New year. New policy. As the campus returns from winter break, a new no-phone-policy will be implemented. This was piloted during the month of November through “No-Phone-Vember” which banned the use of cell phones during school hours. The decision to take the lessons from the trial period and make them day-to-day policy was announced after Thanksgiving Break.

“By adopting a phone-free policy, we aim to create a learning environment where every student can flourish academically, socially, and emotionally without the distraction of smartphones,” Lee said. “We believe this shift will contribute to a healthier community of connection and belonging.”

This trial period was created to see how adopting a phone free environment would affect the school. “[The trial period] was intended for students to discover possibilities and reflect on their relationship with their phones,” Lee added.

The majority of students have been against banning phones as a whole, due to the fact that they can be a useful resource while doing schoolwork.

“I think a lot of people realize that phones can be useful for things other than games and social media, and that has been why there has been a mostly negative response within the student body,” ninth grader Jay Tilton said.

There have been a range of emotions within the students, but most faculty have seen positive change.

“Faculty have noticed that students are less distracted by notifications and are engaging more with each other. There’s been an increase in students studying together in the library. During downtime, students have participated in communal activities, such as chess, cards, puzzles, and basketball,” Lee said.

Sophomore Kiki Sullivan said, “Honestly, I’m in favor of it. I think that they’re a little too harsh on this policy change, but I think it allows people to focus better on their studies and causes less distraction when students are supposed to be studying.”

The new policy allows students to carry their phones, off and stored in backpacks, during the day.