Personal Electronic Device Policy

Personal Electronic Device Policy

Great Beginnings Academy and its affiliate companies — Effective Date: [Month Day, Year]

Smartphones, smart watches, and smart glasses carried or worn by children increasingly include cellular calling, texting, and photo, video, or audio recording features. This policy sets clear expectations for these personal devices while a child is in our care, in order to protect the privacy of children and staff, prevent disruption to classroom activities, and make clear that Great Beginnings Academy and its affiliate companies do not assume responsibility for personal devices families choose to send from home.

2. Scope

This policy applies to smartphones, smart watches, smart glasses, and any other wearable or handheld device capable of placing or receiving calls or texts, or capable of recording photo, video, or audio, that a child brings onto our premises. It does not apply to basic digital or analog watches that only display the time and date.

3. No Liability

Great Beginnings Academy and its affiliate companies assume no responsibility or liability for personal devices — including smartphones, smart watches, and smart glasses — that a child brings onto our premises. This includes, without limitation, loss, theft, damage, or confiscation of a device under this policy. Families who choose to send these devices with their child do so at their own risk.

4. Storage Requirement

Any phone, smart watch, smart glasses, or similar device covered by this policy must be powered off and stored in the child’s backpack or locker while in our centers. Devices may not be worn or carried on the child’s person, and may not be used, in the classroom or anywhere else on our premises.

5. Enforcement

If a device is found being used, or misused, in the classroom or anywhere on our premises, the following steps will be taken:

  • The 1st offense they will be asked to power down and put away.
  • The 2nd offense, the device will be taken and held by the teacher until parent pick up.
  • On the 3rd offense, the device will be taken to the office, and can only be picked up by a parent / guardian, and child will no longer be allowed to have device in the center.
  • Once a device has been confiscated under this policy, it may not be brought back onto our premises going forward.
  • Continued disregard for this policy may be addressed as part of our general enrollment agreement.