz’s work has been published in The New York Times and Cosmopolitan, among others—she has over 10 years’ experience launching teen initiatives for Seventeen magazine, Huffington Post and Instagram. Because she came from an all-girls school, where she was surrounded by young women who were interested in social justice issues, Liz understood they had more on their minds
than what cute outfits to wear. She was an intern at Seventeen in 2008 when the Democrats nominated Barack Obama as the party’s candidate for president. “Always too big for my britches, I became convinced the magazine should be covering politics, that young women cared about it,” Liz recalls. Her managers dismissed the idea as tried and failed, but Liz and another intern persisted. “We wanted to create a website called Electionista and we put together examples of why we thought the interest level had changed and what other magazines had done that had been well-received,” she says. They bought bagels, invited all the editors to a presentation and successfully made their case. They had read their market well: Electionista was a huge success for the company and continued for years. “That was the first moment where I thought, there’s this space with a lot to be done, and there’s an opportunity to do things differently.”
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fter three years on staff at Seventeen, she continued to advocate for teenagers during her stint at Huffi ngton Post, where she worked between 2011 and 2014. There, she launched a section called Huffington Post Teen, a community of young writers who could post about whatever they wanted. “Anyone could write for it, which is a pretty loft y mission, but it worked really well,” says Liz. “It’s one of the things I’m most proud of to this day.” When Instagram recruited her, friends were concerned at the idea of her leaving journalism. But a piece of advice from her sister, Sara PERLE’02, served her well on that decision and every decision since: “Give yourself constant permission to change your vision of who or what you are.” Internalizing that helped her let go of what she’d been clinging to—the need to be a writer as a career. And once she talked to the team at Instagram, she knew she’d made the right choice. “They were thinking about all the stuff I’d been thinking about—teen behaviour, teen community-building and the online tools they
Supporting and amplifying young women and their voices online is something Liz is passionate about; in fact, she says, people ignore what teenage girls are doing on the net at their peril.
were using,” says Liz, who led teen strategy across the company, launching products like Layout and Boomerang, and developing relationships with digital creators. “It was already validated. I wasn’t going to have to convince anybody.” In 2016, after her 30th birthday, Liz left Instagram to start her own company. Based in Brooklyn, she specializes in trend forecasting and the youth market, advising fi rms on how to engage with young people and build products for them. Her current clients include Facebook, Twitter and consumer startups. “I really love jumping into companies and helping them understand what changes need to be made,” she says, “and then helping them to make those changes so they are prepared for the next few years.” Part of what Liz learned as a little girl building web pages dedicated to her obsessions is that girls’ online interests aren’t taken seriously. “There’s a lot of shame about things they’re doing online,” she says. “They aren’t really celebrated.” Supporting and amplifying young women and their voices online is something Liz is passionate about; in fact, she says, people ignore what teenage girls are doing on the net at their peril. “Their behaviour online, the platforms they’re adopting, are actually very important
to the overall conversation about how technology is going to be used in the future,” says Liz. “We really fear-monger around their behaviour online so they’re forced to do all the cool things they’re doing and building and talking about in the shadows, because the second they step into the light, they’re ridiculed.” And not assigning meaning to what they do online may deter them from considering tech or science as a career. While adults separate online from real life, teenagers who have grown up not knowing a life without the internet see no distinction. “There’s just life,” she says. “And we have to not be scared of it.” It’s important, too, for parents to help children navigate the online world, just as they do the offline one. “The creator economy is going to be such a huge force in our business world, in the world in general, over the next five to 10 years,” Liz explains. “Parents really need to understand how young people are creating communities and monetizing them at a very, very young age.” In the end, she adds, “they cannot advise around something they cannot understand.” R Nora Underwood is a Toronto-based freelance writer who has written for many magazines and newspapers, including Maclean’s and The Globe and Mail.
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Features
Maha KHAWAJA’00 is building a successful start-up around kids having STEAM-y fun By Chris Daniels Photo by Elizaveta Kozlova
er journey to entrepreneurship as founder of four-year-old toy company OjO has taken her from Hong Kong to Dubai to London and, currently, New York City. But some of the most formative years for Maha Khawaja were spent in Toronto. At 16, she came to Branksome as a boarding student from Saudi Arabia, where her mother, a Canadian, and her father, of Kashmiri origin, started their family. “In Saudi Arabia at the time, once girls turned 16, there were no options for further learning,” explains Maha, the eldest of three siblings. “But my father had daughters fi rst and was determined to give us as much edu-
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cation as we craved.” Dad Najam is chair of Omnicom Group for the Middle East and North Africa region. “He wanted us to go out and conquer the world.” Despite moving from a desert to skyscraper landscape, she immediately felt welcome in Toronto, and at Branksome “like I had been there since kindergarten. It was eye-opening to see girls of many different sizes and skin colours.” That is not to say it was all smooth sailing. Loving her economics class, she once tried to impress her teacher and early mentor, Hilkka Luus, on an assignment and lifted material from the internet (back in the web’s early days) without sourcing it. “I got the paper back and never had I seen so many red
marks; I had failed and never had I failed anything,” she recalls. “I redid the assignment, and would come to realize hard lessons are the ones you learn from the most.” Now, as the business mind behind OjO— which imagines, manufactures and markets early-years STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) games—she has taken a learning approach to growing the company. By debuting concepts on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter and seeing what ticks, OjO has launched products like Robot Workshop, in which kids design one of 144 possible robot combinations for a space mission, and Atomic Force, in which they collect protons, neutrons and electrons to solve science challenges. “We’re still in the start-up phase, and that means testing and experimenting with strategy, and if one approach doesn’t work, learning to tweak the business model and try another,” says Maha. “But OjO’s mission is to break down intimidating, complex topics, and make them approachable and fun to learn for children of any capability and gender.” Her toy story, if you will, came after two different careers in big business. She did her post-secondary studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science, graduating in 2003, and then worked at HSBC Investment Bank, including its offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Geneva and London. “I always had a very set mind about how my career would go,” she says, “but realized after fourand-half years in finance it wasn’t a passion.” Going back to school, earning her MBA in 2009 from London Business School, she made a career switch into consumer product marketing, with roles at Nestlé in Dubai (on Nescafé, for the Pakistan and Afghanistan market) and then, returning to London, at Johnson & Johnson, on its Neutrogena skin-care line. A few years after the birth of her son, Saarim, now 8, she made a third pivot. “I had been looking for STEAM toys to get my first-born learning at play,” says Maha, “and discovered they were mostly junk—flashy, noisy batteryoperated toys that claimed to be STEAM, but really required no critical thinking.” Leveraging her four years in brand marketing, she launched OjO in 2017 and has built it into an eight-person team, including
After years in London, U.K., Maha recently moved to New York City with her husband and children.
“I want to make a global impact, and the confidence I have in knowing I can do it came from Branksome and having worked around the world,” she says. “You can start small in your own community, but if you have bold, ambitious sights, you’ll achieve much more.”
a product designer each in Cyprus and the Netherlands, who both came from Lego, a marketing expert in the U.K. and one in New York, and a business development and strategy person each in London and California. She started the company with only her own money and investments from family and friends. Maha chose the name OjO, which means “eye” in Spanish, to represent the lens with which kids see the world. The word OjO was also very visual and easy for kids to read, she notes. Tapping into a “pain point felt by other parents and institutions about toys,” early success came from the office of the mayor
of London, which provided OjO games for play at community events, while educational destinations, like the Science Museum in London, featured its toys in hands-on exhibits. OjO also partnered with CBeebies, the BBC-owned children’s channel, to create the Which Way? coding game. “They were some of our fi rst customers, and while they were great partnerships for publicity, we found they diluted our efforts to get the cash register ringing,” she says. Over the last couple years, OjO has laserfocused on building a retail ecosystem of small and large toy stores, a strategy that led the upstart to reach record sales in 2020. “A lot of success has come from just get-
ting in touch with neighbourhood toy shops and saying, ‘We’d love to show you a sample,’” says Maha. “Physical retail is still important, and so, too, are tactile toys amid COVID-19 and the shift to home-learning, because parents are yearning for good-quality games that don’t use screens.” After years in London, Maha recently moved to New York City with her husband Yanaal, and boys Saarim (“he and his friends were among our earliest toy-testers,” she notes) and toddler Zeid. She aims to grow the brand in the U.S. and Canada, recently scoring a big win south of the border with HSN (formerly the Home Shopping Network); it plans to sell Robot Workshop, Atomic Force and OjO’s geometry game Shape Factory. “I want to make a global impact, and the confidence I have in knowing I can do it came from Branksome and having worked around the world,” she says.“You can start small in your own community, but if you have bold, ambitious sights, you’ll achieve much more.” This year, OjO will also be launching STEAM Kindle storybooks, each of which can be paired with one of the brand’s 12 games, and will introduce maker kits, from circuit-building to slime-making, in time for Christmas. “I tell girls, don’t be afraid to launch an idea when you get out into the world or even right now during school,” says Maha. “Entrepreneurship tests your limits, but it’s also hugely rewarding when it’s something you’re passionate about.” R Chris Daniels is a Toronto freelance writer and editor.
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AlumLife PROJECTS WITH MEANING Class of 1986
An Ongoing Commitment to Mental Health
Sally ADAMS Medland’66 and Mackenzie KNOWLES’11 wear it with pride.
Since the class’s last reunion in 2016, funds raised through their Class of 1986 Mental Health Initiative have continued to support mental health projects at Branksome Hall. This year, in recognition of their 35th reunion, the class’s fundraising co-chairs, Linton CARTER and Sarah EATON, further encouraged donations to the fund, which to date has raised $12,600, with 19 per cent class participation. With mental health an important priority at Branksome Hall, this is incredible support! Class of 2011
REUNION 2021 A ‘BAND-AID SOLUTION’ FOR A COVID-STYLE CELEBRATION Sally ADAMS Medland’66 and Mackenzie KNOWLES’11, celebrating their 55th and 10th reunions this year, had fun encouraging reunion year alums to add a touch of Branksome to their “jab.” The idea sprang from the creative mind of Alum Executive member Lindsay STRANSMAN’08 (see p. 37), and was wholeheartedly embraced by our many reunion reps for the classes ending in 1 and 6. Under the signatures of Alum Association President Melanie ARGIROS Breder’08, Principal Karen Jurjevich and Deputy Principal Karrie Weinstock, our honoured reunion year alums worldwide received a card in early May with heartfelt greetings, plaid band-aids and messaging to “wear your tartan with pride this summer.” Further greetings were sent through a video blast on May 29—the day the school would have hosted the reunion years cocktail reception and dinner.
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Who Knew Fundraising Could Be Such Fun? COVID-19 did not deter the Class of 2011 from doing something special to mark its 10-year reunion. Class rep Montanna DIAKUN organized a “Branksome Survivor” fundraiser to keep things upbeat and fun despite the lockdown. Through this unique initiative, the class raised $650 for the Principal’s Fund, which will be used at the school’s discretion. Maxine ZENTIL, the lucky “survivor,” received a gift card to a local business of her choice. Alum Association Endowed Bursary Fund
$1 Million and Climbing One million dollars was just out of reach when the Annual Fund campaign launched last fall. But thanks to the $35,000 matching gift donation made by former Head Girl Dr. Frances SHEPHERD’64, along with stellar 2020-21 Annual Giving and Reunion Giving campaigns, this landmark achievement was recently reached. Since the fund was created in the 1960s, hundreds of alums have contributed, thereby making a Branksome education possible for many deserving students.
ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION MISSION STATEMENT To unite, engage and grow Branksome Hall’s alumnae community of globally minded learners and leaders. ALUMNAE EXECUTIVE 2020–21 Allison ROACH’51 Honorary President
WINNING WOMEN Our 2021 Alum Award recipients, honoured by the Alum Association
Ninette KELLEY’75
Jennifer LANGILL’10
Allison Roach Alum Award
Young Alum Achievement Award
I
J
t is a distinguished global history, and Ninette has been an important part of it for nearly two decades. The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was founded in December 1950, a few months before the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees was signed in Geneva. As an experienced senior officer in UNHCR, Ninette is now writing a publication to commemorate the 70th anniversaries of those two fundamental events. Ninette joined UNHCR in 2002 and has served in several senior positions. Prior to her current assignment, she was for four years director of UNHCR’s office in New York City. Before that, she was the agency’s representative in Lebanon (2010-2015), leading one of its most complex refugee operations. A lawyer by training, Ninette has also served in other international roles on development and refugee issues. In Canada, she served eight years on the Immigration and Refugee Board.
ennifer was passionate from a young age about helping others and building a more equitable world. Today those values drive her personal and professional endeavours. Knowledgeable in five languages, she earned a BA in global development studies from Queen’s University and an MA in geography from the University of Toronto, and is currently working towards her PhD in geography at McGill University. She is the recipient of over a dozen academic awards. In her master’s program, Jennifer examined human-environment relationships in the Peruvian Amazon, and how environmental hazards are affecting livelihoods and gender roles for riverine populations. For her PhD, she takes a feminist approach to investigating intergenerational livelihood change for ethnic minorities in the highlands of northern Thailand. In 2011, Jennifer founded Gollucoh, a non-profit micro development organization helping individuals in impoverished villages in Laos. While stepping back due to her dissertation work, she continues to offer youth mentorship and support for women and girls’ education in Laos.
Full stories will appear in the Fall 2021 issue of The READ.
Officers Melanie ARGIROS Breder’08 President Alexandra MORTON’09 Engagement Lisa RICHARDS’02 Communications Sarita SAMAROO’99 Nominating Catlin SEIBEL-KAMEL’10 Awards Nicole THORNBURROW’10 Secretary Hubie YU’08 Treasurer Members at Large Jacqueline CARL’10 Karen CORDES Woods’99 Past President Mackenzie KNOWLES’11 Tori LECHNER-SUNG’12 Hannah LO’05 Lindsay STRANSMAN’08 Patricia SU’13 Chair, Young Alums Alanna TEDESCO McLaughlin’03 Ex-Officio Cris Coraggio Karen Jurjevich Rachel Loo Andrea McAnally Tanya Pimenoff Jennifer Williams Mackenzie Calhoun, Caroline Thadaney Advancement Student Reps
Stay Connected, Get Involved The Branksome Hall Alumnae Program It’s all about Community, Networking, Volunteerism, Friendship, Traditions and Giving Back branksomeconnects.ca Please contact: Tanya Pimenoff, Associate Director of Alumnae Relations tpimenoff@branksome.on.ca 416-920-6265, ext. 285
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AlumLife
CREATING SAFE AND INCLUSIVE SPACES ‘Celebrating Culture’ Assembly Never be afraid to be vulnerable or ask for support. That advice came from one of Branksome’s first openly trans alums, Reed WANLESS Patterson’04 (top), a teacher at St. Clement’s School in Toronto, who spoke on April 19 at the second Celebrating Culture assembly. Also on the panel were University of Toronto students Elaine LEE’20 (left), an English major, and Zainab AZIM’20 (right), a Pakistan-Canadian studying neuroscience, public policy, psychology and astrophysics. Zainab serves as a United Nations Space4Women mentor to advance diversity and equity in space/STEM.
COZY UP
Designed by alums, for alums
Sweatpants, tees, hoodies, tote bags and more. This fall, visit the new website at branksomealumshop.ca to see the array of items that will be available for purchase. All proceeds support the Alum Association.
Alums on Campus (Virtually) The Branksome Business Club welcomed...
PANDEMIC ESCAPES Brought to you on screen by the Alum Association Move It Mondays
Morgan HEADRICK’18 Business student at Babson College, Wellesley, Massachusetts
Subah IMAMI’15 Analyst for corporate strategy and business development at the Walt Disney Company, New York City
Make the move to Branksomeconnects.ca Whether you are looking for a mentor, reuniting with classmates, telling a unique story or finding new opportunities, Branksome Connects is there for you. Register at www.branksomeconnects.ca
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Hana JAMES McConville’05 Co-founder of Greenhouse Juice, Toronto
Three opportunities to “shake it all out” were held once a month from February to April, where alums were invited to participate in full-body workout sessions. Classes were free and led by Branksome’s own fitness guru, Lindsay Goetz.
An Evening with Emma Alums cooked up a storm on April 6 thanks to the Emma’s Eatery at Home event with Chopped Canada champ Emma BEQAJ Moore’06. In this pilot event for alums in the Greater Toronto Area, ingredients were delivered and charcuterie, salad and a spring carbonara with asparagus were prepared.
The Spy We Loved Remembering Molly MacNEILL’92 June 24, 1973 – February 16, 2020 By Janet Sailian
B
ilingual student, brilliant wit, actress, prankster, CSIS agent, nurturing mother: Molly MacNeill shone in many spheres through her 47 years. Born into a family of actors (both parents and two older siblings), Molly appeared in Anne of Avonlea, the 1987 television sequel to Anne of Green Gables, as Myra Pringle, one of Anne’s naughty students. She would go on to become an internally celebrated operative for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), embarking on clandestine missions. Throughout, her personality shone. At age 10, Molly read all of Noel Coward and performed scenes at home. “Molly was such fun and quite a rascal,” recalls her mother, Julie Wildman. After attending French and bilingual schools, Molly chose Branksome for Grades 9 to 13, to keep up her French, wear a uniform and not be distracted by boys. Her friend and second cousin Claire HICKS’92 became a classmate. “She made me a better student,” says Claire. “Molly was extremely intelligent, with a crazy sense of humour and fun. Everyone loved her and wanted to be her friend.” Molly joined the Queen’s Own Rifles Army Cadet Corps “because there were some cute boys,” says her mother, “but soon she outranked them.” She was chosen as the first female cadet to escort Ontario Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander as he inspected the cadets. Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in Grade 11, Molly boarded at Branksome to avoid a
long commute. She designated herself the protector of boarding students who were shy or bullied. In Mrs. Watson’s English class, studying Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Molly and Claire invented their own character: Axel, The Rock Star. Class and teacher found their Middle English recitation as Axel hilarious. At graduation, Molly received the Creative Writing Award. And, in the SLOGAN, she prophetically stated she was most likely to “put the ‘I’ back in CIA.” She attended McGill for a BA and MA, then studied towards her PhD in history on the Dean’s Honour List. She was a broadcaster on a morning news radio show in Montreal when the 9/11 attacks erupted, and reported as events unfolded. Molly met her husband Pierre (also a McGill student) in Montreal while both worked in a restaurant. The couple wed in 2004 and welcomed a son in 2007. Molly’s father-in-law encouraged her to apply to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. After six months of interviews,
scrutiny and lie-detector tests, Molly became a CSIS agent, a year before her son’s birth. Her job involved classified travel to distant countries and undercover meetings with informants. She loved the demanding, challenging work in intelligence. Despite her unpredictable travel schedule, Molly plunged into CrossFit. She excelled and met a new cohort of friends, while shepherding her son through gymnastics, jiu-jitsu and Air Cadets. “She was a doting, attentive mother,” says Claire. “She would do anything for her son.” Molly died at home on February 16, 2020, from a sudden heart attack after a walk. The shock to family, colleagues and friends still reverberates. In her honour, CSIS lowered flags to half-staff at Ottawa headquarters and will dedicate the Molly Nona MacNeill Training Room to commemorate a training program she developed for agents. Some 100 CSIS agents attended her visitation on March 1, 2020; one flew in from Taiwan. They left touching tributes in her memorial book. Wrote her son Kai Covo: “I can truly say she was one of the brightest and best stars to ever shine, and it is a terrible thing that she is no longer with us.” Says her mother: “Molly’s son and I agreed to honour her on Remembrance Day, because she helped protect our country not with weapons, but with intelligence.” R Janet Sailian is a freelance communications consultant, writer and editor.
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Passages Marriages
Births
1979
1996 Shannon LEWIS, a son, Charles James, on May 20, 2021, in Toronto. 2002
Caroline HELBRONNER to Nicholas Brearton, on May 11, 2019, in Toronto.
2006
Karen SHORT to Doug Neviera, on June 9, 2018, in Stamford, Connecticut.
Kate FISH to Jonathan Westmore, on October 6, 2018, in London, U.K.
2002 Jennifer MASON to Paula Rayson, on July 11, 2018, in Toronto.
2008
Jennifer MASON, a son, George, on December 25, 2019, in Toronto. 2003 Katy BREBNER Mulroney, a son, Grayson Brian, on February 18, 2020, in Toronto. A grandson for Mary ROBINSON Brebner’65; a nephew for Robin BREBNER Ridesic’99; a great-nephew for Martha ROBINSON Butterfield’59; a first cousin once removed for Nathalie BUTTERFIELD’90. Melanie LANGILL Joyce, twin daughters, Charlotte Theodora and Olivia Grace, on April 16, 2021, in Toronto. Nieces for Kate LANGILL’05, Stacey LANGILL’08 and Jennifer LANGILL’10.
2005 Cristyn EDWARDS to Jonathan Taylor-Ebanks, on March 8, 2019, in Montreal.
Danika BINGLEY to David de Mendonca, on October 26, 2019, in Toronto.
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Please be sure to let the alum office know when your little one arrives, and we’ll send you our remarkable baby bib in the mail.
Hana JAMES to Rory McConville, on January 15, 2020, in Phuket, Thailand.
1986
Leda HOFFMANN to Katherine Simon, on October 10, 2020, in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
FOR THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE FAMILY
Jackie NIXON Gowdy, a daughter, Elizabeth Amelie, on December 11, 2020, in Toronto.
Amy SISAM, a son, Robbie John, on April 13, 2020, in Toronto. A nephew for Katie SISAM’98.
2004
Courtney STARR, a daughter, Sloane Katharine, on March 7, 2020, in Toronto. Sarah MELOCHE Dougans, a daughter, Eleanor Maëlle, on December 11, 2020, in Washington, D.C.
Heather WRIGHT, a daughter, Virginia Grace, on February 8, 2021, in Toronto. A niece for Jody WRIGHT’01, Emily WRIGHT’09, Aynsley DELUCE’94, Dana DELUCE’96 and Lindsey DELUCE Ball’99.
Reed WANLESS Patterson, a daughter, Jamie Elizabeth, on March 11, 2021, in Toronto.
Deaths Zoe SHARE, a son, Benjamin Leo, on April 19, 2021, in Toronto.
Some notices and In Memoriams have been edited from emails and published obituaries.
After Branksome, Cynthia returned to Bermuda, her birthplace, to work at the Ministry of Tourism. She then moved
2006
Yayoi Yoshioka, a son, Akio, on September 19, 2020, in Toronto. 2005 Emma BEQAJ Moore, a son, Robert James, on April 26, 2021, in Toronto.
Cristyn EDWARDS, a daughter, Sofia Rhys, on September 30, 2020, in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Kate FISH, a daughter, Maya Yasuko, on November 15, 2020, in London, U.K.
1936 Gretta RIDDELL Dixon, on November 13, 2016, in Toronto. A mother and grandmother, Gretta was a retired professor of sociology at Ryerson University. She was a pioneer in gerontology, a lifelong crusader for human rights, a Girl Guides captain, and an avid skier until age 88. Gretta made this world a better place. 1937 Jocelyn McWILLIAMS Lemon, on July 15, 2017, in Winnipeg. Aunt of Susan BRACKEN’66. Jocelyn was a boarder during her years at Branksome. A great-grandmother, she was devoted to her family and her volunteer work with the Junior League and St. Luke’s Anglican Church in Winnipeg. 1939 Margaret GRAFTON Ross, on December 15, 2015, in Waterloo, Ont.
Jane NADHERNY Gill, a daughter, Elizabeth (Ellie) Frances, on April 21, 2021, in Arlington, Virginia. A granddaughter for Sarah GOODERHAM Nadherny’72; a great-niece for Margaret GOODERHAM’80; a first cousin once removed for Georgina GOODERHAM’11.
Lauren HANSON XUEREB Austin, a daughter, Avery Grace, on July 17, 2020, in Toronto.
1942 Shirley MILNER Brown, on May 10, 2021, in Toronto. Mother of Carolyn BROWN’70 and Janet BROWN’74; grandmother of Hilary and Meg LEDERER’04. Shirley was one of the first occupational therapy graduates from the University of Toronto. While enlisted in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps at Camp Borden, she
met her future husband, Bill. Intelligent and deeply creative, Shirley became the first woman president of The York Downs Golf and Country Club. Since 2002, she had lived happily at Belmont House. 1944 Joan BRADFIELD Spence, on November 23, 2020, in Bracebridge, Ont. Motherin-law of Anne SIMMONDS Spence’76.
to work in San Francisco, where she met her husband, Bill. For over 50 years, they were avid opera and symphony patrons. With her infectious laugh, Cynthia always saw the sunnier side of life. Elizabeth (Betty) JACK MacWilliam, on December 5, 2020, in Victoria, B.C.
Joan grew up in Noranda, Que., and moved with her family to Toronto when her father became corporate secretary of Noranda Mines. Joan attended the Boston School of Fashion Design and, during the war, volunteered as a junior farmerette in the Niagara region. She and husband Lou raised their family in Toronto, where summers were split between Loon Lake in Thunder Bay and Muskoka, where they later retired. Cynthia COOPER Cawley, on October 21, 2019, in San Francisco, California. Aunt of Deborah COOPER’76 and Ginnie COOPER Stewart’79.
Betty’s childhood was spent in train station towns in Ontario, where her father worked as a station master for the CPR. At three, she contracted infantile paralysis during Ontario’s 1929 polio epidemic, which impacted her left side. Betty received her B.Sc. from McGill’s Macdonald College, and worked as a dietitian in St. Andrews, N.B., where she met her husband, Herbert. For over 70 years, they lived in Victoria and raised four sons. Betty had a keen intellect and was a formidable bridge player.
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Passages
Deaths Shirley WALLACE Charman, on November 30, 2019, in Saanichton, B.C. A wife, mother, grandmother and greatgrandmother, Shirley had a kind and gracious personality and a fabulous smile, which endeared her to all she met. She and husband Eric hosted countless events for a variety of community causes and charities, with emphasis on young students in the musical arts. 1945 Budge ARCHIBALD Wilson, on March 19, 2021, in Halifax. See In Memoriam. 1949 Barbara DAVEY Mutchmor, on February 18, 2021, in North Bay, Ont. Barb received her nursing diploma at Toronto General Hospital, then spent several years travelling and working in Bermuda and Europe. While working in Montreal, she met her future husband, Jim, and together they raised three children. After retirement, they settled in North Bay to be close to family. Barb loved long walks, time with family, mystery novels and a good cup of tea! Meriam MOELLER Matz, on May 10, 2021, in Cambridge, Ont. A Nova Scotian, Meriam thoroughly enjoyed her boarding years at Branksome from Grade 11 to 13.
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1950 Mary BINNIE Bowrin, on March 20, 2020, in Kemptville, Ont.
Mary is remembered for her independent spirit, her craftiness, her infectious laughter and her voice that could be heard from one end of her beloved Norway Bay to the other. She was seldom seen without knitting needles in her hand or a weaving loom nearby. Mary was happiest sharing stories about her past and the exploits of her children, of whom she was immensely proud. 1952 Marilyn CHISHOLM Kerr, on February 19, 2020, in Montreal, Que. Sister of Jane CHISHOLM Shumaker’65. 1955 Mary BOLTON Armstrong, on February 3, 2021, in Toronto. Mother of Daphne ARMSTRONG Webster’86; grandmother of Victoria WEBSTER’17. Mary received a dental hygiene degree from the faculty of dentistry, University of Toronto. After practising dentistry for several years, Mary left the workforce to focus on raising daughter Daphne and son Duncan. An integral member of the Junior League, Mary is remembered for numerous
projects in Toronto, as well as relief efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. A devoted gardener, she was especially proud of the Garden Club’s efforts to restore heritage gardens at Casa Loma, the Toronto Brickyards restoration, and the renewal and redesign of Edwards Gardens. Mary’s volunteer accomplishments are a fitting legacy to her giving nature and her love of family, friends and community. 1956 Jennifer CAMPBELL Bradley, on April 10, 2021, in Whitehorse, Yukon.
Jenny attended Queen’s (BA’60) and studied chaplaincy at The Vancouver Pastoral Institute and theology at Vancouver School of Theology. A loving mother, grandmother and friend, she read and wrote poetry, painted watercolours and sketched. A long-time supporter of social justice and women’s issues, she had been a congregant of West Point Grey United Church and a member of the Vancouver Women’s Monument Project. Gail STEPHENS Clarke, on January 29, 2020, in Ottawa. In 1959, Gail graduated from Wellesley Hospital School of Nursing and
married the following year. She was active in the Christian Women’s Club, Camp IAWAH, and several other Christian organizations. 1958 Judy McCLASKEY Dinnick, on January 31, 2021, in Toronto, as a result of COVID-19. Sister-in-law of Roslyn DINNICK Raish’65 and Julia DINNICK Keeling’70; aunt of Sarah DINNICK’83 and Andrea DINNICK’85. A graduate of the Ontario College of Art, Judy had a lifelong passion for the decorative arts and immeasurable talents for creating trompe l’oeil finishes, murals, painted toleware and furniture, grisaille, smocked dresses, candle shades, needlepoint canvases and miniature shadow boxes. For the past two decades, she was celebrated as one of the foremost creators of Sailors’ Valentines, winning countless awards for her intricate shell art and enjoying the wonderful community of shell artists on Sanibel Island, Florida, and around the world. 1959 Jennifer GREY Snell, on March 24, 2021, in Toronto. Sister of Penny GREY Chapman’61; great-aunt of Emma HELMAN’21 and Rowan Helman (BH’23).
Jennifer is survived by her husband, John, whom she met on the tennis courts of Rosedale Park. Jennifer’s passion for the arts started on the stage of her parents’ Earle Grey Shakespeare Festival in Toronto, and continued with her involvement with the Young People’s Theatre and the Royal Academy of Dance. 1960 Donna BULL George, on June 11, 2021, in Pickering, Ont. With a love of speed, in the early 1960’s, Donna was among the first women to race at Mosport. A committed nurse and graduate of Scarborough General Hospital, she also became one of the first RNA Practice Advisors at the College of Nurses of Ontario, travelling to the far reaches of northern Ontario to make presentations. She was a creative writer, storyteller, painter, and photographer, and enjoyed theatre and art galleries. Penny PETERSON Bell, on March 2, 2021, in Barrie, Ont. 1963 Catherine FLAVELLE Henderson, on December 27, 2020, in Toronto. Sister of Ginny FLAVELLE Millar’65 and Elizabeth FLAVELLE’69. See In Memoriam.
In Memoriam 1964 Nancy NEELANDS Roy, on November 19, 2020, in Toronto. Sister of Margo NEELANDS Bush’67. 1972 Claire MARSHALL, on April 2, 2021, in Toronto.
Claire was kind, gentle, fun-loving and generous. Family was the centre of her life—she adored her nieces and nephews, and had an endearing way with children. Claire was a graduate of Fanshawe College and went on to work at Black’s Photography. With a passion for music, Claire was a devoted member of the Rosedale Presbyterian Church Choir. Her voice and piano lessons were an anchor in her life, with her last lesson on the afternoon of her death. 1973 Jennifer SCOTT Wilder, on November 28, 2019, in Toronto.
In 1975, Jenny graduated from Shaw College, which led to the position of executive secretary for the executive director of ACTRA. Jenny excelled
at motherhood and, after the birth of her second child, chose to focus all her energies on her family. Once the children were in high school, Jennifer began helping her husband, Mike, with his business and soon became the controller in charge of all accounting and finances for the company. Her will to win, intellect and athleticism always shone through. 1976 Patricia (Patti) Abraham, on May 4, 2021, in Toronto. Sister of Joanne ABRAHAM Farrell’74. See In Memoriam. 1978 Elizabeth GOULD Hawley, on July 29, 2020, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., as a result of a car accident. During her life, Liz gave much of her free time to supporting women who were escaping abuse and recovering from addiction. She was a celebrated interior designer and found outlets for her creativity in everything she did. She and her husband, John, raised their family in Niagara-onthe-Lake, where Liz’s impact can be felt through her work as a co-founder of The Village neighbourhood and the cherished Farmers’ Market. 1979 Lesley ADAMSON Skelly, on January 22, 2021, in Toronto. See In Memoriam.
1989 Marilyn PRICE Broadbent, on December 30, 2019, in Lindsay, Ont. Marilyn was a friend to everyone she met, always willing to help them out and never judging anyone. Sandbox Alum 1943–45 Gordon Walker, age 80, on March 5, 2021, in Naples, Florida. Brother of Hilary WALKER’59 and Mary WALKER’64. Gord was proud of being a Branksome alumnus. The nursery school prepared him for his many future interests. He was successful at tennis, car racing, sailing, bridge, chess and business. A fabulous and supportive brother, husband and father, Gord is kept alive in memory as the family retells the stories of his amazing exploits. Former Teachers Edwina Baker, Senior School math teacher from 1957–88, on February 13, 2021, in Toronto. See In Memoriam. Marjorie (nee Karn) Dibblee, Senior School physical education teacher and Junior School swimming teacher from 1952–55, on April 10, 2021, in Burlington, Ont.
Edwina Baker July 25, 1925 – February 13, 2021 Mathematics Teacher, Department Head, Vice-Principal (1957–88) To mark her retirement, the 1988 SLOGAN aptly summed up Edwina’s importance to the school community as an “integral part of Branksome.” She had arrived from England over 30 years earlier, and beyond teaching, had become a department head and vice-principal. “An outstanding teacher of mathematics, she has given generations of her students endless hours of her extra time and patient help,” continued the SLOGAN. “Her kindliness, her innate courtesy and her great diplomacy have been at the disposal of her students, colleagues, friends and family in equal abundance for years.” Edwina was born in Croydon, U.K., educated at Croydon High School, and later, at age 14, transferred to The City of Bath Girl’s School at the outset of the Second World War. There she became Head Girl and played for the school’s field hockey and tennis teams and participated in school drama productions. At 18, Edwina won a scholarship to study mathematics at Westfield College and subsequently transferred to the University of Oxford, where she joined the university’s rowing eight team, and won the Oxford Pure and Applied Mathematics Award. Upon graduation in 1945, she was hired as a research statistician, and soon went on to co-author a book on market research, be elected a Fellow of The Royal Statistical Society and become a lecturer at polytechnical institutions. Teaching appealed to her, which led to her enrolment in the London University College of Education. In 1955, Edwina emigrated to Canada where she became the first woman to teach mathematics at North Toronto Collegiate. In 1957, she joined Branksome Hall. During her career in Canada, she became president of the Toronto Mathematics Association, tirelessly assisted Ontario school boards and Nottingham University to develop new mathematics curricula, and consulted on new textbooks. (continued on next page)
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Passages
In Memoriam (continued from previous page) Edwina’s zest for life was always at the forefront. She knew the importance of adventures, fun and friendships. She enjoyed travelling, visiting with family, and participating in various organizations in Toronto, as well as exploring her talents in art, botany and photography. A Former Student Remembers I never would have passed Grade 13 math if it wasn’t for Miss Baker’s belief in my abilities and her determination to work with me as I struggled with the concepts. She was patient and kind, and when you got to know her (as I did in study hall), had a wonderful dry sense of humour. She was dedicated to the school and to the girls she taught. Barbara PATTISON Hepburn’69, Head Girl
The Edwina Baker Fund for Faculty Development has been established thanks to a generous donation from Edwina’s family. The fund will be used to support professional development opportunities for the faculty of Branksome Hall, with priority given to learning opportunities in the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM).
Budge ARCHIBALD Wilson’45 May 2, 1927 – March 19, 2021 CM (Invested 2005) ONS (2011)
Budge attended Branksome for just one year, jumping from Grade 11 in Nova Scotia to Grade 13 in Toronto. “Edith Read, who pretty well founded Branksome, was my mother’s first cousin,” explained Budge to writer Susan PEARCE’67 in the Fall 2005 issue of The READ. Budge would go on to become a celebrated writer and a Member of the Order of Canada. Born in Halifax, Budge attended Le Marchant Street School and Halifax Ladies College before Branksome. She went on to King’s College, Dalhousie University and the University of
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Toronto, acquiring a BA in philosophy and psychology, a diploma in education, and a certificate in physical education. A popular student, she was crowned Campus Queen in her final year. She did a little teaching and in 1952, she met Alan, a U of T graduate student whom she married in 1953 and supported in Toronto as an artist and editor while he finished his PhD. In 1954, they bought a place in Northwest Cove on the south shore of Nova Scotia that would later house her small studio. They returned there regularly throughout their lives. In 1956, they moved to Wolfville, N.S., where their first daughter, Glynis, was born. Their second daughter, Andrea, was born in 1960 shortly after they moved to London, Ont. Budge worked periodically as a fitness instructor, a commercial artist and as a contributor to publications including The Globe and Mail and Chatelaine. She also continued to draw and paint prolifically. In 1964, the couple moved to Peterborough, Ont., where Alan taught history at Trent University. At 50, suffering from vision problems that made her art and photography work difficult, Budge began writing for children, teens and adults in a room at Peterborough’s Mount St. Joseph Convent. “I always did like to write,” she told The READ. “I even liked writing exams in university, which I kept secret—it’s not a shortcut to popularity!—and I thought, okay, I’ll be a writer, and that is how I will make money. What arrogance, and even more ridiculous because I started to write at age 50.” Her first children’s fiction, The Best Worst Christmas Present Ever, was published in 1984, while her first book of short stories for adults, The Leaving, was published in 1990. There followed dozens of books, and acclaim. In all, she published well over 30 titles, many of which were translated into a variety of languages and published in several countries. Her 32nd book, Friendships, was nominated for the Governor General’s Award. Her 33rd book, Before Green Gables was a highly successful prequel to L. M. Montgomery’s first Anne book. She was most proud of After Swissair, a book of poetry about the 1998 disaster.
Budge and Alan returned to Nova Scotia in 1989. She was showered with many honours, including the Order of Canada and the Order of Nova Scotia, and also received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. She received honorary degrees from her alma mater, Dalhousie University, and Mount St. Vincent University. “If anyone is considering changing careers in their late 40s or early 50s, I would definitely say do it,” she told The READ. “If you establish some kind of new intense interest—it doesn’t have to be a career—it will keep you energetic and interested in everything.”
Catherine FLAVELLE Henderson’63 March 6, 1944 – December 27, 2020 Head Girl (1962-63) Chair, Board of Governors (2002-03) Member, Board of Governors (2000-03)
In the 1963 SLOGAN, as Head Girl, Cathy wrote: “Those of us graduating have gained here the basis for a happy and useful life, and although we are deeply saddened to leave, we can look forward to a richer and fuller life because of our training at Branksome.” Indeed, she was always proud to have a diverse education, and after attending Trinity College at the University of Toronto, added a diploma in early childhood education at Sheridan College, a master of education in teacher development at Brock University, and a doctorate in adult education at OISE. While starting as a teacher, Cathy transferred into administrative positions, eventually becoming academic vice-president at Sheridan, president of Centennial College, and president of the Ontario College of Art & Design (now OCAD University). At the time she was doing this work, very few women held comparable positions. She was instrumental in making fundamental changes wherever she worked, including overseeing the establishment of the prestigious Bell Centre at Centennial, and assisting OCAD U in its
acquisition of university status. She won several awards for her work, and was a consistent advocate of the college system in Ontario, being the first college graduate to become a college president. Cathy devoted her heart to her daughters, Kate and Heather, and her grandchildren, Maude and Desmond King, and Will and Sammy Simpson. She loved having everyone in her house at Christmas in particular. She also loved the dogs that kept her company, antiquing with friends, going to the ballet with her friend Marion Davidson, travelling and having lunch with her sisters. She loved her home and neighbours in the Beach. Her life was well lived.
Patti ABRAHAM’76 July 19, 1958 – May 4, 2021 Patti was well known and loved, as she touched the hearts of everyone she met with her indomitable zest for life. Words used to describe Patti include optimistic, enthusiastic, vivacious, fun-loving, mischievous, compassionate—yet they pale in comparison to Patti in life. The joy and light she radiated as she entered a room, the warmth she generated with her beautiful smile, the excitement she exuded in loving life are already sorely missed. Patti was a gift to this world. Her downto-earth and genuine nature attracted people wherever she went, and all were enriched by it. Be it an infectious laugh, a twinkle of mischief in her eye or the look of genuine kindness, Patti will be remembered for all. The majority of Patti’s career was with Central Graphics, where a monthly performance recognition award was nicknamed “The Patti Award” as she received it so consistently. Life at Branksome with Patti was always fun. In Grade 12, she was MacLean Clan Chieftain. In
Grade 13, lucky Grade 10s had her as their Grade Prefect and she cherished the new “younger” friends she made. Patti’s natural leadership acumen came from people wanting to follow in her footsteps. Whether leading a cheer, participating in a morning Prayers skit or just running down the hall, Patti made a difference. Everyone knew her laugh and her warm deep voice. Patti embraced life. As a dear friend said, “Patti was good news. Full stop. She had an appetite for living—she ate life.” However saddened at this time, we are blessed to have loved someone so much to miss them this much. Patti, our world lost a light when you left. Susan BLACK Meertens’76
Lesley ADAMSON Skelly’79 April 2, 1960 – January 22, 2021
Lesley loved and cared for her family and friends. She was always ready to jump in to help, especially with her position with Girl Guides of Canada. Her outgoing and mischievous personality managed to get her expelled from Bishop’s College School and she was then forced to attend Branksome Hall, which she quickly learned to love. This zest for life carried her to many successes, from volunteer work to raising three children. She gracefully brought up Adam, Kit and Robyn alongside David, her husband. She went through the deepest of heartbreaks losing Kit in his young adult years but turned her pain into good and became a huge advocate for mental health. Lesley won several awards for her efforts in raising mental health awareness. She inspired people all over the world in her efforts. Lesley was also the queen of all things Girl Guides. She was district commissioner for many years, and always a faithful leader. If there was a Girl Guide song, she knew it. She could lead hundreds of girls in song, plan and manage huge summer camps and do it with passion and a smile on her face.
Lesley’s enthusiasm for volunteering went across the world as well, from her trip to Kenya to work at a children’s home, to even just biking through communities near her vacation destinations to hand out books and supplies to the less fortunate. She constantly went out of her way to brighten people’s lives. Remembering Lesley In September 1975, Lesley arrived at Branksome Hall from Saint Adele, Que. I arrived from Sarnia, Ont. So we were both boarders. Lesley’s roommate in Grade 13 in MacNeill House, Andrea, was also from Quebec. As roommates, Andrea said Lesley carefully chose the bed that was not on the same side as an adjoining wall with our housemother, Mrs. Johns. Andrea remembers Lesley had a turntable with speakers in their room. She would often blast, at full volume, Rod Stewart’s most recent hit and have a great dance to the music. Lesley wrote in my SLOGAN that Grade 13 had been her best year. Lesley was intelligent and athletic. She was outgoing and had a smile that would light up a room. Lesley flourished at Branksome. She went on to accomplish so many incredible things. In 2019, in recognition of her outstanding volunteer work, Lesley was a nominee for the Allison Roach Alumna Award. Branksome’s mission is to “shape a better world,” Andrea said in her Remembrance post. “The world is a better place because of Lesley.” She truly did follow our school motto, Keep Well the Road. Branksome is a place where lifelong friendships are made and Lesley was our lifelong friend. We will always remember her and keep her in our heart. Edited eulogy, given by Ann DUNCAN Birch’79, at Lesley’s virtual memorial service held on January 30, 2021.
The READ Spring 2021
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Rememberr When
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BACK IN THE DAY If you’re feeling nostalgic about the good old days at Branksome, you’re not alone. Those were the days when in-person fun, on and off campus, was routine in shared activities during every school year. From sports teams, clan activities and spirit days to co-curricular camaraderie and formal celebrations, there was no shortage of great times at Branksome Hall. As a reminder, we hope this selection of archival photos will provide a memorable rewind to school life across the last century. And we’ll all see each other again soon... when post-pandemic good times return.
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Taken from SLOGANs from every decade: 1 School Spirit, 1991; 2 Head Girl Bryn MacPHERSON, 1981; 3 Hockey team,1921; 4 Tobogganing, 1946; 5 Prefects, 1986; 6 SLOGAN staff candid shot, 1976; 7 Lacrosse team, 1931; 8 Rowing, 2011; 9 Clan Chieftains, 1951; 10 Choir executives and Mrs. Coutts, 1961.
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WE JUST CLICK At Branksome Connects, you’ll click with hundreds of like-minded alum who value the connections you’ve made and the community you share. Register today for your one-stop networking platform.
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The world is facing some difficult challenges. This is what the challenges are facing.
Canada p South Korea
