Acceptable Use

Since every student has been issued a school Chromebook, I expect them to keep their phones in their assigned phone caddy pouch for the duration of class unless I give them permission to use their phones during class time. Acceptable phone use is limited to the following: 

• Listening to music when working independently with explicit permission

• Internet access for academic purposes with explicit permission (such as looking up definitions of unfamiliar words, completing quick assignments on Google Classroom, etc). 

• Adding assignments or academic reminders to their phone calendar with explicit permission

Students are also expected to keep other electronic devices out of sight and powered off or silenced during class. This includes, but is not limited to, cell phones, airpods, smart watches, gaming devices, tablets, personal laptops, school distributed chromebooks, and other electronic devices.

Unacceptable Use

During class time, students are not to use their phones for any of the following: 

• Wearing air pods, earbuds, or headphones during whole class or small group activities

• Making phone calls

• Facetime or Video calls

• Playing games

• Watching videos, TV shows, or movies

• Texting friends or family members

• Social media use (TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc)

• Taking selfies or pictures of other students

• Any other activities that district the student or others during class time

Consequences for Unacceptable Use

In accordance with the district policy, cell phones, AirPods, and other personal electronic devices are to be kept turned off and stored away during class per the teacher’s specific classroom policy. This may include keeping phones in a classroom phone caddy or in backpacks. In rare cases, students may request explicit permission from the teacher to use their phones for classwork only, however teachers are not required to agree to this request. 

First offense: Students will receive a verbal or written warning from the teacher. This may include the phone being held by the teacher until the student writes an apology letter, signs a contract, or has a conversation with the teacher about appropriate use.

Second offense: If the student uses their phone inappropriately a second time, the teacher will follow the same protocol as the first offense and will also either call or email parents. 

Third offense: If the student continues to use their phone inappropriately, the teacher will submit a behavior referral to administration for general misconduct, and administration will determine the appropriate consequence per the APS Behavior Handbook.

Fourth offense: In the event that the student continues to misuse their phones during class, they will receive another behavior referral to administration, and the student and their parents will be required to attend a restorative conference with administration and the student’s teachers.