CLEVELAND SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER FOR UPDATES & REMINDERS

Important Update

Dear Cleveland School of the Arts Parents, Guardians and Supporters,

We’re making our school a phone-free space to improve teaching and learning experiences using a system called Yondr. Yondr has been implemented in over 1,000 schools across 21 countries to facilitate an engaged learning environment.

This change aligns with CMSD’s board policy that states that “To maintain a secure and orderly learning environment, students who choose to bring a personal cellphone or electronic device to school will have their phone/device subject to collection and/or storage during the student school day.” This policy follows Ohio House Bill 250, which requires the minimization of cell phone use in schools.

The Yondr Program utilizes a simple, secure pouch that stores a phone. Every scholar will secure their phone in a personally assigned Yondr pouch when they arrive at school. Scholars will maintain possession of their phones and will not use them until their pouches are opened at the end of the school day. They are required to obtain their Yondr pouch each day at arrival and are responsible for their pouch at all times.

We believe that phones have great utility. We have also found that learning and social behavior improve drastically when students are fully engaged with their teachers and classmates. 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

If there is an emergency and you would like to get in contact with your child, please reach out to the main office at 216-838-9000. To best serve your child, we appreciate your full support in the adoption of the Yondr Program at our school.

Yours in Education

Ricardo Franklin Sr

Head of School

CSA's New Yondr Pouch Logistics (Beginning, Friday, August 23)

CSA Yondr Logistics:

Upon arrival, students will be asked to remove their cell phones from their backpacks after they clear security.
Students will enter the main hall (leading to the cafeteria) where they will pick up their Yondr pouch for the day.
Students are required to turn off their cell phones. The Yondr pouch does not block cell phone signals.
Once they receive their Yondr, they will immediately place their cell phone inside and lock the pouch.
Students will keep their pouch with them throughout the school day.
At dismissal, students enter the foyer or main hall, open their pouch, and remove their cell phones using the stationary or mobile unlocking station.
After their cell phone has been removed, students will drop their Yondr in a collection bin and exit the building.

Notes:

All students (unless notified by admin) are required to have their cell phone inside a Yondr pouch
To see how Yondr works, watch this video (click here)