<p>How many of your children have this ban at school? Our schools ban bottled drinks in the classroom, but do sell bottled water in their cafeteria. Do you agree with this ban? I really hate the idea of my kid drinking from water fountains. Frankly, I think that they are disgusting. People spit into them, they put chewed gum in them and under them, everyone touches the same handle and it probably gets cleaned with a dirty rag if at all. Ewww! BTW, teachers do bring in their morning Java or drinks, and there is no ban there.</p>
<p>My d’s high school also bans water bottles as they have caught kids with vodka (instead of water) in them. I guess I feel they have plenty of opportunity to get a drink before school and at lunch (where water bootles are sold).</p>
<p>No, luckily our hs still allows sports bottles brought in…D fills her with ice and water every morning. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before the vodka-issue arises. I think, for the most part, that kids coming to school high is a bigger issue than drunk, but I’m probably behind the times. The drinking starts right after school is over, usually.</p>
<p>I don’t think our middle school allowed bottles of water to be carried, because when my daughter developed a throat condition (polyps) and was supposed to drink water throughout the day, I had to write a note so she could carry a water bottle. I think it was allowed in high school because I remember her always filling a bottle with water and ice before she left for school.</p>
<p>And at the local elementary school, all students are to have water bottles. Teachers walk around the classroom, ecouraging them to drink, saying, “Hydrate your brain, hydrate your brain.”</p>
<p>We had a cheating situation in our HS that was on the front page of the New York Times: A kid removed the label from the water bottle, wrote chemistry info on the inside of the label, and reglued it to the bottle. So during his chemistry test, he had info available that other students didn’t.</p>
<p>I don’t think we banned water bottles, though; instead we’ve made a big point about academic integrity.</p>
<p>my daughters school doesn’t ban water bottles- but neither do they sell them.
Until recently most schools had their water turned off as there was high levels of lead- even in the brand new schools- so theoretically there were water coolers available, but those often didn’t get refilled.
Many people should be drinking much more water than they do, and one way to do that is carry your water bottle with you as my D does.</p>
<p>Problems have occurred with water bottles at our high school–kids tried to substitute vodka–and they have been banned during class. If kids want to store one in their lockers, they are welcome to hydrate between classes. A bit of a compromise that seems somewhat reasonable. Can’t imagine the time spent by lower grade teachers cleaning up spills, etc. or the number of computers, etc that are ruined as a result of spills by students of all ages. Certainly if there are medical conditions that warrent special needs, exceptions should be made with a doctor’s note. </p>
<p>While I agree with the importance of hydration, teachers don’t have the time to police the contents of bottles and clean up the mess the bottles create. As far as comparing student rules to the teacher’s morning cup of java, etc.–believe most would agree there is really no comparison. Adults have earned certain ‘privileges’ and a beverage on the desk is one example!</p>
<p>My kids’ old high school did not allow any drinks in the classroom. They also allowed no backpacks, coats, gym bags, etc. in the halls or classes. This past year they have banned cell phones (well they can have them, but can’t be turned on or visible during class times–if caught, phones are confiscated).</p>
<p>I don’t recall any water bottle rules at our high school (my kids are now in college). I recall them taking Nalgene bottles to school. One of my kids stayed after school every day for her sports. The other was after school for musical theater rehearsals. My athlete needs to drink water. My singing daughter also needs to drink water a lot. </p>
<p>However, I recall two incidents with my younger D at the school over this, even though there were no written policies about water in our student handbook. One incident, during her last year of HS, was at lunch in the cafeteria, she bought a bottle of water. She did not finish it and wanted to save it for the rest of the day and for after school musical. As she was leaving the cafeteria, the middle school principal (the MS and HS are intertwined at the same facility and he was on duty) yelled at my D in front of the entire cafeteria, humiliating her, because she kept her water and yelled that she had to go to the principal’s (head of entire MS and HS) office (so the others all heard she had to go to the principal but had no idea why). It was something like: “NAME! Go to the principal’s office right now!” So, she went to the principal’s office who said it was not a problem and she’d go talk to the MS principal, not to worry. Mind you, the MS principal, a male, who was married to the Music Dept. Chair, was in a relationship with the principal (a woman) and his marriage broke up over it, which is beside the point but some weird dynamics there. </p>
<p>The second incident was in a biology class with a teacher who despised my daughter and behaved repeatedly in unprofessional ways with her, with my other D who she never had as a student, and with me and even the State Dept. of Education knew of what was going on. This didn’t have to do with water, though. Nalgene bottles of water WERE allowed. D had one in her class. One day in front of the class, she admonished my D over something that I now forget, and took her Nalgene bottle, opened it up, smelled it and took a sip…to find out it was water. My D did not drink alcohol during her high school years. This is not an example of the teacher’s unprofessionalism and I am not going to mention the things she had done now, but I bring this up in context that she had it in for my D and for my family, and had no cause to check the water but disliked D for other reasons. </p>
<p>Those are our experiences with water at school though no written policy about it exists.</p>
<p>Oh, for goodness sakes. What’s to prevent a kid from filling an approved bottled water bottle with vodka if that’s what he wants do do? The only time water bottles were prohibited that I heard about was a temporary ban in an elementary school after several water fights broke out. Or many schools just prohibit ANY drink or food as a distraction during class. Do your business between classes. I don’t think eating, drinking, chewing gum during class was permitted in my school.
I know the disposable bottles can be a real trash issue. I see drink bottles everywhere at schools, not an issue we had when we were in school.</p>
<p>the amazing thing is that somehow we all survived childhood without water bottles :)</p>
<p>cptofthehouse: Agreed. But God forbid someone take the trouble to use one of the many other enforcement methods (spot check water bottles if you’re REALLY that obsessed, or just kick kids out who get drunk). It has to be the easy, blanket one.</p>
<p>Kind of a big problem I see in society (and particularly schools) lately. “Something can be used for something bad? Great, ban it.” I think it’s a problem.</p>
<p>I agree with Garland. Why the heck do they need water bottles or food or drink in a classroom? Unless it is hot as Hades, I would not permit them with exceptions for kids that medically need something which is rare. Distracting and trash causing. They can drink between classes. We’ll be needing a Port-a-Pot in the classroom next. Sheesh!</p>
<p>1of42, I am beginning to agree with you. This is how my son sees it, and he has convinced me. He says where there is a will there is a way. He sees so many inconsistencies in rules. High school kids can leave school at lunch to get drunk if so inclined. They could even drive their cars back to school while drunk! They can bring bottles of alcohol in their backpacks or have it in their lockers. Beil writes:
One can do this with alcohol between classes too.</p>
<p>cpt I agree with you except in May, June, and September when there is no A/C.</p>
<p>If thay ban all water bottles at Ds school, they might as well prohibit kids from bringing their own lunches and drinks! There is more than one way to hide alcohol, and if there is a will, there will be a way.</p>
<p>With vodka, it would be more like “dehydrate” between classes. Guess they need some water for that. LOL</p>
<p>It’s really not a question of banning, permitting or even having drinks, food in a classroom… In my opinion, there are highschool kids who are “pigs” as I have seen from trash left in many places where food and drink are permitted. I would just keep that problem out of the classroom.</p>
<p>Why the heck do they need water bottles or food or drink in a classroom? </p>
<p>Because some kids go 9 or 10 periods without a break - and then have after-school activities. This year D has a lunch break and a free period, but last year she had no free period and sometimes had to go to music lessons during her lunch period which meant she went to school from 7 AM until 3:00 with no break, and then straight to sports practice/games and the earliest she would get home was 5:45. D would never eat food in class, but I’m sure she would get dehydrated on those days lunchless days if she wasn’t allowed to have her water. There is really no time to drink between classes unless you are lucky enough to have classrooms in close proximity (something that rarely happens).</p>
<p>Bunsen, That is exactly how my son views it.</p>
<p>Cpt, are you calling our little darlings pigs? Lol. I agree about the food, sticky drinks like sodas, fruit punch, but not about basic water.</p>
<p>Limo, no lunch break at all should not be allowed. It is not healthy at all. A student should be allowed a minimum of 20 minutes to choke down a sandwich (it takes at least 5 minutes to get to and 5 more minutes to leave the cafeteria for class). Our kids have 30 minute lunches at a minimum.</p>
<p>I don’t think you need water IN the classroom. But some kids are at school from 7:30 AM until past 5 (or later). They want to have bottled water for either between classes or after school. It need not be brought into the classroom but I don’t see why it can’t be allowed in backpacks or in the building. </p>
<p>Having bottled water available to you is a healthy thing and maybe we didn’t do this when we grew up but today it is part of being health conscious. My D needs it for sports. She has to take what she needs for school early in the AM to last her through 8 at night usually. Water is one of her things she needs to have in her bag. My other D is a singer and it is very important to keep hydrated. Same with when she has allergies and colds. Having water for the day with her is a good thing and I have no problem not having it IN class but I do with not having it as one of your belongings for a long day that starts at 7:30 AM and often gets home at 10 PM. Certainly in college, this is allowed and encouraged. At our elementary school, having water bottles in class is also encouraged. Also, it is healthier than the water fountain. </p>
<p>By disallowing water bottles in the building, it doesn’t solve alcohol issues. There are ways to still have alcohol if you want. Also, I don’t think not allowing kids who don’t mess with alcohol to not be allowed to have water in order to solve a problem with those who drink is the answer.</p>