COSSOT Information | |||||||||||||||||||
COSSOT is an organization of Single-Sex Independent Schools in the Greater Toronto Area, of which Branksome Hall is a member. Other members include The Bishop Strachan School, Crescent School, Havergal College, Royal St. George’s College, St. Clement’s School, St. Andrew’s College, St. Michael’s College, St.Mildred’s-Lightbourn School, Sterling Hall School, Trafalgar Castle School, Holy Name of Mary School, and Upper Canada College. Each school has a Middle School Coordinator and a Senior School Coordinator. Together, they plan a variety of events for the appropriate age groups and determine guidelines for activities. In planning events, one objective is to provide opportunities for students to meet other students from a variety of schools. The number of students able to attend each event varies and, as a result, each participating school is allotted a predetermined number of spots. In an effort to ensure consistency, students at all COSSOT events are expected to adhere to the following dress and behaviour codes: | |||||||||||||||||||
Behaviour Code Appropriate behaviour is expected of all students. If there is a behaviour problem, the staff supervisor in attendance from his or her school will make a decision on the discipline required. All COSSOT events are fully supervised. A staff member from each participating school with 10 or more students must be in attendance. | |||||||||||||||||||
Dance Information COSSOT attempts to provide a variety of activities for students to meet each other, including sporting events, movie nights, dances and other unique programs. Dances remain particularly popular with Middle School students. For each COSSOT hosted dance, the participating schools are predetermined by the COSSOT Middle School Coordinators. Each participating school is allotted a certain number of participants and each school determines who may participate. | |||||||||||||||||||
In order to respect the procedures of the different schools, COSSOT has developed a specific dance protocol to which all COSSOT schools adhere. At any COSSOT event, Branksome students are expected to represent Branksome Hall respectfully and to uphold our Code of Conduct. For Middle School dances, permission forms with full details for the dance will be distributed in advance by each participating school. It is sometimes necessary to hold a draw as only a limited number of spaces are available for Middle School dances at the boys’ schools. For both Senior and Middle School dances, tickets will not be available at the door, and only students from participating schools will be permitted to attend the event. A list of students who have permission will be held at the entrance to the dance, and only those students will be allowed to attend the event. We are concerned for your child’s safety; if a student shows up at a dance whose name is not on the list, her parents will be contacted immediately. If a parent cannot be reached, the student will go to a supervised room and remain there until his or her parents can be contacted or until the dance ends. Every COSSOT school has a strict policy that no drugs or alcohol may be consumed prior to a school function or brought into the school. The school also observes the provincial law that there will be no smoking or use of e-cigarettes in any public place. Once the dance has begun, there is a closed-door policy and participants are not allowed to re-enter the dance after leaving. No knapsacks or coats will be allowed into a dance. A monitored coat check will be provided for students to store their belongings. Cell phones must be checked, and may only be used in the coat check room while supervised by an adult. Using cell phones to take pictures at the dance is strictly prohibited. At all dances, the host school will provide adequate security and faculty supervision. For Middle School dances, each visiting school also provides faculty supervision. If a student is behaving inappropriately and is either refused entry or asked to leave a dance, he or she must be accompanied to a safe place by a parent, adult relative, guardian or staff member, mutually agreeable to the administrator on duty and a parent, adult relative or guardian. The student’s parent/guardian or, if necessary, a school administrator will be contacted by the host school to come and pick up the student. The administrator will follow up with a call to an administrator of the school that the student attends on the first school day following the dance. | |||||||||||||||||||
Dress Code The standard of dress at all COSSOT events for which school uniforms are not required is smart casual. Students not adhering to the dress code may be asked to change or to wear clothing provided by the host school.
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