Anonymous
Post 10/08/2025 14:06     Subject: What does “bell to bell phone free school” actually MEAN?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The number of kids taking photos in the bathroom, crashing into each other because their heads are down texting, or arranging to meet up in the hallways during class has dropped significantly due to no phones in hallways this year.

--HS teacher



As a high school teacher, do you think the kids should have access to them during lunch?
It seems to me a lot of damage could be done in that 30 minutes. Social skills and mental health would improve if they did not have access to them for the full seven hours.


I avoid the cafeteria at all costs for my own mental health. I don't know how cell phones play into cafeteria behaviors.

I do know that the cafeteria is a major pain point for kids struggling with social issues, whether because they are new to a massive school or they have social deficits. I definitely don't think it's the place to take away all crutches kids have to get through that half hour. In my day we'd find an empty corner of the school and read instead of go to the cafeteria, but kids are currently not allowed to hang out outside of the cafeteria.
Anonymous
Post 10/08/2025 09:23     Subject: What does “bell to bell phone free school” actually MEAN?
Anonymous wrote:The number of kids taking photos in the bathroom, crashing into each other because their heads are down texting, or arranging to meet up in the hallways during class has dropped significantly due to no phones in hallways this year.

--HS teacher



As a high school teacher, do you think the kids should have access to them during lunch?
It seems to me a lot of damage could be done in that 30 minutes. Social skills and mental health would improve if they did not have access to them for the full seven hours.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 09:34     Subject: What does “bell to bell phone free school” actually MEAN?
The number of kids taking photos in the bathroom, crashing into each other because their heads are down texting, or arranging to meet up in the hallways during class has dropped significantly due to no phones in hallways this year.

--HS teacher
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 09:12     Subject: What does “bell to bell phone free school” actually MEAN?
Anonymous wrote:No phones during class makes sense. Take them away and have the parents pick them up. That will stop it.

But why not between classes? My kid has an after school job. It's convenient for me to set up rides etc for work, sports, and appointments during the day. I'm not a fan of the new policy at all. (Although we get around it pretty well.)


Because they want kids to talk to each other and learn to interact without phones. Many of us managed communication with our parents long before email was a thing, you can do it today. You discuss the schedule for the next day the night before. If there is a sudden change, you can text your kid and they will get the text at the end of the day. Or your kid can text you at the end of the day. It isn't hard.

It is convenient for society as a whole to have kids who can hold conversations and know how to interact with people while not using a screen.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 08:37     Subject: What does “bell to bell phone free school” actually MEAN?
Anonymous wrote:No phones during class makes sense. Take them away and have the parents pick them up. That will stop it.

But why not between classes? My kid has an after school job. It's convenient for me to set up rides etc for work, sports, and appointments during the day. I'm not a fan of the new policy at all. (Although we get around it pretty well.)


My kid is a little bit younger, so maybe I'll agree with you when she's old enough to work. But I think you're missing about half the point of phone free.

Half is indeed the academics. But the other half is the social and mental health aspects. Phones away means kids are more likely to interact and talk face to face. How many times have we heard that teens desperately need that?
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 08:20     Subject: What does “bell to bell phone free school” actually MEAN?
No phones during class makes sense. Take them away and have the parents pick them up. That will stop it.

But why not between classes? My kid has an after school job. It's convenient for me to set up rides etc for work, sports, and appointments during the day. I'm not a fan of the new policy at all. (Although we get around it pretty well.)
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 07:29     Subject: What does “bell to bell phone free school” actually MEAN?
OP Tell your daughter that you will take her phone if she is using it at school. Start with a day and add a day for each additional violation.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 05:16     Subject: Re:What does “bell to bell phone free school” actually MEAN?
Anonymous wrote:First of all, there are no lockers at Langley.
Second of all, we are the most restrictive parents I know as far as technology goes! My daughter was the very last of her friends to get a phone at 13. She has zero social media and a one hour YouTube limit per day. My 11-year-old has no device. Please don’t start lecturing me about my parenting! My daughter thinks I’m a complete Nazi when it comes to regulating her phone use. She has to plug it in at 8pm every night well all her friends are up until midnight texting each other, she’s never allowed to use two sources of media at the same time (cannot watch TV while having her phone next to her). We have a lot more policies to control screen time that I will not continue to list, but trust me the parenting is not the problem. I would like schools to actually do their part since half of her day is away from me. I can tell her to put it away and don’t use it all I want, but when EVERY kid in the entire school is using their devices various times throughout the day and many teachers allow them to use them in class, it no longer seems like a “parenting issue” now does it?
—OP
You just revealed your poor parenting here. No wonder she’s sneaky phone usage.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 00:06     Subject: What does “bell to bell phone free school” actually MEAN?
Stop blaming the school for the fact that your child is the product of poor parenting
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 00:04     Subject: Re:What does “bell to bell phone free school” actually MEAN?
Anonymous wrote:First of all, there are no lockers at Langley.
Second of all, we are the most restrictive parents I know as far as technology goes! My daughter was the very last of her friends to get a phone at 13. She has zero social media and a one hour YouTube limit per day. My 11-year-old has no device. Please don’t start lecturing me about my parenting! My daughter thinks I’m a complete Nazi when it comes to regulating her phone use. She has to plug it in at 8pm every night well all her friends are up until midnight texting each other, she’s never allowed to use two sources of media at the same time (cannot watch TV while having her phone next to her). We have a lot more policies to control screen time that I will not continue to list, but trust me the parenting is not the problem. I would like schools to actually do their part since half of her day is away from me. I can tell her to put it away and don’t use it all I want, but when EVERY kid in the entire school is using their devices various times throughout the day and many teachers allow them to use them in class, it no longer seems like a “parenting issue” now does it?
—OP


If it's not parenting, then your child has undiagnosed ADHD which is why she has zero self control. You have failed her.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 00:03     Subject: What does “bell to bell phone free school” actually MEAN?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This sounds very much like a parenting issue. Why is your child texting you multiple times a day? What is that all about? Why can't you tell her "keep your phone in your locker all day, you don't need it in class. You can text me at lunch or at dismissal."? Why can't you be an actual parent and have rules and consequences? Why are you trying to get the school to parent your child?


Locker!!?? There are schools using lockers? Our school didn't have enough, so they literally removed a whole bunch of them

Excuses, excuses -- then she keeps it in her backpack.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2025 20:47     Subject: What does “bell to bell phone free school” actually MEAN?
We are at Langley and teachers are enforcing the no phone policy. The principal is strict about this so I don’t know how kids are sneaking to use phones.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2025 17:02     Subject: Re:What does “bell to bell phone free school” actually MEAN?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DD says the teachers don’t even have the same rules (some allow the phones, some don’t). All students are allowed to use them during lunch.
Should I go to administration and ask why they are not enforcing executive order 33?
-OP


Or...you can take their phone away...


Most of us are fine with the kids having access at lunch and I'd actually prefer the same for my middle schooler. If you hadn't already noticed, FCPS does not follow all of our MAGA governor's rules. Move to a different district if you don't like it.


So I guess Jonathan Haidt is just a moron who doesn’t know what he’s talking about?
You’re the idiot who should move. Out of the country. Every school in our nation should be adopting his guidance.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2025 15:51     Subject: Re:What does “bell to bell phone free school” actually MEAN?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DD says the teachers don’t even have the same rules (some allow the phones, some don’t). All students are allowed to use them during lunch.
Should I go to administration and ask why they are not enforcing executive order 33?
-OP


Or...you can take their phone away...


Most of us are fine with the kids having access at lunch and I'd actually prefer the same for my middle schooler. If you hadn't already noticed, FCPS does not follow all of our MAGA governor's rules. Move to a different district if you don't like it.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2025 15:36     Subject: What does “bell to bell phone free school” actually MEAN?
Anonymous wrote:My child’s high school has a “away for the day” policy. This means my kid has access to her phone all day at school, she texts me multiple times a day. They are all allowed to use them during lunch.
I looked up executive order 33 on VDOE and the description of the executive order does not match what our high school is doing.
Is everyone else finding this to be true in their high schools? If so, what do we do about it? How do we make them enforce the actual executive order?


WHY in the world is your teenager texting you multiple times a day? I never hear from my highschoolers except if I'm picking them up and its after the school event "when will you be here?" type message.

I can only imagine how much she is texting her friends if she is texting you that much.

I would actually get an ipad or old phone linked to her messaging accounts and get her messages in parallel in real time to keep an eye on her. As well as learn how to set parental controls.