Boarding Handbook 2020-21
Being a part of Boarding means we are part of the Branksome Hall community. Each of us must take all necessary steps to stay well and consistently protect ourselves and each other in the 2020-2021 academic year. We recognize that these challenging and unprecedented times call for changes in how we behave, conduct both our institutional operations and our own lives to protect everyone— students, employees and community—to the best of our abilities. To protect the health and safety of community members and provide everyone on campus with a reasonable sense of security, we must all agree—and know that everyone else on campus has agreed—to take responsibility for our own health and help keep the Branksome community safe by abiding by behavioural guidelines, as identified and instructed by Toronto Public Health and Branksome Hall. These guidelines and protocols, based in our Branksome values of Inclusiveness and Sense of Community, may be modified and further specified over time as changes require. Branksome Hall Boarding members will be informed of any changes if and as they occur.
This year, we have a Branksome Hall Boarding Community Agreement that aligns with the BH COMMUNITY COMMITMENT that all Boarders will need to sign.
| Housekeeping and Sanitation | AEGIS antimicrobial spray has been applied to all surfaces in the boarding houses and the wider campus. | | Directional pathways (1 entrance, 1 exit). | | Sanitization and cleaning products available on every floor. | | Hand sanitizer will be stationed throughout the houses. | | Signage regarding proper hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette and proper mask use will be displayed at the screening area to raise awareness about health and safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. | | Hands must be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water, or hand sanitizer (70-90% alcohol concentration), provided hands are not visibly soiled. | | Staff and students will be encouraged to avoid touching your face, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. | | Staff and children will be encouraged to cough or sneeze with their elbow or a tissue. | | Immediately throw the tissue in the garbage and wash your hands. | | Staff will ensure that proper hand hygiene is practiced often and when necessary (e.g. before and after eating, after using the washroom, after covering a cough or sneeze). | | Hand hygiene supplies will be monitored to ensure adequate amounts of liquid soap, paper towel, hand sanitizer, tissues, and waste receptacles lined with plastic bags. |
Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and Masks | Students will need not to wear masks while they are in their rooms. Any time students are in any of the common spaces (hallways, common room, kitchen, non-single-use bathrooms, etc.), they will be required to wear non-medical masks. | | Boarding Advisors will wear non-medical masks while on duty in the houses. |
Health & Health Insurance | The Health Centre is located on the main floor of Ainslie House; a registered nurse (RN) is on campus Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and available on-call for Boarding students evenings and weekends. | | All families are required to provide the school with their child’s most recent health information, report allergies and other health concerns. New Boarding families must also provide a full physical examination for their child. It is very important that your child’s health records be updated whenever there is a change to their health status. | | Returning students do not need to complete a yearly physical; however, they do need to meet with the school nurse to review their medical history and discuss any updates. The Student Health Information Form is accessible on the Portal. | | If you are an Ontario resident covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (have OHIP), you will be covered. We contacted the medical insurance provider, Johnson Fu, and they advised coverage will begin the day you arrive in Canada. It is important that you tell us your arrival date so that we can inform Johnson Fu when to begin your coverage for this year. |
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