Do your children's schools require clear or mesh backpacks?

[missypie]

Our schools don't allow bags & backpacks during the day because kids & teachers would trip over them. 30 yrs ago we all just carried books & went to our lockers. I don't know why the whole backpack during the day ever started.

The weird thing for us is that the first two days of school the high school students only are required to have clear backpacks. After that no one cares. I've never heard the rationale on that one, but it seems pretty stupid to me! Kids only bring drugs & guns to school the first 2 days?!?!?

And as for tiny lockers...I guess our must be bigger than misspie's district. The backpacks fit in okay, but their winter coats don't! And of course they can't have their coats with them in classes. And no, we don't live in a warm climate where coats are never needed.

Our backpacks fit, but not a winter coat (or, I guess you could have no backpack but add your coat.) Thank goodness we're in Texas, but it's so ridiculous to see my DD waiting outside for the bus then it's 30 degrees in only a jean jacket, because her winter coat won't fit in the locker!

 

[golfgal]

We were really surprised when they told DS14 that most kids carried their backpacks all day long with all their books in them. I had never heard of that before. Most schools around here the kids go to their lockers between classes. At the new school though, it is too spread out for most kids to make it to their locker between classes. Nothing was said about clear/mesh bags.

The twins' lockers are REALLY narrow. We have an orientation session tonight so we are going see what kind of backpack will fit in there.

 

[disneyjane]

My DD is allowed normal backpacks but she was forced (up until this year) to keep it in a locker all day and ONLY carry the books she needed for each class at a time. Her locker was robbed, repeatedly. I was not happy to have to replace all her things, including her purse, and everything in it, over and over. The school took absolutely no responsibility, saying people get robbed everyday and it's just a fact of life. They even stole all my DD's notebooks and folders, homework, projects and books....everything!

This year they did away with the lockers so they can carry backpacks to class now. I would have been very happy if last year the kids had to carry see through packs. I bet it would have cut down on the theft problem a lot. The school refused to do anything about the theft problem there. Until this no locker rule this year. But they still have to use lockers while they are in PE...they are not allowed to not use them. I know those lockers were broken into a lot last year as well. They refuse to let us bring in locks with keys, so kids just look over other peoples shoulders and see what combination they use, then go back and steal from them in a matter of seconds. Its a shame.

 

[Lil_Tink]

My old schools lockers could barely fit a book into them. Not to mention they got broken into many times, and 2 years ago, half of them got burnt down.

 

[ElizaB39]

No, neither.

 

[teacherforhi]

At the middle school where I teach, students are not allowed to have backpacks in class. Since they are in teams, their classes are centered around the lockers, so they can go pick up their books between classes.

At the high school we feed into, backpacks are allowed because their lockers could be on the opposite side of the school of the majority of their classes so they need to carry more.

However, at no time have we required the clear or mesh backpacks. They've never looked that sturdy to me.

 

[MoniqueU]

No lockers here. The kids carry their books and backpacks around all day and they don't have to be see through or mesh.

 

[LBAK]

No backpacks for our middle school but they're allowed for the high school. The girls use Vera Bradley totes for the books because they can be considered a purse.

 

[MareQ]

My daughter's school doesn't require clear or mesh book bags BUT...get this one! They don't tell you this upfront but don't spend the money on a backpack - they won't let you carry it! My daughter has to put it in her locker!!! This has really ticked me off! What is the point of getting a back pack!

They still need them to get back and forth to school. That's what lockers are for anyway - to hold their stuff so they don't have to carry it around all day long.

 

[dhcoffey]

Yep, starting in 3rd grade, only clear or mesh bookbags here. Been that way for years now. I got my middle school DD a mesh bookbag from Jansport. It's actually kind of cute and even though mesh, not really see-through.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Just to comment on the no backpacks to class thing and what the point of them is...


ummm i would think the actual point to backpacks would be to get your books to and from school.

I graduated in 98 and we were allowed to take our backpacks, but i never saw anyone doing it.

 

[piratesmate]

I'm beyond furious right now!!

DD had orientation tonight and the school decided to tell them now that clear/mesh is required for the whole year, not just the first 2 days! They go back on Tuesday! Why did they wait so long to tell us?!?!?

And just wait until the juniors & seniors show up next week w/o them!

<snip> DS had to order his from L.L. Bean. <snip>

Anyway, do you remember what it is called? Or do you have a link? I looked & couldn't find one. She just got a regular backpack from Beans 3 weeks ago.

 

[suzannews]

When DD started elementary school, they asked for clear backpacks but it was not a requirement. We moved the summer before 3rd grade and the new school didn't have any rules except no backpacks on wheels but we saw kids get on the bus with them all year. This is the first year of middle school and no backpacks are aloud at all and 6th graders don't get lockers because there are not enough and get detention if they are caught sharing with a 7th or 8th grader. She carries a zip up binder all day. The good part is she gets a book from each class that comes home and stays home all year, no saying she forgot the book at school and can't do her homework. There is also a class set to use at school.

 

[piratesmate]

The idea of having an extra set of books for the classroom really makes sense....not much hope of that happening around here - they're not big on being sensible.

I don't get why your school doesn't get more lockers if they're willing to assume the cost of the extra textbooks. As for getting detention for sharing....that just seems ridiculous! If the older students are willing (and not many would be I'm guessing) why should they care?

 

[suzannews]

I don't get why your school doesn't get more lockers if they're willing to assume the cost of the extra textbooks. As for getting detention for sharing....that just seems ridiculous! If the older students are willing (and not many would be I'm guessing) why should they care?

No where to put the extra lockers. Our middle school was built for about 700 kids and almost 1300 kids attend.