Responsible use of mobiles phones at school
Over the past few years more evidence is being released that points to phone use and screen time damaging our teenagers' brains, increasing anxiety and depression.
Renmark High School has traditionally allowed students to bring their phones to school so that parents have the convenience of ease of contact or so that the device can be used at appropriate times to support learning. Many of our students manage their phones effectively and use them to check Daymap, take photos of teacher notes and explanations, record important dates and manage homework.
In a few cases, students use their phones in ways that are disruptive and therefore not supported by Renmark High School’s Mobile Phone Classroom Policy and in this case the phones are confiscated by staff until the end of the day.
To further help our students to manage their phone use in school hours appropriately, teachers have been asked to monitor the confiscations of phones for early intevention to manage constant disruptive habits.
Should a phone be confiscated a third time during a term, RHS staff will contact parents/caregivers and they will be asked to come into school to pick up the phone (it WILL NOT be returned to the student). If the phone is confiscated another time within the term, the student will receive a behaviour consequence (suspension) for not following reasonable requests.
It is important for families to support their children and their school by encouraging the use of mobile phones in an appropriate and healthy way. To help families navigate this often difficult topic, I have sourced some fantastic resources for families (please find links below), including some really great tips for parents on the raisingchildren.net.au website (Australian Parenting Website).
David Gillespie podcast
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/conversations/david-gillespie-2019/10986686
Lawyer and social researcher David Gillespie has been delving into the complex business of the teenage brain.
"The usual teenage compulsions like smoking, drinking and drug taking are in steep decline, as teenagers are now more likely to seek a pleasure hit from their screens. But the games and social media apps they use are deliberately engineered to be addictive. Unlike drugs and cigarettes, their devices are supported by schools and parents, with few restrictions on their use."
Instagram bans like tallies in trial in Canada
“The move comes amid growing research on the damage social media does to the mental health of users, particularly young people.”
Australian Parenting Website has great information on healthy screen time for children and teenagers
Screen time and better sleep
https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/sleep/better-sleep/screen-time-sleep
I look forward to working with families as we continue to provide positive learning environments for all students at Renmark High School.
Amy Evans - Director of Student Inclusion