Digital Device Guidelines
Dear Parents and Guardians and Caregivers,
We hope this message finds you and your family well. We would like to take this opportunity to share some important updates regarding our *new* Digital Device Guidelines at Chinook High School.
These guidelines have been developed to support student learning, well-being, and engagement while ensuring responsible and healthy use of personal digital devices and cell phones.
Why These Guidelines Matter:
Through careful observation and thorough research, we've noticed that cell phone use can negatively affect students' learning, mental health, engagement, and social-emotional growth. By implementing these guidelines, we aim to educate our students on how these devices impact their lives and guide them in using personal devices responsibly.
It is important to note that these are guidelines and practices developed through a lens of learning and growth.
Download the Full Version of the Digital Device Guidelines Here: Digital Device Guidelines.pdf
Key Points of the Guidelines:
- Personal Device is not on your person. This means that it goes in your bag, locker, or the designated space provided by your teacher.
- Headphones/Earbuds are not in or on ears during teacher instruction.
- No personal digital devices in washrooms or changerooms.
- Notifications are turned off during instruction.
- Teachers will indicate if there are specific learning situations that support personal digital device use.
- Students are welcome to access their devices during breaks and Flex, but are encouraged to build positive in-person interactions.
- Exceptions will be made for medical purposes (i.e. monitoring devices).
Students may access their devices during breaks and Flex, while encouraged to foster positive in-person interactions.
This is not a cell phone ban.
Support and Collaboration:
We believe that these guidelines will be most effective if reinforced at home. We recommend implementing device-free times, discussing safe social media use, and utilizing screen time tools to manage device usage. If you need to reach your child, please contact the office at 403-320-7565.
To better understand these guidelines and how they will be rolled out, we invite you to watch this 10-minute video with your family where our Vice Principal Cam Hall will introduce our guidelines and offer some things to consider as you open up conversations at home with your student.
Your support and collaboration are invaluable as we create a supportive environment for our students.
We will begin implementing the new guidelines on May 15th, 2024.
We will be sending out daily videos over the next few days answering some frequently asked questions.
Thank you for continuing to support learning in our school community. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us via email at chs@lethsd.ab.ca.
Warm regards,
The Chinook Admin team on behalf of Chinook High School Staff