Anonymous
08/26/2025 11:48
Subject: No backpacks, no string bags
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OK but why didn't anyone mention this new policy before yesterday? I could have bought one of those binder things or at least not wasted time packing the bag-within-a-bag for my kid.
And I personally used a backpack every single day from K-12 so I'm not sure about these PPs who claim this is normal or has been going on for years.
My kid is a freshman and it's been like this since they started MS. What school is this? Didn't you order the sprout box? It has everything the kids need.
It wasn't like this before, at least at Swanson. Kids were allowed to carry string bags. This year they're not. I'm pretty sure our friends at other schools were also allowed to do that.
The policy really is fine--that's how it's done at the other APS middle schools. It sounds like Swanson just did a poor job with the roll out by not adjusting to binders from notebooks and folders and by communicating too late.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 11:36
Subject: No backpacks, no string bags
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OK but why didn't anyone mention this new policy before yesterday? I could have bought one of those binder things or at least not wasted time packing the bag-within-a-bag for my kid.
And I personally used a backpack every single day from K-12 so I'm not sure about these PPs who claim this is normal or has been going on for years.
My kid is a freshman and it's been like this since they started MS. What school is this? Didn't you order the sprout box? It has everything the kids need.
Swanson MS. I don't think they have a Sprout box, if they do I've never heard of it.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 11:30
Subject: No backpacks, no string bags
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:School probably changed to the “no string bags rule” because kids were sneaking their phones to class in the bags.
And now they'll have to sneak them in their pockets.
It's fine if they changed the rule, I just wish they had mentioned it before school started so we could have planned accordingly.
Actually phones will need to be in their pouch, so the pouch will be out exposed, so it may make it more obvious if the pouch is empty.
There are no pouches in middle school. Phones go in the locker.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 11:30
Subject: No backpacks, no string bags
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OK but why didn't anyone mention this new policy before yesterday? I could have bought one of those binder things or at least not wasted time packing the bag-within-a-bag for my kid.
And I personally used a backpack every single day from K-12 so I'm not sure about these PPs who claim this is normal or has been going on for years.
My kid is a freshman and it's been like this since they started MS. What school is this? Didn't you order the sprout box? It has everything the kids need.
It wasn't like this before, at least at Swanson. Kids were allowed to carry string bags. This year they're not. I'm pretty sure our friends at other schools were also allowed to do that.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 11:18
Subject: No backpacks, no string bags
Anonymous wrote:OK but why didn't anyone mention this new policy before yesterday? I could have bought one of those binder things or at least not wasted time packing the bag-within-a-bag for my kid.
And I personally used a backpack every single day from K-12 so I'm not sure about these PPs who claim this is normal or has been going on for years.
My kid is a freshman and it's been like this since they started MS. What school is this? Didn't you order the sprout box? It has everything the kids need.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 11:09
Subject: No backpacks, no string bags
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:School probably changed to the “no string bags rule” because kids were sneaking their phones to class in the bags.
And now they'll have to sneak them in their pockets.
It's fine if they changed the rule, I just wish they had mentioned it before school started so we could have planned accordingly.
Actually phones will need to be in their pouch, so the pouch will be out exposed, so it may make it more obvious if the pouch is empty.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 11:05
Subject: No backpacks, no string bags
Anonymous wrote:School probably changed to the “no string bags rule” because kids were sneaking their phones to class in the bags.
And now they'll have to sneak them in their pockets.
It's fine if they changed the rule, I just wish they had mentioned it before school started so we could have planned accordingly.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 10:46
Subject: No backpacks, no string bags
School probably changed to the “no string bags rule” because kids were sneaking their phones to class in the bags.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 10:42
Subject: No backpacks, no string bags
Swanson told us to purchase string bags to contain all the folders, small books, notebooks, iPad and school supplies to keep them organized. I purchased a bunch. My son doesn’t have time to go to his locker between classes and hallways too crowded. He’ll end up losing misc papers.
Hopefully the admin will be more lenient when issuing late to class violations.
Hopefully the admin will be more lenient when issuing late to class violations.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 10:30
Subject: No backpacks, no string bags
Anonymous wrote:OK but why didn't anyone mention this new policy before yesterday? I could have bought one of those binder things or at least not wasted time packing the bag-within-a-bag for my kid.
And I personally used a backpack every single day from K-12 so I'm not sure about these PPs who claim this is normal or has been going on for years.
It does seem that Swanson didn't think this through. The DHMS school supply list calls for a binder with dividers. The Swanson list calls for notebooks and composition books.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 10:26
Subject: No backpacks, no string bags
Anonymous wrote:I think the difference is at least at my kids school they're not allowed to go to their lockers for most of the day. Whereas when I was in school I seem to recall going after most classes.
My kid has multiple notebooks, this pencil case she has to carry, the ipad... I would think having all that on the floor would be worse than a small string bag draped over a chair. I don't really care but it seems silly.
My understanding is that kids go to their locker before school, before lunch, after lunch and at the end of the day. That's always been fine. It's block scheduling, so there aren't that many classes in each segment.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 10:18
Subject: No backpacks, no string bags
Anonymous wrote:Why can’t we just kick kids out of school who misbehave? Why punish the 99% who would happily follow rules, especially if the rules had real teeth.
Because they have to misbehave first before you can even consider that and the school might want to prevent that.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 10:13
Subject: No backpacks, no string bags
OK but why didn't anyone mention this new policy before yesterday? I could have bought one of those binder things or at least not wasted time packing the bag-within-a-bag for my kid.
And I personally used a backpack every single day from K-12 so I'm not sure about these PPs who claim this is normal or has been going on for years.
And I personally used a backpack every single day from K-12 so I'm not sure about these PPs who claim this is normal or has been going on for years.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 10:04
Subject: No backpacks, no string bags
I think the difference is at least at my kids school they're not allowed to go to their lockers for most of the day. Whereas when I was in school I seem to recall going after most classes.
My kid has multiple notebooks, this pencil case she has to carry, the ipad... I would think having all that on the floor would be worse than a small string bag draped over a chair. I don't really care but it seems silly.
My kid has multiple notebooks, this pencil case she has to carry, the ipad... I would think having all that on the floor would be worse than a small string bag draped over a chair. I don't really care but it seems silly.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 09:47
Subject: Re:No backpacks, no string bags
Anonymous wrote:People are so hysterical about this and I don't get it. Pre-covid it was totally normal to not carry around a backpack. We all did it as teens and I did it in a much larger school building and yes back then we only had 3-5 minutes to pass between class. Your kid will adapt. They'll learn their schedule and when they can make a locker stop and when they can't. Stop inserting yourself into the middle of it and assume your kid will figure it out. Ask them what they need from you to maybe help and then just take a step back.
And also they don't need a water bottle glued to their side all damn day. This generation's obsession with lugging around water bottles is a bit weird.