The passing of folded slips of paper used to be the common problem for teachers trying to keep students in line. Now, undercover text messaging is the new nightmare, so much so that the Prince George's County School Board has banned cell phone use during the school day and schools around the country are taking measures to deal with this new age note passing.
The school board has restricted the use of cell phones in the past, but this time the rules come with a set of consequences. If students dont have their cell phone completely turned off, they will be confiscated for the day. (And just to clarify for parents, completely turned off doesn't mean vibrate or silenced or even lit up.)
That's just the first offense, though. Parents will have to go pick up their students' phones for second offenses. And if kids get caught with their phones turned on a third time -- no phone at school for the rest of the year.
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13 comments:
And to think 15 years ago I was suspended from Wicomico tech. school for 5 days and had to meet with the Sheriff for having a PAGER on school grounds.
Boy have times changed.
This is already a policy at Delmar Middle and High School. 1st offense--warning given and cell phone is confiscated. A parent must pick up phone on the next Tuesday or Thursday. 2nd offense--
Saturday School and the parents have to wait a week to pick up the phone on either a Tuesday or Thursday. 3rd offense-- 1 day In-School Suspension and the parents have to wait 2 weeks to pick up phone on a Tueday or Thursday
Delmar Middle and High School 4th offense of having cell phone in school is 2 days In school suspension and parents have to wait 3 weeks to pick up phone on a Tuesday or Thursday. The 5th and every subsequent offense the student gets 1 day of Out of School Suspension and the parents have to wait 4 weeks to pick up the phone on a Tuesday or Thursday.
Wicomico County confiscates on first offense and a parent has to come get it. If a kid refuses to hand it over, it's 2 days suspension.
I'd love to see Delmar's model of having to wait a few days to come get it added to Wicomico's policy. Kids actually borrow another kid's cell phone to call their parents to come get their confiscated cell phone within the hour. Can't exactly follow them into the bathroom stalls between classes, you know.
I know alot of the kids at Delmar think it is very strict, but my 12 year old has taken the rule to heart and will not take his phone out anymore. He lost it the first time last year and that was enough for him to realize he didn't need it on in school. One day without it was enough.
Having cell phone jammers running on school premises from 7 am - 2 pm would be a good start
And why suspension? Having a day off from school is no punishment at all.
Instead they should threaten cell phone abusers with an automatic F in the class they were caught in.
I don't agree with phones being in school. However I do have one question about Delmar's policy. How can they not give the phone to the parents if they come to retrieve it. The phone normally belongs to the parent and the school holding it hostage seems more than a bit over the top.
My stepson had his phone confiscated at Delmar for playing games on it during gym class. My husband did not wait until the following Tues or Thurs to go get the confiscated phone. Instead he waited until he felt like going and getting it, about a month later. The kid knew the rules and broke them anyway so he didn't deserve the phone for a while. Not to mention the inconvenience to the parent because a kid chose to do the wrong thing.
A cell phone is a privilege not a right. These kids need to be taught that.
anonymous 11:49, is that you Mr. Thompson?
You need a reality check!
i think schools make a big deal out of nothing with cell phones. i told my son if i or his mother called him, and he didn't answer during school or not during school he would be in trouble. He goes to bennett and had it taken away when i called him between classes for an emergency and they told me i could come get it on a wednesday. i told them if they didn't give it to me i would come back behind the counter and get it myself.
This might be crazy talk, but how about no cell phones at all in schools. The court system seems to do fine without them.
When I was in HS 9 years ago you weren't allowed to have it at all. If it was seen (let alone heard!) it was confiscated.
6:16 - The big deal is cell phones cause TROUBLE for kids in school. Distractions, fights, theft, etc.
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