Arlington County Public Schools - backpacks banned for safety?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think WMS didn’t allow kids to keep backpacks on during the school day but they could wear them to and from school. Water bottles also had to be clear. This was several years ago so policy may have changed.

This. Kenmore does not ban backpacks; they go in locker at beginning of day and come out at end.

You cannot carry a backpack between classes.

Not sure of the logic but they say it is for “safety reason”.

Not like a kid can’t hide a knife, cellphone or gun on them. Maybe kids were using their backpacks as clubs or something?

I don’t get why this would be an issue with anyone. Backpacks should stay in lockers. So you’re telling me that before, kids would carry backpacks from class to class? That sounds insane to me and probably why so many kids have back issues

What's so "insane" about it?? It was the HS norm a generation ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think WMS didn’t allow kids to keep backpacks on during the school day but they could wear them to and from school. Water bottles also had to be clear. This was several years ago so policy may have changed.

This. Kenmore does not ban backpacks; they go in locker at beginning of day and come out at end.

You cannot carry a backpack between classes.

Not sure of the logic but they say it is for “safety reason”.

Not like a kid can’t hide a knife, cellphone or gun on them. Maybe kids were using their backpacks as clubs or something?

I don’t get why this would be an issue with anyone. Backpacks should stay in lockers. So you’re telling me that before, kids would carry backpacks from class to class? That sounds insane to me and probably why so many kids have back issues

Kids have back issues because of over doing sports, not backpacks. Do they even have text books anymore? How heavy can a MacBook be?

[Anonymous]

Last year, I had a 6th grader and an 8th grader at Swanson. The 6th graders were not allowed to carry backpacks, but the 8th graders were allowed to carry them. The explanation was that the 6th grade hallway was smaller and more crowded than the 8th grade hallway. I never understood that explanation, but there is a lot that I don't understand about Swanson. We got my 6th grader a messenger-style bag that was actually not that much smaller than her backpack, but nobody ever had a problem with her carrying the messenger bag at her side. It seemed that only bags carried on the back were flagged as problems in the 6th grade hallway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think WMS didn’t allow kids to keep backpacks on during the school day but they could wear them to and from school. Water bottles also had to be clear. This was several years ago so policy may have changed.

This. Kenmore does not ban backpacks; they go in locker at beginning of day and come out at end.

You cannot carry a backpack between classes.

Not sure of the logic but they say it is for “safety reason”.

Not like a kid can’t hide a knife, cellphone or gun on them. Maybe kids were using their backpacks as clubs or something?

I don’t get why this would be an issue with anyone. Backpacks should stay in lockers. So you’re telling me that before, kids would carry backpacks from class to class? That sounds insane to me and probably why so many kids have back issues

Kids have back issues because of over doing sports, not backpacks. Do they even have text books anymore? How heavy can a MacBook be?

You'd be surprised. I can't believe how heavy my kids' backpacks have been through middle and high school. They've always packed their lunch, so that adds weight; but I don't understand why they're so heavy without actual books. Nevertheless, they ARE.