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Junior School Routines and Procedures

Arrival and Dismissal Routines

Starting Thursday, September 10, regular arrival and pick-up routines begin in the Junior School. Parents are expected to drop off and pick up their daughter(s) according to their assigned staggered times and locations. 

JK and SK - Front Circle
Arrival: 8:00–8:10 a.m.
Dismissal: 3:10–3:20 p.m.

Grade 1 - Front Circle
Arrival: 8:00–8:10 a.m.
Dismissal: 3:15–3:30 p.m.

Grades 2 and 3 - Waldie Gates
Arrival: 8:00–8:10 a.m.
Dismissal: 3:15–3:30 p.m.

Grade 4 - Front Circle
Arrival: 8:10–8:20 a.m.
Dismissal: 3:20–3:35 p.m.

Grades 5 and 6 - Waldie Gates
Arrival: 8:10–8:20 a.m.
Dismissal: 3:20–3:35 p.m.

Student Well-Being Activity Programming (optional) drop-off is between 8:00–8:10 a.m. at the Front Circle only.
 
Regular drop-off on Wednesdays is 9:10–9:25 a.m. for all grades; drop-off is at the regular grade-scheduled location.

At Branksome Hall, the Junior School Front Circle and Waldie Gates drop-off and pick-up periods are supervised by staff members to ensure student safety. When students are dropped off at either location, they are greeted by a staff member before proceeding to the playground. As long as a Branksome Hall staff member is present at these drop-off points, parents can be assured that staff will also be on duty at the West Lawn playground to greet and supervise the children.

Families with students in multiple grades are asked to defer to the older daughter’s arrival and dismissal schedule unless otherwise organized with the school. Please contact Andrea Mills or Lara Down to discuss any logistical considerations.

As part of our ongoing efforts to ease congestion during dismissal, please use the student pick-up cards provided during the first week of school. The card, indicating your child’s name and grade, is to be placed on the dashboard of any vehicle used to pick up your daughter(s), either from the Front Circle or the Waldie Gates. 

Families should make every effort to ensure their daughter arrives at school within her drop-off window to facilitate a smooth, calm start to the day. Punctuality is an important self-management skill we hope to foster in all Junior School students.

  • JK–Grade 3 students can play on the West Lawn playground from 8:00 to 8:15 a.m. The playground is supervised during this time, so parents are encouraged to say goodbye at drop-off.
  • Grades 4–6 students are welcome to enter the building at their assigned arrival time at 8:15 a.m. unless otherwise arranged with a teacher for an earlier arrival. 
  • Please note there is no supervision before 8:00 a.m. unless for Athletics practices or Before-Care (for a cost). 
  • Grades 4–6 students are advised to go directly to their locker upon arrival to unpack and prepare for the day.
  • Students who arrive later than 8:25 a.m. must sign in at the Junior School Office.

Teachers will walk students to their assigned dismissal location. When parents arrive, supervising teachers will direct the student to their vehicle.

Students in Grades 4–6 may walk home alone if written permission has been granted by their parents and has been shared with the Junior School Office. 

General

  • Pay attention to pedestrians on campus and on surrounding streets.
  • Be respectful of our staff members and security personnel directing traffic. 
  • Follow staggered arrival and dismissal times.
  • Please remain in your vehicle at all times so that traffic can continue to move forward. Do not stop at the Junior School front doors if there is space to move forward. Drive as far as possible along the Front Circle (toward the sign reading, “Number 1”) before stopping, so that additional cars can enter and safely drop off students.
  • For everyone’s safety in the West Campus Front Circle, students must be dropped off and picked up at the curb, exiting from the passenger side of the vehicle and not in the middle of the circle. Drop-off on Mount Pleasant Road is not permitted.
  • If arriving on foot, please say your goodbyes outside the building at drop-off. Supervising teachers will support student entry into the school. We ask that students and adults not gather during drop-off and pick-up times.
  • No standing or parking on Elm Avenue. Respect the traffic signs and do not create difficulty for emergency vehicles or our neighbours.
  • Consider our neighbours. Do not block driveways.

Drop-Off:

  • Do not arrive and drop students off at the Front Circle or Waldie Gates until supervision is in place at 8:00 a.m. Students who arrive before 8:00 a.m. will be sent to Before-Care, and their student account will be charged for the time they are there. 
  • Please be considerate of other families who are also trying to drop off their child(ren) in a safe and timely manner. Ensure your child has their belongings organized and is ready to exit your vehicle promptly. 

Pick-Up:

  • Arrive no more than five minutes before pick-up. Standing cars keep others from entering and collecting students who are ready to be picked up. When picking up during dismissal time at the Front Circle, advance to pick-up pylons #1–5 when advised.

Parking

  • Parking spaces at Branksome Hall are very limited. On occasion, additional spaces are reserved for special events. Please do not use these reserved spaces. Unauthorized parked vehicles will be subject to ticketing and/or towing. Repeat offenders may be subject to additional disciplinary action. There are several private and city parking lots within a 10-minute walk of the school.
  • Unfortunately, there is limited street parking in the Branksome Hall neighbourhood, and many areas have restrictions posted, including along Elm Avenue. The City of Toronto enforces these restrictions, and occasionally, illegally parked vehicles are ticketed or towed away.

Around the Junior School

If a student will be absent, their parents/guardians should contact the Junior School Office before 8:00 a.m. at 416-920-6265, ext. 238, and state a reason for their child’s absence. The message line can be accessed 24/7. You can also email our attendance line in the Junior School at jsattendance@branksome.on.ca to report an absence.

Every effort should be made to arrange doctor and dentist appointments outside of school hours. Wednesday's Late Start is an opportune time to consider. Parents aware of an upcoming appointment should notify their child’s Homeroom teacher in writing the day before or call the school’s attendance line. The student must sign out at the School Office before leaving the school. Children must be picked up at the Junior School Office by an adult known to the school. Students can only be released to individuals unfamiliar with the school if families have provided advance notification, clearly identifying the person and the pick-up date.

Branksome Hall has many 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 Emily MacLean, Head, Junior School, is required well in advance. If approved, the Head, Junior School, will notify all of the students’ teachers.

We do not require teachers to prepare customized lessons in advance of a student’s extended vacation. Students are expected to continue with their learning if posted on Seesaw or Google Classroom. Parents must note that missed classroom experiences, such as discussions, presentations, special guests and field trips, cannot be duplicated for their child. Report cards may reflect insufficient evidence for evaluation due to extended absence.

Field trips provide students with valuable educational experiences by extending the classroom learning beyond the school and into our greater community.

Parents are required to update all health forms on the MyBranksome Portal for their child to participate in field trips. In addition, parents will be required to sign an authorization form for every field trip, along with third-party forms if needed. The authorization form will indicate if there is an additional charge for the field trip. Please note that all field trips with charges are approximate cost estimates and may be subject to change. If the authorization forms are not returned before the trip, your child will not be able to attend.

If your child cannot attend a field trip, please give as much notice as possible. As field trips are planned, costs are based on the number of students attending.

All students will be assigned a cubby or a locker at the start of the school year. Students should only bring essential items to school and expect to use their locker to store jackets, backpacks and shoes. Students are to refrain from taping items to their lockers unless it is approved by a teacher to support the organization of their day.

Found items will be brought to the Junior School Front Office or placed in the designated lost-and-found area in the Junior School. Teachers will ensure that labelled items are returned to students in their classrooms. It is essential to clearly label all uniform items, athletic clothing and equipment, lunch bags, containers and notebooks. A lost-and-found table will be set up during parent conferences. Unclaimed items will be donated to charity at the end of each term.

Students in JK to Grade 6 will eat lunch in the AWC. Students may sign up for our hot lunch meal plan or bring their lunch from home. Aramark’s Healthy for Life program provides a wide variety of nutritious foods. Parents can view the weekly menus provided by our Food Services team here.

We advise that students always bring a snack for morning recess and one to eat before their after-school co-curricular activities and Athletics. Students are not permitted to go to the AWC for snacks during the school day or between dismissal and co-curricular activities or Athletics. 

Unless explicitly required by a Learning Strategies Plan, the use of personal electronic devices, including cell phones and wearable devices, is not permitted during the school day between 8:25 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., including recess and lunch. These guidelines apply in Study Hall, Homework Club, Before- and After-Care and Athletics/co-curricular activities. Upon dismissal from school-related activities, students may use their devices to communicate with parents or caregivers. Students who need to communicate with a parent or caregiver during the school day will be directed to the office to use the school phone.

Cell phones and wearable devices should be kept in lockers and out of sight for the whole school day or left at home. If a student is found with a personal device, it will be confiscated for the remainder of the day and stored in a secure location. 

Please note that Junior Kindergarten to Grade 3 cubbies and lockers do not lock. Any personal device brought to school is the responsibility of the individual, and the School is not liable for loss or theft. 

Agendas are provided to Junior School students in Grades 3–6 at the start of the school year. Agendas are to be used to support students in being organized in their learning, being prepared for upcoming events, and communicating from home to school and vice versa. Should a student lose or damage their agenda and require a replacement, $20 will be charged to the student’s account. All students are responsible for using their agenda to support their learning and growth at Branksome.

Early Morning School Closure Due to Inclement Weather, etc.
If it is necessary to close the school due to a winter storm or other cause, a school closure notice will be posted before the school day starts on the Portal and website, and parents will be sent notifications via the Titan app and email. Additionally, a notification will be sent to the following media outlets, which may include it in their news updates: 
680 News
CityTV News
CP24 
Global News
CBC News

Closure During the School Day
In the event of a closure during the school day, parents will be notified via the Titan app and email, and students will be dismissed following our parent contact procedures.