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Branksome Hall

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Boarding Life

Living on Campus

Families receive a monthly statement of their school account balance through email and should direct any questions or concerns to Student Billing through the school’s Business Office at billing@branksome.on.ca.

The website lists a sample of what fees and charges that can be expected throughout the year. Note that daily meal costs (breakfast, lunch, after-school snack and dinner) are included in the Boarding fees.

While Grades 9–12 students are encouraged to have banking arrangements at a local banking institution or a parent-approved credit card for personal expenses, we recognize that students may be too young for this responsibility. The school can provide a weekly cash allowance to a student through their school account with the prior approval of their parents. For this service, it is required by the Business Office that parents set up a sum of money in their school account that can be distributed to the student in cash as an allowance over the year. Students authorized to receive an allowance must submit a request form to the Boarding Advisor each week when they would like to receive an allowance (forms must be submitted by Tuesday at breakfast to receive the money by Friday after school).

Boarding students are permitted to stay overnight at a day student’s home once all families have been contacted and Boarding staff can confirm that there will be adult supervision provided by the host family. Likewise, day students are welcome to stay overnight in Boarding on weekends and on special Boarding/Day Sleepover weekdays throughout the year. The Boarding student must inform and receive permission from Boarding staff before inviting a day student to stay overnight in Boarding.

Students living in the Boarding houses are required to have breakfast and dinner in the Dining Hall from Monday to Thursday. As such, cooking meals in the house kitchen is not permitted on weeknights. Students can, however, use a hot-water kettle or microwave to prepare snacks throughout the week. Students may also order in food on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights only. Please note that all electrical appliances, such as kettles and rice cookers, are only permitted in the Boarding kitchen. Students cannot have any of these appliances in the bathrooms or their bedrooms.

Boarding buildings are equipped with kitchen facilities where students are welcome to prepare snacks under the supervision of the Boarding Advisor on duty. Please note that the knobs for the stove/oven, knives and other sharp kitchen equipment are not kept in the kitchens, but are available and may be signed out at the discretion of the Boarding Advisor on duty. These measures are in place to ensure the safety of each student. It is expected that students will act responsibly; however, parents must recognize the inherent risks of cooking, even with safety measures in place. Students are responsible for cleaning up after themselves when cooking.

Boarding staff are happy to assist students with setting up their bedrooms in order to create a comfortable atmosphere that they can enjoy all year long. Any changes to the furniture configuration must be in line with fire regulations and Congregate Living guidelines for health and safety.

Beds may not be pushed together, and there must be a clear path to the exit at all times.

Students may not bring additional furniture such as bookshelves, tables or chairs. Damage to the rooms will be charged to the student occupying the room. Any charges incurred for damage to the common areas will be evenly divided among the residents.

Branksome Hall’s housekeeping staff are responsible for the cleaning of the Boarding common areas (bathrooms, showers, common rooms, hallways), removing waste from garbage cans and recycling bins daily, and washing the bedroom floors each week. Students are responsible for clearing off their floors to give access to the housekeeping staff.

Students are responsible for maintaining their rooms and common spaces in an orderly and neat fashion. Room inspections are regularly carried out by the Boarding team. It is the responsibility of students to keep their personal space orderly and also to contribute to the quality of community living.

Students are responsible for washing their own clothes in the laundry facilities, available free of charge in each of the Boarding buildings. Laundry soap and dryer sheets are provided. Students need to label the machines on the white boards when they are doing laundry and remove their clean laundry in a timely manner so that other students may use the machines. Ensuring all clothing is labeled with the student's name is highly recommended. Boarding staff can help to facilitate dry cleaning, and the cost will be charged to student accounts. There is a dry cleaning service available within walking distance of the campus.

All baggage and luggage must be stored in the designated storage areas. Suitcases and other boxes are not to be stored in students’ rooms. At the end of the year, students are permitted to store two boxes (provided by the school) over the summer and must sign a release form. All other items brought by the student must be removed from Boarding at the end of the school year.

Passports and study permits of all Boarding students must be kept in the Boarding Office on campus by the Director of Boarding. A student must email the Director of Boarding, Assistant Director, or Boarding Life Coordinator at least a day in advance to request their passport for purposes of travel and for proof of documentation when writing SAT/University exams. All passports and study permits must be returned to the Boarding office the following day for safekeeping.

As one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, Toronto offers places of worship for many religions. The Boarding team can help direct families to services offered in the local area. The Boarding team, Facilities team and Food Services team works closely with students throughout the year to ensure specific religious needs are met. Please reach out to the Assistant Director of Boarding, Sheryl Al Khatib, to discuss specific religious accommodations.

Both Boarding houses are equipped with single-stall and multiple-stall washrooms. Adult members of the community and non-Branksome affiliated youth must use the single stall washrooms. Boarding and Branksome day students are welcome to use the single-stall or multiple-stall washrooms.

Packing Checklist

Required Items to Bring to Campus

  • Cell phone with a local number (the number needs to be provided to the Boarding staff upon arrival) and an appropriate charger for the phone.
  • Toiletries including bath robe, two bath towels, toothbrush, shampoo, hair dryer, soap and plastic flip-flops (beach sandals) to wear in the bathrooms and shower areas.
  • Laundry basket/hamper/bag for bedroom (laundry soap is provided).
  • Clothes hangers for the closet (some will be provided).
  • Students in Grades 7–12 need to have a specialized calculator with them in every Math class. Information can be found here.

Please aim to purchase as many of the items as possible before arrival on campus. You may want to have online shopping delivered to campus. We will have opportunities to go shopping throughout the year for students to purchase necessary seasonal items.

Items Provided by Branksome Hall

  • Keys to the bedroom and a lock box for storing personal valuables (items or cash valued over $200 must be stored in the Boarding Office safe). The school cannot be responsible for the loss or damage of personal belongings.
  • A school network connection to the Internet.
  • One set of bed linens (twin size), including a mattress cover, fitted bed sheet, pillow, duvet and duvet cover, are provided by the school.
  • A desk with a chair and a desk lamp.
  • A corkboard for posting personal items/pictures.

Optional Extras

Some students choose to bring the following:

  • Sports equipment such as a tennis/badminton racquet, snowboard, skis (storage space is limited for these items)
  • Art supplies
  • Musical instrument
  • An extra pillow, a mattress topper and a small area rug for added comfort
  • An international electrical adapter

Boarding Common Areas Contain the Following:

  • Printers for student use, phones for local calls, televisions with digital cable, Netflix, Disney+, DVD players, video game systems and a variety of board games, books and craft supplies for entertainment.
  • Kitchenettes in each house, supplied with individually portioned snack food. Students may store their personal snacks in the kitchenette and label the items with their name.
  • Washing machines and dryers, laundry soap, laundry baskets, irons and ironing boards.

Clothing Packing Checklist

  • Underwear, socks and pajamas.
  • Casual clothes are acceptable for evening, dinner and weekends.
  • Warm sweaters and sweatshirts for layering.
  • One warm robe (housecoat) and bedroom slippers.
  • Comfortable shoes for after school and evenings.
  • A swimsuit/athletic clothing.

Outerwear

Temperatures can be very cold during the winter (-25 °C) and proper winter clothing is essential. There will be opportunities for students to purchase outerwear with Boarding staff.

Some Suggestions:

  • One winter jacket rated to at least -20 °C, snow boots, warm gloves/mittens, hat and scarf.
  • Fleece sweater, thermal layers, warm fleece/wool socks.
  • Rainwear including a waterproof jacket and waterproof pants, umbrella and footwear.
  • Sun hat or baseball cap, sunscreen.

Community engagement and Activities

Community Engagement

The Boarding community provides students with the opportunity to grow their citizenship skills and awareness of global issues. Some of these include partnerships with the Junior School, the Branksome Hall Events Team and external service organizations such as Let’s Grow Learning & Living Hub and New Circles.  

Evening and Weekend Activities

Boarding staff work together with other departments in the school and outside providers to develop, organize and chaperone activities both on and off campus after school and on weekends. These include, but are not limited to: cultural and festive meals, supervised sessions in the Athletics and Wellness Centre fitness studio, gymnasium and pool, day trips to visit local universities and attractions (such as Canada’s Wonderland and Niagara Falls), cooking lessons, arts and crafts, community service activities, professional sporting events and theatre or orchestral performances in Toronto.

The costs for all of these events are included in the annual Boarding Activities Fee ($900), which is charged to your child’s school account in the fall. All Boarding students are welcome and encouraged to participate in as many activities as possible.

Activities build community within the diverse group of students living on campus, support student well-being, foster a growth mindset and embrace international-mindedness. Activities also provide opportunities for students to try new things and learn more about themselves, each other, the school community, the City of Toronto and Canadian culture.

Student Leadership in BOarding

Boarding life offers students many opportunities to become involved in the co-curricular life of the school. All Boarding programs are run by Branksome staff and Boarders with the goal of creating a safe, supportive and enjoyable environment for Boarders to develop leadership and teamwork skills. 

Boarders are encouraged to create new committees and groups as they are inspired with new and innovative ideas that will help to enrich Boarding life and can work with a member of the Boarding team if they are interested in creating a new committee. 

Boarding Prefect

The Boarding Prefect is a member of the elected school Prefects group, comprising students in their graduating year. The Boarding Prefect serves as a liaison between the Senior & Middle School student body and the Boarding community, and acts as a role model and mentor within the Boarding houses. This leadership role involves running the Boarding Student Council, speaking on behalf of the Boarding community at school Assemblies and organizing events.

Boarding Student Council

The Boarding Council is a group of Boarders and staff who help to organize the co-curricular life of the Boarding program. The Council is also a forum for discussion of house issues and developing methods to address concerns. The Boarding Prefect, Boarding Council members, including the Heads of House and the Boarding Life Coordinator, all participate in the Boarding Council.

EMAIL & Technology

Boarders are expected to use technology resources shared by the entire community, such as Wi-Fi and email, in a responsible, ethical and legal manner as outlined in the Senior & Middle School Code of Conduct. Acts inconsistent with any of the school’s policies are considered improper uses of the school’s computer and network resources. Inappropriate use of cellphones, laptops, smart watches and other personal electronic devices will result in the confiscation of the device and a TRAC (Time for Reflection and Contemplation) for the student. 

It is not permitted at any time, on school property, on school trips or at school-organized events, to take photos or videos without the individual subject’s permission. Students are required to request permission from their subjects before taking a photo. Photos may not be shared without the permission of the subject. Branksome Hall will treat wearable devices in a similar fashion to smartphones, concerning when they can or cannot be used. Branksome Hall considers a wearable device to be any such electronic computing device that is worn on your person. No wearable device can be worn during testing or exams.

Email Guidelines

We recognize that email is both an efficient form of communication and a time-consuming reality. These email guidelines are intended to ensure that the health and well-being of our community and respectful communication practices are equally valued at Branksome Hall. We understand that there are special circumstances where individual judgments need to be made. Remember, email is not private. Confidential information should be discussed on the phone or in person.

Email Response Time: 

  • Weekdays: 24–48 hours (optimally within 24 hours).
  • If you email a staff member after 5:00 p.m. during the week, you should not expect a response until the following day.
  • Weekends: For email, weekends begin on Friday at 5:00 p.m. Emails received after 5:00 p.m. on Friday need not be replied to until the end of day on Monday. On long weekends, the reply may be sent on Tuesday morning.

School Laptop

The IT Department is open and available to students Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for technical support.

  • Laptops are essential classroom tools to be brought to school every day.
  • Students must not share passwords. Students must leave unattended laptops in a locked state.
  • Do not load software or plug-ins that will affect the functioning of your machine. The laptop will be re-imaged if it cannot handle your academic needs. Ask an IT staff member if you are not sure. The installation and/or use of any internet-based file-sharing programs is explicitly prohibited. File-sharing programs facilitate the illegal sharing of copyrighted material (music, video and images). Such programs are subject to automatic removal without notice.

Personal Electronic Devices

The use of cellphones, tablets, laptops, wearable devices and mobile devices is not permitted in class, including during class breaks, unless the teacher has specifically requested their use or they are part of a student’s Learning Strategies Plan. They are also not permitted during Athletics games or practices, and are only permitted during co-curriculars at the discretion of the faculty or staff member leading the activity. Grades 9–12 students may use their devices when not in a scheduled class. Throughout the day (including lunch and Community Time), personal electronic devices are strongly encouraged to be used only for school-related work and activities and at the discretion of the classroom teacher. Grades 7–8 students are required to keep their devices in their lockers and out of sight for the entirety of the school day, including lunch and breaks. 

Calculators

All students in Grades 9–12 must have a Texas Instruments TI-84+ calculator with them in every Mathematics class. Students should purchase their calculators independently before the start of the school year.