How can we help students, staff and families adjust to changes in the Code of Conduct as we move into September?

My son attends Westdale High School and he tells me everyone is still on their phones all class long. I truly believe that the students both need and, on some level, want clear boundaries. This is very sad and frustrating to hear that the board can't enforce policies to protect students. Get the phones out of the kids' hands, make hard and clear rules and consequences and enforce them. Stipulate in the rules/communication that if you don't want your kid's device (including headphones and watches) being taken away for misuse, then devices must be left at home. Let's change this horrible path we are on. We are letting this generation down.

I have been told by my teenager that at many schools, students are vaping in the washrooms, and boys and girls go into each others washrooms to trade vapes. My teen avoids using the washroom at school if possible due to this. And school administration is doing nothing about it.

There are arbitrary rules when it comes to social media. I’ve seen where good students are accused for misuse and the superintendent rush to make a negatively impactful decision without proper investigation. There needs to be more defined rules so that students don’t get suspended based on a judgement of what is acceptable and not acceptable.

I am disappointed that my daughter has been able to create an Instagram account on her board-provided SEA iPad. I can control what she does at home but not what she’s accessing at school - where she seems to have unlimited access. The iPads come with YouTube and can easily add Instagram. A fully developed adult brain struggles to limit these temptations and a child’s brain doesn’t stand a chance. You can’t put the responsibility on the child to ignore or limit social media. The board should restrict what is available through their network and what is available on the iPads they provide to vulnerable kids. A typical adult can’t scroll social media on their employer’s network and kid’s should not be able to either.

My child always came home telling me all about how the kids were being bullied in her class. It was ALWAYS during unsupervised lunch time. Kids always felt more brave when they know staff isn’t around.