Technology Policy

The Ministry of Education announced changes around the use of person technology in schools.

At Rattlesnake Point, we strongly believe in the power that technology can bring to a student in a classroom. Technology connects us with people, supports collaborative problem solving, and it helps us to learn from each other.  

At Rattlesnake Point, the following guidelines are in place for students.

Should you feel that your child requires a personal device for the way to and from school, these devices should remain in a student’s backpack throughout the day. With the high level of access to technology for our primary and early junior students, and the early stages of their digital literacy, students in these grades do not need personal devices for any academic reason.  If there are special circumstances for your child, we require you to have that conversation with your child’s classroom teacher.

Students in Grades 7 and 8 are not required to bring a personal device to school. However, they may bring devices to school under the following circumstances:

• Students shall have their devices turned off and in their lockers/backpacks at all times, unless explicitly requested by a teacher to bring the device to class to enhance the learning experience.  

• There may be times when teachers may encourage students to use their own devices for academic purposes such as research, calculating, translating, virtual reality and/or coding.  Students will typically know at least one day in advance should a device be allowed for an assignment. We understand that many students do not have personal devices. At school, we will ensure that they will have appropriate access to all the school technology needed in order to complete any assignments, and personal technology will never be a requirement for a student to access the curriculum.  Personal devices are only ever to be used for educational purposes, and may not be used at lunch time or in the hallway between classes. 

• Students will be expected to understand that personal devices brought to school are their own responsibility.  Administration and teachers will attempt to solve the problem of lost, broken, or stolen phones however, replacement costs are the responsibility of the student who owns it.

• Students are able to quickly check for a message from their parent at their locker, while getting their lunch at nutrition break, or after school.  The device would then stay in their locker and not be brought into the classroom during break.

• Students are not to be using their devices in unsupervised or less supervised areas (i.e., halls, stairwells, change rooms, bathrooms). Never, at any time, are students to take pictures, video, or audio recordings of students or staff during the school day unless prior approval has been set up as part of an assignment during which the teacher will supervise. 

Families, you can help us by supporting and modelling appropriate use of technology in order to encourage your child to focus on academics in school. Families are requested to:

• Refrain from texting your children throughout the day, and call the office for emergency messages to be relayed

• If your child texts you during class time, please respond with “please go to the office, talk to an adult there and use the office phones"  

• Buy a calculator for your child to use in Math class

• Make after school arrangements with your children in advance

• Remind your children of the appropriate uses of technology and social media, while reviewing and monitoring their online activity outside of school hours

• Encourage your child to keep their personal device locked/secure when at school 

• Counsel your children that devices brought to school are their responsibility.  If items are lost, broken, or stolen, the school will do everything it can to help find it and/or solve the problem, but in the end, the replacement cost rests with the student who owns it

At Rattlesnake Point Public School we follow a progressive discipline model which encourages teaching and learning as the basis for changing behaviour. Consequences for not following expectations around the use of personal devices could include: 

• The teacher will direct that the device be put away 

• The teacher will engage the student in a Collaborative Problem Solving discussion regarding the use of technology

• The teacher will contact home (email/call) to indicate that the device in the classroom is becoming a problem 

• If the problem is ongoing, an Administrator will call home to indicate that the device in the classroom is a problem and will recommend that the device not return to school for a period of time and/or require a parent to come into the school to pick up the device.

The Halton District School Board Code of Conduct and Tech and Technology and You webpages provide specifics related to social media and cell phone use in HDSB schools.

We are asking for your support and collaboration to hold conversations at home regarding these expectations and the importance of a focused learning environment.  Thank you for a continued partnership.