Newtown High School has adopted several new policies for the 2024-25 school year, eliciting varied reactions from staff and students. The three main changes include a new cell phone policy, new study halls for sophomores and juniors, and required school-issued Chromebooks.
The new cell phone policy describes that in every classroom, it is prohibited for students to have or use their cell phones unless a teacher gives permission. In every classroom, students are required to place their phones in a designated number in a cell phone holder, usually right as they enter the door. Students are not allowed to take their phones when they use the bathroom. The usage of headphones and earbuds are also prohibited unless one is given special permission.
An email describing the change and reasoning behind it was sent to students and guardians from NHS Principal Dr. Kimberly Longobucco on August 9th.
“Cell phone usage in our teen population has skyrocketed since the pandemic. The easy access to the digital world can be both a blessing and a curse. Cell phones can be a distraction and ultimately a deterrent to learning. In addition, there have been a number of studies that establish a link between increased cell phone usage and the negative effects that they have on teenage mental health,” Longobucco wrote.
Many teachers have hope that this new policy will be beneficial for both social and intellectual aspects of the school environment, NHS social studies teacher Ryan Eberts being one. Eberts did not take phones from his classes in previous school years.
“I'm for the elimination of phones in the classroom. All of the research suggests that phones in schools are a detriment to both learning and socialization, and when laptops are present there's no need for a phone. We are at a creative and interpersonal loss when instead of interacting with others around us our default mode is to consume content on our phones,” Eberts said.
NHS science teacher Jeanette Roderick agrees with Eberts, noting how her classes have benefited from the change.
“My students have adapted very well to the new policy. They come in and put their phones in the cell caddy, and they’re not distracted during class,” Roderick said.
Sophomores and juniors now no longer have free periods, instead having large study halls in the cafeteria and Lecture Hall. In previous years, if students met high honors, they would earn the privilege of having free periods. Longobucco notes that this is not a punishment, but instead a safety precaution to ensure that faculty is aware of where every student is at all times.
The new study halls have purposefully been created to be more community-based as they are in one designated area. Any sophomore or junior who has a study hall in the same period will be in the same space together, as opposed to the freshman study halls that take place in individual classrooms and are separated. They are allowed to talk and have their phones during these study halls and are still allowed to meet with a teacher or go to the library if they have a pass. Seniors still have free periods.
Despite the study halls being deemed not as a privilege being taken away but as a new rule for safety, many NHS students still feel frustrated. NHS juniors Cali Taylor and Olivia Doersch shared their thoughts on the new policies, both agreeing that they dislike the new study halls.
“As someone who is entering their junior year and had [free periods] last year as a sophomore, I think it’s a little ridiculous that we now have study halls. In my opinion, if you work hard and get good grades, you should have the privilege of working where you like. As for the cell phone policy, while it can be a little annoying at times, I feel that it was the smarter move to keep students off their phones in class so they can focus on the assignment at hand. This will also hopefully decrease the amount of students in the bathroom if students are no longer allowed to bring phones, which I feel could be beneficial to the overall environment of the school,” Taylor said.
“I think it’s unfair that our free periods were taken away because personally I like to spend my time in the library where it’s quiet and I can use the resources. So, I think it’s unfair that I have to find a teacher everyday to write me a pass to go to the library and study. I don’t like the phone policy because I like knowing I have [my phone] in my backpack in case of an emergency,” Doersch said.
NHS sophomore Skylar Urbina has mixed feelings on the new policies.
“I think the phone policy is useful in terms of having more focus in class, but we don’t have as much free will. And when the study halls are in the cafeteria it’s really hard to focus because it gets really loud,” Urbina said.
The last major policy change is that all students are now required to have their fully charged school-issued Chromebook with them every day. This year every student has been issued one and is expected to use them rather than their own personal devices. This change allows some computer labs to be phased out, as teachers will no longer have to book computer labs to ensure everyone has access to a computer.
Dr. Longobucco has high expectations for how these new changes, notably the cell phone policy, will improve NHS.
“I'm hoping the cell phone one will [have the most positive change], because it will directly impact student learning. I anticipate us seeing better class engagement, teachers less frustrated with students being distracted in their room, and hopefully, some better grades, some better test scores, some better opportunities. I'm hopeful that that one will have the biggest outcome that we can measure,” Longobucco said.
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