Hanover Trustees make middle school cell phone ban official

The Hanover School Board approved some amended policies at its final meeting before the summer break. 

It is now official that students in middle school will not be allowed to use personal cell phones while at school. 

Trustee and Governance Committee Chair Danielle Funk moved to give Second, Third and Final reading to Policy AH – Responsible Use of Technology. 

The changes to this policy reflect previous discussion at the board table, reducing cell phone use to only high school students. This will come into effect for the new school year. 

This amended policy was unanimously approved. Trustee Ron Falk was not present for the meeting.

The school board also approved a few other amended policies. 

Funk moved to approve the amended Policy CB - Communicable Disease. 

She read the first paragraph of the policy as well as point #3 in the guidelines of the document as amendments were made in both those areas to clean up the wording. 

There were no questions for the Governance Committee and there was no discussion. 

Trustees voted on the Second, Third and Final reading which was approved 7-1, with Trustee Cheryl Froese voting in opposition.  

Next, the board looked at the Student Discipline Policy (JFA) and Funk read out every part of the policy where changes were made.  

She noted that item 3.5 was added to the guidelines, indicating a re-entry meeting with a team will take place prior to a suspended student's return to school. 

Funk moved to give Second, Third and Final reading of the amended policy. Toews seconded the motion. 

Froese asked if it would be possible for the board to discuss the differences between policies and procedures soon. She also questioned whether this lengthy policy would actually be a procedure rather than a policy. 

She followed that by adding concerns expressed by parents. 

“I’ve heard from parents that it’d be nice to have an outline as to what students are responsible for as far as their behaviour at school.” 

Shelley Amos, Superintendent, responded to Froese’s first comment, noting that HSD has procedure that goes alongside this policy. 

"We had a new directive given by Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning called Safe and Caring Schools Policy Directive Enhancing Proactive Supports to Minimize the Use of Suspension. So, we had to create this policy and much of the language of this policy comes right from that provincial document, so it would be hard to shorten this piece but there is already a procedure that assists schools in dealing with this policy.” 

Amos added that the Hanover School Division also has a Student Code of Conduct (Policy AG-A) which is a policy the division is mandated to have. 

The amended Student Discipline Policy was approved with 7 votes in favour while Trustee Lynn Barkman abstained. 

Click here to see all policies of the Hanover School Division.