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Branksome Hall

Unique and United: Unveiling the 2024–25 Prefect Motto

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A group of smiling students in green uniforms and a woman in a black skirt stand outside a brick building, posing and waving for the photo. A large decorated tree shape is displayed on the building behind them.
The Prefects and Amanda Kennedy, Deputy Principal, unveil the tie.

Each year, Branksome Hall’s Prefects invent a motto to create a sense of community and give their peers words to live by for the duration of the school year. This year, Branksome’s student leaders took their task a step further when they hung a giant, 18-foot tie with their motto, “Unique and United,” from the top of 10 Elm Avenue!

The motto was announced at the Senior & Middle School Assembly on September 9, 2024. In a light-hearted skit, Head Prefect Miranda announced that she had lost her tie somewhere on campus but could not remember where. When Student Government Prefect Helen announced that Miranda’s tie had been found, it was revealed to be hanging from the top of 10 Elm Avenue.

Two young women use a sewing machine at a table covered with snacks, drinks, a fruit and cheese platter, and sewing supplies. One woman focuses on the machine while the other watches closely.
Jaime and Miranda setting up the sewing machine.
Three people are kneeling on the floor, arranging and gluing pieces of dark plaid fabric together. They are working in a living room with chairs, a table, and a chessboard visible in the background.
The Prefects attempt to use glue to attach the pieces of the tie.

The massive tie is a visual representation of the Prefect’s motto as it is decorated with 12 “pins,” each unique to one of the Prefects. “To us, the perfect embodiment of our motto and its meaning is the tie we wear around our necks,” said Miranda. “That is why we decided to create a large tie, with the pins symbolizing our uniqueness and the tie representing our unity.” 

The tie was constructed over the summer by the 2024–25 Prefects, headed by Clubs Prefect, Jaime, and Social and Well-Being Prefect, Nina. Made from recycled, unsellable kilts from the BHPA Second Hand Shop, the Prefects worked hard to create their 18-foot masterpiece, but they faced many challenges along the way. “We tried sewing, except none of us knew how to sew. We proceeded to break two sewing machines and then resorted to gluing, but the glue couldn’t hold the weight of the fabric,” said Nina. “Humbled by weeks of work leading to failure and the ugliness of the final project in front of us, we tried to quit! And yet, we just couldn’t get the glorious image of the giant tie out of our heads, so we persisted.” Many kilts and sewing machines later, the tie was complete.

“We hope that our motto inspires the community today and for the rest of the year to try new things and lean into what makes everyone unique,” said Nina. “Our differences are what unite us as a community, enriching our conversations and perspectives—so lean in and have fun!” The tie will be displayed on the East campus for the duration of the year, with the Prefects’ goal to have every member of the community add a pin to the tie to show how everyone is truly “Unique and United.”

A large piece of dark plaid fabric with green, blue, and red lines is spread out on a carpeted floor. A person’s hand is visible holding one corner of the fabric.
The completed giant tie.
Three young women stand outdoors, smiling and holding a long, plaid-wrapped object between them. They appear to be taking a selfie, with cars and buildings visible in the background.
The Prefects proudly hold their finished tie.
A person looks out from a second-story window of a brick house, holding a long yellow tape measure that extends down toward a hydrangea bush with white flowers by the front steps.
Miranda measures the window at 10 Elm Avenue.

Address

Branksome Hall
10 Elm Ave, Toronto, ON, Canada
M4W 1N4

Contact

1-416-920-9741
admissions@branksome.on.ca

Land Acknowledgement
We wish to acknowledge this land on which Branksome operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Wendat, the Seneca and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous peoples from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work and go to school on this land.*


*The Land Acknowledgement may evolve as we honour our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation in partnership with Indigenous communities.

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