Dear Liberty Memorial Central School Families,

Cell phones and other technology devices have become, in many ways, an integral part of daily life. As we constantly monitor our devices, it’s easy to disengage with the world around us.

This year we will be supporting our students in focusing on being present and engaged in the collaborative, innovative learning environment around them, while also learning how to appropriately balance when and where to use their personal devices. Updated cell phone guidelines will better support students’ health, well-being, and academic success. These updated guidelines include an expectation that students’ cell phones and personal devices are put away out of sight during the school day, except for during lunchtime. We recognize that this change will be an adjustment for students. We believe that the benefits are numerous.

• Learning Benefits: Providing guidelines that limit the use of cell phones during the school day supports our goal of creating a safe environment free of distractions that hinder learning.
• Social and Emotional Well-Being: Student health and safety is our first priority. We want students to establish personal connections at school and fully engage in their learning.
• Learning Forward, Future Ready: Since the district provides all middle school students with iPads to support their learning needs at school and at home, students need not rely on using personal devices at school.

We realize these updated guidelines may require a change in how parents and students communicate during the school day and appreciate your support during this transition. If you need to get in touch with your child, please contact the school office. If your child needs to get in touch with you, he or she may contact you during lunchtime or ask to use the office phone.

We encourage school families to discuss the cell phone guidelines with their students. We will be sharing this information with students at the beginning of the school year. The guidelines may also be found in the Student Handbook. Students using personal devices at inappropriate times or in inappropriate ways will be subject to behavior referral or loss of this privilege.

We look forward to these changes helping us to minimize distractions and promote personal connections and engagement in student learning. Thank you for your support of these efforts.

Sincerely,

Jeff Harkin
Principal