Dear Parents,

As part of our Just in Time Summer Series, we wanted to draw your attention to a couple of “new” changes to the Dress Code and also share a little about what we will be doing differently for cell phone management next year.

Dress Code Changes

There are two significant changes for next year’s dress code policy. The first change is that we are going to allow BK Spirit Wear Monday-Friday in order to provide additional dress options and to promote school pride, spirit and community. The exception to this rule is of course on All School Mass Days where our Mass Uniform will be required. The second change will be in enforcement. We feel that our dress code provides a lot of reasonable options for students. Our expectation is that students will follow the dress code. In the new school year. If a student is out of dress code, they will serve an automatic lunch detention and will need to fix the issue immediately. In addition to Mrs. Hutchinson, Mr. Brennan will be serving in more of a Dean of Student role which will help immensely in dress code enforcement.

CLICK HERE RO REVIEW BK’s DRESS CODE

Please order your MASS DRESS items in plenty of time to arrive for the first All School Mass on Tuesday, September 21st.

You can order Mass Dress items at Educational Outfitters by using the following link: https://boise.educationaloutfitters.com

Cell Phone Usage

The other area that we will be shoring up is our cell phone use during academic time. Below you will see our Mobile Technology Use Expectations as it’s outlined in our student handbook. These expectations are not new, but we will be enforcing these expectations a little differently than in years past. One major change is that every teacher will be expected to have collected cell phones at the beginning of each period in our cell phone organizers that will be placed in each classroom. Without being asked or continually reminded, students are expected to place their cell phones in those pockets as they step into the classroom and will not collect them until the end of the period. Students will have access to cell phones during breaks and lunch, but we strongly encourage students to use them only as needed during lunch and break time. Cell phones will also not be allowed during community time, which we will explain more in a later edition of our summer just in time series. Students that cannot abide by our cell phone expectations will be expected to turn their phone into the Dean of Students at the beginning of the school day where it’s safe from distraction.

Mobile Technology Use Expectations
At Bishop Kelly, we embrace the educational value of technology, but also strive to find the right balance of technology use during the school day in order to find a better balance of technology use in our daily lives. Technology includes the use of laptops, cell phones, and other wearable technology that accesses internet or bluetooth technologies.

Expectations for Technology Use During Academic Time
Technology is to be used as a tool for learning in the classroom and only used at the discretion and approval of the teacher in that classroom. Teachers will communicate when laptops will be used each day if at all. It should not be assumed by students that the use of laptops each day for all classes is a given. All mobile and wearable technologies such as cell phones, smart watches, etc are not to be used at all and should not be visible or audible in the classroom environment, halls, restrooms, etc. unless the teachers have specifically designated the use of these devices as part of the lesson for the day.
Students that are caught using their cell phones, etc. in class will have them taken away immediately by the teacher and will be given to the administration who will determine appropriate consequences.

Technology Use During Passing Periods
Cell phones and wearable technologies may be used appropriately during passing periods, break and lunch. Students using these devices in the halls must be stopped and step to the side of the halls so as not to disrupt traffic flow and to practice good habits of appropriate cell phone use.

Technology Light Days
Bishop Kelly will have designated “Tech Light” days throughout the year. For Tech Light days, teachers are encouraged to minimize the use of technology in classrooms on these days and mobile and wearable technologies are not allowed for the entire day. On Tech Light days, students may not use mobile and wearable technologies during passing periods, break, or lunch. Students may use laptops for educational purposes only.