Do you let your middle schooler take their phone to school?

[Anonymous]

My 7th grader had my old iPhone 5 or 6, can’t remember which one it is. She is on the data plan but doesn’t carry it wit her all day and keeps it in her locker. She has it in case her bus gets ridiculously late (which happens pretty often) and she wants to tell me or she needs to be picked up after an afttt school activity.

[Anonymous]

*has

[Anonymous]

When you all say they keep it in their locker all day and don't use it for anything else but to text me if the bus is late, how do you know?

[Anonymous]

Yes - I let me my daughter take her phone to school. She is in 8th grade and has been doing so since 6th grade. During school hours they are not allowed to have phones out. I like her having a phone because we can always contact each other in case of anything. Sometimes she will stop by a store after school with her friend and will send me a text to let me know.
Other times she's about having to stay after school and will let me know with a text.

[Anonymous]

Yes, but he leaves it in his locker turned off during the school day. He listens to music and plays games on the bus bee let him take it so we can check in with him on days he comes home alone. He does not have any social media apps and he only texts with approved people. I can monitor his use if I need to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you all say they keep it in their locker all day and don't use it for anything else but to text me if the bus is late, how do you know?

Because I pay the bill. Duh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you all say they keep it in their locker all day and don't use it for anything else but to text me if the bus is late, how do you know?

Those are the school rules, which are strictly enforced at my kid’s school.

[Anonymous]

If all kids are putting their phones in their lockers, how does this happen?

https://www.businessinsider.com/teacher-documents-phone-notifications-students-receive-texts-instagram-email-2019-3

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If all kids are putting their phones in their lockers, how does this happen?

https://www.businessinsider.com/teacher-documents-phone-notifications-students-receive-texts-instagram-email-2019-3

Couple of things. First, parents are posting how it works at their school, not all schools. Second, how “this happens” is that the teacher told the students to turn up the volume on their phones in that class, that day, in order to conduct an experiment. The article does not say whether students are ordinarily allowed to have their phones out in class, or what the policy is. Since the teacher told them to turn up the volume, it’s probably a safe bet that they are ordinarily expected to be at least silenced.

Also, it occurs to me that during this experiment the students were probably texting, etc. like crazy in order to make other phones go off. But that’s neither here nor there. It’s not a rigorously scientific study.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
In my little corner of MCPS, the majority of middle schoolers bring their phones to school, comply with the rules on not using it during class, and have data plans. Heck, half the 5th grade girls at my child's elementary have phones too (with data plans). Some have the newest iPhones, some have the second newest because it's their parents' cast-off, and some have non-Apple products that look just as snazzy.

We're the outliers. My 8th grader just got a iphone 6, withOUT a data plan and it's to call me if he misses his bus or has to text about something urgent, like his multiple allergies and health issues. Yes, he takes it to school but keeps it in his backpack and the backpack is in the locker. He doesn't take it out on the bus because he gets carsick if he tried to text on the bus

What provider allows you to have cell service but no data on an iphone; ours requires a data plan if its a smart phone

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
In my little corner of MCPS, the majority of middle schoolers bring their phones to school, comply with the rules on not using it during class, and have data plans. Heck, half the 5th grade girls at my child's elementary have phones too (with data plans). Some have the newest iPhones, some have the second newest because it's their parents' cast-off, and some have non-Apple products that look just as snazzy.

We're the outliers. My 8th grader just got a iphone 6, withOUT a data plan and it's to call me if he misses his bus or has to text about something urgent, like his multiple allergies and health issues. Yes, he takes it to school but keeps it in his backpack and the backpack is in the locker. He doesn't take it out on the bus because he gets carsick if he tried to text on the bus

What provider allows you to have cell service but no data on an iphone; ours requires a data plan if its a smart phone

OP here. We just bought the phone from Apple rather than getting it through a provider. The provider basically leases you a phone when you sign up for service.

[Anonymous]

Yes. DD is youngest of 4 and very responsible. She HS a hand me down phone.

I’m an ES teacher, BTW.

[Anonymous]

We require her to take it and get mad if it isn’t charged. She walks home after school and sometimes has more complicated schedules than that and we want her to have access to a phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would let her take it to school, wouldn't you like to listen to music/ to fro school on the bus. Maybe she has no one to talk with. Maybe she just wants to listen to music. She can't text or look at bad stuff if there is no service. Start small, pick your battles. Soon she'll have unfettered access. Help out by starting small and seeing how she does

Also, why would she have a super expensive iPhone with no service? That part doesn't make sense.

Who said "super expensive phone"?

[Anonymous]

I would say leave it home.

Mine takes her iphone to school. It was a fairly expensive phone, but it was by far the best deal and pretty cheap -- cheaper than the basic ones w/ the deal, so we got it. She is on our plan, so it's primary purpose is to communicate w/ us (we all have complicated after-school lives). She did misplace it at school once and someone took it, which made us all panic. The kid did return it eventually, but phew! She is going to be more cautious going forward. But, if she didn't use it to communicate w/ me, I'd say leave it home.