Student Personal Device Policy
Dear Parents,
As part of our ongoing commitment to fostering a focused and productive learning environment, Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School will once again be a phone-free campus for students in all divisions during regular school hours. This includes cell phones, smart watches, ipods, flip phones, ipads, and other personal digital devices.
To minimize distractions and promote student engagement, students will place their phones in the designated secure storage area in the main office. Devices will be returned to students at the end of the school day, or at the time of their dismissal from school if they are leaving early.
This policy is designed to support academic focus, encourage meaningful peer interactions and ensure a safe and respectful school environment. We understand that cell phones are an important means of communication, and we assure you that in case of an emergency, parents may contact the school office, and we will promptly relay emergency messages to your child.
We appreciate your cooperation and support in adhering to our policy listed below.
1. Students are required to deposit all phones in a device storage locker located in the High School Lobby prior to the start of school**. Students are not allowed to bring smart watches or other personal digital devices into the school building, except for a laptop computer.
2. The device storage locker will be secured by the administration in the school office.
3. The daily absentee report will be cross-checked with the device storage locker and any student present in school who has not deposited their phone will be called to the office and their parent(s) may be contacted.
4. Seniors with off-campus privileges may retrieve their phones from the office before leaving campus and are required to redeposit phones upon returning to campus.
5. Students will retrieve phones from the device storage locker at the end of the school day. Students leaving early may retrieve their phone from the High School office. Phones left in the storage locker after dismissal will be secured in the office overnight and may be retrieved at the end of the next school day.
Consequences for non-compliance - Any student found to be in possession of a phone or other Personal Device on school grounds during the school day will be required to deposit the device in the High School office. The phone will not be returned to the student until the end of the FOLLOWING school day. (Meaning he/she will not have his/her phone that night.) Repeated offenses (G-d forbid) will be subject to further consequences. We hope that this will quickly become part of our school culture, and that the incidence of non-compliance will be rare.
Notification of schedule changes – Schedule changes for after-school activities (e.g. team sports, play rehearsals) will be communicated via email and will be posted on screens in the High School and/or announced on the intercom, as the circumstances require.
Parent-Student communication – Parents can email their child during the school day or call the office in the event of an emergency. If a student needs to communicate with a parent by phone, the student may go to the office during a break or at lunchtime and use a phone.
Thank you for your partnership in creating a positive and effective learning environment for all students.