Use of Personal Devices Agreement at Balaclava

Today, students in grades 5 to 8 received a copy of the Responsible Use of Technology and Personal Devices at Balaclava School agreement (see attached for a digital copy) to bring home for discussion.

We want to support our students to be using devices in responsible and safe ways. Students are permitted to bring their own device to school, pending parent/guardian approval, and many will use these in ways that will enhance their learning experience in class. However, it is also important to put parameters on their use to support safety and responsibility.

We ask parents/guardians of grade 5 to 8 students to read over the agreement with their child and discuss what your expectations are for your child. If you would like resources that can support these conversations, please see  https://mediasmarts.ca/parents 

If your child doesn’t bring any personal device (phone, ipad, laptop) to school and only uses school devices for instructional purposes under the direction of the teacher, the board device consent form in the parent portal will suffice. However, you may still find it helpful to review the expectations and ensure your child understands responsible use of technology outside of school as well.

Educators at the school will continue to provide guidance and direction to individual students and classes about appropriate use. At times, issues may arise that require further direction, instruction or progressive discipline measures. Educators will continue to inform the parent/guardian of students for whom we have concerns.

If you have a child that is in a younger grade but brings a personal device to school, please feel free to request an agreement from the office or your child’s teacher. If you have questions about the agreement, please feel free to contact [email protected] .

Personal device use Feb 2023