Cellphone Policy Update

There has always been a policy in place banning students from having cellphones at the College. At their final meeting of the school year on Tuesday evening, the Board of Trustees updated the Student Cellphone Policy in order to provide more clarity for students and staff.

The policy now reads:

Students are not permitted to use cellphones* during normal school hours (including interval & lunchtime) at Ellesmere College-Te Kāreti o Waihora and are strongly advised not to bring a cellphone to school. If students bring their cellphone to school it must be switched off and in their school bag. Students bring cellphones to school at their own risk. Ellesmere College-Te Kāreti o Waihora accepts no responsibility for lost, damaged or stolen student cellphones.

If a student is observed to be using their cellphone during normal school hours, the cellphone will be confiscated by the staff member who has observed them. Student refusal to comply will result in escalation of disciplinary processes to the Senior Leadership Team. The staff member will hand the confiscated cellphone into the office where it will be placed in an envelope with the student’s name on it and held in a secured area. The cellphone should be password protected and turned off.

1st Offence: student picks up the cellphone from the front office of the College at the end of the school day

2nd Offence: parent will be requested to pick up the cellphone from the College

3rd Offence: parent will be requested to pick up the cellphone from the College and this will be deemed continual disobedience with serious disciplinary action taken to be determined by the Principal on a case-by-case basis e.g. stand down

4th Offence: parent will be requested to pick up the cellphone from the College and this will be deemed continual disobedience with serious disciplinary action taken to be determined by the Principal on a case-by-case basis e.g. stand down

5th or more Repeated Offences: parent will be requested to pick up the cellphone from the College and this will be deemed continual disobedience with serious disciplinary action taken to be determined by the Principal on a case-by-case basis e.g. student may be suspended from school

*The school uses the term “cellphones” to include cell phones and mobile phones

Frequently Asked Questions

● Can I listen to music?

You can use your learning device (Laptop/Chromebook) to listen to music or for learning purposes when a teacher approves of this. Otherwise no headphones or earbuds should be worn in class. In a workshop, it is unsafe for students to have headphones on and should wear appropriate safety equipment in these situations.

● What about my smartwatch?

Any smartwatch that has cellular capabilities may be worn during normal school hours apart from during assessments.

● What if my parents/caregivers need to contact me in an emergency?

All communications should go through the front office in the event of an emergency.

● What if my boss needs to contact me about work?

All communications should go through the front office, as per parental contact.

● What if I don’t have a device?

Ellesmere College-Te Kāreti o Waihora is a BYOD school and it is an expectation that all students bring a fully-charged Chromebook or laptop to school every day.

● Why is my teacher on their phone?

Teachers will be using their phones for administrative purposes where the situation requires the use of a cell phone. For example, it is not practicable for a PE teacher to walk with their laptop in the gym for these duties or in a workshop.