Starting with the 2022-23 school year, cell phones, ear pods, headphones, and other electronic devices must stay off and in students’ bags, including during recess, lunch, and reading periods, unless a teacher has specifically asked a child to use it for a learning activity. If staff see or hear students’ phones during school, we will collect the phones. Students can pick their devices up at the end of the day in the main office. If a student has their device collected on multiple days, staff will reach out to parents or guardians to come to school, pick up the phone, and make a plan, along with the student, to meet this expectation.
The reason for this change is that in the 2021-22 school year we noticed that many students who had become accustomed to constantly using screens during remote learning struggled to focus and socialize in real life. By removing cell phones and electronic devices, we hope that students will engage more fully in school, both academically and socially.