The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board acknowledges that the dignity of the human person, as promoted by the Catholic Church, may be compromised by the potential for invasion of personal privacy made possible by inappropriate use of personal electronic Devices on school premises. The board also recognizes that unregulated use of personal electronic devices may pose a risk to the individual safety of students, staff and visitors in our schools. In some cases, unregulated personal electronic devices may facilitate illegal activities in the school environment or during school-sanctioned activities. Further, the board realizes that the promotion of academic excellence and the preservation of academic integrity may be compromised by the unregulated use of personal electronic devices during the instructional day, at assessment times and on formal exam days.
It is board policy that all personal electronic devices must be kept out of sight, turned off and not used within school premises (including portables) or during school-sanctioned activities such as retreats, field trips, sport events etc. To prevent the loss or damage of personal electronic devices, we encourage students to leave their personal electronic devices, we encourage students to leave their personal electronic devices at home.
Failure to comply with this policy may result in the confiscation of the personal electronic device and/or disciplinary action as outlined in the Catholic Code of Conduct.
There may be exceptional circumstances under which a personal electronic device may be used of school premises or during school sanctioned activities.
General Definition of a Personal Electronic Device
Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) are wireless and or portable electronic handheld equipment that include but are not limited to exisitng and emerging mobile communication systems and Smart technologies (cell phones, smartphones, walkie talkies, pagers etc.), portable internet devices (mobile managers, mobile messengers, Blackberry TM handsets, etc.) PDAs (electronic organizers, pocket PCs etc.), handheld entertainment systems (video games, CD players, compact DVD players, Mp3 players, iPods, Walkmen TM, etc.) digital or film cameras, digital or analogue audio recorders or video recorders (tape recorders, camcorders etc.), spy gadgets (spy cameras, covert listening devices, etc.) and any other convergent communication technologies that do any number of the previously mentioned functions.
PEDs also include any current or emerging wireless handheld technologies or portable IT systems that can be used for the purpose of communication, entertainment, data management, word processing, wireless internet access, image capture/recording, sound recording and information transmitting/receiving/storing etc.