Digital Citizenship
At Country Day, we work to forge an intentional partnership with our parent community to reinforce and embrace our shared Country Day values. In our modern culture, we are witnessing the explosion of social media and the pervasiveness of smartphones, which immerse our kids into an unfiltered, algorithmically defined universe designed to feed their addiction for a shot of dopamine.
As an institution, we have started with these steps:
• In 2024, we adopted a new Community Code of Conduct that clearly articulates the non-negotiables of what it means to be part of this community, and our student handbooks lay out the road map of responses when those values are violated.
• We regularly have experts speak with students and families about how to address the challenges posed by technology, including Project Reboot.
• Grades 3-5 are introduced to the Second Step program, and we have enhanced our curriculum in grades 6-8 to build on our community values, help students manage friendships, and develop individual resilience. 5th graders have a new unit on digital citizenship, and 6th graders spend their first quarter in a technology elective as they integrate Chromebooks into their learning.
With regard to cell phones, we have adopted these divisional policies:
• Lower School children may not have cell phones or smart watches on campus, including during After School Enrichment (ASE).
• Middle School students may not have cell phones or smart watches in their possession during the school day. At dismissal time, students may use their phone or watch to text a parent (with the permission of a supervising adult) while on the curb. Students who stay for ASE will only be able to text or call with the permission of the counselor.
• In High School, teachers will collect cell phones and smart watches at the beginning of each class period.
And for our parent community:
• We offer families opportunities for conversation about how to effectively monitor and limit their children’s use of technology at home.
• We encourage adults to read selected texts and listen to podcasts to keep themselves informed of the latest research, and recommend starting with Johnathan Haidt’s book The Anxious Generation and the podcast from Lisa Damour, author of The Emotional Lives of Teenagers.
We invite our community to be active participants in these efforts and model our mission to Act Compassionately, bringing care and attention to this pivotal issue for our students. It is truly our greatest strength that everyone in our community can exist in a spirit of shared respect, kindness, and compassion.
