Hello Raven students and families,
We wanted to make sure you are aware of our new cellphone and personal device policy. Like many schools across the country, our ILHS staff has had ongoing conversations about the best approach to address cell phones in the classroom. While personal mobile devices have many benefits, the distraction they create to the educational experience of our students has created significant challenges for all educators and is detrimental to the positive learning environment we strive to build and maintain.
As shared in previous communications, the Northshore School District has adopted a districtwide policy regarding personal mobile devices (Board Policy 3245 and Procedure 3245P) that will be implemented in all NSD schools beginning in the 2025-26 school year. For high schools, this means that students will be required to store their cell phones in a phone caddy in the classroom during class time. Personal mobile devices will only be allowed before and after school, passing periods, lunch, and nutrition breaks. For more information about the new district personal mobile device policy, click here.
The Board Policy defines personal mobile devices as cell phones, personal laptops, tablets, gaming devices, smart watches, music players, GPS trackers with communication capabilities, etc. Please note, bluetooth headphones/earbuds will not be allowed. Wired headphones will be allowed when appropriate. Exceptions are limited to specific health needs and accommodations determined by 504/IEP teams. Students continue to have access to their District-issued devices in the classroom.
Consequences for violating these expectations will be the following:
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1st violation:
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Phone will be confiscated for the remainder of the day, parent will be notified, and student will have a restorative conference with admin.
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2nd violation:
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Phone will be confiscated for the remainder of the day, a 2-hour Saturday School will be assigned, parent will be notified, and student will have a restorative conference with the teacher and admin.
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3rd violation:
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Phone will be confiscated, a 4-hour saturday school will be assigned, student will be placed on a cell phone contract that requires them to check their cell phone into the lock box in the office for the entire day. Student will have a restorative conference with the teacher and admin.
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Subsequent violations may result in in-school suspension.
ILHS is committed to ensuring an engaging, relevant, rigorous, and collaborative learning experience for our students to grow and thrive. Removing the unnecessary distractions of personal mobile devices will help all of us achieve this together. Several schools in our District have already implemented these policies with success and have seen improvements in learning, relationships, and social emotional well-being for their students. We appreciate your partnership and support as we implement these new expectations at ILHS.