The New Phone Policy: A Catalyst for Conflict
Media provided by Fiona Miller ‘26
How many times do you use your phone in a day? Our phones are important tools that guide us through our daily lives. Whether checking our schedules or text messages, our phones allow us to pass through the world. How would you feel if this integral tool was taken away for just existing?
Even though the cell phone policy existed before, it was not as heavily enforced since pre-COVID years. This year, the policy has returned to the high school community with great vigor. The policy prohibits the use of phones during the school day, with the exception of the short passing periods and lunch.
On Monday, Sept. 18, at 12:44 p.m., two students in the Class of 2026 had their phones taken away from them on the second floor while they were together. Iris J. ‘26 explained, “I pulled out my phone for one second, opened it up, and a teacher came walking my way. [The teacher] shared that they’d need to take my phone even though I was using it for GraceNet.”
At the same time, Sabine T-R. ‘26 described the incident, saying, “I was holding it in my hand, and the next second it was theirs.”
When asked if the student was using their phone at that time, Sabine responded: “I just had it in my hand … it probably should have been in my backpack, but instead, it was in my hand even if I wasn’t using it.”
Similar experiences have been shared by students across the school, where phones were confiscated for simply existing outside of a backpack or pocket.
The administration claims that the rule has been enforced to connect our community and allow for more engagement in the classrooms.
Caitlin Hickerson, the Dean of the Class of 2026, described Grace as a “place that centers community, centers connection, [and] centers all those things.”
Ms. Hickerson thinks that part of the mission of Grace is to become a close-knit community, and the phone policy was enacted to bring the school one step closer to this goal.
Lorry Perry, head of the high school division, says that following the cell phone policy may help us become less reliant on our phones in order to decompress or relax, and that, with a little time and patience, we can become more present and have better connections with one another.
As of now, many students seem blinded by the anger of their phones being taken from them and say they are unable to see the policy’s mission. Many believe that it is overly strict.
According to a 12th-grade representative, Walker F. ‘24, “I think the policy is being implemented in a (very strict) way that leads to a divide between teachers/administration and students, when what should be happening is a collective effort to have more meaningful class time while also allowing students basic freedoms.”
While the intentions of the policy are good, the student body has not always interpreted them in this way.
Some students are concerned about what would happen if they broke the policy. As of now, according to the Student Handbook, the consequences of breaking the policy are as follows:: “Violations will result in confiscation by any teacher of a student’s phone and in a behavioral infraction being sent from the Class Dean. Confiscated phones are turned in to the Class Dean and kept at the reception desk and must be retrieved from the reception desk at the end of the school day with the permission of the respective Class Dean.”
Anxiously, students await the possibility of not having contact with their phones during a serious situation. For students who have violated the policy, their phones are out of reach, and contact with their families is compromised.
Zoe Z. ‘26 thinks that “not having your phone during a lockdown or fire drill, can make you risk being unable to communicate with relatives during a high stress time.”
Even during the school day, students with family health issues are still stressed and unable to focus, worrying about what could happen to their loved ones.
Sami D. ‘26, a 10th-grade class representative, said: “It’s important to be able to communicate with your family during school, whether it is talking about plans after school or an ill family member.”
One might argue that students should just refrain from breaking the rules in the first place. However, this is hard to do when teachers enforce the policy differently from each other, and the rules seem unclear. Walker thinks that “the idea of taking phones without warning seems a bit harsh. If the policy was that you get one warning before it being taken, that would feel more fair.”
Might it be possible that the solution is to move with the flow of technology and learn with the progress rather than push against it?
Zamira F. ‘24, the student body leader,drew a comparison between a teacher’s lack of late penalties on essays to the strict phone policy: “She doesn’t give late penalties on her essays. So she says the essay is due this Friday—you could submit the essay two months later, and she won’t penalize you for it. Most of the class submits it on time because when you are given this leniency, you learn to trust the community…and when you are told you cannot go on your phone or we’ll take it from you and we’ll lock it up, that erodes trust.”
Strict rules might create sneaky students. While this is a hard truth to acknowledge, it is important to understand the validity of it. One student responding to The Gazette’s phone policy survey mentioned: “The main gripe people feel with this policy is the lack of trust toward the students coming from the administration. Rules like the phone policy…feel like rules designed to restrict simply to be restricting, regardless of the many reasons that faculty and administration claim as the reasons behind these new policies. If the administration does not give trust to their students, students will believe that they aren’t trustworthy or respected.”
Iris J. ‘26, has a similar insight to Zamira. “Trust is the most important principle to achieve a safe and connected community.” Iris wrote. “Teachers have to trust their students, and in turn, we have to trust them. Teachers must trust their students to be making the right decisions with our devices.”
The majority of the respondents to the survey seems to feel as though there is a lack of trust and an abundance of disconnect between students and teachers.
A recent survey sent out by The Grace Gazette to the whole high school shared interesting data from students and some teachers. One of the questions, “Was there a time when you did not have access to your phone that made you feel unsafe?” was acknowledged with surprising answers. One anonymous student shared, “If there’s a time-sensitive emergency, my family is not calling the school first to tell them to call me. They are just going to call my phone, which would be a hazard if I’m not allowed to use it.”
Media provided by Fiona Miller ‘26
Students, hoping to come to an agreement with the teachers and administrators, were asked if the rule could be amended. Many responded by saying that students should be allowed to use their phones anywhere in the building during lunch.
When asked how he would amend the phone policy, Micah W. ‘26, a 10th grade student representative, shared, “If I were to change the phone rules, I would allow us to use our phones during advisory, and let us use our phones throughout the building during lunch.”
There is a pertinent question of whether the issue is the general distress amongst students due to the new rule or whether the adults whom they trust and admire have a lack of trust and respect for them. Students say they need their phones to keep in touch with peers, stay on top of tasks, and feel aware and safe in the school community. According to the survey, a majority of students believe that taking these phones away during free time is unnecessary and unfair. While the decision to start reinforcing the phone policy may have had good intentions, the reception by students may not be so positiveIt is up to the faculty and students to come up with a solution together and listen to each other’s points of view.
Student representative Mikail O. ‘25 suggested: “We need a committee overlooking cellphone infractions and allowing students to share their side of the story.”
Cassie Ball ‘26 and Fiona Miller ‘26, the authors, are staff writers for The Grace Gazette.