Letter for Families about Cell Phone Use and Yondr Pouches

Dear SMS Parents,

At South Middle School we pride ourselves in providing an educational experience for our students that best prepares them for the grade level curriculum.  In order to provide this opportunity for our students, we need to have as little distraction as possible. As a result, all classes in grades 6-12 in the district will be a phone-free space to help optimize teaching and learning.  

Yondr has been implemented in over 1,000 schools across 21 countries to facilitate an engaged learning environment.  The Yondr Program utilizes a simple, secure pouch that stores a phone. Every student will secure their phone in a personally assigned Yondr pouch when they arrive at school. Students will maintain possession of their phones and will not use them until their pouches are opened at the end of the school day.

The use of the pouches allows for students to continue to have their phone in their possession throughout the day if they choose all while providing for a distraction free learning environment.  Students will be able to open their pouches at the end of each school day and will be expected to bring the pouches back to school each morning.  

Yondr recently surveyed over 900 school partners to measure the effects of creating phone-free educational environments. These schools achieved notable progress in multiple areas:

• 65% of schools saw an improvement in academic performance
• 74% of schools saw an improvement in student behavior
• 83% of schools saw an improvement in student engagement in the classroom

On November 8th will begin distributing Yondr pouches here at SMS.  We will be implementing the Yondr system in all of our middle and high schools. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school directly at (845) 563-7000. If there is an emergency and you would like to get in contact with your child, please reach out to the main office at (845)563-7000.  

Please visit https://www.overyondr.com/schools for more detailed information.  In an effort to best serve your child, we appreciate your full support in the adoption of the Yondr Program at our school.

Thank you,
Roderick Phoenix
Principal

 HOW YONDR WORKS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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, contact the main office at (845) 563-7000. 

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. 

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 in their possession.
 

What if the Yondr pouch gets damaged or a student is caught on their phone?
The Yondr pouch is property of NECSD. If a student damages their Pouch or is caught on their phone, Administration will collect the phone/Pouch and call home: 

• The Parent will come to the school and pick up their child’s phone
• AND/OR Consequences may include: In-School Suspension

Note: Damage consists of any signs that the physical integrity of the pouch has been compromised, whether intentional or unintentional, as determined by the school or Yondr staff.

ATTENTION: Are your scholars or colleagues doing something great? Please contact the district Communications Team at communications@necsd.net. We’d love to visit your class or event and/or post your pictures and recap to highlight the amazing accomplishments throughout our district!