Regular Arrival Routines | |
Starting Thursday, September 5, regular arrival and pick-up routines begin in the Junior School. Students should arrive between 8:00 a.m. and 8:25 a.m. Teacher supervision on the playground and inside the school begins at 8:00 a.m. JK–Grade 3 students enjoy supervised outdoor play time on the West Lawn Playground before entering the school. Grades 4–6 students enter the school upon arrival and have time to organize their lockers and materials before classes start. Before 8:25 a.m. and 8:35 a.m. is a crucial time of the day, when attendance is taken and students participate in group building and morning routines that help to prepare them for their learning day and to build the classroom community. Families should make every effort to ensure their daughter arrives to school at least five minutes before in order to facilitate a calm and smooth start to the day. Punctuality is a sign of respect, and an important self-management skill that is expected of all Junior School students. Students may be dropped off at either the Waldie Gates (off Park Road) or the Front Circle (off Mt. Pleasant). Faculty, security personnel and Grade 6 leaders are on hand to greet students and safely escort them at both drop-off locations, starting at 8:00 a.m. The Front Circle is a drop-off only area and parking is not permitted between 8:00 a.m. and 8:40 a.m. Please be considerate of other families, who are also trying to drop their daughter(s) off in a safe and timely manner by ensuring your daughter has her belongings organized and is ready to exit your vehicle quickly. Do not allow your daughter to exit your vehicle from the through lane. Pull up to the curb so she can exit safely, and wait for security personnel to direct you. If you need to come into the building, please plan ahead, park off-site or in the visitor parking and walk in. | |
Early Morning Care | |
Morning Support for Grades 4–6 Students | |
Dismissal Routines JK–Grade 1 students are dismissed at 3:10 p.m. Please allow 5–10 minutes of transition time for students to make their way to their destination. Students in Grades 2–6 are dismissed at 3:20 p.m. Please allow 10 minutes for students to organize their belongings and visit their lockers before pick-up. Students can be picked up from either the Waldie Gates or the Front Circle between 3:10 p.m. and 3:40 p.m., unless your daughter is attending a co-curricular activity. After 3:40 p.m. students are escorted to Study Hall or Homework Club if they are in Grade 4-6 or if they are in JK- Grade 3, they will be escorted to the After School Program where fees apply. Students in Junior grades may walk home alone if written permission has been granted by their parent(s)/guardian(s) and has been shared with the Junior School Office. | |
After-School Program The service may be used on a regular or as-needed basis. Parents are billed on a daily, monthly or annual cycle. If you would like more information, contact Ms. Howard at 416-920- 6265, ext. 235 in advance. If you are delayed in picking up your daughter, do not worry. No child is left unsupervised in the Junior School. Late charges are in effect for pick-up any later than 6:00 p.m. | |
Health and Wellbeing in the Junior School We are a nut-sensitive and scent-free school. Many students in the Junior School live with life-threatening or serious allergies. As an allergy-sensitive environment, we do not host bake sales or permit foods to be brought in that contain nuts or traces of nuts. If you are sending in treats for a birthday or a special occasion, please ensure that goods come from a certified “nut-free” facility, with this designation clearly marked on the packaging. Due to the risk of cross- contamination any home-baked items, or bought items that do not clearly indicated they are from a nut-free facility, will be returned home unopened. Please also ensure that any snacks or packed lunch items are also nut free. Branksome Hall is also a scent-free environment, and we request that all students, parents, faculty and visitors not wear perfume or scented cosmetics when coming to school. | |
Lice Checks We ask that parents regularly check their daughter’s hair for lice and notify the school nurse if live lice or eggs are found. Parents of students who are found to have lice will be advised on the appropriate course of treatment. Students are not sent home, but will be asked to wear their hair tied back for the duration of the 7–10 day treatment period. | |
Absences and Appointments If a student is going to be absent, her parents should contact the Junior School Office before 8:30 a.m. by phone at 416-920-6265, ext. 238. The message line can be accessed 24/7. You can also email our attendance line at attendance@branksome.on.ca to report an absence. Every effort should be made to arrange doctor and dentist appointments outside of school hours. Parents aware of an upcoming appointment should notify their daughter’s homeroom teacher in writing the day before, or call the school’s attendance line. If a student must leave school for an appointment during school hours, she must present a parental note or an appointment slip to the class teacher and then to the Junior School Office. She must sign out in the office before leaving the school. Young children must be picked up at the Junior School Office by an adult known to the school. | |
Lockers Students in JK to Grade 1 are assigned cubbies and students in Grades 2–6 are assigned lockers. Valuables should not be brought to school, and Branksome Hall is not liable for the loss or theft of items. Homeroom teachers will check lockers periodically and lockers are emptied at the end of each term. | |
Personal Devices, Cell Phones and Electronics If a child must bring a cell phone or other electronic device to school, these items are her responsibility. The school is not liable for their loss or theft. It is suggested that expensive items, such as electronics, are locked in her locker throughout the day. Cell phones may not be used during the school day between 8:25 a.m. and 3:20 p.m., including at recess and lunch time. Students needing to call home are required to come to the Junior School office to interact with an adult and ask to use the school phone. | |
Extended Holidays Branksome Hall has very liberal holidays throughout the school year. We do not sanction extended family vacations during the school year. If a family does take extended leave, a letter to the Head, Junior School is required well in advance. The Head, Junior School will then notify all of your daughter’s teachers. We do not require teachers to prepare customized lessons in advance of a student’s extended vacation. Students are expected to keep up with their classmates during their absence, although much of the daily learning cannot be replicated. Families must acquire the key work to be missed before their trip and follow up upon their return to obtain any necessary support to get the work completed. Parents must be aware that many experiences in the classroom that are missed may be impossible to duplicate for their child, such as discussions, presentations, special guests and outings. | |
Health Centre Every student who, for any reason, leaves the school or goes to the Health Centre during the school day must sign out and sign back in when she returns to school. Students who become ill during the school day must ask their teacher for permission to go to the Health Centre. A nurse is on duty from 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. daily. Your daughter will not be permitted to phone home before seeing the nurse. The nurse will look after her until she is able to return to class, or will contact a parent for permission for the student to go home. | |
Lunch Routines Students in JK to Grade 6 eat lunch in the Athletics and Wellness Centre. Students may opt for our hot lunch meal plan or they may bring their lunch from home. Aramark’s Healthy for Life program provides a wide variety of nutritious foods. Parents can view the weekly menus located under Quick Links on the Junior School Resource Board. | |
School Closure If it is necessary to close the school due to a winter storm or other cause, an announcement will be made on the following stations: AM Station: 680 News If the school is closed, a notice will be posted on the Portal and parents will be sent an email notification. In the event of an early closing, there is a parent contact procedure in place for Grades JK–6. | |
Lost and Found Students and their parents are expected to check for misplaced items in the Lost and Found, located inside the Junior School Gym change room. Labelled items are returned to students in their classrooms. Periodically, items will be placed on display at school events in the Forum. It is essential to clearly label all uniform items, athletic clothing and equipment, lunch bags, containers and notebooks. Unclaimed items will be donated to charity at the end of each term. | |
Student Security Cards Junior School students are issued a photo identification security card. In addition to giving students access to the school’s buildings, the cards also serve as student library cards. If a student card is lost, parents will be notified and a $25 replacement fee applies. | |