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Re: Cell Phone Policy Enforcement Fickett Family,
Atlanta Public Schools decided years ago that students had the right to bring cell phones to school. However, the phone must be off and not in use. I had my thoughts and views about that but did not ponder too much because the policy had been set; however, cell phones have been a source of productive time loss for my entire team and me!
The problem is not the phone itself; however, the problem is when students take their phones out and show other students inappropriate things or involve them in social media bullying. I'm also empathetic to parents who do not allow their children to have cell phones because of the harmful and inappropriate content on the internet. I do not want their rights violated. So in essence, we all win!
As such, starting Monday (when my lockers arrive) students (3rd-5th ) will have to store their phones in a secured locker. Students will receive a key that will need to go around their wrists. At the end of the day, they will turn in their unique key to retrieve their phone at dismissal.
Questions you may have:
What if they lose their key during the day? There will be a $5.00 fee to get a new key.
What if parents say no? They can not; I have not violated policy. I am not preventing students from bringing their phones.
Can the locker be accessed by someone else? Yes, if they give their unique key away. Are the lockers secure? Each slot of the cell phone storage locker has an independent lock. Each lock is unique for each key, enhancing security.
What if my child needs to call me during the day? APS policy states that students cannot have their phone on or in use during the instructional day. In the case of an emergency, students can use one of the 37 landline phones in our building. Scan the QR code to see the board policy. Please contact me if you have questions or concerns.
Warmest Regards,
Principal Grant