The Blue & White

by Kaylie Lam

Starting off the new school year, MHS students are now required to either put all personal electronics, including phones, airpods, and headphones, in a pouch hanging in the classroom or in their bags away for the duration of class. This has surprised many returning students, as this is different from previous years, where phones stayed on the students.

School Principal Mr. Curet made the decision, along with the School Committee, to implement this new policy. In an interview, Mr. Curet stated that, “While we have always had a cell phone policy, we did revamp our “electronics” policy this school year. Students distracted by technology has been an ongoing challenge that Middle/High School staff have been struggling with for some time.” He noted data supporting this, saying, “The results of staff members that were surveyed across the district showed 30% of teachers reported needing to redirect students away from electronics 5-10 times per class. 24% noted that they had to redirect up to 5 students per class.”

Ultimately, these findings led to the idea of implementing a clear pouch in which electronics could be placed in for the duration of class. Mr. Curet explained that, “It is early in the school year, but when doing walkthroughs of classes I am seeing more teachers able to use class time for teaching and supporting students’ learning as opposed to redirecting, and/or having to frequently deviate from the lesson. Students are more attentive/engaged as well.”

“With regards to some of the long term impacts of this work,” he continued, “we are hoping to see students grades improving, less technology related disruptions, less incidents of bullying through social media, and a reduction in student anxiety that is perpetuated by technology usage (social media, falling behind, etc..).”

Overall, Mr. Curet and other staff members have noticed improvements in student and staff cell phone usage during class and hope to see long term improvements. Mr. Curet hopes to implement this policy again in upcoming school years, commenting, “We recognize that technology is essential to being successful in today’s world, but it needs to be an appropriate use of technology.”

Mr. Curet reassured that this policy is not to ban students from using phones completely, saying, “many schools have combated the challenges that come with technology use by banning cellphones in school entirely. That is not what we are trying to do with this effort. We are asking that students understand when it is important to “unplug.”
 


A couple of MHS students were interviewed on this matter and were asked, “What do you think of MHS’ new cell phone policy?”


Sophomore Emily Amico: “I think it’s useful but also kind of stupid because I don’t think that all students should lose out on their ability to use their phones if they still get all their assignments done and have good test scores, but hey, that’s just me.”


Sophomore Sophia Polit: “I think the new cell phone policy that was introduced to MHS this school year definitely had an impact on students in the first week or so. More specifically, as teachers first went over expectations as far as the restrictions on cell phones, it did ‘scare’ students. For the most part, they respected the enforcement given to put them away during class time, as the consequences were clear.

However, as we continue to progress past mid-term, I believe both students and teachers have become a little more lenient in respecting this policy by not using the given phone holders assigned, and going back to just verbal warnings, which don’t seem to bother students as much. Don’t get me wrong, teachers are still doing the best they can to make sure students are using their class time efficiently, but, it is also the student’s responsibility to make their own decision as growing adults to limit their distractions and make their own decisions.”


Sophomore Elier Jaquez Guante: “I personally found it stupid at first but honestly, I don’t see much of a difference from last year. Students don’t have the school Wi-Fi so there’s no way to use our phones even if we had them, and the only use we would have is calling, which we don’t need to do, and listening to music, which you don’t need your phone to do. And most teachers don’t mind you listening to music and stuff as long as you’re paying attention. It does suck that we can’t take photos of in-school moments anymore, it sucks not being able to make memories like last year because personally, I have tons of photos from in-class with friends.”


All in all, this new policy has been an adjustment for the staff and students, but deems helpful in the success of the school. Despite it not being a favorite among the students, Mr. Curet and other staff members are hopeful for this benefiting the school as a whole. What are your thoughts on the new cell phone policy?