Away for the Day Policy

This year, the policy will be that all electronics must be “away for the day.” This includes cell phones, headphones, and other personal electronic devices (including iPods, AirPods, iPads, tablets, non-school approved computers, smart watches, and video game consoles, etc). This change is necessary so that we can focus on our priorities at LMS which include helping each and every student reach their full academic and social potential.

Students may still bring their devices to school but they must be turned off and out of sight in their lockers. This applies to hallways, classrooms, and the cafeteria. Devices and headphones that are visible will be confiscated by security or an administrator and locked in vault until the end of the day for student pick up. Students violating this policy repeatedly will require parent pick-up of their phone.  

Academic activities requiring the use of technology will be supported through school devices and teachers. Students requiring the use of their phone due to a documented medical condition that requires monitoring through their device will be accommodated on an individual basis.

“Away For The Day” Administrative Responses 

Offenses

Action taken

1st Time

e-Notify Message

2nd Time

e-Notify Message

3rd Time

Parent Pick-Up

&

e-Notify Message

4th Time

Admin Phone Call, Parent Pick-Up, Main Office Phone Check-In for Five Days

5th Time & Beyond

Admin Phone Call, Parent Pick-Up,

Student not permitted to carry device at school for a predetermined amount of time

Background on the Away for the Day phone policy

Challenges for student learning:

  • The numbers of students using phones in classrooms to engage in non-instructional activities has been increasing drastically.
  • Teachers reported more and more cases of students refusing to put away phones and going to sites while on phones, distracting them from learning the content.
  • We observed a persistent increase in students using phones to arrange to meet friends during class time and then missing instruction.

Challenges for student safety:

  • More and more cases of students using phones during school to post about others and cause students to be upset or uncomfortable.
  • Increasing cases of students communicating about possible fights or confrontations with large groups of students receiving these messages and then disrupting the whole school.
  • Rise in hallway and classroom disruptions and increasing conflicts among students due to messages posted by students in our school, during the school day.