Smart Device Policy
Social Media Recommendations
Why An On-Campus Smart Device Policy?
At Summerfield Waldorf School & Farm, we place an emphasis on direct human interaction and authentic experiences.
Studies show that a direct experience, as opposed to a virtual one, has a measurable positive impact on the brain's development throughout childhood into adulthood. Issues associated with premature phone usage, especially with smartphones that have unlimited internet access. Detrimental effects include:
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Continuous Partial Attention
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Early consumerism
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Mental health struggles
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Instances of online bullying
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Exposure to explicit online content
All of the above are proven to have a long lasting, negative impact on a young person’s social, emotional, and psychological stability and wellbeing. ​
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Smartphone (or any Smart device) and social media usage during school hours on-campus (other than in our teacher-led programs in our technology lab) can inhibit a student from fully embracing one-on-one human interactions with fellow students and teachers, and interferes with immersing oneself in present-moment, experiential learning opportunities.
Summerfield Waldorf School & Farm Smart Device Policy (revised August 2024):
High School students are required to check their Smart Devices(s) into an allotted and secure slot within the high school office for the entire duration of their daily school hours on campus (8:00 am- 3:10 pm). For High School students, they may use their Smartphone(s) AFTER SCHOOL HOURS from 3:10 pm to 3:30pm and on the northside of the High School Building (outside the Main Office and HS Annex). If a student needs to make a call during the day, they may use a landline phone located in the Lower School or High School Offices.
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Students in grades one through eight are not permitted to bring to school any personal electronic devices, such as phones, tablets, music players or e-readers. In the case that it is necessary for a student to bring a device to school, parents must submit, in advance, a permission request form.
For permitted devices:
-Devices will be checked in to the Office directly upon arrival to Campus.
-Device will not be accessible to the student throughout the day
-Device may be checked back out after dismissal time
-Device is to remain powered off and put away while being transported to/from the Office until in their vehicle
Parents who need to get an urgent message to their student may call (no SMS available):
School Receptionist: Cassandra McNally
(707) 575-7194 x100
Lower School Secretary: Sarah Hill
(707) 575-7194 x 101
​High School Secretary: Amelia Miller
(707) 575-7194 x 108
Recommendations At Home:
Smart Device Recommendations:
Summerfield encourages and recommends families hold off on getting Smart Devices for their child(ren) until Grade 9 and above.
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Social Media Recommendations:
Summerfield encourages and recommends families prohibit social media until Grade 11.
The Summerfield community works hard to foster authentic human experiences each day. We feel strongly that a media-free childhood is a significant factor in creating a nourishing environment at school and at home; where screens of any kind such as television, tablets, Smart phones, video games, movies, and alike do not become a distraction in a child's development.
Media introduced at a young age has proven to have the negative effect of allowing "media to script the play" where children play out the media they watch as a script rather than freely creating their own scripts through imaginative and open-ended play, active socialization, and hands-on learning. We maintain and strengthen this media-free policy by engaging in conversation within our class communities, to gain perspective on how media exposure relates to each age and stage of development. From this understanding, we forge our agreements each year to renew our commitment to the healthiest possible childhood, providing our community as a whole with the opportunity to parent with intention.