School is back in session at Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School in San Luis Obispo, but one thing is missing — cell phones.
Students at the small private school say it’s a big change.
“I'm addicted to my phone so I was like, okay, that sucks,” one student explained.
“I realized I'm actually kind of addicted to my phone now because I'm always patting my pockets to see if I forgot it somewhere," said student Noor Kridi.
“It's not because they want to do that, it's because they are not able to stop from doing that,” said Mission Prep teacher Peggy Randall.
Last week, in a statewide letter, California Governor Gavin Newsom urged “every school district to act now to restrict smartphone use on campus."
But last year, Mission Prep was already preparing for the change.
“We had a 100% agreement across the faculty on campus that we needed to remove phones during our day," said teacher Dr. Brett Schmoll.
Randall explained that over her 39-year teaching career, students haven’t changed but things like increased dependency on phones have hindered their ability to learn.
“Different things have gotten in the way of their engagement with their fellow students, in their engagement in the classroom and it's been exponential in the last five years,” she said.
At the start of every school day, students put their phones in a Yondr pouch and lock it up. At the end of the day, teachers unlock the pouches allowing students access to their prized possession.
“I can’t wait until the clock is like 2:45 so I can unlock my phone," Kridi said.
But Mission Prep has done more than just ban phones. Counselor Emily Lua implemented an additional feature that focuses on the welfare of all students. A simple check-in on their phones through a QR code allows the counseling department to get a baseline of how each kid is doing prior to putting their phones away for the day.
“They're actually engaging in a morning check-in that involves a social and emotional check-in. It's kind of like their own private journal in the mornings,” Lua said.
With all the changes in the first week of school, many students are finding that it’s not the end of the world.
“I think it'll be easier. I think they'll just learn to know that everything will be fine. It'll be okay,” one student said.
“I think people are already starting to use it. As the year goes on, I think we'll be fine,” another added.
Teachers say they are already seeing the positive effects.
“Seeing them interact and engage with one another when they walk in the room, there's a louder volume because they're all talking,” Schmoll said.
Mission Prep isn’t the only school in the area implementing phone bans. Coast Union High School and Lopez High School have similar policies while other school districts have implemented or are exploring policies related to phone restrictions.
