The Ministry of Education mandated that changes be made to board and school Codes of Conduct specific to student use of cell phones. School boards were required to have these changes in place by November 4th, 2019. The mandate is as follows:

All members of the school community must: 

• Respect the need of others to work in an environment that is conducive to learning and teaching, including ensuring that cell phones and other personal mobile devices are used only during instructional time (as directed by an educator), for health and medical purposes and/or to support special education needs. 

At Bowmore Road Junior and Senior Public School, cell phones and personal electronic devices (e.g. tablets, gaming devices) must be turned off before entering school property and placed in student lockers or backpacks for the day upon entry into the building.  

Cell Phone use will not be permitted during non-instructional times on school property including on the school yard before and after school, recesses and nutritional breaks. 

Teachers may, at their discretion, choose to provide a “tech break” at the end of an instructional block to allow students to use their phones.

Devices may be removed from student lockers at lunch ONLY if the child is leaving school property but must be left off and out of sight, until the student is off of school grounds.

Parents are asked to contact the office if they need to send a message to their child. If students are observed using a cell phone during school the following consequences will occur:

1. First time: The teacher, at their discretion, may issue a warning.  Otherwise, the phone will be taken and given to the homeroom teacher to be returned at the end of the day.

2. Second time: The phone will be taken by the homeroom teacher to the office. A parent will need to come to pick up the phone. 

3. Third time: The phone will be taken and the students will not be allowed to bring it to school. 

Please note that the school cannot be held responsible for the loss, damage or theft of any electronic device. 

Additional Information

For students who stay after school for practice or extra help, they may take their device to the teacher’s classroom and turn it on in the class to phone or text their parents if they need to inform them that they will be staying late at school.  Students will not be permitted to walk through the hallways or bathrooms with their phones in their hands. 

Google classroom is used by most of our staff to communicate homework; however, should a student want or need to take a photo of their homework  or class notes, they may do so only at the end of the day, under the direct supervision of the teacher. Again, students may not turn on their device until they have entered the teacher’s classroom.