25 signatures reached
To: Principal of Westhampton Beach Middle School, Charisse Miller. And the Westhampton Beach Union Free School District Board Of Education
UPDATED Westhampton Beach Middle School Policy Modification
Dear Charisse Miller, and the WHB School District Board Of Education
I am writing to ask for a revision of the current electronic device policy at Westhampton Beach Middle School. I am aware that the ban is part of the much larger New York State bell-to-bell cellphone ban, although each school and school district is responsible for its own policy. I request that the cellphone ban be revised to be much softer, to encourage students to feel heard and understood.
The problem with this ban is that it shows that the district and school don't trust students in higher grades (6, 7, 8) to be responsible, indicating a lack of trust between the school and the students. Another issue is that the ban is too harsh and could cause students to develop distrust and a lack of respect for the school and staff.
I believe some actions that could be taken are to remove smartwatches from the ban. Most smartwatches do not connect to the internet, usually connecting via another device. Smartwatches are also valuable for keeping track of time so students know when to finish work.
Another change is that instead of having to put devices into a locker, which takes time and could lead to students arriving late to class, they should remain in backpacks at all times in case of emergencies. Instead , harsher punishments should be implemented for anyone who takes out their phone during school hours without an emergency or other reason to have their phone out , which could include in-school suspension or losing privileges.
In addition, students need to coordinate pickup with family members and guardians. I propose there be leniency for any student needing to communicate with family to coordinate pickup times . This will make it so it takes less time for communication between family and the student and will lessen the number of students needing to call home inside the main office.
Emergencies happen, and communication between the school and parents is vital for the safety of the students. Many parents, including mine, write off emails, calls, and messages sent by the school as spam or ignore them, thinking they are junk. This has personally happened to me, and I believe during an emergency, students should be able to communicate with their loved ones through some sort of device. This is in addition to paragraph four, where it states that students should be able to keep devices in their backpacks in case of an emergency.
I hope you consider this proposal to change the WHBMS policy, and thank you for reading this.
I am writing to ask for a revision of the current electronic device policy at Westhampton Beach Middle School. I am aware that the ban is part of the much larger New York State bell-to-bell cellphone ban, although each school and school district is responsible for its own policy. I request that the cellphone ban be revised to be much softer, to encourage students to feel heard and understood.
The problem with this ban is that it shows that the district and school don't trust students in higher grades (6, 7, 8) to be responsible, indicating a lack of trust between the school and the students. Another issue is that the ban is too harsh and could cause students to develop distrust and a lack of respect for the school and staff.
I believe some actions that could be taken are to remove smartwatches from the ban. Most smartwatches do not connect to the internet, usually connecting via another device. Smartwatches are also valuable for keeping track of time so students know when to finish work.
Another change is that instead of having to put devices into a locker, which takes time and could lead to students arriving late to class, they should remain in backpacks at all times in case of emergencies. Instead , harsher punishments should be implemented for anyone who takes out their phone during school hours without an emergency or other reason to have their phone out , which could include in-school suspension or losing privileges.
In addition, students need to coordinate pickup with family members and guardians. I propose there be leniency for any student needing to communicate with family to coordinate pickup times . This will make it so it takes less time for communication between family and the student and will lessen the number of students needing to call home inside the main office.
Emergencies happen, and communication between the school and parents is vital for the safety of the students. Many parents, including mine, write off emails, calls, and messages sent by the school as spam or ignore them, thinking they are junk. This has personally happened to me, and I believe during an emergency, students should be able to communicate with their loved ones through some sort of device. This is in addition to paragraph four, where it states that students should be able to keep devices in their backpacks in case of an emergency.
I hope you consider this proposal to change the WHBMS policy, and thank you for reading this.
Why is this important?
I believe that students should have a say in important school policies that will affect the student body's day-to-day life. This will be a way to take action and have a say in school policies. I know a lot of people are unhappy with this policy, so why don't we change it ? This is your way to make change happen and come together as a group to fight for change.