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East St. Louis School District 189 is currently meeting with a task committee to develop implementation plans for using cell phone Yondr Pouches.
Yondr Pouches will be an encouragement tool for our students to engage in distraction-free, in-person connection throughout the school day. Research has shown that a distraction-free environment for students has improved focus and engagement both in the classroom and socially. Our goal in implementing this new initiative is to encourage students to do just that: focus on the present moment and make the most of every school day!
YONDR CELL PHONE POUCH
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why is the District considering using the Yondr system?
We want our students to be engaged in their learning and in appropriate interpersonal social interaction throughout the day. Phones have become a distraction within the school day for many students, and for teachers who have to constantly monitor students for phone use during class and school activities. Additionally, the District has seen an increase in discipline related to cyberbullying and the circulation of inappropriate videos and pictures. The Yondr system simply assists the District in enforcing the policy currently in place regarding phones on campus.
What if I want to reach my child during the school day?
We want our students to be engaged in their learning. If you need to contact your child during the school day, please contact the main office. Students are also each assigned a chromebook and have access to email throughout the day.
Will my child’s phone be locked away?
Current School District 189 policy is for a student’s phone to be turned off and put away in a backpack during the school day. The Yondr pouch does not change that policy, instead, it is a tool to help enforce it. Your child will put their phone in the Yondr pouch and keep it with them, in their backpack, throughout the instructional day. When the final bell rings, students will unlock the pouch to access their phones.
Will my student’s phone be safe?
Students are in possession of their phone - in their Yondr pouch - for the entire school day. We will advise students to store the pouch in their backpacks where it is completely safe. The pouch itself is made of a soft fabric padding that provides protection to the phone while stored.
What if there is a school emergency?
In case of a school emergency, we direct our students to safety first, following our school emergency preparedness protocol.
In the event of an emergency lockdown, school staff will direct students according to emergency preparedness protocol. Student cell phone use during this time has the potential to endanger the safety of the student using the phone and all students and staff within that classroom.
It is the advisement of National School Safety and Security Services that cell phone use during an emergency creates a less safe school emergency response. Specifically:
● Cell phone use during crisis management overloads telephone systems and renders them useless.
● Calls, texts, and other outside communications have the potential to alert a dangerous individual to the location of students and staff during a lockdown.
● Cell phone use accelerates the unintentional (and potentially intentional) spread of misinformation, rumors, and fear.
● Cell phone use, texting, and other outside communications by students during a crisis also have the potential to cause parents to flock to school at a time when school and public safety officials may need parents to be away from the school site due to evacuations, emergency response, and/or other tactical or safety reasons. This could actually delay or otherwise hinder timely and efficient parent-student reunification. It could also potentially put parents into a zone of harm.
School District 189's School Supplies Lists can be found here.
SCHOOL BUS TRACKING APP
Parents and students can download the optional mobile app called "Versatrans My Stop" to track the school bus location and projected arrival from your smartphone. The app displays the actual location of the school bus utilizing GPS technology. It updates and adjusts the scheduled arrival time as the bus travels along the route. It also will show if the school bus has already passed the assigned stop.