In line with the State Government’s ban, students are required to turn off all mobile phones and other personal devices (such as smart watches), or switch them to flight mode, and put them away while at school.
As a reminder, students may only use their personal device if they have received approval from the school to use it for an exempted purpose. Please see the school’s policy for more detail about the circumstances where students may be permitted to use their personal devices.
If you need to get in touch with your child during school hours, please ensure you use the school’s formal communication channels so staff can assist with passing on a message or connecting you with your child. Likewise, we will always contact you directly where there is a need to do so.
Please encourage your child to always speak to a staff member in the first instance if they are feeling unwell or experiencing an issue at school so we can offer appropriate support and follow up. To ensure our duty of care obligations, all instances where a student requires early collection need to be arranged via the school office and using formal sign-out processes.
Thank you to all students who have been making efforts to follow these expectations, and to families for your support with this policy.
While mobile phones have an important place in our society and offer many benefits, they can also put students’ safety and wellbeing at risk when they are used inappropriately. Keeping them off and away during school hours helps us to limit the negative impact from unsafe or inappropriate use.
Having some time away from personal devices each day is also helping to reduce distractions and improve focus in learning time and encourages students to use breaks to engage with other important activities for health, wellbeing, and development including face-to-face connections and physical activity.
More information about the statewide ban, and why it has been put in place, can be found on the Department for Education’s website at: http://phonesoff.sa.gov.au/