Dear Fellow Parents,

As parents, we all share the same hope every morning when we drop our children off at school: that they will spend their day in a safe environment, focused on learning, growing, building friendships, and making memories that will shape who they become.

Many of us have become increasingly concerned about the presence of mobile phones during the school day. While the school currently has a no-phone-use policy, students are still allowed to bring their phones into school. We appreciate the school's efforts to limit phone use during school hours; however, many students still find ways to access and use their phones despite the rules. More importantly, we believe that the issue goes beyond whether phones are actively being used.

Even when phones remain in students' bags, they are still present. Notifications, vibrations, the expectation of messages, and simply knowing that a phone is within reach can distract students from being fully engaged in the classroom. A phone does not need to be in a student's hand to compete for their attention.

We understand the view that students should learn to manage technology responsibly. However, we also recognize that children and teenagers are still developing the self-regulation skills needed to resist constant digital distractions. Many adults struggle with this challenge themselves. Expecting students to spend the entire school day focused on learning while carrying a constant source of distraction in their bags places an unnecessary burden on them.

At the same time, we recognize that many students, particularly older students, need to bring their phones to school so they can communicate with their families before and after school hours. For this reason, we are not suggesting that students leave their phones at home.

Instead, we believe there is a simple solution that balances both the needs of families and the school's educational mission: students who bring phones to school should leave them with their homeroom teacher at the beginning of the day and collect them when school ends. This ensures that phones remain safe, secure, and completely removed from the learning environment while still allowing students access to them outside school hours.

This is not about punishment or restriction. It is about protecting our children's learning environment and giving them the opportunity to be fully present in their classrooms, with their teachers and classmates. It is about helping them focus on conversations instead of screens, on learning instead of notifications, and on building meaningful relationships during some of the most important years of their lives.

We know that raising children in today's digital world is not easy. Every parent is trying to find the right balance between technology and childhood. This proposal is simply an effort to create a healthier balance during the school day and to support the values that we all want our children to develop: focus, responsibility, respect, and genuine human connection.

We are asking parents who share these concerns to join us in respectfully petitioning the Mashrek School Administration to review and adopt this policy. Every signature represents a parent who cares deeply about the wellbeing of our children and wants to work together with the school to create the best possible environment for them.

In Summary we believe that:

• Phones should not be accessible to students during school hours.
• A phone in a school bag is still a distraction.
• Children should not be expected to manage constant digital temptations throughout the school day.
• Students can still bring phones to school for use before and after school.
• A phone-free school day will better support learning, concentration, wellbeing, and social development.

If this is something you believe in, please add your name to the petition and help us spread the word to other parents. Our voices are strongest when they come together, and together we can advocate for a positive change that puts our children's best interests first.

For our children, for their future, and for the learning environment they deserve.

With appreciation,

Concerned Mashrek Parents