BSS in Action

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BSS in Action has a new home! We're still posting all the latest and greatest updates about what is going on at the School - Just  moved them to a new page: http://bss.on.ca/news-publications 

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Congratulations to our extraordinary Class of 2013 - graduating from BSS with offers from the best universities around the world. See our ad in today's national edition of The Globe and Mail.

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The Bishop Strachan School and Upper Canada College co-produce this wildly entertaining show. You don't want to miss their one and only performance of A Whole New You on Wednesday May 29 at 7:00 pm. Get your tickets now. http://bss.on.ca/wholenewyou

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Youth supporting youth!

Last week, the entire Grade 10 cohort gathered to hear presentations from the 6 finalists in this year’s Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI). YPI is an award-winning international education program that provides high school students with hands-on experience assessing and advocating for local social needs, and making grants to community-based charitable organizations. This project gives students the opportunity to research, visit, advocate for and present on a local grassroots organization of their choice. This is the eighth year that BSS has participated in YPI. 

After several rounds of presentations, one group was selected as the YPI winner for the School and received a $5000 grant for donation to their chosen organization. Congratulations go out to everyone involved in making this year's decision so difficult. The 2013 BSS winners of YPI are Somerset Jarvis, Jessica Eldridge and Lauren Adolphe for their creative presentation on behalf of Pelletier Youth in Transition. 

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Congratulations to our Junior School students whose outstanding work in the arts enthralled a school full of parents at Momentum on May 9. From sewn and woven works by the Senior Kindergarten class (above) to dazzling photography by the Grade 2s to a collaboration of athletics and music to watercolours to digital art on iPads to a Grade 6 multi-media installation entitled The Eye of the Beholder: The Past, Present and Future of Women, BSS students demonstrated dazzling creativity and deep exploration into a wide range of subjects.

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Earlier this week a group of graduating Grade 12 girls, who have attended BSS from their kindergarten years through to Graduation celebrated with faculty at the 'Longtimer's Luncheon.' The students and staff shared some of their favourite memories and reminisced over old photos and projects.

Good luck to all of our grads! We can't wait to see what you accomplish in the future. 

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The Grade 1 students have been studying Life Cycles and recently added some cute new members to their class list.

The Grade 1 chicks were hatched at the end of April and have been an interesting source of inquiry and provocation. The students have been keeping a bird log and are recording the progress of their new friends. 

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"When I was at BSS, we sure didn't have conversations like this! These girls are spectacular!" Just one of the comments from the audience at the BSS Theatre on May 6 as eleven students from Grade 10 to 12 shared the stage with author, journalist and activist Irshad Manji to discuss their experiences as interactivists on the Moral Courage Task Force. One interactivist summarized her learning by saying, "Throughout this process I have rediscovered the power of a simple conversation and the ability it has to open doors to small changes that eventually will effect us on a large scale." See more feedback.

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Dr. Mukesh Kapila, former Head of the United Nations in Sudan, comes to BSS on Friday, May 10 to reflect on the current crises in Sudan today and his experiences in Darfur, where he attempted to alert the world to the unfolding genocide. He will draw upon his extensive international experience working within the UK government, the UN and Red Cross movement that also took him to Rwanda and Bosnia. Dr Kapila was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his international service and has recently published a book, Against The Tide of Evil.

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Naida COLE '91. Medical Doctor. Concert Pianist. BSS Alumna. 

When a girl uses her whole mind, she realizes her whole potential. 

See Naida featured in our Globe and Mail ad today!

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BSS Moral Courage Project with Irshad Manji

In November, a group of 12 BSS girls travelled to NYC to participate in one of Irshad Manji's classes at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, where they pondered questions such as, "What does it mean to be impactful?" and considered the challenge of risking offense to bing about positive change.

Back at BSS, with the help of Irshad, author, journalist and activists, the students have embarked on a journey to raise awareness by starting new conversations about mental illness, diversity, academic integrity, and gender equity. In short, the message here is to be brave, be truthful, and speak up! 

Join author Irshad Manji as she and BSS student participants present learnings from this year's Moral Courage Project.

Monday, May 6

7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

BSS Theatre, enter Russell Hill Road doors

    There is no charge for this event. Space is limited.

RSVP now

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Congratulations to BSS Old Girl Kara ANTHONY '12, Mount Allison University's Hockey Rookie. Kara had an excellent first season with the Hockey Mounties and was recently recognized at the annual University Athletic Awards Night. Learn more. 

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The halls of BSS were filled with beautiful music, art and performance last night as the community came out for Arts Night 2013. Congratulations to all our Middle and Senior School student musicians and artists whose extraordinary talents and creativity were on display.

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Reggio-inspired learning for educators.

Register now for a chance to extend your thinking and your practice by considering a responsive, inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning. Work with members of our Junior School Team in hands-on Investigations & Expressions sessions and workshops, July 3 to 5, 2013. Learn more about the Investigations & Expressions Summer Symposium.

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On April 16, BSS students in both the Middle and Senior School were visited by Emmy and Oscar award-winning Pakistani-Canadian journalist and documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

Sharmeen's talks were thought provoking, hopeful and insightful, stressing the importance of education and human rights for girls and women around the world.

Conversations throughout the day focused on 'taking action', telling the stories of those who are affected by issues and leading change. As a young, investigative journalist, Sharmeen was the victim of bullying. Instead of bowing to the pressures of society, she uses this experience to identify with the subjects of her films and fuel her passion. To this day, she draws inspiration from that situation and her father's encouragement, "If you speak the truth, I will stand with you ... and so will the world." 

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The BSS Middle School: A lesson in reading between the lines

Spoken-word poet, Antonio Cayonne has been working with Grade 8 girls in their English and Drama classes to help them create and perform their own poetry. This work is an important part of the girls' larger investigation of social responsibility and personal action.

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Congratulations to Grade 11 student Amelia Maynard who had her essay published in the Friends of Fort York newsletter, The Fife and Drum. Amelia's article was part of a class project in Mr. Stewart's Grade 11 American History class.

All students wrote a piece about an aspect of the War of 1812 and submitted them to the editors of The Fife and Drum who selected Amelia's for publication in the March edition of their newsletter. Read Amelia's essay, The Untold Story: Winning the Battle While Losing the Peace.