Our DDSB trustees have heard us. Here's how you're making a difference --- and what comes next.

Hi everyone,

Your voices are making a difference. And we’re starting to see that reflected at the board level.

Our petition was presented to the Durham District School Board (DDSB) Board of Trustees ahead of the October 28, 2026 Governance and Policy Committee meeting (livestreamed here at the 1:00 timestamp), where the issue of screen use during non-instructional school time was formally discussed.

During the meeting, Superintendent of Education Andrea McAuley outlined the board’s guidance on student screen use. The message was an important one: while technology has a place in learning, lunch and snack times should be opportunities for children to connect, recharge, play and take a break from screens.

In fact, the committee report identifies a default expectation of screen-free non-instructional time, prioritizing social interaction, imaginative play, hands-on activities and physical movement.

The board has also moved toward developing a formal policy to provide greater transparency for parents and caregivers about its position and expectations.

This is meaningful progress. Our concerns are now part of the board-level conversation, and the importance of screen-free, non-instructional time is being recognized. Thank you to everyone who signed, shared and helped bring this issue forward.

But we aren’t at the finish line yet. We need to keep the momentum going and help turn this guidance into meaningful, consistent action across DDSB schools.

Here’s how you can help move things forward:

1. Put the board’s guidance into action at your school. Read the committee report (pages 77–82) and use its guidance when speaking with your child’s educators and school administration. You can reference the board’s own stated expectations when advocating for screen-free lunch and snack times at your school.
2.  Make your voice heard by your incoming trustee. New DDSB trustees will be sworn in during mid-November. This is an important opportunity to introduce them to the issue, share why screen-free lunch and snack times matter to your family, and ask them to support a clear, consistent board-wide policy. Our trustees need to hear directly from the families they represent.
3. Share your experience. Have you witnessed screen use during lunch, snack time or other non-instructional periods at your child’s school? Please take a few minutes to complete our survey. Your experiences help us document what’s happening across the board and build a stronger case for meaningful policy change. Survey can be found via link here.
4. Keep spreading the word. Share this petition with another parent, grandparent, caregiver or family member who might feel the same way. You can also help grow our community on Instagram at @letlittleslunch.

We’ve helped bring this issue to the table. Now let’s help move it forward.

Every email, conversation, survey response and shared petition helps demonstrate that this is something families care deeply about.

Thank you for being part of this growing community and for continuing to speak up for our kids.

Let’s keep the momentum going.