As part of our many Wellbeing Initiatives in Presentation Tralee, I am delighted to announce that we are teaming up the CBS, The Green to hold a “Digital Detox Week” for our 1st year students. The week running from 9th to 15th March is given over to the concept of ‘disconnecting to reconnect and unplugging to recharge’ and facilitating the students to experience the many benefits of unplugging and taking a technology timeout.
Students will be encouraged with the support of their teachers and parents/ guardians to give up the piece of technology that they are most reliant on for the week with a view to substituting the time they spend on it on various other activities that foster their Wellbeing. For most students, this will be their mobile phone from which they engage with various social media platforms. For others it may be their PlayStation/Xbox, TV remote, Handheld consoles etc. We encourage the students to discuss the device that they will sacrifice for the week with you their parents/ guardians as part of a broader discussion about the merits and demerits of technology and devices in their lives.
We will launch this initiative on Tuesday the 8th when each student will place his chosen piece of technology (phone, tc…) in a sealed envelope and hand it up to their year head. A contract of commitment to give up technology for the week should be signed by both the student and you the parent / guardian and returned with the device. These devices will be stored securely in the school until the closing event on16th March when they will be returned to the students.
Students will be rewarded for their achievement in digitally disconnecting for the week by reconnecting together and taking time out of the school day for a fun walk with the CBS, The Green. All successful participants will also receive a Certificate of Participation following the walk and will be treated to hot chocolate and biscuits in the CBS before returning to school. Each successful participant will also be entered into a draw for three 20 euro vouchers.