Mobile Phone Policy (Version 2.1) 18 November 2019

The clear and consistent focus of Cairns State High School is on quality teaching/learning, wellbeing, attainment/achievement and internationalism.

Mobile phones for the purposes of this document include portable music players, smart watches and air buds/earphones.

Key drivers of this policy:

Safety: Students particularly in the Junior Secondary years do not seem to have the maturity to use an uncontrolled network without engaging in unsafe e-behaviours. Older students report fewer incidents of sexting, online misuse/abuse or accessing inappropriate materials.

Learning: It is evident that there is a temptation for young people to check their phone when there is a notification. Teachers having to detect and manage a student checking their phone adds to the disruption of learning in class.

Self-regulation: As young people enter the work force there is a more than reasonable chance that they will need to manage their habits. This is the fundamental premise of this policy that aims to teach and guide this development within clearer boundaries.

Hours of learning

Students have every right to use a phone out of school while its supervision is the responsibility of the parent and responsible use is the expectation they place on their child.

Students are permitted use mobile phones on the journey to and from school and encouraged to use them responsibly.

Students who bring a phone to school are required to switch it off and either hand it in at Student Services for safe keeping to be collected at the end of the day, or store it in their school bag (not pocket).

The no mobile phone period extends from the 8:40am bell until 3pm every school day.

Senior students may be permitted to use a mobile phone in learning, for a specific task, for a specific time under strict teacher supervision only at the explicit direction of a teacher. The mobile phone, should it be permitted to be accessed, is only for learning and not recreational use (music, social media, etc) as per above. Students accessing a mobile phone inappropriately under these conditions will be subject to the consequences as listed below.

Classroom Routines

All students will be required to ensure that their mobile phone is off and in their bag at the start of a lesson. Students are expected to dedicate their attention to the learning tasks and will not be able to ‘check’ their phones during lesson.

Year 11 and 12 Seniors

The policy recognises that older students are more mature by the time they get to Senior and have different needs. They are more likely to be working, managing complex arrangements as adults and using a range of learning tools independently.

Students in Year 11 and Year 12 will be permitted to access their mobile phones at lunchtime on the top floor of R Block only.

Students in Year 12 will be permitted to access their mobile phones at lunchtime in the Memorial.

The ‘white tables’ by the canteen are mobile phone free as will the rest of the school from the first until last bell of the school day.

Seniors are expected to value this as a privilege by limiting their use to these zones and model ‘no-use’ in all other areas and times including flexible study time.

They must model the ‘no-use’ in class requirement.

Students must use mobile phones appropriately in these specific zones and maintain the areas in excellent condition.

Consequences

Students breaching this policy are subject to the following: o First occurrence: The device is confiscated and held at main reception until a parent/carer can collect

the child’s mobile phone. The student is allocated three lunchtime ‘community service’ duties supervised by a teacher on duty or three after school detentions.

o Subsequent occurrences will be considered serious breaches of the School’s Responsible Behaviour and Wellbeing Plan. The mobile phone will be confiscated and collected by the parents/carer. Consequences for serious breaches are detailed in the school’s Responsible Behaviour and Wellbeing Plan and take the individual circumstances of the student, their behaviour record and other issues into account. Detentions/community service and/or a period of suspension may be applicable.

The phone zone for Senior students may be withdrawn should students demonstrate inability to follow the requirements elsewhere in the playground and/or in class, not maintain the environments appropriately or not comply with general behaviour expectations in these spaces.

Loss and damage

The school does not accept any responsibility for lost, damaged or stolen items including mobile phones.

Because of this, families are encouraged to not permit mobile phones to be brought to school.

Inappropriate use of mobile phones outside this policy

The school cannot accept responsibility for the inappropriate use of mobile phones outside this policy.

Resources will be made available to parents/carers and students should they encounter issues with mobile phones while being used under parent supervision.

Parent communication

Messaging: Parents are requested to support the policy by not sending messages by mobile phone during the school day during the no phone period. Messages can be sent outside these times. Family arrangements are best made before or after school. For non-urgent changes, parents/carers may elect to send their child an email to the school email account.

Emergency: The school will communicate via text message to parents/carers should there be an emergency requiring evacuation or lock down. Parents/carers will be communicated with should a student require serious medical attention. Parents/carers contact student services in the case of an emergency requiring a student to be notified.

Individual exemptions

Individual students with documented and verified needs will work with the relevant Deputy Principal, the Head of the Centre for Diverse Learners or the Guidance Officer to consider the specific needs of the individual student, develop and enact a plan.

Period of trial

This will be a trial for Semester One, 2020

The trial will be evaluated using behaviour, achievement and engagement data.

Yours sincerely

CHRISTOPHER ZILM Executive Principal Cairns State High School