Noah and his "Silly Bandz"
I saw this article in the Union Tribune and I had to save it. Noah got a package of Silly Bandz from Grandmama who learned about them when she visited the east coast for Lindsey's Wedding. The kids there, along with our cousins, were already sporting them and we had no idea what they even were. Now Noah is in the thick of this trend and I thought it was so funny to see an article in the paper about it. Trends come and go so I thought it would be fun to save this.
Silly Bandz apparently making kids too silly
Some S.D. schools banning the coveted rubber bracelets, citing classroom distractions
By Maureen Magee
and Hailey Persinger
Originally published October 23, 2010 at 7:55 p.m., updated October 24, 2010 at 1:25 a.m.
School officials say the Silly Bandz are an unwanted distraction.
Silly Bandz are beginning to be banned by a series of campuses nationwide, including at La Jolla Elementary.
Those stretchy, colorful, spaghetti-thin bracelets that are all the rage with the grade-school set are getting banned from more and more classrooms because teachers say the silicone jewelry has become a major distraction.
Some children line their arms — wrist to elbow — with Silly Bandz. They sort them, trade them, steal them, covet them and flick them.
La Jolla Elementary School was the latest campus to ban the Bandz last week after virtually every teacher agreed the wrist wear was causing problems.
“We have kids playing with them instead of doing their work. Kids take them off in class, and at recess they trade them,” said Principal Donna Tripe, who said nearly every student complied with the ban when it started Friday.
The trend began last year at certain campuses nationwide, but the rubber band-like bracelets didn’t really creep into San Diego County classrooms until school resumed this summer in many parts of the region.
The bands, which cost about $5 for a pack of 24, are popular with both boys and girls. They come in a variety of colors and shapes — from pumpkins to princesses to footballs to frogs.
Like Pokemon and baseball cards before them, the bands are the latest obsession — and playground currency — for children. They’re also the latest items to be banned on campuses.
In some schools, the aforementioned Pokemon and baseball cards are no-nos. In others, children are prohibited from trading them to avoid disputes and distractions.
Cade Kronemyer, a fourth-grader at La Jolla Elementary, said there’s a sort of ranking system for the bands. Like most collectibles, the rarer the better.
In the case of Silly Bandz, peace signs and saxophones are among the most coveted. Kronemyer, owner of more bands than he can remember, doesn’t like the decision to prohibit them.
“You just wear them. They’re awesome,” he said.
As for the complaint about students fiddling with the bands and trading them during class time, Kronemyer said that’s only “true of some kids.”
His twin sister, McKena, owner of only one Silly Bandz — a dolphin — disagreed with her brother, noting that teachers sometimes have to interrupt lessons to collect the bracelets. School office staff and principals also said they’re increasingly getting roped into settling disputes over Bandz trades gone sour and allegations of Silly Bandz theft.
Fausto Barragan, principal at North Terrace Elementary School in Oceanside, said students are sent to his office about three times a week over Silly Bandz trades gone bad or accusations of stealing.
“They need me to investigate who stole Silly Bandz. My biggest concern on this campus is that they are a distraction,” said Barragan, who plans to issue a schoolwide ban soon.
At Jerabek Elementary School in Scripps Ranch, the popular bracelets are outlawed in select classrooms. At the same time, the bracelets are among the rewards that students can get for good behavior.
“We have no problem with them during recess or lunch,” said Vice Principal Vicki Zands. “It’s up to a teacher’s discretion whether or not to ban them.”
Silly Bandz apparently making kids too silly
Some S.D. schools banning the coveted rubber bracelets, citing classroom distractions
By Maureen Magee
and Hailey Persinger
Originally published October 23, 2010 at 7:55 p.m., updated October 24, 2010 at 1:25 a.m.
School officials say the Silly Bandz are an unwanted distraction.
Silly Bandz are beginning to be banned by a series of campuses nationwide, including at La Jolla Elementary.
Those stretchy, colorful, spaghetti-thin bracelets that are all the rage with the grade-school set are getting banned from more and more classrooms because teachers say the silicone jewelry has become a major distraction.
Some children line their arms — wrist to elbow — with Silly Bandz. They sort them, trade them, steal them, covet them and flick them.
La Jolla Elementary School was the latest campus to ban the Bandz last week after virtually every teacher agreed the wrist wear was causing problems.
“We have kids playing with them instead of doing their work. Kids take them off in class, and at recess they trade them,” said Principal Donna Tripe, who said nearly every student complied with the ban when it started Friday.
The trend began last year at certain campuses nationwide, but the rubber band-like bracelets didn’t really creep into San Diego County classrooms until school resumed this summer in many parts of the region.
The bands, which cost about $5 for a pack of 24, are popular with both boys and girls. They come in a variety of colors and shapes — from pumpkins to princesses to footballs to frogs.
Like Pokemon and baseball cards before them, the bands are the latest obsession — and playground currency — for children. They’re also the latest items to be banned on campuses.
In some schools, the aforementioned Pokemon and baseball cards are no-nos. In others, children are prohibited from trading them to avoid disputes and distractions.
Cade Kronemyer, a fourth-grader at La Jolla Elementary, said there’s a sort of ranking system for the bands. Like most collectibles, the rarer the better.
In the case of Silly Bandz, peace signs and saxophones are among the most coveted. Kronemyer, owner of more bands than he can remember, doesn’t like the decision to prohibit them.
“You just wear them. They’re awesome,” he said.
As for the complaint about students fiddling with the bands and trading them during class time, Kronemyer said that’s only “true of some kids.”
His twin sister, McKena, owner of only one Silly Bandz — a dolphin — disagreed with her brother, noting that teachers sometimes have to interrupt lessons to collect the bracelets. School office staff and principals also said they’re increasingly getting roped into settling disputes over Bandz trades gone sour and allegations of Silly Bandz theft.
Fausto Barragan, principal at North Terrace Elementary School in Oceanside, said students are sent to his office about three times a week over Silly Bandz trades gone bad or accusations of stealing.
“They need me to investigate who stole Silly Bandz. My biggest concern on this campus is that they are a distraction,” said Barragan, who plans to issue a schoolwide ban soon.
At Jerabek Elementary School in Scripps Ranch, the popular bracelets are outlawed in select classrooms. At the same time, the bracelets are among the rewards that students can get for good behavior.
“We have no problem with them during recess or lunch,” said Vice Principal Vicki Zands. “It’s up to a teacher’s discretion whether or not to ban them.”
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