From the Desk of Dr. Zublionis

Personal Electronic Devices Policy

Dear North Shore Families, Faculty, Staff, and Students, I hope that you are having a great summer! As you are likely aware, all public schools in New York State are now required to develop policies that limit the use of personal electronic devices during the school day (NYS Education Law 2803). Such a policy has already been in place for students in the North Shore Schools, from kindergarten through eighth grade. By law, the policy must now extend to all students in the school district, K-12. Please read the full text of the policy HERE. In summary,

· At the elementary school level, students are discouraged from bringing devices to school at all. Any device that is brought to school must be turned off and stored in a backpack, and placed in the back of the classroom storage area for the entire school day.

· At the middle school level, student devices must be turned off before entry into school and stored in student lockers for the entire school day.

· At the high school level, student devices must be turned off before entry into school and stored in student lockers for the entire school day.

In addition, violations of the policy will result in devices being kept in the school's main office for the remainder of the school day, and additional violations will require parent pick-up of the device and possibly other consequences.

Certain exemptions from this policy may be available as outlined in the above full-text link. In most cases, however, we urge students and families to leave personal devices at home. Please note that the North Shore CSD is not responsible for lost or stolen personal devices. All parents can reach their children by calling the main office of their respective school at any time.

I know that, especially for our high school students, this new approach to personal devices will be a major change. Beyond the legal requirement, there is ample research (both empirical and anecdotal) that demonstrates how smartphones and other personal devices are highly distracting and can interfere with the important work of teaching and the precious process of learning. Moreover, research documents how smartphones and devices (even if turned off) remain distracting if they are close by to an individual.

As a District, we continue to study and discuss issues related to information technology, artificial intelligence, and screen time. We will continue to make changes, in collaboration with families, faculty, and students, to strike the right balance between learning about emerging tech while also preserving the sacred and special space of the classroom as a place of authentic human interaction, creativity, critical thinking, and focus. An FAQ document will be forthcoming from North Shore High School to answer more specific questions about the implementation of this policy.

I wish you a terrific remainder of your summer and look forward to a wonderful year ahead! Sincerely, Dr. Chris Zublionis Superintendent of Schools