YONDR Phone-Free Schools

August 9, 2024

Greetings, Middle School Families!

The staff at Pioneer and Garrison are excited to welcome our students back for another great year. As you have likely heard by now, both middle schools will be implementing the YONDR technology pouches this year. Enclosed in this packet you will find the YONDR policy, which will be implemented in both middle schools.

During the first week of school, August 21-23, we will be sharing our policy with our students and addressing any questions they may have. Beginning Monday, August 26, students will be issued their own pouch to use during their time in middle school, and placing phones, Smart watches and bluetooth earbuds in their pouches during the
school day.

This practice is, we believe, vital to ensure our students have the best possible experience at middle school, both socially and academically. We do however, recognize there may be questions from families, so we encourage you to reach out to your building administrator or visit your school’s website (pioneer49ers.org or garrisonmiddleschool.org) and click on the “YONDR Phone-Free Schools” link under the “Our School” heading. You can also access it using the QR code at the bottom of this letter. There you will find answers to frequently asked questions, an overview of our policy as well as compelling research around the importance of limiting access to social media and technology in the developing teenage years during school hours.

We want our students to have a positive, engaging experience where they can be themselves, interact with their peers and teachers and come to school free from the distractions and challenges that too often accompany the misuse of technology.

Most sincerely,
Kris Duncan, Principal, Pioneer Middle School
Kim Doepker, Principal, Garrison Middle School