Cell Phone Policy

Cell Phones, Laptops, Tablets, Earbuds or Other Portable Devices

APS is committed to assisting students and staff members in creating a 21st-century learning environment. To support this progress, APS issued an iPad to each student. Kenmore has a “Phone Away for the Day” policy. Cell phones should not be visible during the instructional day, between 7:50 am and 2:34 pm, and should be kept in student lockers if brought to school. Students are prohibited from using phones (tablets and other mobile devices) in restrooms and locker rooms unless there is a medical necessity or emergency. Parents/Guardians, multi-disciplinary team members, or other persons with knowledge of students who require access to personally owned devices as an accommodation shall request such accommodations through their respective multi-disciplinary teams. APS is not responsible for losing or damaging students’ APS-issued or personal devices. Parents are responsible for damages, repair costs, and loss as described in the APS Acceptable Use Policy.

Parents/guardians who need to communicate with a student during the school day may call the school’s main office to do so. Students who need to communicate with their families or others during the school day may do so from the school’s main office or another phone designated by the school for that purpose.

Students may use their devices before and after school or in an emergency (authorization from a school administrator only).

The following links are to the policies approved by the School Board.

Policy J-30 Student Use of Cell Phones and Personal Electronic Devices,

Unauthorized cell phone use during class or other restricted times will be handled in accordance with the implementation procedures provided by Arlington County Public Schools. Arlington Public Schools is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged devices.

The following are the procedures for the handling of offenses for students having phones out during the day:

• Staff who see the phone out will ask the student to hand them the phone.
• The phone will be labeled with the student’s name and ID and brought to the main office.
• Parents/Guardians will be contacted to pick up the phone from the main office.
• After an initial offense, a referral will be written and processed by Administration. The student’s device will again be confiscated and taken to the main office. A parent must pick up the device from the office, and the student will be subject to disciplinary action.

Use of Cellphones or Personal Devices in Emergencies

Nothing in these rules prevents a student from being able to use their cell phone or personal electroniccommunication device in the case of an emergency, as defined in Policy E-3.31 Safety and SecurityPolicy Definitions, while on school property, if they can safely access the device. Principals mayauthorize students to use personal devices during weather emergencies to coordinate withparents/guardians regarding early dismissals.