Greetings Wolf Pack!
It is almost time! The first day of school is days away and we are ready! Before your student arrives at school, let’s talk technology.
Over the summer, our district adopted a technology policy. The biggest change is pretty simple. During class, personal electronic devices are silenced and put away. That includes cell phones, ear buds, headphones, smart glasses and other personal devices. Teachers will have management plans that could include a caddy system, backpack storage or charging stations. This also means that students are not to take their devices with them to the restroom, library or other approved areas during class time.
There is an important why behind this change. Our students are incredibly connected digitally, but that doesn’t always mean they are connected to each other or their learning in meaningful ways during class time. Research tells us that students that have unrestricted access to their phones learn significantly less than students with no phones.
This is not about technology being “bad.” We use technology for amazing things! This is about technology use being intentional and used for learning, not something competing with learning.
Thank you in advance for your partnership in this technology journey. Talk with your student about these changes before school starts and help us reinforce the idea that we're not simply taking technology away from students. We are being more thoughtful about when we put it in their hands.
Heads up. Phones Down. Technology with a Purpose.
Go Wolves!
Melissa Super-Greene
Principal – South Kitsap High School
