APS Yondr Pouch: Opening at home questions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remember it's optional to send your child to school with a phone at all.

that's how all the anti cell phone parents should have handled this, but nooo you all screamed at the school board so now the rest of us have to deal with this pouch crap.

my kid walks home so yes they are going to have a phone.

take the L, you are part of a vocal minority of parents. Most areas in the country are moving to no cell phones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The shoe holder type holders don't work because kids steal phones out of them.

No phone for the weekend is a great way for your kid to learn to be more responsible.

Not in HS. The kids put their phones in the pouch at the beginning of the class and take it out when they leave. Next class, repeat. It's simple and it works.

No, it's bell to bell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is forgetful. Very. I give it fewer than 2 months before the pouch comes home locked for a weekend. We use the phone for tracking since the bus stop is so far away. Will my tracking device work while the phone is in the pouch?

Questions; Why didn't APS get cell phone lockers for every homeroom? That way the kid would have to go get it but it wouldn't be locked in some impenetrable bag.

What kind of magnet do I need at home for when this thing comes home locked. Can I buy a Yondr one?

I bet your kid won't forget again after no phone for a weekend or evening. I would thank APS for this opportunity for your child to have natural consequences.

The homeroom teacher having them would be so annoying. Kids in and out during the day for late arrival/early departure and then APS has to deal with the liability issue of the phone being out of the kids' possession and being responsible for them, which I can see why they don't want that at all.

I'm a parent of a very ADHD kid who can't take stimulant medication. I am a firm believer in natural consequences, but I will say that the idea that a kid with a disability that impacts memory and attention will learn not to have ADHD because of a natural consequence like this is wrong. My kid has learned strategies for getting around the lack of a phone. He's learned to be fine with very cheap phones because that's all he can afford as a replacement. He's learned to be very polite about asking to borrow someone's phone. I have learned to not need tracking software on him. He hasn't learned to not to lose the phone, and I am sure would come home with a yondr bag if he were OP's situation. Of course if they used a shoe holder or a phone locker he'd leave it there too, so those aren't solutions to that problem.

I'm pretty sure the APS policy on this has exceptions for kids with IEPs, which surely a student who is very ADHD has one, yes?

I would hope that having a 504 or IEP is not an automatic reprieve from the pouch. Not all students with accommodations need a smart phone to provide those accommodations. "Because Jimmy will forget to unlock the pouch before getting on the bus" is not a sufficient excuse.

My adhd kid has been using yondr pouch at school for over a year now. Never once forgotten to unlock it. I was extremely worried about it before they implemented, about the logistics, safety, all the things. It’s been fine. Good even. Your kid will manage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Write to the school board about the ridiculous pouches. A shoe holder is much less expensive, doesn't but a financial burden on parents for damaged of lost goods and allows phones to be accessed, if necessary. Yondr is a gross misuse of taxpayer funds.

And, yes, you can buy a magnet on Amazon. Put Neodymium into the search bar.

Don't forget to add that laptops and ipads are much more expensive and also "a gross misuse of taxpayer funds." Your kid shouldn't have that either since it's also financially burdensome if they drop it. But remind them that you can afford to buy them a cell phone.

[Anonymous]

No parent that I've spoken to in person is in favor of this pouch nonsense. I sometimes wonder who is on the other side of the screen in here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The shoe holder type holders don't work because kids steal phones out of them.

No phone for the weekend is a great way for your kid to learn to be more responsible.

Not in HS. The kids put their phones in the pouch at the beginning of the class and take it out when they leave. Next class, repeat. It's simple and it works.

No, it's bell to bell.

Yep. What high school is PP referring to? None in APS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The shoe holder type holders don't work because kids steal phones out of them.

No phone for the weekend is a great way for your kid to learn to be more responsible.

Not in HS. The kids put their phones in the pouch at the beginning of the class and take it out when they leave. Next class, repeat. It's simple and it works.

No, it's bell to bell.

Yep. What high school is PP referring to? None in APS.

To clarify, the Yondr pouches will be bell to bell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No parent that I've spoken to in person is in favor of this pouch nonsense. I sometimes wonder who is on the other side of the screen in here.

It’s a trial between the pouch schools and the no pouch schools. If the students in the no pouch schools can keep their phones away just as well this year APS can go that route.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:the pouches are APS' worst idea yet, and that's saying something. whose dumb idea was this???

I think it's a great idea.

+1. NP and I agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No parent that I've spoken to in person is in favor of this pouch nonsense. I sometimes wonder who is on the other side of the screen in here.

NP and a parent of a kid at a school in the pilot program. I think it’s a great idea. I’m sad it’s come to this, but we ask enough of teachers already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is forgetful. Very. I give it fewer than 2 months before the pouch comes home locked for a weekend. We use the phone for tracking since the bus stop is so far away. Will my tracking device work while the phone is in the pouch?

Questions; Why didn't APS get cell phone lockers for every homeroom? That way the kid would have to go get it but it wouldn't be locked in some impenetrable bag.

What kind of magnet do I need at home for when this thing comes home locked. Can I buy a Yondr one?

How old is your kid? Why do you need to track them from the bus stop? Do they get lost easily? If he is abducted the first thing they will do is toss the phone. He can call you when he gets home safely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid with ADHD too. I will 100% buy this if his school goes to the pouches and tell him to leave it in all of the time. I’m not worried about my kid using the phone during the day and like others, am more concerned with forgetting to unlock it. Right now there aren’t any teachers forcing collecting but if he has to do a shoe holder or similar we will buy a fake phone for the same reason. Those work kids without ADHD doesn’t understand. It’s not about being addicted or not addicted or a phone. My kid doesn’t care that much about the phone. It’s a safety and forgetful issue.

https://www.amazon.com/Without-Logo-Working-5-4inches-Blackscreen/dp/B09ST5KBBG/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=2O9CTI0PNAQSE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8JIOSVaFslCM0RQm-hgipemqzHgevJBTt4c57iPX38UsfUm6uN6qp7S0p3Zv5UKkgDuj972K8SNaY-098kJgT_r8ZddD-yLJSJO653FXR7A6a30nXM0eJ65oyybEi1ynVNQTb5hEqAnFYMrQ5Siz7gibIActkcLydTp11zdSlZpD30Bvt1iqBUYUmGzwlXM8GiJBB6LTIycRm_Os9urUXw.JKeAYKHJ66_dn3zXdk5yH6ihxqNXTIClg_QH_tBPdQU&dib_tag=se&keywords=dummy+phone&qid=1726780341&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011&rnid=2470954011&rps=1&sprefix=dummy+phone%2Caps%2C91&sr=8-2

If your kid is at risk without a phone because of his ADHD you should get one of the tracker style GPS phones. Without apps he should be able to wear it all day, he can’t easily lose it, and it will be safer for him if his ADHD is that severe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No parent that I've spoken to in person is in favor of this pouch nonsense. I sometimes wonder who is on the other side of the screen in here.

Probably the teachers. The ones actually seeing your kids with their phones in the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No parent that I've spoken to in person is in favor of this pouch nonsense. I sometimes wonder who is on the other side of the screen in here.

It’s a trial between the pouch schools and the no pouch schools. If the students in the no pouch schools can keep their phones away just as well this year APS can go that route.

From what I’m hearing from teachers, the no pouch schools are doing great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is forgetful. Very. I give it fewer than 2 months before the pouch comes home locked for a weekend. We use the phone for tracking since the bus stop is so far away. Will my tracking device work while the phone is in the pouch?

Questions; Why didn't APS get cell phone lockers for every homeroom? That way the kid would have to go get it but it wouldn't be locked in some impenetrable bag.

What kind of magnet do I need at home for when this thing comes home locked. Can I buy a Yondr one?

I bet your kid won't forget again after no phone for a weekend or evening. I would thank APS for this opportunity for your child to have natural consequences.

The homeroom teacher having them would be so annoying. Kids in and out during the day for late arrival/early departure and then APS has to deal with the liability issue of the phone being out of the kids' possession and being responsible for them, which I can see why they don't want that at all.

I'm a parent of a very ADHD kid who can't take stimulant medication. I am a firm believer in natural consequences, but I will say that the idea that a kid with a disability that impacts memory and attention will learn not to have ADHD because of a natural consequence like this is wrong. My kid has learned strategies for getting around the lack of a phone. He's learned to be fine with very cheap phones because that's all he can afford as a replacement. He's learned to be very polite about asking to borrow someone's phone. I have learned to not need tracking software on him. He hasn't learned to not to lose the phone, and I am sure would come home with a yondr bag if he were OP's situation. Of course if they used a shoe holder or a phone locker he'd leave it there too, so those aren't solutions to that problem.

I'm pretty sure the APS policy on this has exceptions for kids with IEPs, which surely a student who is very ADHD has one, yes?

I would hope that having a 504 or IEP is not an automatic reprieve from the pouch. Not all students with accommodations need a smart phone to provide those accommodations. "Because Jimmy will forget to unlock the pouch before getting on the bus" is not a sufficient excuse.

yes it is