NORWICH — The Norwich City School District (NCSD) is preparing for the coming school year by introducing a phone-free program called Yondr, that will store student media devices from school arrival to dismissal.
Yondr pouches will be distributed and assigned to each student at the beginning of the 2024 school year, allowing a safe place for phones, earbuds, and smart watches to be securely locked during each school day. Although the pouches are school property, students will maintain possession of the pouch at all times.
“What we know to be true is that smartphones have created incredible dependency among students and adults,” said NCSD Superintendent Scott Ryan. “Our students are communicating predicted anxiety of not having constant access to their smartphones, which, is to be expected.”
“Moving to a phone-free environment will be an adjustment for our students,” said Ryan. “Yet, we are motivated to increase student engagement, improve academic performance, increase social connection, and enhance student safety and well-being.”
This system will transform grades 6 through 12 and reinforces educators will not compete with smartphones to maximize student academic engagement.
Ryan said social competence is a required skill in today’s workplace, and he feels it is their responsibility to consider their role in preparing students to be “future-ready.”
He said they will also continue to gather student input throughout the process by engaging in conversations, providing feedback, and working with students to create a cell phone-free environment.
“Of the schools we have researched that have successfully implemented the program; the pouches are sealed from the first bell through the last bell,” he said. “There is some discussion currently about offering privileges to our senior class running tandem with an open campus lunch option, and we hope to work through that with our rising seniors.”
Ryan explained when visiting and speaking with other districts utilizing Yondr pouches, there is a short period at the start of implementation, when locking and unlocking pouches may create a bottleneck in the hallways, as students will be required to utilize one of the two entry and exit points.
“However, once routines are established, the process becomes very efficient,” he added.
Ryan stated about 15 parents attended the community forum to discuss the phone-free environment, and their biggest concern was safety, the what-if scenarios of emergency.
He said he expected parents and guardians to ask those questions, and he encouraged them to do so.
”Our safety officer and school resource officer have been part of the Yondr research process from the beginning, working to ensure that implementation will help support student safety,” said Ryan.
”In addition, we heard questions about two-way communication between students and parents during the school day,” he said. “As part of our initial planning, we have been exploring options for two-way communication between the student and parent.”
Ryan said NCSD is working with their website developer, Apptegy, to exploit an existing structure for two-way communication called EDU Rooms. This structure could also be used for coaches in the event of a schedule change.
He said 81 percent of the districts parents or caregivers are currently subscribed to the app.
Ryan added that all students have a school-issued laptop Chromebook and will be able to interface with their parents or guardians and said every classroom has a phone that can connect outside the school.
Additional NCSD the Yondr program guidelines include:
If a student needs to leave school early for an approved early dismissal, medical emergency, work assignment, athletic event, or other school-sponsored trip, they can unlock their devices at school just before their departure.
If they return to school during the instructional day, the Yondr pouch will be locked upon re-entry.
Students who attend BOCES classes can unlock their devices when they leave the high school. Those who attend morning classes must lock their devices upon arrival.
Students with a documented medical condition and needing a personal device to monitor condition, will receive a non-locking Yondr pouch with a Velcro seal.
There will not be an unlocking station outside the building. If students forget to unlock their pouch, they can return to school before the last late bus departs to unlock it. Mobile unlocking devices will be available for these types of circumstances.
Individual teachers will not be able to unlock the pouches.
Questions regarding implementing Yondr pouches at the school can be emailed to Elly Powers, Middle School Associate Principal at epowers@norwichcsd.org or Wes Mills, School Safety Officer at wmills@norwichcsd.org.