Student Support and Well-being | |
Branksome Hall provides a broad scope of support so that each student is known by caring adults in our community. The range of support includes subject teachers, Learning Strategies teachers, Guidance Counsellors, Social Workers and Advisors. | |
Subject Teacher The subject teachers support students’ academic success. Parents will have the opportunity to meet teachers at Curriculum Night. One-on-one meetings take place twice each year in December and April. A formal written report is available in February and the final report will be posted to the Portal in June. When parents or their daughter have an academic concern related to a specific subject, please direct your queries to the individual subject teacher. Teachers’ phone extensions and email addresses are available on the MyBranksome Portal under Directories. Should a concern arise from the teacher, you will receive a phone call or an email. | |
Learning Strategies Support Learning Strategies Support is an integral part of Branksome’s academic program. Our goal is to work with students, their families, Guidance Counsellors and teachers to support the academic success of each student. The Learning Strategies Centre operates as the hub of learning support for all students. The centre is open all day, including before and after school for drop-in support. Students may also attend the Centre for one-on-one and small-group support. Students with exceptional learning needs have individual Learning Strategies Plans developed for them. Each plan is updated annually, and identifies areas of strength and areas to target for growth. Students with Learning Strategies Plans are provided with an additional level of support through regularly scheduled meetings with Learning Strategies Teachers as required. The Learning Strategies Plan is shared with the students’ teachers to provide them with strategies for differentiated instruction in the classroom. Students are encouraged to become familiar with their Learning Strategies Plan to understand how they best learn, adopt an approach to studying that will be most effective for their learning style and learn to self-advocate in a constructive and effective manner. Students who receive accommodations in Grades 9 through 12 can write tests in the Buccleuch Testing Room. Middle School Study Hall: Grades 7 and 8 from Monday– Thursday, Room U2 is open from 3:45–4:45 p.m. for students to work quietly on homework and to receive structured support, as required. It is supervised by the Middle School Guidance Counsellors. | |
Extra Help Each teacher has a sitting scheduled at least once every eight-day cycle before or after school and during the day in Period 3. Students may come for help or may be required by the teacher to attend for extra support. A list of teachers’ sittings will be available in the second week of the term. All faculty are willing to arrange sittings for particular students. | |
Math Clinic Throughout the school year, teachers in the Math Department staff the Math Clinic, an after-school walk-in clinic to support students in Grades 7–12 in developing their Math skills. The clinic runs either in the afternoon in designated classrooms in the Middle School, beginning when Period 5 ends and continuing until 4:30 p.m. or in Period 3. For more information, please contact the Math Department at 416-920-9265, ext. 223 or 267. | |
Guidance and University Counselling The Director of Guidance and University Relations and seven Guidance Counsellors liaise with teachers and are available to assist students with academic, career and personal planning. Students are introduced to the resources available in the Career Centre to assist them in their planning. Each student at Branksome Hall has a dedicated Guidance Counsellor for key developmental cohorts: Middle School, Grade 9 and 10, and Grade 11 and 12. All new students in Grades 7–12 will meet with their Counsellors within the first few weeks of school. Counsellors will meet with students at regular intervals during the academic year. Parents may contact their daughter’s Counsellor if they have any questions about her progress, courses of study or future plans. Counsellors deliver a program through classroom instruction, postsecondary, co-curricular and career exploration activities, individual assistance and short-term counselling. An after-school Writing Clinic is also available to assist Grade 12 students with their university and scholarship essays. Each Counsellor takes responsibility for a different group of students (by student’s last name), please see the Guidance and University Relations section on the Portal for more information. | |
Social Work Our Lead Social Worker, Joelle Therriault, provides Grade 7 to 12 students and their families access to evidence-based interventions that support mental health and well-being. Priority areas of focus include fostering school-wide and individual practices that promote positive mental health and social emotional skill development. Services include assessment, counselling, consultation and coaching, crisis intervention, group work, workshops, capacity building, liaison with and, referral to, community professionals. | |
Student Support Team To best support student well-being and learning, the Senior and Middle School has a Student Support Team, with members including the Head, Student Support; Learning Strategies Teachers, Guidance Counsellors, Boarding advisors, the Social Worker and the School Nurse. The Team uses a consultative model to identify best practices and strategies to effectively address student needs, whether they be academic, physical or social-emotional. | |
Advisor The Advisor is an adult mentor who supports, guides and assists students to remain accountable to their goals and to the school’s expectations. Advisors help students balance their co-curricular commitments in relation to their academic program. Advisor groups are organized by grade and clan, and Advisors usually remain with their assigned advisees until their graduation. Every Thursday, Advisors meet students to implement a planned 30-minute program. These sessions are used as a vehicle to support the CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) program, which complements academic life: the Principal’s Award in Grades 7 and 8, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Grades 9 and 10, and the IB Diploma CAS requirement for Diploma 1 and Diploma 2 students. Advisor group sessions may include a Student Life update, clan or grade meetings, or periodic one-on-one time for Advisors and advisees. The Advisor assists the Director of Student Life with supporting and monitoring student involvement in co- curricular and leadership activities. | |
Grade 7–10 Advisors The Advisor ensures that students are engaged in balanced co-curricular activities through their involvement in Middle Years Program-Creativity, Activity and Service (MYP-CAS), including the Principal’s Award and Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award. | |
Grade 11–12 Advisors Through their Advisors, Grade 11 and 12 students have additional assistance to support all aspects of the Ontario and IB Diplomas and to prepare for their post-secondary decisions. This includes Advisors monitoring CAS during Grades 11–12 and assisting students to meet their overall goals in achieving success in the IB Diploma Program. | |
Communication between Advisors and Parents In early September, parents will receive an introductory email from their daughter’s Advisor. Parents will have an opportunity to meet the Advisor in a group setting at Curriculum Night. Advisors will provide an update, via email, of your daughter’s activities in November. A final summative comment from Advisors will be attached to the June report card. | |