Portsmouth Middle School banned the use of lockers during the 2020-2021 and school year, due to covid restrictions.  Their use continued to be banned for the 2021-2022 school year, and while other restrictions had been lifted at the end of the Spring 2022 semester, the use of lockers continued to be banned.  When parents and students inquire about locker use, we are told that removing locker use had unexpected benefits, but we have received no further explanation.  It is unclear who it is benefitting, but it is certainly not the students.  Looking towards the start of the 2022-2023 school year, parents and students are requesting that lockers be re-instated for a myriad of reasons. 

Our children are complaining about the weight of their backpacks.  The past two years of incoming 5th grade classes have lost the milestone that comes along with entering middle school, which many find exciting.  Our neighboring towns (particularly Middletown) have continued using lockers, even during the height of covid, with no issue.  Lockers have been in the school as long as anyone can remember, and have been used just the same, with the exception of the last 2 school years.  It may not seem of great importance to some, but many of us believe our children deserve this "rite of passage" middle school experience that every other generation has had, and our children have asked us to advocate for their use.  In the last few years, much has been taken away from our children, and it seems there is no rush to restore a normal environment for them.  We kindly request that you re-instate normal locker use for the 2022-2023 school year, as we see no reason to continue this restriction.