Good Evening Chiefs,
This is Dr. Hembree from McCormick County School District with an important message.
The purpose of this email is to let you know that our district policy, JICJ, concerning use of cell phones and other electronic devices, has been updated and will go into effect when the students return to school on Tuesday, January 7th.
The new policy was adopted in response to Proviso 1.103- “To receive state funds allocated for State Aid to Classrooms, a school district shall implement a policy adopted by the State Board of Education that prohibits access to personal electronic communication devices by students during the school day. For purposes of this provision, a personal electronic communication device is considered to be a device not authorized for classroom use by a student, utilized to access the Internet, wi-fi, or cellular telephone signals.”
Additionally, the new policy aims to create a phone-free school environment that fosters a positive learning experience, free from electronic distractions. Students will have more opportunities to engage in meaningful interactions, collaborate with their peers, and cultivate the essential skills necessary for success.
You can locate the updated policy on our district website, but here are a few key components:
Electronic devices include, but are not limited to cell phones, smart watches, tablets and gaming devices.
During the instructional day, devices must be powered off and out of sight. This includes from the time students arrive at school until after they leave campus.
For car riders and students who drive, the devices must be turned off and out of view upon exiting the vehicle in the morning and remain turned off and placed out of view until returning to their vehicle at the end of the instructional day.
Students staying on campus for extracurricular activities may use their devices on school property after 3:30 pm.
The staff will follow these basic enforcement procedures when the policy is violated:
1st offense- The device will be confiscated and returned to a parent/legal guardian at the end of the school day after the parent/legal guardian signs the Telecommunication Use Agreement.
2nd offense- The device will be confiscated and returned to a parent/legal guardian at the end of the school day.
3rd offense- The device will be confiscated until the last day of the school year. A parent/legal guardian will schedule an appointment with the principal to retrieve the device.
Failure to surrender the device will result in the follow consequences:
1st offense- 2 days of out of school suspension
2nd offense- 2-3 days of out of school suspension
3rd offense- 3-4 days of out of school suspension
Should you need to get in touch with your child during the instructional day, please contact the front office of your child’s school. Thank you in advance for your attention to this important policy change. Should you have any questions concerning this policy, you may reach out to me or to your child’s principal.
Respectfully,
Dr. Hembree