Merici College: Empowering Independence

Communication and Use of Mobile Phones Policy – Statement of Practice

Mobile phones and digital devices are a key part of modern life, and most students carry a mobile phone for safety and communication before and after school. However, when used inappropriately during school hours, mobile phones can contribute to issues such as bullying, disruption to learning, filming without consent, and unsafe internet or social media use.

At Merici College, we are committed to supporting the social and emotional development of our students alongside their academic progress. We encourage students to build real connections through face-to-face interactions, particularly during break times, rather than relying on digital communication.

Rationale

Merici College understands that many students own a mobile phone or other communication device. These can be important before and after school, for students to contact parents and engage with the wider community.

However, personal communication devices can also represent distraction within the College and limit educational and social engagement. Schools have a duty of care for students during school hours, and for student and staff privacy.

All states and Territories in Australia prohibit the use of personal communication devices in schools during the school day, either partially or completely.

These restrictions apply to all personal communication devices during school hours, on school grounds or at school events and activities.

Mobile Phone Use Expectations

To promote a safe and respectful learning environment, the following guidelines apply to all students:

Personal Responsibility: Mobile phones are brought to school at the student’s own risk. Merici College does not accept responsibility for lost, stolen, or damaged devices.
Emergency Procedures: Phones must be turned off during fire evacuations or lockdowns to ensure students remain attentive and responsive to staff instructions.
Classroom and Formal Activities: Phones must be turned off and stored securely during class time, assemblies, transitions between classes, and any formal school activities unless explicit permission is granted by a teacher or prior approval is given (e.g. for medical reasons).
Emergency Contact: Parents should contact Student Services in emergencies. Students must not contact parents directly if they are unwell; they should report to Student Services, who will follow up appropriately.
Filming and Recording: Never film or record anyone without their consent and never share images or recordings without consent. Doing so may breach Australian privacy laws and could be a criminal offence. This applies to staff, students, parents/carers, and visitors.
Examinations: Mobile phones are not permitted in exam rooms unless prior approval has been granted for medical reasons.

Year-Level Guidelines

Years 7–10:

Mobile phones must not be used during lesson time for calls, messaging, internet access, social media, photography, or apps.
Students may briefly check and respond to messages during recess and lunch only at their lockers.
Phones must be stored in lockers during class time and may only be accessed with teacher permission or College approval.

Years 11–12:

Senior students may use phones during recess, lunch, and study periods.
Phones must be switched off during class time and may only be used with teacher permission or College approval.

Exemptions

Students and families may request permission to use personal communication devices during school hours where necessary.

A Principal (or delegate) may approve a student to use personal communication devices where necessary, for example:

to monitor a health condition
for students who are the primary carer for a child or family member
when needed to support a personalised plan,
where the device is used for translation by a student with English as an additional language or dialect.

Teachers may seek principal (or delegate) approval for students to use personal communication devices during class, where they consider the device adds value to the learning program that cannot be supported by a student’s schoolwork device.

Consequences for Breaches

If a student fails to follow the expected use of mobile phones, their device will be confiscated and handed to Student Services. It will be sealed and stored securely until the end of the school day.
Student Services will record the incident on SEQTA.
If a student refuses to hand over their device, they will be referred to their House Coordinator, who will contact parents.
Repeated or serious breaches may be escalated to the Head of Student Wellbeing for further action.
If devices are suspected to have inappropriate material or illegal content, the School/College will inform the student’s parents / carers and the Catholic Education Office. Devices will be returned in line with advice by the Catholic Education Office legal/child protection teams.

Definitions

Personal Communication Device: Devices used primarily for communication including mobile phones, smartwatches, and headphones. Does not include students’ schoolwork devices such as laptops and tablet computers.

Schoolwork Device: Devices used to support teaching and learning such as laptop, desktop or tablet computers – whether personal devices or issued by the school-issued devices. They are not prohibited but are subject to the Student Acceptable Use of ICT Policy. COMMUNICATION AND USE OF MOBILE PHONES

Gifted and Talented Students

Related Merici Policies

Inclusion
Languages
Teaching and Learning Core Document

Rationale/Purpose

Merici College recognises gifted and talented students have unique educational needs. Merici College is committed to ensuring that the needs of gifted and talented students are catered for in the school for them to reach their educational potential.

This policy outlines the roles and responsibilities of the College and staff in implementing identification procedures and appropriate educational provisions and strategies to meet the needs of all gifted and talented students. The policy recognises the diverse abilities, and broad range, of gifted and talented students in Merici College.

Gagne’s (2003) Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (see Appendix A) informs the key educational approaches and definitions contained in this Policy.

Please refer to the full policy attached.

External Contract Arrangement

Related Merici Policies

School Buildings – Health and Safety School Buildings – Maintenance Work School Buildings – Planning

School Buildings – Security

Rationale/Purpose

This procedure describes specific requirements for the management of contractors prior to performing work at Merici College and during.

This procedure also outlines the general requirements for contract work and the risk management procedures required to ensure that contractors are properly managed at all times.

Definitions

Contractor: A person not directly employed by the College undertaking paid work at the College.

Policy

The Business Manager in collaboration with the site resident caretaker/manager has the responsibility for the day to day management of contractors who work on the College site – including contact, procurement, site requirements and expectations including induction – and in collaboration with finance office, payment of invoices.

The higher responsibility for ensuring that this work is carried out in accordance with all ACT legislative requirements is that of Merici College Principal and Business Manager – and the Catholic Education Office for major building projects.

Please refer to the full policy attached.

Communication and Use of Mobile Phones

Related Merici Policies

Nil

Rationale/Purpose

Mobile phones and technology are now a key part of modern life. Most students own a mobile phone with access to the internet and for safety reasons students will carry a mobile phone to contact home after or before school. However, mobile phones can and often do lead to several problems in school such as bullying, filming, disruption to lessons and inappropriate usage of the internet and social media leading to potential safeguarding issues.

Here at the Merici, we strongly encourage our students to develop socially and emotionally. This development is just as important as any academic progress or grades. Improving social skills and emotional development can best be done by talking to each other, interacting and developing real connections at break and lunchtime, as opposed to using their mobile phones.

Policy

The process for the use of mobile phones on the school site during school hours is as follows:

It is our policy that:

Mobile phones are brought to the College by students at their own risk. The College does not accept responsibility or liability for lost or damaged student property and does not have insurance which would cover such loss or damage.
Mobile phones or other electronic devices must be turned off during a fire evacuation or lockdown procedure as use could pose significant risks, including students lack attention in following staff direction.
Phones and other electronic devices must be turned off when students are in class, moving between classes, at assembly or involved in any formal school activity in which the use or activation of the phone or device would interrupt the program, unless given specific permission from their teacher, or pre-approval has been given by the College e.g. to manage medical conditions.
Parents are reminded that in cases of emergency, Student Services remains a vital point of contact and can ensure students are reached quickly and assisted in the appropriate way.
Students must not use their mobile phone to contact their parents and/or arrange to be collected from school if they are unwell. Students should go to Student Service and staff will then contact parents if appropriate.
Mobile phones are NOT permitted in exam rooms, unless given pre-approval has been given by the College e.g. to manage medical conditions.

Year 7-10

During the school day, during lesson time, students must not, under any circumstances, use mobile phones to make calls, send text messages, access the internet, access social media sites, take photos or use other applications.
Students can access their phones to check messages and respond briefly via text message during recess and lunch while at their locker. Students are not to use their phones in any other part of the school grounds at recess and lunch.
During class time, must store their Mobile phones in a secure locker. Students are not to access or use their mobiles phones during class time unless given specific permission from their teacher, or if approval has been given by the College, e.g. to manage medical conditions.

Year 11-12

Senior Students can access and use mobile phones during recess and lunch breaks and study periods only. Phones should be switched off during class time and Students are not to access or use during class time unless given specific permission from their teacher, or if approval has been given by the College, e.g. to manage medical conditions.
Failure to follow the above points will result in the mobile phone being confiscated. The student will be required to hand in their device to Student Services, in which it will be sealed in an envelope and kept in a secure location for the remainder of the day. The student will collect their phone at the end of the school day.
Suppose a student fails to follow teacher instructions or hand in their device. In that case, they will be referred to the Deputy Principal Wellbeing, who will contact parents and organise a reflection afternoon.

References

Nil

Forms

Nil

Approved by: Merici Executive

Implementation Date: January 2022

Policy last Updated: July 2022

Merici Contact Officer: Deputy Principal Wellbein

Communication

Related Merici Policies

Child Protection

Teacher Role Description and Responsibilities

Catholic Education: Guidelines for Professional Conduct – In Protection of Children and Young People.

Rationale/Purpose

Effective communication is essential in our environment. Many avenues exist to facilitate communication within the College and with the community. This policy covers formal processes of communication and sets out expectations to ensure positive and effective communication in the college community. This policy includes communication processes between members of staff, students, parents, and the wider community and outside agencies.

Definitions

Communication across the College is defined as communication via personal, digital and electronic means as well as through the use of more traditional methods such as through pigeon holes and noticeboards.

Communication falls under four categories: Communication with Staff, Communication with Parents, Communication with Students and Communication with the Wider Community/ Outside Agencies.

Policy

Communication with Staff

The means of communications with staff are through:

Morning tea announcements
Staffroom noticeboards
Pigeon holes
This Week at Merici (TWIM)
Email/ Outlook
Phone calls
Personal discussions

Communication with Parents:

The means of communication with Parents is through:

Phone calls
Emails including parent alerts
SMS (if parental approval has been given)
Their daughter’s homework planner
Official mail outs
Parent Teacher interviews/evenings
What’s On fortnightly newsletter
College website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
The College Yearbook

Communication with Students:

The means of communications with students should be through:

Daily Notices
Announcements during the day (Public Announcement system as well as the television monitors)
Personal discussion
College website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Communication with the wider community/outside agencies:

The means of communications with the wider community and outside agencies (including but not limited to the media, Catholic Education Office, visiting groups to the college and charities) is through any of the above listed communication methods.

Procedures

All communications with staff, parents, students and the wider community including outside agencies, should be both professional and respectful in nature according to the Teacher Role Description and Responsibilities.
Responses to internal communications should be made in a timely manner with a suggested response timeframe of 24 hours
Responses to external communications should be made in a timely manner with a suggested response timeframe of 24-48 hours, at least initially to acknowledge receipt of the email.
Any official correspondence sent through the post, should be on current Merici College letterhead stationery and should be approved by the relevant Coordinator or Executive prior to sending.

Forms

Nil

Approved by: Merici Executive

Implementation Date: September 2007

Policy last Updated: July 2022

Merici Contact Officer: Deputy Principal Development