Why no backups in middle school

[Anonymous]

DS is in 6th grade and has constant problems that a backpack could solve, but they are prohibited by MCPS policy for middle schools for some reason, but why?

Each day, he brings to school his lunchbox in his backpack. Outside his backpack, he has a wearable binder (w/ shoulder strap) for all his classes, a water bottle, and his musical instrument. When he gets to school, he has to drop off his instrument in the music class, drop off his backpack and lunchbox in the locker, and then pick up a Chromebook. He will carry his wearable binder, water bottle, and Chromebook. However, the binder has a tendancy to explode. We've gone through many different brands, and they all do this. They are simply not made to be carried around like this. They are meant to be in another container.

Even better, it would be ideal if he could have several binders--one for each class--but that would require a backpack to contain them so he can transport them properly from class to class with only the required binders before or after lunch in it most of the time, as he can use his locker to store the others. The backpack would also allow him to carry his common items, such as pencils, hole punchers, etc., while swapping out only the binders based on time of day.

However, MCPS asinine policy doesn't permit this. Instead, he carries a big binder around his shoulder. The binder has to also carry all of his common items mentioned above, and it explodes several times throughout the day. He can't have any hands free, either, since he has his water bottle in one of those, and the chromebook in another. This is such a stupid policy.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, title should say backpacks, not backups, but autocorrect got me.

[Anonymous]

I have a 9th grader who lived with this rule for 3 years (well, 2.5 due to Covid) and a 7th grader. Neither of them have had a single binder explode. Maybe you need to have your kid clean out the papers that he doesn't need day-to-day every weekend? Why does he need a hole puncher? Put a hole-punched folder in the binder, put papers that need to be hole-punched in there, and do that at home too.

The rule isn't changing so you need to figure out why it works for everyone else except your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is in 6th grade and has constant problems that a backpack could solve, but they are prohibited by MCPS policy for middle schools for some reason, but why?

Each day, he brings to school his lunchbox in his backpack. Outside his backpack, he has a wearable binder (w/ shoulder strap) for all his classes, a water bottle, and his musical instrument. When he gets to school, he has to drop off his instrument in the music class, drop off his backpack and lunchbox in the locker, and then pick up a Chromebook. He will carry his wearable binder, water bottle, and Chromebook. However, the binder has a tendancy to explode. We've gone through many different brands, and they all do this. They are simply not made to be carried around like this. They are meant to be in another container.

Even better, it would be ideal if he could have several binders--one for each class--but that would require a backpack to contain them so he can transport them properly from class to class with only the required binders before or after lunch in it most of the time, as he can use his locker to store the others. The backpack would also allow him to carry his common items, such as pencils, hole punchers, etc., while swapping out only the binders based on time of day.

However, MCPS asinine policy doesn't permit this. Instead, he carries a big binder around his shoulder. The binder has to also carry all of his common items mentioned above, and it explodes several times throughout the day. He can't have any hands free, either, since he has his water bottle in one of those, and the chromebook in another. This is such a stupid policy.

Eastern permits backpacks.

Students swipe them.

They carry contraband items with impunity.

Teachers and students trip over them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is in 6th grade and has constant problems that a backpack could solve, but they are prohibited by MCPS policy for middle schools for some reason, but why?

Each day, he brings to school his lunchbox in his backpack. Outside his backpack, he has a wearable binder (w/ shoulder strap) for all his classes, a water bottle, and his musical instrument. When he gets to school, he has to drop off his instrument in the music class, drop off his backpack and lunchbox in the locker, and then pick up a Chromebook. He will carry his wearable binder, water bottle, and Chromebook. However, the binder has a tendancy to explode. We've gone through many different brands, and they all do this. They are simply not made to be carried around like this. They are meant to be in another container.

Even better, it would be ideal if he could have several binders--one for each class--but that would require a backpack to contain them so he can transport them properly from class to class with only the required binders before or after lunch in it most of the time, as he can use his locker to store the others. The backpack would also allow him to carry his common items, such as pencils, hole punchers, etc., while swapping out only the binders based on time of day.

However, MCPS asinine policy doesn't permit this. Instead, he carries a big binder around his shoulder. The binder has to also carry all of his common items mentioned above, and it explodes several times throughout the day. He can't have any hands free, either, since he has his water bottle in one of those, and the chromebook in another. This is such a stupid policy.

[Anonymous]

Also never had a problem with binders or going without a backpack in MS for any of my three kids. PP is right as to reasons and that it’s not changing. Maybe look at different types of binders and different ways to carry them. Also my kids never carried water bottles in MS and bought lunch so they had less to carry.

[Anonymous]

North Bethesda and Westland middle schools have backpacks, of course. Which are these stupid schools that don't permit bags for kids?!?
I have two kids who went through 6 years of middle school jointly at the above schools, and there were never any problems with this.

One of my kids also tried a covered binder, but it was a huge hassle, and he ended up ditching it. We never had the covered binder explode, though, and my kid stuffed it to the gills! So either you persuade the school to let your child use his backpack, or you try another covered binder - this one seems to be defective.

You don't want several binders. The leanest possible set-up is what my daughter has now. She has medical issues and needs something lightweight.
One lightweight backpack (not canvas like my other kid's), one slim binder with separations for each subject, *whose pages are regularly emptied out and stored at home*, and small notebooks for the teachers that require notebooks (not the heavy cardboard kind, but with thinner covers).
No extraneous stuff whatsoever. She has two violins: a rental she keeps at school, and our own instrument that we keep at home, and bring to private lessons and youth orchestra. That way she's not lugging an instrument to and from school every day.

Also, I know Americans love to sip water throughout the day, but it's not medically required and you don't actually *need* to carry a water bottle with you at all times. He can keep it with his lunch.

[Anonymous]

We’ve had covered binders break or explode so I get what OP is saying. There is often a flimsy zipper at the base that makes using the strap to carry a bad idea. My kids haven’t minded not being able to carry a backpack but we were told in middle school it’s a safety issue yet in high school kids all carry backpacks everywhere (where I think contraband is more serious).

[Anonymous]

Its school specific but one thing that has been said is safety and another is space in the classrooms and there is not enough space with the backpacks.

[Anonymous]

If it’s really a struggle for your son, can you ask the school to make an accommodation? Or is the no backpack rule for security reasons? The exploding binder makes me think your son might have executive function struggles. My youngest doesn’t have ADD but does have EF challenges. It has taken a lot of coaching with organization. In MS, we would go through the binder weekly to make sure everything was in its place and discard old papers (from units that have long-since passed). By HS, all my kids gave up the big binder in favor of spiral notebooks and folders. They are much lighter weight and color coded/matched for each subject. He can carry half as much before lunch and then switch when he goes to his locker at lunch. Perhaps you can also try to get a Chromebook case with a strap.

[Anonymous]

This was the norm when I was in MS in MCPS in the '90s so it's not a new rule. I also think the amount of things your son is carrying is unnecessary.

I agree with other posters that he needs to do a better job of cleaning out his binder weekly and maybe he should ditch the water bottle. Schools have water fountains after all and that's what I used to use when I was thirsty as a middle schooler.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:North Bethesda and Westland middle schools have backpacks, of course. Which are these stupid schools that don't permit bags for kids?!?
I have two kids who went through 6 years of middle school jointly at the above schools, and there were never any problems with this.

One of my kids also tried a covered binder, but it was a huge hassle, and he ended up ditching it. We never had the covered binder explode, though, and my kid stuffed it to the gills! So either you persuade the school to let your child use his backpack, or you try another covered binder - this one seems to be defective.

You don't want several binders. The leanest possible set-up is what my daughter has now. She has medical issues and needs something lightweight.
One lightweight backpack (not canvas like my other kid's), one slim binder with separations for each subject, *whose pages are regularly emptied out and stored at home*, and small notebooks for the teachers that require notebooks (not the heavy cardboard kind, but with thinner covers).
No extraneous stuff whatsoever. She has two violins: a rental she keeps at school, and our own instrument that we keep at home, and bring to private lessons and youth orchestra. That way she's not lugging an instrument to and from school every day.

Also, I know Americans love to sip water throughout the day, but it's not medically required and you don't actually *need* to carry a water bottle with you at all times. He can keep it with his lunch.

My son does have multiple medical conditions related to GI and urinary tract. Water is required and on his 504. We also have two instruments, but something keeps breaking on one, which means we then go back to 1 while repairs happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’ve had covered binders break or explode so I get what OP is saying. There is often a flimsy zipper at the base that makes using the strap to carry a bad idea. My kids haven’t minded not being able to carry a backpack but we were told in middle school it’s a safety issue yet in high school kids all carry backpacks everywhere (where I think contraband is more serious).

Exactly. Nothing about the security goes away by the kids hitting high school, where this backpack policy doesn’t exist. Therefore, it’s clearly arbitrary and asinine.

[Anonymous]

"Contraband?"

Kids vape, smoke, deal drugs, and steal in middle and high school. Banning backpacks don't prevent that, supervision in bathrooms and hallways correct that.

- parent of a middle schooler and a college freshman.

[Anonymous]

Are students permitted to visit their lockers between classes? This is what our school did back when I was in MS. We never had to haul so much stuff from class to class.

Have you tried Cardinal binders? They have a locking mechanism.