Dear Families/ Guardians, 

As some of you are aware, New York State has passed new legislation which requires every school district and BOCES to adopt a policy restricting the use of internet-enabled devices during the entire school day while on school grounds. This new legislation creates a statewide standard that includes no unsanctioned use of smartphones and other internet-enabled personal devices on school grounds in K-12 schools for the entire school day, including classroom time and other settings such as lunch and recess. Additionally, this new legislation prohibits students from using any devices capable of accessing internet content, such as mobile phones, smartphones, personal tablets, iPads, smartwatches, and fitness trackers with communication capabilities from their arrival to school until dismissal. Please know that this policy does not impact internet-enabled devices provided by the school for educational purposes (laptops, Chromebooks, etc.). 

Within the Oak Tree Center-Based Program, we have developed a policy for the 25-26 school year to adhere to this new legislation regarding restricting the use of internet-enabled devices. Our plan entails having classroom teachers collect student devices upon arrival and deliver all devices to the Oak Tree office to be stored in a locked cabinet throughout the day. At the conclusion of the school day, all student devices will be delivered to the classroom teacher and distributed to the students. Please be aware that if any student is found out of compliance with our policy, the student will receive a reminder regarding the established protocol. If the student continues not to comply with the protocol, the parent/ guardian will be contacted to retrieve the device from the office. Furthermore, BOCES cannot guarantee that student devices will be secure; therefore, students are encouraged to leave electronic devices at home. 

Please be assured that if you ever need to contact your child during the school day, you can call the Oak Tree office at 607-763-3364 from 8 am to 2:30 pm. If, for any reason, your child needs to communicate with you during the school day, please know that all students will have access to the classroom phone or the Oak Tree office. As always, we will continue to maintain contact with families/ guardians through our Facebook page, SchoolMessenger, communication notebooks, and traditional letters sent home. While we understand this is a big change for families and students who are used to being connected through their personal cellphones during the school day, please know that this state mandate is an effort to minimize distractions during the school day and support the mental health of students. 

Thank you for your continued support in making Oak Tree Center-based a place where all students can thrive. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. 

Sincerely, 

Ilene Monico 

Oak Tree Center-Based Principal