Schools

Should Water Bottles Be Allowed in Classrooms?

Principal said having water bottles on desks distracts students from the educational process.

Not long ago, when a kid was thirsty in school, they would visit a water fountain to get a drink of water. This practice is one the is trying to maintain, despite the popularity of water bottles.

But one parent said the school rule, which allows students to have water bottles in their backpacks or lockers for use after school and during lunch but not on their desks or out in the classroom during the day, is cause for concern and he wishes to amend the school's water bottle practices.

Scott Watkowski read aloud at Monday night's Board of Education meeting an email he had sent to Principal Frank Verducci detailing his concerns with the rule, which include allowing students to stay properly hydrated without having to use water fountains. Verducci, who was not in attendance during the portion of the meeting in which Watkowski presented, said there are 10 water fountains in the school. However, Watkowski cited the National Education Association's website, which says a water fountain spigot can have 2,700,000 aerobic bacteria per inch.

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Watkowski, who agreed that the watter bottles should not be on top of the desks, also said that while the rules are designed to limit disruptions in class, in his opinion, allowing students to use the water fountain causes more distraction.

"When a student is thirsty, what is the sequence of events? They must first raise their hand requesting permission to leave, then get acknowledged by the teacher, followed by being granted permission to use the fountain, then opening the door and leaving the class, opening the door to return and then getting back into their seat with the proverbial, 'What did I miss?' question to the neighbor. Without question, this causes them to miss out on instructions," Watkowski said.

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Verducci said the rule, which is not an official board policy, is a common protocol that the school has renewed. 

"In every building I've ever been in, there are certain things that you do and you don't do," Verducci said.

Verducci used allowing food in the classroom as another example. While the middle school students do not typically have to deal with the issue as much, Verducci said some elementary school students have to eat more frequently than others, but schools often do not allow food in the classrooms for the same reasons water bottles are not permitted on desks in classrooms. Verducci said even the smell of foods could potentially disrupt the educational process.

"The final analysis is we want our kids to be focused on their education," Verducci said.

In addition to being a distraction, allowing water bottles in the classroom can be a safety hazard, Verducci said. For example, if water is spilled on the floor and a student slips, he said.

Watkowski argued that allowing the students to drink from their own water bottles is cleaner and healthier, but Verducci said the school's attendance rate is high and absentee rate is low and that he does not feel that allowing students to drink from the fountains is causing harm. Students who need to drink from a water bottle at their desk because of a medical condition are able to do so if they provide a written notification to the school from their doctor.

The board's Policy Committee agreed to consider Watkowski's concerns at their next meeting.

"I guess it's never been considered before and it's something that, I guess, we should look into," Board Member Sheldon Bross said.


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