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Branksome Hall News
Branksome’s Heather McCann Represents Canada at Women’s Sailing Championships
This summer was an eventful one for Branksome Hall Senior & Middle School teacher Heather McCann. In addition to leading a virtual IB Workshop in her speciality area of Individuals and Societies, Heather was invited to represent Canada in the U.S. J105 Women's Sailing Championships in Annapolis, Maryland on September 1, 2024.
First held in 2022, this was the largest edition of the Championships to date and the largest regatta of its kind, with 131 female sailors on 19 boats. Heather skippered the only Canadian boat and placed 10th against a competitive fleet of Olympic and World Cup sailors. Her boat, named ‘Santa’s Reign, Dear,’ was sponsored by Sail Canada.
Heather shares that “sailing is a wonderful sport that allows you to compete at any age at the highest levels. This was a real ’bucket list’ for me and to crack the top 10 amongst the best women sailors in the U.S. was thrilling.” Learn more about the event in this Sail Magazine story.
Heather has taught the MYP program for 23 years at Branksome Hall, and shares her knowledge of the IB curriculum with teachers across the Americas, Europe and Asia, leading MYP I&S workshops and accrediting IB schools as a Verification team member. She has also worked as an MYP curriculum consultant to individual schools such as Upper Canada College and St. John's-Kilmarnock School. When not teaching or sailing, Heather coaches Branksome’s school ski team and rides horses.
Congratulations, Heather! You are an inspiration to our community and living Branksome Hall’s Athletics values of discipline, teamwork, commitment and lifelong, active living. We can’t wait to hear where sailing takes you next.
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.