Screens at Private School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are surprised how integrated the screen device is embedded into our private school curriculum. All homework is completed in them, some textbooks are electronic only, all assignments come through the LMS, etc.

It feels very similar to our local publics, but I was hoping for less of screen time.

Anyone comment on their school; ours is small so Im reluctant to post as I have talked to the administrators about reducing screentime and was politely dismissed (not surprisingly, but a girl can try!).

What school is this? What grade?

My kid is in 3rd at Norwood. They don’t do any homework on a screen. They don’t even bring a device home.

They’ve learned how to type their essays, but shorter writing assignments are done by hand. They also used devices to research a non-fiction topic. I think the only other way they use devices is to play some math games if they finish math assignments early.

But overall, the screen time is very low. In K-2nd it was nearly nonexistent.

[Anonymous]

Using computers is one thing. Schools like Maret and Potomac that allow kids to be distracted by phones all day when they should be engaged in their school are really letting kids down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Using computers is one thing. Schools like Maret and Potomac that allow kids to be distracted by phones all day when they should be engaged in their school are really letting kids down.

Honestly that’s really awful to read.

When my kid gets to the point of applying to high schools, any school that doesn’t restrict cell phone use will be immediately eliminated from our list. I suspect, having talked to many parents of kids in her grade, that they would feel the same way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a major problem at some schools and it's a legitimate reason to avoid a school. Walking the halls and common areas of some schools on tours, kids are doing their work during the school day. Others--Potomac was the worst offender--the kids are all staring at their phones in the middle of the school day. Take the phones away!

Same thing at Maret. Every kid in the hallways glued to their phone - admissions saying "we trust the kids to make healthy decisions" LOL you don't trust addicts!

There are US kids at Maret who won’t put their phone down to go outside for a fire drill unless forced to do so.

And parents pay how much for this??

[Anonymous]

1. Complain to the admin. It's possible they will listen; I've heard there's been a decline in screentime in privates, and a lot of that is due to parental pushback.

2. More immediate and probably more effective: leave for a school with minimal screentime. Classical, Waldorf, Montessori, and Charlotte Mason schools are all likely to be in this category.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Using computers is one thing. Schools like Maret and Potomac that allow kids to be distracted by phones all day when they should be engaged in their school are really letting kids down.

And yet the kids got into the Ivy League, so the parents are all super willing to pay. Anything to Ivies!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. Complain to the admin. It's possible they will listen; I've heard there's been a decline in screentime in privates, and a lot of that is due to parental pushback.

2. More immediate and probably more effective: leave for a school with minimal screentime. Classical, Waldorf, Montessori, and Charlotte Mason schools are all likely to be in this category.

Christian and Catholic school, also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a major problem at some schools and it's a legitimate reason to avoid a school. Walking the halls and common areas of some schools on tours, kids are doing their work during the school day. Others--Potomac was the worst offender--the kids are all staring at their phones in the middle of the school day. Take the phones away!

Same thing at Maret. Every kid in the hallways glued to their phone - admissions saying "we trust the kids to make healthy decisions" LOL you don't trust addicts!

Maret is phone-free during the day so this is not accurate and not something admissions would be saying.

[Anonymous]

Take anything you read on these boards with a pinch of salt. Most schools are phone-free during the day and have consequences for breaking the rules.
Having course materials on Canvas or other LMS on the other hand is pretty common. Students are going to need practice being organized with digital materials in the long run so starting this in middle school allows them time to get used to it and fail in a safe way before grades start mattering more. I teach college and often the students who struggle are the ones who aren’t able to stay organized with course materials.

[Anonymous]

I for one am not sorry that my kid does not have to lug 3-inch-thick science textbooks heavy enough to kill a horse. I couldn’t even fit all my binders and textbooks into one backpack most days when I was in MS and HS. DC still has plenty to haul around; I’m glad most of the textbooks are digital.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a major problem at some schools and it's a legitimate reason to avoid a school. Walking the halls and common areas of some schools on tours, kids are doing their work during the school day. Others--Potomac was the worst offender--the kids are all staring at their phones in the middle of the school day. Take the phones away!

Same thing at Maret. Every kid in the hallways glued to their phone - admissions saying "we trust the kids to make healthy decisions" LOL you don't trust addicts!

Maret is phone-free during the day so this is not accurate and not something admissions would be saying.

While it was last year so the anecdote may be a bit dated, I guarantee it is accurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a major problem at some schools and it's a legitimate reason to avoid a school. Walking the halls and common areas of some schools on tours, kids are doing their work during the school day. Others--Potomac was the worst offender--the kids are all staring at their phones in the middle of the school day. Take the phones away!

Same thing at Maret. Every kid in the hallways glued to their phone - admissions saying "we trust the kids to make healthy decisions" LOL you don't trust addicts!

There are US kids at Maret who won’t put their phone down to go outside for a fire drill unless forced to do so.

What are US kids? Like Americans? Fellow kids? or is US an acronym?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a major problem at some schools and it's a legitimate reason to avoid a school. Walking the halls and common areas of some schools on tours, kids are doing their work during the school day. Others--Potomac was the worst offender--the kids are all staring at their phones in the middle of the school day. Take the phones away!

Same thing at Maret. Every kid in the hallways glued to their phone - admissions saying "we trust the kids to make healthy decisions" LOL you don't trust addicts!

There are US kids at Maret who won’t put their phone down to go outside for a fire drill unless forced to do so.

What are US kids? Like Americans? Fellow kids? or is US an acronym?

US = upper school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a major problem at some schools and it's a legitimate reason to avoid a school. Walking the halls and common areas of some schools on tours, kids are doing their work during the school day. Others--Potomac was the worst offender--the kids are all staring at their phones in the middle of the school day. Take the phones away!

Same thing at Maret. Every kid in the hallways glued to their phone - admissions saying "we trust the kids to make healthy decisions" LOL you don't trust addicts!

There are US kids at Maret who won’t put their phone down to go outside for a fire drill unless forced to do so.

What are US kids? Like Americans? Fellow kids? or is US an acronym?

US = upper school

Ah, gotcha.

So I've seen Lower School, Middle School, Upper School. Am I missing any? I've also seen Early Childhood as differentiated from older Lower School grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1. Complain to the admin. It's possible they will listen; I've heard there's been a decline in screentime in privates, and a lot of that is due to parental pushback.

2. More immediate and probably more effective: leave for a school with minimal screentime. Classical, Waldorf, Montessori, and Charlotte Mason schools are all likely to be in this category.

Christian and Catholic school, also.

Catholic? Name any Catholic HS that uses Yondr pouches. I can only think of progressive schools that lock up the ones during the school day. Catholic schools have kids filming TikTok’s in the bathrooms