Hebrew Foundation School ("the School", "we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the personal information entrusted to us by our students, parents, guardians, alumni, donors, employees, volunteers, applicants, visitors, and members of our community.

We recognize the importance of protecting personal information and are committed to complying with all applicable privacy legislation, including:

• Quebec's Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector (Law 25);

• The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) where applicable;

• Other applicable Canadian privacy legislation.

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This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect personal information when you visit our website or interact with the School.
 
1. Scope
 
This Privacy Policy applies to all personal information collected by Hebrew Foundation School through:

• Our website;

• Online admissions forms;

• Contact forms;

• Event registrations;

• Employment applications;

• Newsletter subscriptions;

• Donation forms;

• Alumni communications;

• Parent communications;

• Telephone and email correspondence;

• In-person interactions;

• Any other services provided by the School.
   

This policy applies whether the information is collected electronically, in writing, verbally, or through third-party service providers acting on behalf of the School.
 
2. What is Personal Information?

Personal information means any information about an identifiable individual.
Examples include:

• Name

• Home address

• Email address

• Telephone number

• Date of birth

• Parent or guardian information

• Student records

• Academic information

• Financial information

• Emergency contact information

• Medical information provided to the School

• Photographs where an individual can be identified

• IP address where it can reasonably identify an individual
   

Business contact information used solely for professional purposes is generally not considered personal information under applicable legislation.
 
3. Personal Information We Collect

Depending on your relationship with the School, we may collect the following information.

Students

• Name

• Date of birth

• Grade level

• Student identification information

• Academic records

• Attendance records

• Health information provided by parents

• Emergency contacts

• Behavioural information

• Learning support information

• Transportation information

• Photographs and video where authorized
   

Parents and Guardians

• Names

• Contact information

• Billing information

• Emergency contacts

• Custody information where applicable

• Communication preferences
   

Prospective Families
When you inquire about admission, register for an event, or request information, we may collect:

• Name

• Email

• Telephone number

• Child's age or grade

• Information relevant to the admissions process
   

Alumni
We may collect:

• Contact information

• Graduation year

• Career updates voluntarily shared

• Participation in alumni events

• Donation history
   

Donors
If you make a donation, we may collect:

• Name

• Contact information

• Donation history

• Tax receipt information

• Payment information processed through secure payment providers

The School does not store complete payment card information.

Employees and Employment Applicants
Where applicable, we may collect information necessary for recruitment, employment administration, payroll, legal compliance, and employee benefits.
 
4. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including:

• IP address

• Browser type

• Operating system

• Device type

• Date and time of visit

• Pages visited

• Website navigation

• Referral website

• Language settings
   

This information helps us improve website performance, maintain security, and understand how visitors use our website.
For additional information regarding cookies, please refer to our Cookie Policy.
 
5. How We Use Personal Information

We collect and use personal information only for purposes that are reasonable and necessary, including:

• Delivering educational services;

• Managing admissions;

• Communicating with parents and guardians;

• Maintaining student records;

• Organizing school events;

• Processing registrations;

• Managing alumni relations;

• Processing donations;

• Responding to inquiries;

• Providing newsletters where consent has been obtained;

• Improving our website;

• Protecting the safety of students and staff;

• Meeting legal and regulatory obligations.

We will not use personal information for unrelated purposes without consent unless authorized or required by law.
 
6. Consent

Where required by law, we obtain meaningful consent before collecting, using, or disclosing personal information.
Consent may be:

• Express;

• Implied where appropriate under applicable legislation;

• Provided electronically;

• Provided verbally;

• Provided in writing.
   

Parents or legal guardians may provide consent on behalf of students where appropriate.
Consent may be withdrawn at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions.
 
7. Children's Privacy

Hebrew Foundation School serves children and young people.
The School recognizes its heightened responsibility to protect the privacy of minors.
Where required, consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of a student's personal information will be obtained from a parent or legal guardian.
We do not knowingly use student information for commercial advertising or behavioural advertising purposes.
 
8. Photographs, Videos and Media

The School may take photographs or videos during school activities, events, performances, athletic competitions, and community celebrations.
These images may be used for:

• School publications;

• Yearbooks;

• Newsletters;

• Social media;

• Promotional materials;

• Website content.
   

Where required, appropriate parental or individual consent will be obtained before identifiable images are used.
Consent may be withdrawn at any time for future publications, subject to practical limitations.
 
9. Disclosure of Personal Information

We do not sell personal information.
Personal information may be disclosed only where necessary, including to:

• Educational service providers;

• Technology providers;

• Secure cloud hosting providers;

• Payment processors;

• Government authorities where legally required;

• Emergency services;

• Professional advisors;

• Regulatory authorities.
   

All service providers handling personal information on behalf of the School are expected to maintain appropriate confidentiality and security safeguards.
 
10. International Processing

Some technology providers used by the School may process information outside Quebec or Canada.
Where this occurs, the School takes reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate contractual, organizational, and technical safeguards are in place before personal information is transferred.
Transfers outside Quebec are conducted in accordance with applicable privacy legislation, including Law 25.
 
11. Security

The School employs reasonable administrative, physical, and technical safeguards designed to protect personal information, including:

• Secure servers;

• Encryption where appropriate;

• Password protection;

• Access controls;

• Employee confidentiality obligations;

• Multi-factor authentication where appropriate;

• Regular security monitoring;

• Secure backups.
   

Although no security system is completely immune from risk, the School continually works to protect personal information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or disclosure.
 
12. Data Retention

Personal information is retained only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected or as required by applicable law.
When information is no longer required, it is securely destroyed, anonymized, or permanently deleted using appropriate methods.
 
13. Your Privacy Rights

Subject to applicable legislation, you may have the right to:

• Request access to your personal information;

• Request correction of inaccurate information;

• Withdraw consent where applicable;

• Request deletion where legally permitted;

• Request information about how your personal information is used;

• Request information regarding disclosures of your personal information;

• Request portability of computerized personal information where applicable under Quebec law;

• Submit a complaint regarding the handling of your personal information.

Requests may require verification of identity.
 
14. Cookies

The School uses cookies and similar technologies to improve website functionality and user experience.
Non-essential cookies are used only with your consent where required.
For complete details, please consult our Cookie Policy.
 
15. Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to external websites.
This Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party websites.
Users are encouraged to review the privacy policies of any external websites they visit.
 
16. Privacy Officer

In accordance with Quebec's Law 25, Hebrew Foundation School has designated a person responsible for the protection of personal information.
Questions, concerns, requests, or complaints regarding privacy may be directed to:

Eva Ohnouna, Head of School 
Privacy Officer
Hebrew Foundation School
Address: 2 Rue Hope, Dollard-des-ormeaux, QC
Email: privacy@hfs.qc.ca
Telephone: 514-684-6270
 
17. Changes to this Privacy Policy

The School may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, technology, or our privacy practices.
The most current version will always be posted on this website.
Your continued use of our website after changes have been posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.
 
Contact Us

If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy or how Hebrew Foundation School handles personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer using the contact information provided above.

We are committed to responding to privacy inquiries in a timely and transparent manner and to ensuring that personal information is handled responsibly and in accordance with applicable Canadian and Quebec privacy legislation.

HFS’s mission is to nurture confident, knowledgeable students through strong academics and meaningful Jewish experiences, preparing them for lifelong learning and leadership.