Technology Policy 


As you may recall, the Ministry of Education announced changes regarding personal electronic devices (cell phone) use in schools that will take effect this school year. 

Our school is committed to preparing students for success in a technology-driven world. This includes learning about digital citizenship and the importance of safe and responsible online behaviour.

At River Oaks, we propose the following technology use guidelines for students.


K-6

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.


7-8

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

How can families help?

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. Parents are requested to:


If a student does not follow the above expectations, the following consequences may/will occur:

At River Oaks 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 Halton District School Board Code of Conduct and the Technology & You webpage provides specifics related to social media and cell phone use in HDSB schools.

As we head into September, we are asking for your support and collaboration to hold conversations at home about these expectations and the importance of a focused learning environment. Thank you for your continued partnership.

As a reminder, a message was sent to all families centrally on Aug. 23 with additional information about these changes.