A Community of Respect

Our aim is to be an inclusive and respectful community, where our four school values permeate our institutional culture, guide our actions and are reflected in our students’ and employees’ lived experiences on campus, off campus and online.

The following guidelines have been established to ensure that social media content and activity on platforms belonging to Branksome Hall are in line with our values as an institution, along with our longstanding commitment to being a leading girls’ school. We strive to ensure that our social media content embodies these values of community, inclusivity, creativity and making a difference.

Our social media platforms have been created with the intention of informing and engaging with the Branksome Hall community. Branksome Hall is committed to doing our best to openly discuss and address the issues that matter to you, to listen to your feedback and to respond to your inquiries in a transparent manner. In general, Branksome Hall does not make it a practice to comment on local, national or international political or social affairs on its public channels, unless they directly pertain to school-related events, activities and operations.  

We also recognize that while healthy debate and critiques are natural and important, not all conversation is respectful or aligns with our school values. We welcome and value your views and comments on our channels as long as they are courteous and kind. The following guidelines are agreed upon by the user when engaging on Branksome Hall’s official platforms, or with content that is published, shared or amplified by Branksome Hall accounts:

Instagram
Facebook
X (formerly known as Twitter)
LinkedIn
YouTube

Safety and Privacy

We are committed to ensuring that Branksome Hall’s channels are a safe and inclusive environment for all. Within our institution's rules, we uphold codes of conduct for students, families and employees as well as related school policies.

In keeping with our values, community members are required to adhere to these guidelines when interacting on our platforms. We also ask that users maintain employee and student privacy, respecting our obligation of confidentiality in certain circumstances, as we may not be able to share details relating to personnel and other matters.

If members of the Branksome Hall community have any questions, need assistance or advice regarding social media and online engagement, we will offer support or direct them to the appropriate member of our team. If community members see anything that does not appear to be in keeping with our guidelines, policies and values, makes them feel uneasy or unsafe on one of our social media pages, please reach out to the Branksome Hall team through the contact details below.

Removal of Posts

We expect that all forms of engagement on our platforms and/or with our content is done so with mutual respect for all fellow users. Productive dialogue, disagreements and debates are natural forms of communication, but we always remind you to be respectful. False or misleading statements, abuse, bullying, explicit, illegal or hate speech, harassment or threats directed towards the organization, its leadership, staff, volunteers or the community, will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

Branksome Hall retains the discretion to remove posts for any reason, including but not limited to posts which violate our guidelines or otherwise engage inappropriately. Specific content that meets the following criteria will be immediately removed:

• Abusive, harassing, stalking, threatening or attacking others
• Defamatory, offensive, obscene, vulgar or depicting violence, including of a physical or sexual nature
• Hateful language targeting race/ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, political belief, etc.
• Fraudulent, deceptive or misleading
• Trolling or deliberately disrupting discussion
• Commercial solicitation
• Spamming in nature
• Content that is contrary to federal or provincial laws, including the Ontario Human Rights Code, copyright, intellectual property or other laws, and/or is inconsistent with the school’s policies, procedures, requirements, expectations and obligations as applicable 
• Content that engages considerations related to those outlined above.

All digital content published by Branksome Hall is also subject to change and removal. Branksome Hall reserves the right to, at will, temporarily suspend or permanently remove published content on any digital properties or channels that for any reason does not align with Branksome Hall’s values.

User Standards

Branksome Hall reserves the right to remove or block users without warning if the content being shared by that user is deemed to be inflammatory, offensive or in violation of the community guidelines. In some instances, Branksome Hall will offer or issue warnings, based on our sole discretion.

Users should also bear in mind that each social media platform has universal community standards, such as rules prohibiting individuals from misrepresenting themselves or creating false accounts.

• Facebook Community Standards
• Instagram Community Guidelines
• LinkedIn Professional Community Policies
• X Rules and Policies
• YouTube Community Guidelines

Confidential and Sensitive Information

There are certain issues or topics Branksome Hall will not discuss on social platforms, especially those that involve confidential information or sensitive details. In some instances, Branksome Hall may redirect or change the communications medium used for certain discussions. Some of these topics include, but are not limited to:

• Posts detailing concerns about sexual harassment, sexual violence or other forms of unsafe behaviour.
• Posts about employment or HR related matters.
• Names or information that might be used to identify a person, unless it is evident that the individual has explicitly agreed to such use.

Comments in violation of these standards will be hidden or removed. If you have a concern about a specific post or comment, please reach out to Branksome Hall at communications@branksome.on.ca.

Contact Information

Should you have questions or concerns regarding these guidelines, or a specific user, post or comment, please reach out to the Branksome Hall Communications team at communications@branksome.on.ca. Branksome Hall will follow up on all concerns and take appropriate action.