• Riverside School Cell Phone Policy

    Riverside School is committed to fostering an environment that is safe, focused, and conducive to learning. To support this goal, all scholar cell phones will be collected upon arrival each day. Please find our building-specific cell phone policy outlined below:

    Yondr Pouch System

    • Every Yondr pouch will be individually numbered.

    • Each scholar will be assigned a specific number and a corresponding Yondr pouch.

    Morning Arrival Procedures

    • Upon arrival, all scholars will proceed through metal detectors and have their bags checked.

    • Scholars without phones who arrive between 9:15 AM and 9:35 AM will proceed to:

      • Cafeteria for breakfast

      • Classroom (Kindergarten and 1st grade)

      • Gymnasium (2nd–8th grade)

    • Scholars with phones will report to the cell phone station located on the first floor by the elevator.

    Cell Phone Check-In Process

    1. Scholars will show an educator that their phone is powered off.

    2. The educator will provide the scholar with their assigned Yondr pouch.

    3. The scholar will place their phone — and any additional electronics (e.g., AirPods, Apple Watches) — into the pouch.

    4. The sealed pouch will then be collected and securely stored in Riverside’s locked cell phone cabinet.

    • Scholars attending Period 0 will turn in their phones after Period 0 following the same procedure.

    • Late arrivals will follow the same cell phone protocol at the front office and will then receive a tardy pass.

    During the School Day

    • If a scholar needs to use a phone during the day, they must receive a pass from a teacher and report to the office.

    • Phone usage during school hours is at the discretion of building administrators.

    • Scholars with medical conditions (e.g., diabetes) may be exempt from this policy and are expected to use phones solely for medical monitoring.

    End-of-Day Dismissal Procedures

    At dismissal, scholars who brought phones to school will retrieve their devices based on their dismissal method:

    • Bus Riders: When their bus number is called, scholars will:

      • Report to the bus riders’ line at the cell phone station.

      • Retrieve their pouch, remove their phone, return the pouch, and proceed directly to their bus.

    • Car Riders: When called by the educator managing the car line, scholars will:

      • Report to the car riders’ line at the cell phone station.

      • Retrieve their pouch, remove their phone, return the pouch, and proceed to their vehicle.

    • Walkers: At walker dismissal, scholars will:

      • Report to the walkers’ line at the cell phone station.

      • Retrieve their pouch, remove their phone, return the pouch, and exit the building.

    • After-School Participants (Sports, Clubs, etc.): At walker dismissal, scholars staying after school will:

      • Report to the walkers’ line at the cell phone station.

      • Retrieve their pouch, remove their phone, return the pouch, and report to their designated after-school activity.

    Violations & Exceptions

    • Scholars who violate the cell phone policy will be subject to consequences as outlined in the CMSD Code of Conduct.

    • Phone usage during field trips will be determined on a case-by-case basis by school staff.