Superintendent's Letter:

Dear Parents/Guardians, 

Fall River Public Schools prides itself on providing an educational experience that is safe and supportive for our students - one that best prepares them for the grade-level curriculum and beyond.  In order to provide this opportunity for our scholars, we need to have as little distraction as possible. To that end, on August 12, 2024 the Fall River School Committee adopted a cell phone-free policy for all students in grades 6 through 12.  In conjunction with this new Cell Phone Policy, our district will be implementing the Yondr pouch system, effective October 15, 2024.

We understand that cellphones have great utility, but cell phone use has increasingly become a source of distraction, anti-social behavior, and conflict at school. Last spring, our district surveyed over 1,000 parents, guardians, staff, and students to measure the effects of creating cell phone-free educational environments. The results showed that a vast majority of staff and families believe that phone usage disrupts learning, and nearly all those surveyed support the idea of a phone-free school. Students, while mixed in their responses, acknowledged that reduced cell phone usage could lead to better focus and improved academic outcomes. Over 60% of surveyed students reported frequent bullying, particularly in middle and early high school grades with online bullying being the most prevalent which negatively impacts their school experience.

Yondr has been implemented in over 2,000 schools across 21 countries to increase student engagement, boost intellectual learning, and eliminate the distractions posed by cell phones during school hours. The Yondr Program utilizes a simple, secure pouch that stores phones, smart watches, and wireless earbuds. As part of our cell phone-free policy implementation, every student will secure these items in a Yondr pouch when they arrive at school. Students will maintain possession of their items in either their backpack or locker dependent on individual school procedures and will not use them until pouches are opened at dismissal.  The use of these pouches will allow students to continue to have their phones, watches and wireless earbuds in their possession throughout the day, if they choose - all while providing for a distraction-free learning environment.

Recently, Yondr 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

In September, we will begin distributing Yondr pouches to middle school students at Kuss, Morton, Talbot, Doran, and Henry Lord, and also to students at Durfee High School. Specific distribution details, procedures, and parent information sessions are forthcoming. Students enrolled at Stone Therapeutic Day School and the Robert L. Medeiros Resiliency Preparatory Academy already participate in existing cell phone turn-in programs, and these practices will continue in the new school year. 

In the event of an emergency during which you need to reach your child, we ask that you call their school’s main or grade-level office. Families can also use ParentSquare to directly communicate with school staff. 

We understand this is a major change and we appreciate your support and cooperation as we work together to create the best possible learning environment for our students. 

Please visit our website https://sites.google.com/fallriverschools.org/cellphonefree for more detailed information. In order to best serve your child, we appreciate your full support in the adoption of the Yondr Programs at our middle and high schools.

Thank you.

Tracy Curley, Ed.D.

Superintendent