August 28th, 2023
EDSS Classroom Expectations for the 2023-24 School Year
As September is fast approaching the first day of school is right around the corner. Once again staff and students will collaborate on creating classroom expectations for each of the courses being offered within the EDSS school community. These expectations may vary a little from classroom to classroom depending on the subject matter and classroom environment, but they will all have one common expectation as part of the classroom environment going forward at EDSS. This expectation is the O and A (Off and Away) Policy for cell phones.
The Ministry of Education’s expectation around cell phone use in classrooms is that there is no cell phone use in the classroom except as directed by the teacher for school-related purposes. The basis of the Ministry of Education’s policy is to lessen and prevent distractions as well as maximize learning opportunities.
- Students will default to an O and A (Off and Away) Policy within the classroom environment during instruction time. This will include cell phones not being used in the halls during class time.
- All students are provided with a locker at the beginning of the school year, students may bring their own lock or purchase one at school, to house their cell phone in during class time if they do not use a school bag to carry their belongings.
We believe that the O and A (Off and Away) Policy will assist students with being more focused and engaged in their academics. The 1 to 1 Chromebook Program of the WRDSB is a great tool for instruction and learning that involves more than enough screen time for staff and students during instruction and will provide all of the necessary technology requirements for students while in the learning environment.
As a school community, we are taking these steps to assist students in setting healthy boundaries in an age of digital addiction and distraction. We believe these healthy boundaries will benefit EDSS students not only within our school community but also in their chosen post-secondary paths.
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