FCPS cell phone policy

[Anonymous]

Are we referring to the actual “phone” part of the device or everything including calculator, clock/timer, internet?

[Anonymous]

My child has to use a cell phone due to a medical device and app that saves his life. I'd prefer not banning altogether because it makes my child a target for whomever feels it isn't fair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What will privates do? Throw them out? Seriously?

Our private prohibits smartphones in grades 6-9. 10-12 may have them at school, but may not use them during the day. Phones are confiscated if found in use and students will not have their phone returned until they pay a fine.

[Anonymous]

So that email that Thoreau's principal sent out is the standard language used by ALL county middle schools now. For the poster who asked about where to keep it, "storage" can mean a locker, a backpack, a pencil pouch. Students can no longer keep their phones on their person. I'm sure there are exceptions, such as the poster who mentioned a medical app. They can also be used in certain classroom settings, for an administration-approved instructional purpose, and must be turned off/silenced and put back in storage the minute the activity is done. That's all. No hallways, no cafeterias, no listening to music, etc. They must turn them off/silence them and put them away "Away for the Day", and they can turn them on again at 2:15.

I work at a middle school. I have seen firsthand, over the course of several years now, how disruptive the phones are. Our middle school students have enough to navigate at this age without the added stress of the phone. Our kids need to be able to talk to each other, interact during educational experiences, and social ones--lunch time, look up to see where they are walking in the halls.

The past two days were actually weird, seeing students making eye contact with teachers in the hall, going by a lunch table with everyone talking to each other instead of mooning over a screen, getting work done without phones under their legs on the chair.

We as a school would have loved to have been able to restrict phone usage through the school day many years ago, but it would not have worked. We needed the entire county to do it to, to be able to say that the policy applies to every school, to be effective. And now it does.

We are not 1:1 (yet, we will be next year), but we do have almost enough computers in our building for every student to have one available to them to use.

Our 7th graders are just continuing what was pretty much the policy at their elementary schools. We got a wee bit of pushback by our 8th graders, because it is a big change--last year they could have their phones in their hand or pocket, they could use them all the time, they could wear earbuds in the hallway & at lunch. I had to speak to 2 students today, of all the kids I came into contact with, about their phones (they were not being used, but they were on their person). I told them to put them away, reminded them of the "Away for the Day" and said that this would be their last warning. They complied with my request.

I am curious about others' experiences at their middle schools--either as a staff member or if you're a parent, what your kids are reporting.

This is a good change for our middle schools. Really good. Of course there will be exceptions, but for now, I really hope the FCPS community accepts that we have gone no-phones, and it's good for kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The thing that bugs me is if YOU do not want YOUR kid to have a phone for some reason, then YOU don't give her/him one. Or track data usage during school to see if he/she is disobeying YOUR rules.

I do not know why people laud a policy that takes away other people's choices and autonomy. I, for one, prefer, my kid to have his phone to text his friends or classmates about where to meet, or last minute questions on what needs to be brought to class.

He did that a lot last year. He is not into social media, and he is not allowed to use his phone during lunch per our rules. He wouldn't anyway because he is too social.

But if you are SOOOO worried about a phone being a crutch for YOUR kid, then don't let YOUR kid have one.

I am not happy with the change at Thoreau as there were very few problems anyway.

Regina's Mom?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So that email that Thoreau's principal sent out is the standard language used by ALL county middle schools now. For the poster who asked about where to keep it, "storage" can mean a locker, a backpack, a pencil pouch. Students can no longer keep their phones on their person. I'm sure there are exceptions, such as the poster who mentioned a medical app. They can also be used in certain classroom settings, for an administration-approved instructional purpose, and must be turned off/silenced and put back in storage the minute the activity is done. That's all. No hallways, no cafeterias, no listening to music, etc. They must turn them off/silence them and put them away "Away for the Day", and they can turn them on again at 2:15.

I work at a middle school. I have seen firsthand, over the course of several years now, how disruptive the phones are. Our middle school students have enough to navigate at this age without the added stress of the phone. Our kids need to be able to talk to each other, interact during educational experiences, and social ones--lunch time, look up to see where they are walking in the halls.

The past two days were actually weird, seeing students making eye contact with teachers in the hall, going by a lunch table with everyone talking to each other instead of mooning over a screen, getting work done without phones under their legs on the chair.

We as a school would have loved to have been able to restrict phone usage through the school day many years ago, but it would not have worked. We needed the entire county to do it to, to be able to say that the policy applies to every school, to be effective. And now it does.

We are not 1:1 (yet, we will be next year), but we do have almost enough computers in our building for every student to have one available to them to use.

Our 7th graders are just continuing what was pretty much the policy at their elementary schools. We got a wee bit of pushback by our 8th graders, because it is a big change--last year they could have their phones in their hand or pocket, they could use them all the time, they could wear earbuds in the hallway & at lunch. I had to speak to 2 students today, of all the kids I came into contact with, about their phones (they were not being used, but they were on their person). I told them to put them away, reminded them of the "Away for the Day" and said that this would be their last warning. They complied with my request.

I am curious about others' experiences at their middle schools--either as a staff member or if you're a parent, what your kids are reporting.

This is a good change for our middle schools. Really good. Of course there will be exceptions, but for now, I really hope the FCPS community accepts that we have gone no-phones, and it's good for kids.

I think it is fantastic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So that email that Thoreau's principal sent out is the standard language used by ALL county middle schools now. For the poster who asked about where to keep it, "storage" can mean a locker, a backpack, a pencil pouch. Students can no longer keep their phones on their person. I'm sure there are exceptions, such as the poster who mentioned a medical app. They can also be used in certain classroom settings, for an administration-approved instructional purpose, and must be turned off/silenced and put back in storage the minute the activity is done. That's all. No hallways, no cafeterias, no listening to music, etc. They must turn them off/silence them and put them away "Away for the Day", and they can turn them on again at 2:15.

I work at a middle school. I have seen firsthand, over the course of several years now, how disruptive the phones are. Our middle school students have enough to navigate at this age without the added stress of the phone. Our kids need to be able to talk to each other, interact during educational experiences, and social ones--lunch time, look up to see where they are walking in the halls.

The past two days were actually weird, seeing students making eye contact with teachers in the hall, going by a lunch table with everyone talking to each other instead of mooning over a screen, getting work done without phones under their legs on the chair.

We as a school would have loved to have been able to restrict phone usage through the school day many years ago, but it would not have worked. We needed the entire county to do it to, to be able to say that the policy applies to every school, to be effective. And now it does.

We are not 1:1 (yet, we will be next year), but we do have almost enough computers in our building for every student to have one available to them to use.

Our 7th graders are just continuing what was pretty much the policy at their elementary schools. We got a wee bit of pushback by our 8th graders, because it is a big change--last year they could have their phones in their hand or pocket, they could use them all the time, they could wear earbuds in the hallway & at lunch. I had to speak to 2 students today, of all the kids I came into contact with, about their phones (they were not being used, but they were on their person). I told them to put them away, reminded them of the "Away for the Day" and said that this would be their last warning. They complied with my request.

I am curious about others' experiences at their middle schools--either as a staff member or if you're a parent, what your kids are reporting.

This is a good change for our middle schools. Really good. Of course there will be exceptions, but for now, I really hope the FCPS community accepts that we have gone no-phones, and it's good for kids.

I think it is fantastic.

+1.