September 2025 {View as Webpage}

Welcome to Year 2 of Unplugged Bialik

We’re very excited to start our second year of Unplugged Bialik and we especially welcome our new families to become part of this growing movement to keep our kids safe from smartphones and social media. There was such a great response from families — spanning the grades — at our Meet the Teacher Night tables and we know this will be a great year of unplugging for Bialik families.

Unplugged Bialik has started many conversations amongst parents. They are concerned about the effects of smartphones on their children but many are finding it challenging to avoid smartphones, especially as their kids get older and feel the pressure to get connected.

But we can all act in ways that work for our families — and the first action to take is to sign the Unplugged Bialik Pledge for your kids. We need collective action to make this work and to inspire other parents to get on board.

Please enjoy this newsletter and be sure to share your feedback.

Co-Chairs Brie and Jeffrey Kimel and the Unplugged Bialik Parent Ambassadors

Camp Bliss: Why Stop Now

Many of your kids just spent a few glorious weeks at camp without a single smartphone, and you've told us they came home more talkative, better rested and closer to their friends than ever. Did you notice these changes in your kids?

How can we keep that camp freedom going once we're back in the city?

What the research says:

• Campers in phone-free programs report stronger friendships and "more fun" compared with phone-allowed peers.
• Tech-free camps see kids sleeping more, bullying less and showing bigger bursts of creativity within 72 hours.
• The American Camp Association National Impact Study (2017–2022) links unplugged camp time to lasting boosts in confidence and mental health.

Camp showed us what's possible. Let’s keep it going. Take the Unplugged Bialik Pledge and join our growing community of parents committed to waiting until after Grade 8 before giving kids a smartphone or social media.

Bringing Back Landlines

Those landlines we got rid of in the last few years — they are definitely having a moment in the unplugged community and kids are having fun voice chatting with their friends! There are various products available, including the Tin Can. See what you think and share your views with other parents.

You'll find more smartphone alternatives on our website.

Useful Resources

It's Never Too Late to Turn Things Around

We've heard parents say they've already given their kids a smartphone and now they can’t do anything as “that ship has sailed.”

Andrea Davis gave her tween a smartphone to stay connected to her friends. But, after only a few months, she and her husband started to see new moodiness in herand anti-social behaviours. This prompted them to do a "tech reset" with their daughter, and Davis shares eight steps other parents can take with their own children.

Read It's Never Too Late to Turn Things Around

• So your tween wants a smartphone? Read this first by Michaeleen Doucleff

• It's not really the phones. It's the internet (Why my 14-year-old has a flip phone) by The Screentime Consultant, Emily Cherkin

Bialik Hebrew Day School | T: 416-783-3346| F: 416-785-8287 | communications@bialik.ca | bialik.ca

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