Petition about Water Bottles

 Sangaree Middle School Principle Shawn McCombs sent out a Google Doc via text around 8:30 pm the Friday before school is to start banning all water bottles other than clear plastic. (Which are dangerous to your health.)

Below is an portion of the above mentioned google doc:

Received 8/09/24 @8:32pm

Please refrain from purchasing expensive cups or water bottles for your child to bring to school. We have experienced issues with spills, injuries from metal containers, and theft of expensive items. All of these problems take away from instructional time. To address these concerns, I will limit drinks to clear plastic water bottles only. I will also be prohibiting outside drinks other than water from entering the school, as there have been issues with students consuming inappropriate beverages like energy drinks or alcohol.

I as a parent of two girls that will be attending Sangaree Middle School, I am asking that the principal reconsiders his school wide rule banning all other water bottles. This is a school only rule and not a district rule. The schools are not providing approved water bottles. Many parents have already purchased spill proof water bottles. Plastic water bottles expose humans to Nanoplastics. Clear plastic water bottles are fragile and crack/break when dropped. They are not spill proof and do not keep water cold. 

Plastic Bottles are not healthy:

Dangers to human health

Nanoplastics are the most worrisome type of plastic pollution for human health, experts say. That’s because the minuscule particles can invade individual cells and tissues in major organs, potentially interrupting cellular processes. One of the easiest ways to avoid microplastics in your drinking water is to avoid plastic bottles. Instead, you can use stainless steel or glass bottles. Plastic water bottles can disrupt the endocrine system, Research has also found potential links between these chemicals and diabetes, metabolic disruption, as well as adverse neurodevelopment in children.

 I am placing my girls names in permanent vinyl on their bottles. There is no reason parents can not write their child's name in bold permanent marker to lower chance of  thief. Plus, it is disgusting that anyone would steal another person's water bottle. If the school has a problem with students stealing another student possession, discipline that student and bring their parents in. If a student is harming another student, discipline that student and bring their parents in.  If a student is bring energy drinks or alcohol to school, discipline that student and bring their parents in. As parents we will police our children and adhere to a water only in water bottle rule. That is a reasonable request. It is not reasonable punish all students to drink warm water due to a clear plastic bottle rule while endangering their health with exposure to Nanoplastics.

I am asking all like minded parents to please sign this petition and join me in asking the principal to reconsider his school only rule. Please share this petition. (Not district wide and not required by the district. The district only request students bring a water bottle and the kind is the parents choice.)