October 15th, 2024

To Our Eastwood Lions Community:

Friday, October 18, 2024 will be the final day that Eastwood Collegiate will be using commercial social media accounts to communicate about school events. Any further information that looks like it is coming from Eastwood C.I. is not official or supported by the school. 

ECI has made this decision in agreement with other WRDSB secondary schools and with the WRDSB’s Student Code of Conduct (WRDSB, 2024).  Research substantiates the negative impact of cell phone use (and by extension, social media) on youth academic performance (UNESCO, 2023) and the extent to which youth engage with electronic devices (CAMH).  The Ministry of Education’s Policy/Program Memorandum 128 stipulates that students “[M]ust not use personal mobile devices during instructional time except under the following circumstances: for educational purposes, as directed by the educator; for health and medical purposes; to support special education needs” (PPM 128, 2024).

Guided by our dedication and care to support each and every student in our community, we will work together to determine new channels of communication that ensure all students can access school information while prioritizing learning. Communication regarding school activities will be shared via the ECI School Website, School Day, classroom and guidance Google Classrooms, and within the school building itself.  Any communications from an ECI social media account after this date should be disregarded.

This may feel like a difficult shift from past practices.  We will support one another as we navigate this direction together.

Questions can be shared with ECI Administration.