No Cellphone Policy
Our no cellphone policy is one that we take seriously at PS 347.
We know that parents want their children to have cellphones, especially if their children take public transportation. It provides peace of mind for a parent to have them call you to let you know that they arrived at school safely. We understand!
However, once your child is in the school building, they will need to turn their cellphone in each morning. This is for four very important reasons:
Research shows that a “No Cellphone Policy” in schools has been shown to:
- increase student attention in class
- increase student performance
- decrease incidents of bullying and cyberbullying.
What about the case of an active shooter?
Ken Trump, the school security expert, says phones in school can actually make us less safe in a crisis such as the one in Parkland for several reasons:
- Using phones can distract people from the actions they need to be taking in the moment, such as running, hiding and listening to directions from first responders.
- The sound of the phone, whether ringing or on vibrate, could alert an assailant to a hiding place.
- The shooter could be monitoring the event themselves on social media and find more victims or elude capture that way.
- Victims and worried family members trying to get through can jam communications, interfering with first responders.
So, how does the No Cellphone Policy work?
- Every morning, when your child enters school, your child will be asked to turn in their phone/electronics.
- Your child’s phone will be placed in a “safe” that is locked for the day.
- At 2:45 dismissal, the phones will be returned to your child.
What if I need to get information to my child?
All communication from a parent to their child during the school day should go through the school. If you need to get information to your child during the day, call the main office. We will make sure the child gets the information. If a child needs to call a parent, they can use the phone in the office.
Consequences:
If your child does not turn in their phone in the morning, and they are caught with it during school hours (8:25-2:45), their phone will be taken away.
The first time this happens, we will take the phone for the day. The school will contact the parent to remind them and the child of the policy. The phone will be returned to the child at the end of the day.
The second time it happens, the school will keep the cell phone for 15 school calendar days and the parent will need to pick it up at the end of the 15 days.
Let’s work together to keep everyone in our school community safe!
The safety of the students in this building and their academic success is too important to play with. A No cellphone Policy in schools increases student attention in class, decreases incidences of cyberbullying and bullying, and increases safety. Please make sure to talk with your child so that they understand the reasons why cellphones in school are not allowed.
Please sign the form below to acknowledge that you read the policy* and send it to school with them to give to their teacher.
