Pictured are the Yondr pouch that Jamestown High School students will use to store internet-enabled devices along with one of the pouch unlocking devices.
Jamestown School Board members got a better look at the pouches Jamestown High School students will use starting next week to to store their internet-enabled devices in during the school day.
The introduction of the Yondr pouches are part of the distraction-free learning policy adopted by the Jamestown Public Schools District as required by New York State.
Students will be required to lock their smartphones, smartwatches, earbuds, and other personal internet-enabled devices inside the pouch once they enter the high school.
JHS Principal Allyson Smith told school board members that staff have been developing procedures and practicing how to most efficiently check and lock the pouches as students enter the high school building and how to unlock them at the end of the day, “As kids come through our doors we have different doors set up for different kinds of scenarios. So, our 9th through 11th graders will be coming in at our front doors. Our 12th grade students will be coming in at our school store doors. Those doors will be manned by designated staff that have been assigned a morning door duty.”
Smith said that at the end of the day there will be three different kinds of unlocking devices available at the front doors, the store doors, and the pool doors. Students who have early dismissal for sports or other activities will use the pool doors. Smith said students who are leaving early for whatever reason can bring a pass to the attendance office to have their bag unlocked at that point.
She said staff anticipates this will be a rough road at first with kids finding ways around using the pouches and that there is a flow chart of disciplinary procedures that will be followed.
Smith said when it comes to parents or guardians who need to get messages to children, the first phone menu option calling the school will be to leave a message for a student. She said there also will be an additional phone at the security desk when people enter the school as well.
Smith emphasized that she is excited to see the impact on students’ academic performance and how they grow socially and emotionally, “Kids are really going to have to get back to talking to one another in the cafeteria. It is bell to bell, so they won’t have access to their phones in the cafeteria like they’ve have. They won’t have access to phones during study halls like they have. So, we’re really looking at ways to adjust our study hall periods, that block five time at the end of our day that’s traditionally been a lot of study hall time. We’re finding ways to assign that better so that kids are academically focused during those times, especially with not having their phones and things.”
For more information about the distraction free learning policy, visit jpsny.org/phonefreeschools
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