Grimes School moves toward a cellphone-free enviroment

At Grimes School, middle school students have started locking their phones up and carrying them in Yondr pouches as a part of the new cellphone-free school policy. This initiative was implemented during the second week of January, and students have been able to sharpen their focus on their classes in their new cellphone-free environment. 

This plan was first introduced to parents and students at the beginning of the school year at orientation, where they were introduced to why and how the cellphone restriction would happen. Grimes students will still have their phones in their possession, but they will be enclosed in a Yondr pouch to combat distraction during class and promote a focused learning environment.

This cellphone policy is being introduced to the seventh and eighth graders first to encourage academic achievement, better social behaviors and prepare students to succeed without distractions in high school. 

“We want to improve academic achievement,” said Dr. Severin Cornelius, Principal at Grimes. “We didn't have many problems with the cellphone in the past but we want to eliminate any type of distractions altogether. I haven’t heard any complaints from the teachers and so far so good!” 

When students enter their homeroom periods, their teacher collects their phones and places them into that student’s assigned pouch. The pouch is then locked with a magnetic pin and closed until the last-period students return to their homeroom. If the student needs to reach out to their parents, they can visit the main office of the school to call home. 

The magnetic base is portable, so – in case of school emergencies – teachers and staff will carry it outside of school. The phones can then be released from the pouches. Grimes will also communicate any emergency events to parents promptly to ensure student safety. 

“The kids are less distracted,” said Roy Atir, a teacher at Grimes. “They are more engaged and more involved in the lesson.”

Grimes is the first and only school in the Mount Vernon City School District to have a formal cellphone-free environment. Governor of New York State Kathy Hochul is considering moving all schools towards this model to decrease distractions and help raise academic achievement scores and the mental health of students.