Fall River Public Schools Use Yondr Bags to Ban Cell Phone Use

FALL RIVER – With a new cell phone policy, school principal Tracy Curley is urging children this fall to keep their eyes off their phones and instead on their books.

At a school board meeting on August 12, the board approved new rules banning cell phone use in schools for grades 6 through 12.

“We know that cell phones are very useful, but their use in school is increasingly becoming a source of distraction, antisocial behavior and conflict,” Curley wrote in a memo to parents in the Fall River public school system on Monday.

Starting September 23, all middle and high school students will be required to either turn in their phones or lock them in special bags for the day.

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The policy includes language that addresses medical emergencies or school closures.

The school committee has been considering banning cell phones in recent years.

This is how the directive works:

Who has to give up their cell phone?

All students in grades 6 to 12.

Students at Stone Therapeutic Day School and Resiliency Preparatory Academy are already turning in their cell phones for the day and will continue to do so.

Students in grades 6-12 at Doran and Henry Lord Community Schools, Kuss, Morton and Talbot Middle Schools, and BMC Durfee High School must place their phones, earbuds, and smartwatches in Yondr lockable bags.

How do Yondr bags work?

The Yondr bag has a magnetic closure on the flap. Students must turn off or mute their devices, place them in a bag in the presence of a staff member, and lock the bag. They can carry these bags with them throughout the day or keep them in their lockers.

At the end of the day, students open the bags with a special magnet before leaving.

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Are the bags really effective?

The locks are magnetic devices similar to those used in retail for security tags on clothing, and are very difficult to open without causing obvious damage to the bag.

According to Curley, Yondr bags are used in more than 2,000 schools in 21 countries.

What happens if a student has to leave in the middle of the day?

Students who have to leave the building at lunchtime have the option of unlocking their bag when they leave the building and locking it again when they return.

Otherwise, students are not allowed to use their mobile phones for any purpose during the day.

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What if an emergency occurs and I need to contact my child?

As you would do before cell phones were introduced, call the school office and ask to speak to your child.

What happens if an emergency occurs and my child needs to contact me?

According to the new policy, if a school emergency occurs, “we will first advise our students about safety, following our school emergency protocol. All parents will receive notifications from our school-wide notification system, ParentSquare.”

Are there any exceptions to the cell phone rule?

The policy states that school leaders will consider exception requests on a case-by-case basis if students need the device to monitor their health or as part of an individualized education program, or need immediate access to a phone for other reasons.

What happens if my child forgets to unlock the bag after school?

If the building is still open, children can come back to use the release magnet. After hours, the Durfee High Fieldhouse Security Office is open until 7:00 p.m.

What are the cell phone policies at other schools in the area?

Diman Regional Vocational High School requires students to turn off their smartphones and smartwatches during the school day and confiscates them if they are caught using them.

Atlantis Charter School already uses Yondr bags to limit cell phone use.

Middle school students at the Argosy Collegiate Charter School must turn in their phones and smartwatches and pick them up at the end of the day. Argosy High School students can keep them all day but are not allowed to use them during class.

Somerset Berkley Regional High School The manual requires students to place their devices in the cell phone holder in each classroom and pick them up when they leave.

Westport High School The manual states that cell phones “must be turned off and kept out of sight during class.”