Woodstock MS/HS principal says ‘yes,’ three community forums scheduled
By Polly Mikula
Smartphones — and the social media apps they host — can be harmful to users’ mental health, said the U.S. surgeon general calling for social media platforms to include health warnings for younger users earlier this summer.
“Why is it that we have failed to respond to the harms of social media when they are no less urgent or widespread than those posed by unsafe cars, planes or food?” wrote Vivek H. Murthy, surgeon general, in an op-ed published in The New York Times, June 17. “These harms are not a failure of willpower and parenting; they are the consequence of unleashing powerful technology without adequate safety measures, transparency or accountability.”
Dr. Murthy said it’s important for all of society to “play a role,” specifically adding that “Schools should ensure that classroom learning and social time are phone-free experiences.”
A phone-free movement in school across the country is, in fact, currently underway and gaining momentum.
Locally, Woodstock’s Middle/High School principal and a vocal group of parents are calling for a cell phone ban “bell-to-bell.”
Three upcoming community forums will be held to discuss those plans.
The first community forum is this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Woodstock school library. All community members of the Mountain Views School District, which serves Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading, and Woodstock, are encouraged to attend.
The forums were announced at a Mountain Views School District meeting, last Monday, Sept. 9, after a presentation by interim principal Aaron Cinquemani and consultants Mitch Prinstein, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina, and Raymound Chin, a clinical child psychologist from Hanover, New Hampshire.
“The purpose of this presentation is to provide a comprehensive overview of the positive impacts of a phone-free school environment,” Cinquemani told the board. “We will delve into research findings, share case studies, and highlight actionable strategies for implementing this practice to foster a more focused, engaging, and supportive learning atmosphere for our students.”
The phone-free movement has become a global trend, Cinquemani said, primarily because its “observed benefits of improved academic engagement and student well-being.”
In California, he noted, “schools that implemented smartphone bans saw a 10% increase in student engagement and a 15% decrease in disciplinary actions related to phone use.”
Schools worldwide and locally have been affected by the decline of student mental health and are encouraged by studies outlining measurable improvements when schools adopt phone-free policies.
Cinquemani defined the phone-free school movement as: “A movement aimed at eliminating smartphone access and usage during school hours to improve educational and mental health outcomes for students.”
He then addressed some common concerns that frequently come up when folks begin to consider a phone-free policy at schools, including the need for phones in emergency situations and the need for phones to learn (i.e. as a calculator, dictionary, enclycopedia, atlas/map, etc.).
Cinquemani countered these concerns citing many studies that show phone-free learning environments lead to better focus, higher grades, improved mental health and less bullying.
“Schools have communication methods for emergencies and non emergencies,” he said, adding, “In case of an emergency, we will follow our school emergency preparedness protocols. Smartphones and cell phones can hinder emergency response, so it’s crucial that students follow our state, district and school safety procedures.”
“Schools provide all of the technology necessary and needed to maximize teaching and learning time,” he added.
At the board meeting Sept. 9, Cinquemani unequivocally expressed his support for Woodstock Middle/High School to become phone-free and asked the district board to support that effort.
“I strongly encourage you to support the implementation of phone-free practices in our school,” he told the board, Sept. 9. “Research consistently shows that smartphone-free schools significantly enhances academic performance, reduces bullying, and improves students’ mental health. By supporting this practice, we can create a more focused, supportive, and engaging learning environment for all our students.”
Most members of the board were supportive of Cinquemani’s proposal, but one expressed concerns about enacting it as an official board policy, another cited safety and accessibility issues as problematic, and one said they thought schools should teach proper use of phones or leave that up to parents.
Student board representative Owen Courcey, 17, said, “I think all this is a compelling reason for a more rigid restriction on phone use, but I do think that there’s a threshold that we might cross if we ban phones entirely. I really think, from talking with students, this is really pretty unpopular. And I think in at least the short-term there’s going to be a resentment problem if we just ban phones all-together… while this information is very compelling, I do think there are some considerations to be made before we ban them entirely, I’m a little hesitant there,” he said.
Upcoming community forums
Three community forums will be held at Woodstock Union High School & Middle School library, 100 Amsden Way in Woodstock, to engage the community in this discussion before any actions are taken.
Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 4 at 8 a.m.
While there is no timeline set for phone-free schools to be adopted, a parents’ group supporting the change hopes implementation could be rolled out shortly after the community forums conclude.
Draft policy
According to a draft letter to parents included in Cinquemani’s Sept. 9 presentation, the policy could be as follows:
From 8 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. students will not be permitted to use their cell phones, smartwatches, or Bluetooth headphones. Each student will be provided with a Yondr pouch, a secure and lockable pouch where devices must be stored during school hours. Students will keep their devices in these pouches for the duration of the school day and will have the opportunity to unlock their pouch at the end of the school day. Students are also free to leave their smartphones, cell phones, smartwatches, and Bluetooth headphones at home. Smartphones, cell phones, smartwatches, and Bluetooth headphones could also be stored in a parked student vehicle.
Daily procedure: Upon entering school, students must turn off their devices and place them in their Yondr pouches. Staff will supervise this process. Students in grades 9-12 will keep their pouches in their backpacks, while students in grades 7-8 will store them in their lockers. Students will unlock their pouches at the end of the school day to retrieve their devices.
“We understand that this transition will require adjustments for students, parents, and staff,” Cinquemani said. “But this measure ensures that students remain focused and present in their learning environment.”
