Principal Message
Dear Parents, Carers and Students,
Mobile Phones at Kildare Catholic College
At Kildare Catholic College, we allow students to bring their mobile phones. There has been a great deal of controversy raised about the ills of mobile phones at school, leading to a ban in Victorian schools. We believe students need to learn to self-regulate their behaviours and learn to be responsible digital citizens.
When students do not use their phones responsibly it can interfere with their learning or the learning and safety of others. Inappropriate phone use is corrected by teachers and students benefit from learning from their mistakes. The following guidelines support students to use their mobile phones appropriately and avoid any disruptions to learning.
- Mobile phones are brought to the College at the owners own risk.
- Mobile phones must only be used by students before or after college, or during recess and lunch breaks unless directed by staff in the classroom.
- Mobile phones must be kept on silent mode and kept out of sight during classroom lessons unless given instructions to use in the classroom by staff.
- Staff should be alerted and exceptions requested if a student has special circumstances requiring the use of their mobile phone during College hours.
- Mobile phones must not be brought into exams or class assessments.
- Mobile phones must not be used inappropriately.
- Phone cameras are not to be used within the college grounds unless directed to do so by a staff member.
- Students should never photograph or record any person without their express permission.
- Parents are to be informed that in cases of emergency, the college remains an appropriate point of contact to reach their child quickly.
Students who fail to use their phones responsibly and do not follow teacher direction may incur consequences, including the loss of their right to bring their mobile phone to school.
High Expectations for Behaviours that Promote Learning
Staff and students are currently working together to maintain positive learning environments. At Kildare we expect students to focus on their learning and to behave in a way that promotes their own learning and the learning of others. Most classrooms at Kildare continue to have an excellent climate for learning, evident when we walk around the College and witness a calm and productive environment. However, we are concerned with the higher frequency of misbehaviour being reported in some of our junior classes and we are now working together to correct these behaviours.
Behaviours that disrupt learning will be corrected by teachers. Students will be invited to return to their learning. If a student’s behaviour continues to disrupt learning, and they are not responsive to teacher direction, they are sent to the top office.
This is what our teachers do when a student’s behaviour disrupts learning:
Our students will do one of the four things:
- Replace a disruptive behaviour with an appropriate behaviour;
- Lessen the intensity of the disruptive behaviour;
- Keep disrupting; or
- Escalate a disruptive behaviour.
Students who can manage their behaviour and persistently choose not to will be removed from the classroom. Parents will be notified. This may result in the student being sent home. No student has the right to interrupt the learning of their peers.
