Away for the Day: cell phone policy change at McMurray Middle School

About time! Hope you get enough signatures to do this. Cellphones are not necessary at school. Kids are there for an education, not to text, play or watch videos during educational periods. Less usages = less addiction.

I had no idea it was allowed! Please change this!

It wasn't until 8th grade Exploratory Week that we got our son a cell phone. He needed it to travel abroad on the Costa Rica Trip ...best decision we ever made. The McM office phone was always available to him if he needed to call us.

Our son does not have a smartphone. The social pressure to have a phone is high for him. This policy would be really help the pressure coming from other students. One might also consider no phones on the bus. Trusting or unknowing parents who give their kids phones without restrictions might expose our kids - looking at other kid's phones - to pornography. The bus worries me too. Thank you!!!!

As someone who has worked in technology and informal education for 37 years (running Paul Allen's computer museum etc.) I can tell you that the research fully supports limits on screen time. In fact, most Silicon Valley CEOs send their kids to screen free schools. Especially on Vashon, phones are not needed on school. Thank you.

This is sooo important. My daughter at age 11, 6th grade, had access to Instagram and snap chat through her friends phones at school at lunch and in some classes. The age restriction is 13+ for Instagram. All research recommends putting phones away during school.

My 13 year old goes to the Harbor School which does not allow cell phones during the school day. This policy works well for us and our teen!

They will be okay without them for 6 hrs!

This "away for the day" policy would exclude phones that are used for medical purposes or with a parent's note. Hope that helps!

Thanks for the work on this initiative.

Best idea since "sliced bread"!!!!!!!!!!! I agree 100% ....I do not have children in the system but volunteer at Chautauqua and think ALL cellphones should be banned in the schools...I see so many parents on their phones when they are dropping off their children and when picking them up...what is so important that it can't wait until you are alone?

I am totally in favor of this policy, hope to make my sons experience at McMurray better than my daughters with this policy.

I love this idea!

100% behind this policy change.

I think that this is so important for children especially in regards to distractions and social/emotional impact with social media.

Agree that the use of cell phones during the school day is unnecessary.

No phones is better for students.

Maybe there is need for an exception for medical apps if any students have a doctor’s note for such use. Otherwise this is a very sound idea and I support it without reservation.

There are so many reasons why I'd like cell phones put away for the school day...

I would like to commend the teachers and administrators at our Vashon schools and at McMurray in particular for battling with cell phones for their students attention. I am signing this petition because I believe that cell phones are a major distraction to both the kids using their phones and all of the other people around them. Also allowing cellphones in schools puts a huge burden on the students to exercise self-control at a time in their lives when they are already often overwhelmed. Lets give our kids their best shot at being engaged by limiting cell phones at McMurray!