WHS has a new phone policy this year. It is geared to “promote a focused and respectful academic environment,” according to the student handbook. “Waterford High School is now enforcing a universal ‘Off and Away‘ cell phone policy during all instructional settings. This policy is designed to minimize distractions, support student engagement, and ensure consistent expectations across classrooms.”
The Waterford High School has phone pockets in every classroom. Every block, when the bell rings, all students have to put their phones in their numbered pocket. The times allowed to use phones are during passing time, lunch, and study halls set in classrooms.
Freshmen this year think that the WHS policy is more lenient than the policy that they had at CLMS.
Freshman Nate Greene says, “I would say that it has been beneficial for people who have phones for sure. Having the ability to use it during passing time, as a freshman, to check PowerSchool, and using it as free time during lunch [is useful].”
Freshman Aidan Saad says, “I feel like the phone policy has helped me because if I need to check my schedule in the hallway, I do not have to pull out a folder. Also, if I need to stay after school or something, I can text my parents in the hallway and let them know.”
Sophomores and Upperclassmen think that these policies are stricter than those they had in the years past.
Junior Lexi Pelt says, “It has definitely helped me lock in for my classes more and pay more attention, but sometimes it is annoying when there is downtime in class, and we can’t go on our phones.”
Junior Hannah Hall says, “It has affected me in a good way. It is beneficial so that I do not have a distraction while getting my classwork done. At some points, when I have no work and even in study halls, we aren’t allowed to take it anywhere and we aren’t allowed to have it in the library, I find it to not be beneficial because I am not able to have my phone, even in some cases for an emergency, and if I get caught with it, it is an immediate write-up.”
Junior Amayah Forrest-Smalls says, “It has benefited me by improving my work ethic in the classroom. I feel I pay attention more and understand the material better, but I do wish they would be more lenient with the phones in the library sometimes. Your girl wants to listen to music and study in the library rather than in their assigned classroom for the study hall.”
Senior Audra Fiano says, “I honestly feel like it hasn’t done much for me. I’ve learned not to need it all the time, and it’s nice to take a break and just socialize with people. I think it helps me understand lessons better and get more.”
Junior Chris Brower says, “Nope, I do not think it’s beneficial. It feels like I’m going to get an emergency text from my mom at any moment, which makes it suck not knowing what can happen.”
Junior Alizay Zubair says, “It is beneficial in some cases, it keeps me from being distracted in class and, lets me focus, [which] is nice because I get to finish my work but other than that, I also find it annoying because the only times we could use our phones are during passing period or lunch and five minutes is not enough to check everything like messages and when we get to class, we are supposed to put it in, so that’s kind of annoying, [especially] because some students at WHS like doing their work with music and they can’t even have that now because of the phone policy.”
In general, the new phone policy at WHS is a big change for all students and teachers, and although there are some things that students believe are frustrating with the new policy, so far, it seems to be an effective way to help students focus better on classrooms.
