Cellphone Use

Cell Phones & Other Electronic Devices

Lower School Students

Lower School students are permitted to have a cell phone with them, but they may not use it during the school day. To make a phone call they may get teacher permission and then come to use the front office phone. Cell phones are not to be removed from student backpacks while on TWS property. Any visible cell phone will be confiscated and returned to the parent or guardian by the student’s class teacher.

High School Students

For the preservation of a human and sociable atmosphere in the school, the use of electronic devices for non-academic purposes, especially communication and photography, is not permitted on school premises between 8am and 4:30pm, other than in a sanctioned, instructional context. Cell phones may be used in the lobby area of the school after 4pm. If a student feels they need to use their phone during the school day, they must have explicit consent from the teacher/advisor present.

Consequences:

  • Immediate confiscation. All audio equipment will be given to the advisors and returned to student not earlier than the end of the day.
  • A second offence will result in a confiscation period of 24 hours.
  • Abuse of this policy will result in a penalty to be determined by school officials in consultation with parents.
  • Technological devices such as phones, laptops and iPads may be used in certain circumstances as an academic tool to support learning with the express permission of the teacher. Examples of this might include use as an electronic calculator, dictionary, translator, day planner or to play music if it is in support of the curriculum.
  • Students with assessed learning challenges may, with the explicit permission of the teacher, be permitted to use an electronic device, as required, in class.

Parents

We ask all parents to ideally refrain from cell phone use in the building. Should they need to receive a call or make one, we ask that they do so near the community bulletin board by the lobby or in the link area to the big gym, as per the High School students, or in the area around the Community Room on the lower level. In all other parts of the building cell phones should not be used, in order to preserve the learning environment for our students.

Faculty & Staff

Faculty and staff should only use their cell phone in an office or room intended for telephone use, or in their classroom after hours, when there are no students present.