August 22, 2024
Dear North Vancouver School District Community,
As
communicated in June 2024, the North Vancouver School District (NVSD) continues to embrace
technology to support learning, we recognize the importance of
maintaining a focused and safe learning environment for all students.
The importance of a focused and safe learning environment has been
recently reinforced by provincial guidelines and legislation. With this
in mind, we would like to share some updates regarding the use of
personal digital devices (PDDs) such as cell phones, tablets,
smartwatches, earbuds, and other electronic gadgets within (NVSD).
Recent Developments: On January 26th, 2024, the Province announced three actions
aimed at enhancing the safety and well-being of students concerning
digital technology. These actions include guidelines on the use of PDDs
in schools, which will be implemented in the upcoming 2024-25 school
year.
Why This Matters:
Studies indicate that constant interruptions from digital devices,
particularly social media alerts, along with the habit-forming nature of
these platforms and the increase in cyberbullying, can disrupt the
learning process and impact student welfare.
NVSD's Perspective:
It is not our belief that PDDs are inherently problematic, however as a
society we are still learning about the impact of misuse, and overuse
on development and well being. While the NVSD already has established
expectations restricting PDD use during class, we will now uniformly
apply these expectations across all schools, as directed by the
Province. Students with specific educational or medical needs outlined
in their Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Learning Support Plan (LSP)
will continue to use PDDs to support their educational or medical
needs.
New Guidelines for September 2024
The following guidelines will be in place for September and part of school Codes of Conduct:
All students in the school community are expected to leave personal digital devices at home, in their bag/backpack, and/or in their locker during instructional time. Allowances may be made by the staff for instructional purposes, digital literacy, appropriate use based on age and developmental stage, accommodations within a student's Individualized Education Plan, accessibility, medical and health needs, and/or equitable support for learning outcomes.
Elementary Schools:
Across all NVSD elementary schools, there is no student access to or
use of PDD at any time on the school campus during the school day. This
is essentially a “bell-to-bell" restriction from the beginning of school
to the end of the day. Parents are reminded that elementary students
are always under direct supervision and that the school will communicate
with home for emergent needs if they arise.
Secondary Schools:
Across all NVSD secondary schools, access to and use of personal
digital devices will not be permitted during instructional time. At the
teacher's discretion, an exemption may be made when the use of such
devices supports a specific curricular objective and is part of
instructional planning.
We are asking parents/guardians to undertake the following to support their children through this transition:
- Read and understand the NVSD Code of Conduct and your school’s Code of Conduct.
- Refrain from texting or calling your child during the school day.
- In urgent matters, please call the school office to connect with your child.
- Learn more about the impacts of social media on mental health.
- Discuss and set up healthy habits at home so students can come to school ready to learn. For example:
- Keep devices out of bedrooms at night
- Prioritize sleep
- Limit time on technology and access to Wi-Fi
Resources to Support: I encourage you to discuss with your child(ren) the safe and
responsible use of technology. The following resources may be helpful
for these conversations:
The
NVSD has a role to enable focused instructional time, and we appreciate
your understanding and cooperation as we strive to create the best
possible educational environment for all students. We look to parents,
families and community members to also model, support and educate
students on what it means to be a responsible digital citizen.
Please watch for further communication from your school principal.
Respectfully,
Dr. Pius Ryan
Superintendent of Schools
