iPad Protection Plans & Digital Citizenship, Restrictions and Guidelines
We all want students to become positive, contributing citizens in all aspects of their lives, including interactions they may have in the digital world. Educators, families and students will engage in ongoing conversations about what it means to be responsible citizens in the digital world.
All students are issued an iPad to use at school and at home. Families are responsible for helping their child care for the school-issued device when at home. Annual iPad protection plans are available and highly encouraged for all families to purchase for each school-issued device per school-aged child. Families should purchase the optional iPad protection plan to cover a student's iPad in case of damage or theft, in the EduTrak Connect Payment Center.
We have provided resources to support you as you are having guiding conversations with your child regarding making decisions of when and how to use technology. There are also video tutorials on how to use the Screen Time option on the iPad. For more information and resources on digital citizenship, restrictions and guidelines, click here.
Students are accessing personal devices including cellphones and smartwatches at earlier ages than what we have seen in previous years. We know that some students are using cell phones as a mean for communications with family members before/after school hours. As a reminder, cell phones and smartwatches are not to be used during the school hours for any reason. Student who choose to bring their cell phone to school must keep their phones in their backpacks at all times and may not use them at any time during the school day. We do not encourage elementary students to be wearing smartwatches as they can be very distracting to learning. Students and families who need to get in contact with one another must go through our school office. Additionally, the school is not responsible for any lost or stolen personal devices, including cell phones, smartwatches, or any other personal electronic devices.
We ask parents to not call or text their child during the day on a personal cell phone or smartwatch. If a student decides to use a personal cell phone during the school day for any reason, administration will hold onto the phone for parents to come pick up in the office. If you must get in touch with your child for any reason, please call our school office at 651-683-8570 or send an email to your child's classroom teacher.
With students accessing personal devices more regularly, it opens up the ability for the3m to have access to social media sites include TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, etc., as well as other online sites, like YouTube. According to Common Sense Media, students should not be using social media sites until they are at least 13 years of age and under the close supervision of an adult or parent/guardian. We strongly recommend that parents choose wisely whether or not their child accesses social media for any reason at any time. Some of what is being displayed on social media is not appropriate for children of any age. Parents are responsible for students' creating accounts and using social media sites.
If you become aware of any concerning or threatening messages on social media, report them immediately to police or administrator, if it involves the school. The safety of our students is our top priority every day.
We also strongly recommend that parents become familiar with the issues associated with elementary-age students accessing social media. For more information, please read the article, 11 Social Media Red Flags Parents Should Know About.