Dear Pathways Families,
I hope this letter finds you and your family well and enjoying the last few days of summer!
This year, we will be making our school a phone-free space to improve teaching and
learning using a system called Yondr. Yondr has been implemented in over 2,000 schools
across 16 countries, multiple schools in the Hartford Public Schools, including BSTEM
(where many of our students come from), with one goal in mind: to facilitate an engaged
learning environment.
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. This will NOT be in effect for the first day of school. You will see the plan
later in this letter that includes meeting, discussing, and getting feedback from
students, families, and staff prior to implementation.
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. Students are required to bring their Yondr pouch to
and from school each day and are responsible for their pouch at all times.
Yondr received responses to annual surveys from over 1,200 school partners, and after
implementing the Yondr Education Program:
● 84% saw a change in student engagement
● 72% saw a positive change in student behavior
● 68% saw a positive change in academic performance
The most recent impact survey of over 370 of school partners:
● 86% saw a positive impact in student safety and wellness
As stated above, we realize this is a big change from what students and families are used to,
so we will NOT be implementing on the first day of school, but rather over the first few
weeks meetings with students, families, and staff to discuss and get feedback prior to full
implementation. Below are our next steps in the process:
● August 23rd: Family Letter goes out, informing families of the program, as well as
including that we will be holding family information nights and holding circles with
students to discuss prior to full implementation.
● August 23rd: School staff will meet to discuss the program further, provide details
and expectations, and discuss questions, concerns, and ideas
● August 29 - September 1st: There will be a special schedule during the first week
of school to have students begin each of the first four days in advisory. Included in
that will be multiple Advisory discussions and feedback sessions on Yondr with
students, as well as scheduled grade level assemblies.
● August 31st: Yondr Family Information Session and Q & A via zoom
● September 5th - 7th: Continue student feedback groups in Advisory
● September 7th: Open House at Pathways that will include a Yondr Information
Session and Q & A
● Week of September 11th: We are hopeful to be implementing this week
On the next pages, you will find information on how the program works, FAQ’s, and
alignment to board policy:
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 860-695-9450. There is a phone in every
classroom and office in the building.
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. Communication will come from the school and district
directly to families.
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 completely safe. If
a phone is confiscated by administration, it will be kept in a locked safe until it is returned
to either the student or parent.
What if the Yondr pouch gets damaged, a student forgets their pouch (habitual), or a
student is caught on their phone?
The Yondr pouch is property of Pathways Academy of Technology & Design.
The measures below mirror the Hartford Board of Education policies on cell phones:
● First Offense: Administration will collect the phone/Pouch and call home. The student
can have the phone/Pouch back at the end of the school day.
● Second Offense: Parent Pickup-Administration will collect the phone/Pouch and call
home. The parent must pick up the phone at the school.
● Third Offense: Parent Pickup AND In School Suspension-Administration will collect
the phone/Pouch and call home. The parent must pick up the phone at the school, and
the student will serve 1 day of 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.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out us at Pathways. .
In an effort to best serve our students and our school, we appreciate your full support in
adoption of the Yondr Program at Pathways.
We look forward to seeing you all soon and hope you get to enjoy the last few days of
summer!
Sincerely,
Michael Maziarz, Principal
Heather Sharp, Assistant Principal
2 Pent Road, East Hartford CT 06118
http://www.pathwaystotechnolog...
Phone: 860-695-9450 Fax: 860-569-5569
Voted #1 Magnet High School in America in 2014