A few weeks ago, my eight-year-old son asked when he would get his own smartphone. Given that he is making his way through Lower School, I feel I have a few years to go before making a final decision. As the Head of Shipley’s Middle School, I see families and students having a hard time with not only determining the appropriate age to give their children smartphones but also how to manage their children’s time on their smart devices to maintain a developmentally-appropriate balance. What we are now seeing is that “later is better.” If your child needs a phone so that you can contact them or they can call you in an emergency, then a flip phone might be the best thing you can get them.
Shane Kinsella

Recent Posts
Managing Screen Time: A Family and Student Partnership to Promote Positive Well-Being
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Shane Kinsella on Feb 13, 2018 11:44:05 AM
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This week the Seventh Grade has experienced what it is like to be responsible for a newborn baby during their Choices Science Unit. The simulation involves looking after a five-pound bag of birdseed. Students had to
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Topics: Dr. Kinsella's Notes, Middle School
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