Our Upper School has engaged various members of the community to thoughtfully create and implement a cell phone policy that best serves our students. With feedback collected during family, student and faculty focus groups last year, this fall our Upper School debuted a new policy: establishing the Commons as a cell phone-free zone throughout the day, and requiring Upper Schoolers to turn in their phones at the start of each class. During unstructured time, including lunch or non-club community time, Upper Schoolers are allowed to have their devices. The goal of the policy is to remove temptation and distraction, but also to help students develop skills to properly manage their relationships with their phones.

In December, our Upper School convened another focus group: this time inviting parents and Upper School students together to weigh in on how the new policy is going. In small groups, parents and Upper Schoolers discussed the successes of the phone policy, as well as areas for growth. There were a number of different perspectives in the room, with some expressing that the new policy is effective and it helps students be accountable, and others believing the policy doesn't go far enough.

The Upper Schoolers who participated in the focus group were curious about Calhoun's phone policy after discussing the topic during their Media & Message elective taught by English teacher Lyda Ely. To illustrate what a stricter policy could look like, Lyda collected her students' phones for an entire day – giving the group unique insight into how it feels to move throughout the school day without their devices. At the focus group, Upper Schoolers highlighted both the pros and cons of phone use at school, noting there were a range of perspectives even among the student body. These conversations underscore how essential student voice is in shaping a phone policy that works for Calhoun, and highlights how students are empowered to engage in the process.

The ongoing dialogue around cell phone use reflects our community’s shared investment in students' well-being, and the insights gathered this year will help guide thoughtful adjustments to the policy moving forward.