The first quarter has recently come to a close at PSHS, and report card grades have been finalized. As time has passed since the new phone policy has been enforced, students and teachers are beginning to develop more personal opinions on the topic.

Freshman Jake Platt shares that he has felt more focused in class. Speaking on the lunchtime “cell phone recess” he shares that “…the 10 minutes is really nice. I don’t even think about being on my phone the rest of the day.”

While many people think of the cell phone recess as silly, it has positive effects for letting students access their phones without punishment. In some aspects, students may not have the urge to pull out their phones during class time because they have the motivation to wait until lunch.

Not as certain about the effects of the new policy, teacher Mr. Rowe has noticed that students seem more focused, but he has not seen a change in effort or achievement. 

Miss Rokicki, a mathematics teacher, provides her positive views of the policy. She exclaims that students have “more focus and willingness to work together,” and that she has noticed some improvements in student’s grades.

With the majority of positive outlooks on the phone policy this year, some still have their doubts. Not all students have fully complied with the new rule, but administrators share that the troubles they have had have been very little.

Mr. Rowe also elaborates that “some things have to be worked out, but I think it will be worth it in the end.”

With the effects that have already occurred, it will be intriguing to see how the rule progresses through students’ focus in class as the school year continues.