Community Updates

List of 24 items.

• Multi-Year Action Plan: 2023–27

  In consulting numerous community members, including our board members, employees, parents, students and alums, we learned of areas where our community wanted to see growth. With a steadfast dedication to equity, we remain committed to fostering a culture where everyone feels a sense of community and is inspired to shape a better world. Please enjoy our Multi-Year Action Plan: 2023–27.

• Branksome Hall's DEI Audit Report

  As the culmination of the research completed by Anima Leadership, we are sharing the Branksome Hall DEI Audit Report: Summary of Findings and Action Plan 2023 that speaks to the results of the auditor’s detailed assessment of the experiences of our students, employees, alums and organizational processes. We invite you to join us in the action-planning process as we continue to make progress and identify ways to enhance the Branksome Hall experience for all. View the Report or visit our DEI Audit webpage.

• Newsletter: April 2023

  A Community Update on DEI at Branksome Hall

• Branksome Hall's Strategy Refresh 2022–25

  Grounded in our core values—sense of community, inclusiveness, creativity and making a difference—we are dedicated to developing a new generation of student and employee leaders with the skills, insight and commitment to shape a better future in an uncertain world. Read Branksome Hall's Strategy Refresh 2022–25.

• Newsletter: September 2022

  A Community Update on DEI at Branksome Hall

• 2021-22 DEI Report Card

  One of the things this year has taught us is that our community is united in learning. We are continually growing our capacity to see and engage the world through the lens of diversity, equity and inclusion. To learn more about our progress and to view this year’s DEI Report Card.

• Anima Leadership - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Audit Update (Summer 2022) +

  Anima Leadership completed its data collection for the DEI audit in February, closing the process with the alum survey. Over the past year, Anima has engaged with students, alum, parents and employees through surveys, focus groups and meetings. Anima also assessed the Admissions, Human Resources and Communications and Marketing areas to better identify areas for potential DEI growth.
  
  We were very pleased with the Branksome community’s strong response rate to the surveys, which have provided a solid quantitative base for analysis:

  • 196 (73%) Junior School parents completed the JK-6 survey
  • 623 (97%) Senior & Middle School students completed the Grades 7-12 survey
  • 29 (26%) 2021 graduates completed the Grade 12 survey
  • 378 (9%) Alum completed the Alum survey
  • 188 (83%) Employees completed the Employee Survey

  The focus groups offered good insights into the Branksome community’s experiences at the school. In total, 56 students, employees, alum and parents participated in a spectrum of focus groups, ranging from discussions that were open to all as well as those specifically for BIPOC, Black and LGBTQ2S+ communities. Anima has spent the winter and spring analyzing the information provided with the goal of completing the reports mid-summer. Presentations to different Branksome Hall community members will take place in the 2022-23 academic year.
  
  A common theme that emerged from the data was great pride in being part of the Branksome community. Participants recognized the school’s commitment to working on short and long term DEI goals. Areas of development identified by the community included a strong need for more diversity amongst teachers and staff, as well as more of a focus on DEI education throughout the school. More details will be shared fully after submission of the final report in August.
  
  Anima Leadership is grateful to all the students, employees, parents and leaders who took the time to share their experiences and to the employees across many departments who provided invaluable information.
  
  

• Portia White Commemoration Ceremony

  Branksome Hall was delighted to host a special plaque unveiling and commemoration ceremony in Portia White’s honour on Monday, April 11. To learn more and watch a recording of the ceremony, please click here.

• Newsletter: January 2022

  A Community Update on DEI and Research at Branksome Hall

• Alum Focus Group Recruitment

  Please click here for more details about dates and eligibility criteria to participate in a focus group.

• 2020-21 DEI Report Card

  Read our 2020–21 DEI Report Card.

• Branksome Hall Mourns the Loss of 215 Indigenous Children

  Last week’s discovery of the burial site of 215 children, who had attended a former residential school in the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc territory near Kamloops, British Columbia, is a deeply painful reminder of anti-Indigenous racism in Canadian history, as well as how we must continue to press on towards Truth and Reconciliation with our Indigenous communities.

  We extend our heartfelt sympathy to Indigenous families and all those impacted across the country and within our community of employees, students, parents and alum. This afternoon the Branksome Hall flag was lowered to half-mast and will remain lowered for 215 hours — one hour for each life that was taken. We also will observe a moment of silence at the Junior, Middle and Senior Schools tomorrow as we reflect on this devastating loss.
  
  In line with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action, Branksome Hall continues in its commitment to taking action against anti-Indigenous racism and discriminatory practices and policies against Indigenous Peoples. The loss of these young lives must never be forgotten. There is much more for us as a community and as Canadians to do and to learn.
  
  The Senior Resource Centre has compiled a number of resources for education and awareness-raising on the Orange Shirt Day Portal page and Indigenous History Month resource page. Further resources on education around residential schools are currently being added. The Junior School has shared resources with its teachers, and the Project of Heart resource also may be helpful as we move from acknowledgement to action. To learn more, you can visit the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
  
  We encourage students to practise self-care in these complex times. Please know our guidance counselors and social workers are available to assist if a student is in need of support.
  
  Warm regards,
  
  Karen L. Jurjevich
  Principal

• Anima Leadership - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Audit Update (Summer 2021) +

  At Anima Leadership we have been making excellent progress on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion audit at Branksome Hall. Since February, we have engaged with students, employees, parents, alum and the Board of Governors. 
  
  

  The reception to the audit has been positive and we are thrilled to be working with the Branksome Hall community to help it achieve its diversity, equity and inclusion objectives for the years to come. 
  
  A crucial component of the audit are the surveys and focus groups. Surveys offer an overview of the population characteristics and experiences at Branksome Hall. The focus groups provide nuances and depth to the data we collect through the surveys. Together they help provide a more complete picture of how people are experiencing DEI at Branksome Hall.  

  
  

  This May and June we conducted surveys for graduating Grade 12 students and had approximately a 50 percent response rate. Graduating students who did not have an opportunity to fill out the survey will have an opportunity to complete the alum survey and participate in focus groups this coming fall. Employees were also surveyed and there was a response rate of approximately 80 percent. We conducted BIPOC, LGBTQ2S+ and Open to All employee focus groups in June to collect additional data. 

  
  

  This past winter, we offered diversity training to the Board of Governors and will continue this work with other school leaders. The Board also will be completing a DEI survey in September 2021 as well as having another workshop. We have also begun reviewing department documents and holding meetings with key employees in Human Resources, Communications, Marketing and Branding, as well as Admissions.

  
  

  The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in some challenges and changes to the initial timeline for conducting student surveys and focus groups, and these will now take place in Fall 2021. We offered additional consultation with community members, and as a result of community feedback, we will be holding a focus group for parents of students in Grades 7-12. We also will be conducting an alum survey and offering focus groups. The audit is now expected to be completed by April 2022. 

  
  

  If you have any questions or comments about the audit, please email James Beaton, Director of Research and Special Projects at Anima Leadership.

  
  
  

• May 6 - Branksome Announces Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group

  Branksome Hall has a strong commitment to making our school one that fosters diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). This strategic priority ensures that our school community is a diverse, equitable and inclusive place to learn and work. In the fall of 2020, we began building out our work and exploration of issues related to DEI, including looking at all of the ways we connect with our communities.

  Building on the work underway throughout this year, including the appointment of Dr. Mira Gambhir as Head, Research & Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), the launch of employee Book Clubs, and the publication of the school’s inaugural DEI Strategy and Initial Action Plan, this week we are pleased to announce the membership of Branksome Hall’s DEI Working Group. The mandate of the DEI Working Group is to meet regularly to support the strategic development of DEI initiatives and planning for the school, by bringing perspective to the interpretation of data and developing institutional recommendations, which will be approved by the Principal and the Senior Leadership Team.
  
  Dr. Mira Gambhir co-chairs the DEI Working Group, along with Amanda Kennedy, who is currently the Head, Junior School, and will be moving into the role of Deputy Principal of Branksome Hall in July 2021. The group also consists of 13 other members from across the Branksome community, including 11 employee volunteers, and two alum representatives. The Employee members include faculty and staff in Human Resources, Boarding, Student Support and the IT Department. The two alum members have experience with issues related to DEI.
  
  “These members will bring both their professional and personal perspectives and apply a school-wide lens to the scope and progress of our Year 1 school-wide action plan and multi-year commitments,” said Dr. Gambhir.
  
  “I wanted to join the DEI Working Group because I wanted to help and share my lived experience as a visible minority working at Branksome Hall,” explained IT Support Supervisor Alan Lee. “My hope for this working group is to be able to have authentic anti-racist, intersectional, and inclusive conversations with community members across the school to build a better and more diverse, equitable and inclusive Branksome Hall.”
  
  Advancing DEI in a school involves input for many constituent groups that requires whole-school engagement. The DEI Working Group is an important partner in supporting the planning and next steps in our DEI work as a community.
  
  “I identify as mixed race and queer, and as a teacher I have been privileged to witness how schools have become more diverse and accepting than they were when I was a student,” said Senior and Middle School English teacher Karen Whitaker. “However, we still have a long way to go in actively dismantling the oppressive systems that we have inherited and that continue to this day. I feel that this change has been a long time coming, and that our community is ready to fully embrace anti-racism and anti-discrimination work,” she noted. “I hope that Branksome becomes an environment where, in all aspects of school life, we acknowledge that oppression exists, respect and consider perspectives that may not align with our own, and take the responsibility to educate ourselves and each other.”
  
  Branksome alum and DEI Working Group member Monique MILLER’07 feels this is a unique opportunity to support the community. “The years that I walked the halls were deeply formative and joy-filled; however, they were not without challenges associated with diversity, equity and inclusion,” she said. “As an alum, I feel this is a unique opportunity to support the community to contribute towards the underpinnings of a strategy that will be sustainable and have lasting impact for the cultural architecture of DEI at the school.”
  
  Over the next year, the DEI Working Group is set to meet nine times to reflect, discuss and plan the school’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. The DEI Working Group is made up of the following 15 members:

  
  

  • Dr. Mira Gambhir, Head, Research & Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Amanda Kennedy, current Head, Junior School and incoming Deputy Principal (July ‘21)
  • Allison Campbell-Rogers, Senior and Middle School Individuals and Society Teacher, Integrated and Design Technology Teacher
  • Christie DesRoches, Senior and Middle School Mathematics Teacher
  • Mary Fiore, Junior School Math Coordinator
  • Kate Hebdon, Assistant Head, Senior and Middle School, Academics
  • Sabba Khokhar, Manager, Human Resources
  • Alan Lee, IT Support Supervisor
  • Kelly Longmore, Director, Boarding
  • Carolyn Mak, Junior School Social Worker
  • Jordan Small, Diploma Program Core Coordinator/Senior and Middle School English Teacher
  • Jill Strimas, Instructional Leader, English, ESL & International Languages
  • Karen Whitaker, Senior and Middle School English Teacher
  • Tiffany RAMSUBICK’04, Alum representative
  • Monique MILLER’07, Alum representative

  “We recognize that cautious optimism is a reality of this work, especially when DEI initiatives are established in organizations,” said Dr. Gambhir. “It asks each of us to consider the readiness of an organization to commit to real and lasting change. The authenticity of this work and Branksome Hall's ability to change will be marked by our ability to have shared ownership for this work. This happens one decision and step at time, yet never losing sight that we are working towards ensuring a deep sense of belonging and social change.”
  
  “This is an important moment in the history of Branksome Hall,” notes Monique MILLER’07. “At this time, it is important to recognize the duality of the circumstances. This is an important and noteworthy moment, and also one that sheds light on all the progress to be made.”

• April 21 - Resources to Support Conversations about the Trial

  Dear Branksome Community,
  
  Yesterday, we learned of the guilty verdicts on the charges laid against Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who murdered George Floyd. In this year of a pandemic, we have been reckoning as students, adults and communities with anti-Black racism and its insidious effects. Children and youth understandably may have questions around the emotions that surround charged issues such as racial inequality and issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

  Parent & Employee Resources: Speaking with Children & Youth about Race and Racism
  We are sharing this Google doc with a number of JK-12 resources about how to discuss racial inequality, racism, anti-racism and the Derek Chauvin murder trial verdict. As we continue our deep commitment to anti-racism, particularly in anti-Black racism, we are supporting students and employees in hosting conversations in both co-curricular and classroom spaces. We also wanted to make these resources available to all members of our community.
  
  It is appropriate to acknowledge that we do not have all the answers, and that our own understandings of these complex issues may be works-in-progress. To support your conversations, please find here a series of discussion prompts and related considerations.
  
  For teachers and advisors, you may find pages 20-23 of the Let’s Talk Resource helpful in thinking about the variety of emotions students may experience, as well as how to manage classroom and advisor conversations that may feel polarizing. Please look at the Google doc for other resources.
  
  Further Support
  For further support, Junior School families can contact Carolyn Mak, Junior School Social Worker, and Senior and Middle School families can contact their student’s Guidance Counsellor or Joelle Therriault, Lead Social Worker.
  
  It was nearly a year ago that George Floyd was murdered, on May 25, 2020. Over this past year, foundational work has been done to build our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion at the school. A great deal of it has been sparked and led by our students. We are grateful to each member of our community who has contributed to positive change at Branksome Hall—and beyond. These verdicts provide a further opportunity to grow our capacity as a school as we engage in conversations about inequality, systemic racism and our shared humanity. In doing so, we draw strength from each other and become part of the change.
  
  Thank you for your ongoing partnership in these important conversations.
  
  Warm regards,
  
  Karen L. Jurjevich
  Principal
  
  and
  
  Dr. Mira Gambhir
  Head, Research, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• February 10 - Branksome Hall Embarks on DEI Audit

  Dear Branksome Community,
  
  We are pleased to announce that Branksome Hall has engaged Anima Leadership to conduct a comprehensive third-party Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) audit of the school’s environment, policies, plans and documents. The audit is a critical foundational component of our DEI strategy.

  In our pursuit of continuous improvement, Branksome Hall is committed to evidence-based decision-making. The equity audit will provide us a baseline against which we can measure our progress. We are confident that Anima’s findings will provide us with the information and metrics we need to continue to formulate constructive DEI plans, policies and programs.
  
  Anima Leadership is an award-winning firm and a thought leader on DEI issues. It was co-founded by experienced consultants Shakil Choudhury and Annahid Dashtgard, who will lead the audit. Anima offers research and analysis skills with an emphasis on best practices, as well as extensive consultancy experience working with public, non-profit and corporate sector organizations.
  
  In a 2018 speech to the National Association of Independent Schools’ People of Colour Conference, Choudhury spoke about Combating Discrimination Within Schools: “When schools don’t pay attention to identity, we basically do what’s known as cultural cloning,” Choudhury said. “We just recreate the system that has always been here. We hire, promote and advance people most like us … and that has an impact on the role models available to the students and treatment of the students.”
  
  The audit is part of our efforts to do the hard work required to create a culture that encourages advocacy, anti-racism/anti-discrimination, and values the lived experiences of all of our community members, as set out in our 2020 DEI Strategy and Action Plan. The DEI audit will be an important step in the process of ensuring we continue to approach DEI systematically and persistently.
  
  Anima Leadership was selected through a competitive process that required applicants to have experience working with schools and universities as well as strong DEI standards and framework. They were asked to propose a mixed-methods approach that offered data on demographic and social inclusion experiences, one that paid attention to broad diversity and aligned with Branksome’s anti-discrimination framework. A criteria also was working with an auditor whose methods were steeped in sustainable organizational change.
  
  The audit, scheduled to begin this month, will include a comprehensive review of Branksome’s policies and procedures and will also explore student and employee experiences. The audit team will conduct a demographic and climate survey; hold focus groups with students, employees and alum; and review policies and publications including those related to human resources, marketing and admissions. The auditors look forward to working with the Board of Governors, employees, students in Grades 6 to 12, select parent groups, and alum to gain insights and knowledge of Branksome Hall.
  
  Regular reports and updates will be submitted to the Board of Governors and senior leaders throughout the audit process, which we anticipate will last approximately 12 months. We look forward to sharing the results with the community and plan to post the audit findings on our DEI website.
  
  The launch of this audit is an important step toward our goal of being a community that effectively embraces diversity, equity and inclusion. If you have questions about the audit or our DEI website, please feel free to contact Dr. Gambhir.
  
  Please join us in welcoming Anima Leadership to Branksome Hall!
  
  Karen L. Jurjevich
  Principal
  
  Mira Gambhir
  Head, Research, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• December 3 - A Community Update on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

  Dear Branksome Community,
  
  As you know from reading our September Word in the Hall newsletter and other communications, Branksome Hall has made Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) a strategic priority—not only for 2020-21, but in the coming years.
  
  DEI Strategy and Initial Action Plan
  Our first step toward making this commitment a reality was to ask Dr. Mira Gambhir, our Head of Research, to expand her portfolio to include DEI, and she has stepped into that role seamlessly. Now, we have gone a step further to ensure that Branksome Hall is a community that embraces DEI in a way that permeates our culture, guides our actions and is reflected in the lived experiences of all of us here: we have created a DEI Strategy and Initial Action Plan.
  
  As part of broadening our community’s understanding of DEI, we are pleased to share with you this executive summary of our DEI Initial Action Plan. As you’ll see, our work has only begun. The action plan is our starting point for DEI-focused changes which touch all areas of the organization. We will follow this up with a long-term action plan that ensures real, lasting and transformative change at Branksome Hall. It will evolve as we all learn and grow and see our needs change. We’ll be working on this in collaboration with various groups, including the signatories of the equity proposal, the Branksome Hall Parents’ Association (BHPA) and the Branksome Hall Alumnae Association.
  
  We recognize that this process is complex and will take time and commitment, but it’s all part of extending empathy and compassion, absorbing multiple perspectives in order to build trust, and cultivating our students’ curiosity about other lived experiences. We need to understand, recognize and address systemic racism and oppression of all types within our school’s history and structures and beyond.
  
  Actions Taken and Underway
  We also wanted to share with you some of the things we’ve done since the school year began in September:

  • Employees are participating in one of five book clubs throughout the fall whose reading focuses on books that explore social justice issues and support anti-Black racism education at a systemic level. The book clubs will transition in the New Year to other learning opportunities such as drop-in case-study sessions to allow employees to increase their awareness of key issues, including the hidden systems that enable racism and discrimination to perpetuate.
  • We are creating professional learning communities in the Junior School, Middle School and Senior School that cover the fundamentals of anti-discrimination education.
  • Our student Diversity Council, a cross-representative group of students and employees, meets monthly to discuss relevant current issues, such as cultural appropriation vs. appreciation.
  • This year’s Installation featured a pre-recorded conversation with prominent alumni, including ‘CK’ PURKS Hoffler’80, the CEO of a trailblazing Atlanta law firm; Torie Williams’17, past-president of the Black Students’ Network at McGill University; as well as Grade 11 student Maria Muiruri, who is our Student Life Representative, Diversity Council.
  • In October, the Branksome Hall team delivered a presentation about the school’s long- and short-term DEI efforts at the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools meeting.
  • Branksome will be installing a new software that supports the pronunciation of individual names for employees and students.
  • We are in the process of selecting third-party auditors who will help us to review our community’s experiences of social inclusion. We anticipate beginning this work in early 2021.
  • We are developing recruitment strategies to attract students and employees from BIPOC communities, as well as building on a strong legacy of donor support to expand our offerings of scholarships and bursaries allocated for students from diverse backgrounds.

  Upcoming Opportunities
  We have only just begun our shared work in exploring all aspects of DEI, and we welcome our entire community’s participation. There are a number of ways to get involved and to learn more. Our alum have been invited to join us on December 9 for a Conversation on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Dr. Gambhir will be meeting with the BPHA and grade representatives. In the coming weeks, employees will be invited to submit their names to Dr. Gambhir if they are interested in being part of the Cross-Representative Working Group. Students are encouraged to sign up for two DEI case-study sessions in early January.
  
  These are important strides our Branksome Hall community has made in DEI in a short period of time. We look forward to sharing future DEI progress with you in the months and years to come. Should you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out to Dr. Gambhir or me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Karen L. Jurjevich
  Principal
  
  Mira Gambhir
  Head, Research & Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• September 14 - Upcoming DEI Student Sessions on Wednesday and Thursday

  Dear Branksome Community,
  
  Principal Jurjevich and Mira Gambhir will be hosting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion student sessions on September 16th and 17th this week.
  
  This will be an opportunity to share with students and hear from them about their thoughts on our school’s action plan to support diversity, equity and inclusion. To encourage student voice, please note that we will only be hosting students in these sessions. We will be recording the two sessions and the videos will be shared with employees. We will also be providing an update at the upcoming Eastside Faculty Meeting.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Kim Kniaz
  Head, Senior & Middle School

• September 4 - Branksome Hall commits to diversity, equity and inclusion and to eliminating systemic racism

  Over the course of the summer, Dr. Mira Gambhir, Branksome Hall’s new Head, Research, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, has led foundational work in support of the strategic priority of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at the school. Many initiatives will be in place this fall and longer-term work is underway to support anti-discrimination and anti-racism, beginning with a focus on anti-Black racism. This important work will permeate the school’s culture, guide actions and be reflected in students’ and employees' lived experiences.

  
  

  “We have all learned a great deal—and I am very grateful to everyone who shared their stories. We understand that systemic racism at Branksome Hall has caused pain,” says Principal Karen Jurjevich in a video address to the community. “For this, I most sincerely apologize. We have heard you and we are committed to taking action.”
  
  This involves supporting every member of the Branksome community and working together to eliminate anti-Black systemic racism and to increase equity and inclusion for all Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC). As Dr. Gambhir, who was appointed in July, notes, “We recognize that we need greater diversity in our community and want to move quickly, but we also want to have all the information necessary to make informed decisions and build effective action plans. The objective is to focus attention on the BIPOC community in a more rigorous, intentional way, and to listen to the voices in our community. We need to better understand and raise awareness, as well as to build our capacity as a school to engage in conversations about inequity and our shared humanity.”
  
  
  
  Curriculum Review, Equity Audit and Other Actions  
  As an important immediate action, we are engaged in a curriculum review pilot in many subject areas, with a view to a full school-wide review, from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12. Key changes to address DEI and anti-Black racism within our curriculum will start this fall. Work has already begun on the English curriculum review for Grades 7, 9 and 11, a collaborative effort with students, alum, faculty and administration.
  
  A second key action supports our commitment to increasing representation of the Black community at Branksome Hall. To establish the groundwork for constructive, clear recommendations and objectives to support this aim, an equity audit will be conducted this fall. An independent individual or organization—to be selected through open and transparent requests for proposal in the coming weeks—will guide a comprehensive review of Branksome Hall’s policies and processes. The review will include hiring of employees, recruitment of students, the appointment of senior leaders and volunteers, and communication practices. The audit will provide recommendations as well as ways to measure and track our progress. Critically, the work will serve to ensure the school has the most appropriate advocacy model in support of its BIPOC students, with specific focus on Black students.
  
  Other actions taken over the summer include:

  • A new DEI resource website was launched to support the school in living these values and was created based on feedback shared at student forums, listening sessions and on social media.
  • Ongoing review of student and employee recruitment policies and practices, with inclusion of a DEI statement in job profiles.
  • Resourcing for employees’ anti-racist education, with book-club meetings throughout the 2020-21 academic year.
  • Put in place Discrimination Report and Bullying Reporting Forms (anonymous).
  • Revised code of conduct and Boarding Handbook to include a section on anti-discrimination.
  • Appointed a student-life representative on the Diversity Council and identified other opportunities for related student leadership roles through 2020-21, including a commitment to respond to the student proposal for DEI work, submitted to senior leadership in June.
  • Developing a series of student sessions to address and support their lived experiences, and embed DEI within an upcoming student leadership conference.
  • Delivered DEI workshops on Branksome’s foundational work for new employees, student leaders, school leadership and all employees.
  • Developing the DEI Working Group whose ongoing role is to consult on policy development, advise on strategic priorities and review measures.

  Regular updates and opportunities for engagement will be shared with the community, and updated on the DEI website, to support the school’s sustained focus on its DEI efforts and to inform and foster ongoing dialogue and action.
  
  “We are stepping forward in this work, with purpose, determination and rigour,” says Jurjevich. “We are listening deeply and actively, and our commitment is sincere and wholehearted. We stand behind the elimination of anti-Black systemic racism, and we are committed to increasing equity and inclusion for all Black, Indigenous and People of Colour. We invite, welcome and require our entire community's engagement and support as we continue this important dialogue and work. I am confident that when we work together we can make real and lasting change at Branksome Hall.”

• September 3 - Branksome employees engage in book discussions as an opportunity for anti-Black racism education

  In the week of August 24, more than 160 Branksome Hall employees took part in the first session of five book clubs, designed to explore social justice issues and support anti-Black racism education at a systemic level.

  
  

  From a list of books submitted by Branksome employees, Joshua Watkis, a Canadian National Slam Poetry Champion, arts educator and spoken word artist who has worked at Branksome with Senior and Middle School English students for several years, curated his top five. 
  
  All employees selected one book to read over the summer and some volunteered to facilitate discussions. The texts were Between the World and Me by Ta'Nehisi Coates, Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge, Nobody Knows My Name by James Baldwin, The Skin We're In by Desmond Cole, and Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum.
  
  In a short video for Branksome employees, Watkis said, “You may learn entirely new ways to engage with the world and the people you meet in it, including your peers and most importantly, your future students,” says Joshua Watkis. 
  
  “Each group’s facilitators are not supposed to be the ‘experts’ on the topic,” says Junior School Social Worker and facilitator Carolyn Mak. “The hope is that people will feel more at ease discussing their true and authentic feelings if they know that racism is about how we are raised—the air we breathe, the media we consume, what we choose to believe and how we choose to live.”
  
  Some of the suggested discussion questions provided by Mira Gambhir, Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, who guides the initiative, include: What do the authors tell us about hope for improvement in race and ethnocultural relations in Canada, U.S. and beyond? (You may wish to discuss this in the context of the events of this summer, and in particular the Black Lives Matter movement.) 
  
  To support various comfort levels and build camaraderie, an anonymous poll allowed group participants to express their initial reticence or enthusiasm about discussing race and racism. “The goal is to use the texts as springboards for other explorations into seminal moments in Black history, further readings and guest speaker invitations,” says facilitator Allison Campbell-Rogers.
  
  There are bound to be many paradigm and perspective shifts as the sessions ensue. “This is a good opportunity to build the foundations and explore race, racism and our shared humanity,” says Gambhir. 
  
  As a point of entry with textual engagement, Watkis makes the important point that Black writers are to be seen as writers first. “Their Blackness is not an additive or even a factor, when we examine skill level. However, their Blackness must be considered when you fully understand the difficulty of living the subject matter they are writing about.”
  
  “Jimmy [Baldwin] once asked White America in an interview, ‘How much time do you want for your progress?’ At Branksome, I hope the answer will be, ‘No more time; it comes now.’”

• July 13 - Dr. Mira Gambhir to lead Branksome Hall’s strategic focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

  Dear Branksome Community,
  
  

  Dr. Mira Gambhir has been appointed Branksome Hall's new Head, Research (Chandaria Research Centre) and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), effective Wednesday, July 1.

   

  In this new role, Dr. Gambhir will join the Senior Leadership Team and will lead the development and ongoing implementation of a strategic vision and plan for research and diversity, equity and inclusion at Branksome Hall. The appointment builds on the actions outlined in the long-term plan Principal Karen Jurjevich announced in the school’s Commitment to Action message on June 5. 

  
  

  “With this role’s creation, we are embracing a new and foundational strategic priority as an IB World School—a commitment to effecting sustainable organizational action and change at Branksome Hall and beyond,” says Principal Karen Jurjevich. “Bringing together individuals from multiple backgrounds, perspectives and experiences—and ensuring that every person feels valued and welcome—is integral to achieving our mission and embodies our values of inclusiveness and sense of community.”

  
  

  In her role as Head, Dr. Gambhir will support and partner with the Diversity Council, Black Students’ Union, Gender Sexuality Alliance and other student-led groups to promote initiatives that complement the school’s research priorities, including applying an anti-discriminatory education lens to student, employee and community experiences, and advancing concrete strategies to make lasting organizational change. 

  
  

  Dr. Gambhir was the ideal choice for the role, says Jurjevich. A scholar and author in the fields of diversity education, international education and teacher education, Dr. Gambhir is well-known within the Branksome Hall community as the inaugural director of the Chandaria Research Centre (CRC). Opened in 2016, the CRC joined the ranks of a handful of school-based research centres in Canada and internationally. “In a short span of time under Mira’s leadership,” notes Jurjevich, “the Chandaria Research Centre has made a big impact throughout our community. Mira also played an important role on the Civil Discourse Working Group this past year. Now, with her leading this critically important work, which will build on these contributions, Branksome Hall is poised to make important and necessary change both within and beyond our halls.”

  
  

  Dr. Gambhir completed an award-winning doctoral dissertation on diversity education and has reviewed curriculum for the Ontario Ministry of Education and organizations internationally. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Education from the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto, a Master of Arts in Education from OISE, and Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees from the University of New Brunswick.

  
  

  “I am proud to be part of an organization that is willing to have difficult conversations, disrupt past practices and find ways to protect students,” says Dr. Gambhir. “The strategies and programs developed and embedded will have a transformative impact on every facet of school life. These include curriculum design and delivery, student engagement and education initiatives. I look forward to collaborating with stakeholders on systems and practices in admissions, human resources, communications and marketing, to integrate and strengthen efforts to support diversity, equity and inclusion at Branksome Hall.”

  
  

  Dr. Gambhir’s appointment is the latest in a series of recent responses, as Branksome Hall was called upon to address an organizational need for anti-racist education and action, galvanized by the global outcry in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis in early June. 

  
  

  In addition to this appointment, a number of measures have been taken to establish diversity, equity and inclusion as a strategic priority, building on existing strengths in this area: 

  • A report of recommendations has been compiled by the Civil Discourse Working Group and will soon be shared with the Senior Leadership Team;
  • conversations are underway with the Diversity Council—composed of students, faculty, staff and alum—to continue shaping the Council’s mandate and to inform the school’s approach more broadly; 
  • inter-departmental dialogue has established implications for areas such as human resources policies; 
  • resources for employees have been allocated to support anti-racist education, including concepts such as racial prejudice and white privilege, and this work will continue prior to fall reopening;
  • a commitment to follow up on and respond to the student proposal for diversity, equity and inclusion at Branksome that was submitted in June to the Senior Leadership Team;
  • and opportunities for student leadership in the new academic year have also been identified. 

  
  

  To further uphold Branksome Hall’s commitment to taking long-term, meaningful action towards being a diverse, equitable and inclusive place to learn and to work, a new resource website has also been launched to support the school community in living these values. 

  
  

  Reflecting a diversity of voices and perspectives, the website was created based on feedback shared at student forums, listening sessions, on social media and through community consultation with members of the Diversity Council and other school colleagues. Featured resources include recommendations for anti-racism reading, well-being supports, as well as podcasts and videos for further learning. Regular updates regarding news, announcements and opportunities to engage in Branksome Hall’s DEI work will continue to be posted here. 

  
  

  An important part of this work is to develop a shared understanding of how racism and other forms of discrimination operate in elite independent schools. “The way to make change is to disrupt past narratives or the hidden assumptions that are happening within a community, and to take accountability for action,” says Dr. Gambhir. “This includes increasing awareness and taking responsibility for your learning about how discimination occurs, and then identifying personally and collectively what steps you are going to take.” 

  
  

  “There have been hard, honest and courageous conversations with students, employees, alum and parents, as we confront and address anti-Black racism and the need for anti-racist education and action,” said Deputy Principal Karrie Weinstock in her remarks at the Virtual Green Carpet Ceremony on June 11. “Students have questioned whether we will continue to listen and actually do this difficult, vulnerable work transparently. I want to tell you today that as an IB World School, we are committed to action and change and to modelling the IB Learner Profile attributes and our values. This is humbling and uplifting work.”

  
  

  To that end, a series of virtual student forums for Grades 7 through 11 were held June 10 and 12. An opportunity for open discussion and honest dialogue with the school’s senior leadership, students raised important questions about such themes as incorporating Black history in the curriculum; reviewing the diversity of board members, employees and students; increasing the opportunities for student collaboration on school-sponsored activism; and sustaining momentum on long-term employee anti-racist training. 

  
  

  Additionally, a series of listening sessions was also held mid-June with students, employees and alum. These were attended by the Senior Leadership Team and others, including the input of Joshua Watkis, a spoken word artist who has worked with Grade 8 students for the past four years. The purpose of these sessions was to listen and learn from lived experiences of discrimination and racism in order to understand and then work to eradicate them.

  
  

  “Schools are a microcosm of society and this is work we enter into with compassion,” says Jurjevich, “as we take responsibility for learning both how discrimination occurs and how we can work collectively to dismantle it.” 

• June 6 - Student and Alum Open Letter and Equity Proposal

  In May 2020, more than 400 students, alum and employees  issued a proposal that outlined suggestions for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Branksome Hall. These recommendations asked for changes across the school that would shift the student and alum experience. 

   

  Click here to read the open letter and the proposal.

• June 5 - A Message from Principal Karen Jurjevich: Commitment to Action

  We’d like to share with you the address I gave to employees and students in grades 5 - 11 in three separate Zoom assemblies today. We feel it is important that our entire Branksome community is aware of this important message.
  
  **********************************************************************************************************
  
  There is no doubt that the last few months, the last few days in particular, have been challenging. 
  
  Events in the U.S. and Canada around anti-Black racism have impacted us all and forced all of us to face some very tough and painful truths. It has shone a spotlight on every organization, and Branksome Hall is by no means immune. 
  
  There isn’t an institution and organization out there that isn’t asking what more could we have done and what more can we do? 
  
  And truthfully, all of this feedback and input has helped me. Thank you for your passion, for your good ideas, for your care, and for your honesty and concern for this issue. 
  
  We have listened to each and every one of your messages, read through your thoughtful emails and even your raw comments on social media, which can feel like great outlets for expression but bring their own added pressures. Meaningful action and change does not happen on social media. It takes hard work and active listening from each other and from research and perspectives from reputable sources and experts to broaden our understanding. 
  
  This is a learning moment. 
  
  The importance of listening, and learning, to better understand how to implement meaningful action is critical. We do not have all the answers, but we are committed to doing the work required to identify and implement short and long-term actions. 
  
  We are not afraid to be proud of what we have done as a school. And, we are not afraid to admit where we have fallen short. 
  
  We have an excellent track record of following through on our commitments and strategic priorities. 
  
  For example, we have done a lot of remarkable work in a number of important areas, such as Innovation, Social and Emotional Learning, and Values. These are in our DNA now. This work has been life-altering for the school and has laid the groundwork for the work we are doing now. 
  
  I stand behind the commitments the Senior Leadership Team and I made in our public statement on Tuesday. 
  
  Like the rest of the world, we were shocked and outraged by the killing of George Floyd, and we recognize that in our own city and community, issues of racial equity and social justice need to be addressed. 
  
  These world events, such as the ones we are bearing witness to, cause confusion, anger, grief and hurt, and can leave us wondering how we can help both ourselves and each other. 
  
  It’s uncomfortable. It hurts. It’s personal. 
  
  But our school community is strong. We are resilient. 
  
  We have heard you. We are with you. There is a call for action and it is real and we support it. 
  
  We may not have all the expertise required to address the systemic challenges that we know exist. But we do have the commitment and the will. 
  
  We are taking this very seriously, and we must respond thoughtfully and in a meaningful way. 
  
  We welcome and indeed, require, our entire community's engagement and support in these efforts. We will be reaching out to students, colleagues, alum and external resources to create and mobilize an immediate set of actions and, most importantly, a longer-term and sustainable plan. 
  
  We know white privilege exists. We recognize our lack of diversity. There is no hiding behind it. We’re not hiding behind our history. We are looking at the future and moving forward. 
  
  This is hard work. These are complex and multi-layered issues, so we are taking the time needed to do this in the right way, the Branksome way. 
  
  We are on a beginner’s journey. Listening and learning are actions too, and are important elements in our plan to address structural and institutional racism. This will become Branksome Hall’s strategic priority over this coming year. 
  
  To this we are committed. 
  
  There will be a number of immediate and long-term actions Branksome will implement. As we listen and learn, more actions are to come; however, for today’s purposes I will highlight the following actions: 
  
  Our Commitments to Taking Action 
  

  • We will listen. Listening is an action. As a result, we will be hosting listening sessions for our community to learn about the lived experiences of our students, employees and alum. 
  • Branksome Hall will immediately begin Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training for all employees. Resources have been made available and we will engage in summer reading on this topic. We will take the time to access expert external resources to enable onsite training for all employees when school re-opens. This will not be a one-off. We will commit to continue to expand our learning and make this a requirement for all Branksome Hall employees who will, in turn, expand and share their learnings with students.
  • We will immediately institute an employee drive to raise funds to support advocacy and action for several causes focused on addressing anti-Black racism.
  • Branksome Hall will conduct a review of its human resource policies and protocols for hiring to bring greater awareness and action to ensuring we have increased diversity on our staff.
  • Branksome Hall will require that all teachers bring a critical lens to our curricular offerings: we will support our teachers in their efforts to expand the range of diversity of content in our teaching materials.
  • We will support the work of the Diversity Council and other groups across the school.
  • Branksome Hall will access experts on race and diversity and look to partner with members of the Black community who can advise and ensure that our changes are sustainable and implementable.
  • Branksome Hall will continue to welcome suggestions for speakers. This week, we received a list of suggested speakers from one of our students. We will continue to support the inclusion of diverse speakers and perspectives. Next week at the Grade 8 Celebration, we will welcome the return of Black poet, arts educator and mentor, Joshua Watkis. Joshua is a frequent speaker in assembly and in English classes.

  
  The most important question to any of these actions is, how do we ensure that these changes are sustainable? 
  
  This is possible through continued commitment and joint action on the part of every community member. 
  
  To conclude, I want to emphasize how important you are as a student body. These commitments go hand in hand with ongoing conversations with you, conversations that I intend to have with you, as do other members of the administration, as well as your teachers.
  
  I have great pride in the Branksome Hall student body and confidence in the future of our school. I would like to thank you for your attention during this assembly, and I look forward to doing this work together as a community. 
  
  ********************************************************************************************************** 
  
  We welcome your questions, feedback and comments. Please email principal@branksome.on.ca. 
  
  Warm Regards, 
  
  Karen L. Jurjevich 
  Principal

• June 2 - Black Lives Matter at Branksome Hall: A Message of Solidarity and Allyship

  The Branksome Hall community has been deeply impacted by the events that are unfolding in the United States, Canada and around the world in the wake of the death of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. We are outraged, shocked and saddened, and we wish to extend our condolences to the Floyd family and to all those who are suffering, in particular communities of colour.
  
  Branksome Hall rejects racism and discrimination, and we stand with our Black students, families, alum and employees and all those who continue to experience racism. Issues of racism run deep, are systemically entrenched, and impact so many people, not just in the U.S., but across Canada and in our own Branksome community. 

  
  

  As a mission-driven school that aims to inspire our students to shape a better world, we believe in the power of critical thinking, researched debate, international mindedness and dialogue to make meaning and advance understanding. Sharing perspectives and most importantly, building compassion and empathy through open and honest discourse, are important stepping stones toward taking action and effecting change within Branksome and beyond. 

  
  

  Together, we will continue to challenge each other, create safe and brave spaces to have important conversations about anti-Black racism and discrimination at Branksome Hall. We each have a role to play, and all voices must be heard, valued and respected. This work is uncomfortable and not easy, and we are committed. 

  
  

  We know our students are seeking spaces to discuss and make meaning of these events. In Advisor sessions this week, students will focus on allyship and what it means to be an ally. A student-led video is being created that will be shared with Advisor groups on Thursday to set up the discussion. 

  
  

  A collection of age-appropriate resources is being compiled and will be shared with the community in this week’s Friday Files and Road Aheads, as well as posted to the Portal. These will support parents and employees in speaking with students and each other about race and racism. We highly recommend that you review this link to an impactful collection of resources that psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour shared yesterday. 

  
  

  This is an ongoing conversation and a partnership. We must work together in breaking down barriers, eliminating discrimination and bias. We each must contribute to and create an inclusive, safe, respectful and equitable space for learning and working. Our values of sense of community, inclusiveness, creativity and making a difference will continue to guide us in these efforts.

  
  

  Now more than ever, in this challenging time, we support each other, acknowledge each other’s pain, and show compassion to community, friends, family members and colleagues who may be angry, grieving and hurt. This is a time for listening and for self-reflection. 

  
  

  It is also a time for action. As a leadership team, we are deeply committed to supporting all of our community members of colour, to creating safe, respectful and identity-affirming environments, and together, to working toward acknowledging and eradicating systemic, institutionalized and structural racism. We all have the responsibility to do everything we can to ensure each member of our community feels that they can be who they are and that they belong.

  
  

  Karen L. Jurjevich

  Principal

   

  Karrie Weinstock

  Deputy Principal

  
  

  Elliott Brodkin

  Executive Director, Finance & Administration

   

  Cristina Coraggio

  Executive Director, Advancement & Community Engagement

  
  

  Patricia DiNicolantonio

  Head, Talent Management

  
  

  Heather Friesen

  Head, Curriculum Innovation and Professional Learning

  
  

  Michael Ianni-Palarchio

  Director, Technology & Innovation 

   

  Amanda Kennedy  

  Head, Junior School