Personal Device Use

Students who wish to bring a cell phone/personal device to school will be required to safely store their phone/device in a locker at the beginning of the school day. Phones/devices will remain in lockers for the duration of the day. Please remember that if a student wishes to bring a personal device to school, they should also have a lock on their locker. The school is not responsible for lost or damaged personal devices.  

Students may be permitted to use their cell phones/personal devices at the direction of their teacher, and for a specified period and learning target, then returned to their lockers. 

Please have discussions with your child(ren) about the Code of Conduct and that appropriate behaviour is the expectation both in the physical world and the virtual world. The main issues that students might be reminded about are: 

• taking pictures/videos of others without their consent 
• sharing pictures/videos of others without their consent 
• sharing pictures with added captions/voice-overs/implications that cause harm (with or without intent) 
• using any language or image/video that impacts the dignity, rights, and privacy of others 
• using any language or image/video that discriminates against others or is oppressive of others 
• Understanding there is no such thing as privacy when it comes to texting, posting, photo sharing, or other uses students have with phones/devices 
• absolutely no use of digital devices in washrooms or changerooms 
• any other actions that are inappropriate or cause harm to self/others 

It’s important for students to know what to do if they are experiencing trouble. The three key points we encourage are: 

1. Ignore (do not respond or contribute digitally) 

1. Block (remove access or leave a group chat) 

1. Report (tell a caring adult) 

We know that students may carry devices for safety/medical reasons. These exceptions will be honoured. Please contact the office if you need to reach your child throughout the instructional day. Your child will not be able to communicate with you via cell phone, as they will not have access throughout the day. If your child needs to contact you, they can come to the office at any point to make the phone call.  

Thank you for your ongoing partnership in keeping our children safe. 

Sincerely,

K. Dunford

2024-25 Code of Conduct Updates

In April 2024, the Ministry of Education announced its plan to reduce distractions in classrooms and improve the health of children. This strategy involves the implementation of provincewide measures and mandatory learning to address cell phones and vaping in schools.  

Mobile Devices

Students must not use their personal electronic devices (e.g., cell phones, laptops, and tablets) during the instructional day. Please see below for more information about different expectations for different grade levels:  

• Students in Kindergarten to Grade 8 must have their devices stored out of view and powered off (or on silent mode) throughout the full instructional day (school day), including nutrition breaks unless permitted by the educator.  
• Students in Grades 9 to 12 must have their devices stored out of view and powered off (or on silent mode) during instructional time (class time) unless permitted by the educator as outlined below:
  • For educational purposes, if explicitly permitted by the educator. 
  • For health and medical purposes, as outlined in a medical plan of care. 
  • To support special education needs, as documented in the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). 

Students are responsible for their personal mobile devices and how they use them. If an educator sees a personal mobile device not stored out of view and powered off, the student must hand it in for the instructional day (elementary) or instructional period (secondary). It will be placed by the student in a storage area in a location designated by the educator.