by Madison Evans
Sartell Middle School administrators announced new cell phone guidelines for the 2024-25 school year, and that new policy states the phones have to be kept in lockers during the school day.
In an Aug. 12 letter sent to middle-school parents from Principal Angela Safran, the concept of away-for-the-day will be implemented. When the class bell rings at 8:40 a.m. until the last class bell at 3:35 p.m., cell phones should be turned off and put away in student lockers. This is a change from previous years when middle-school students were allowed to use their phones during lunch, recess and in between classes.
In her letter, Safran stated the new guidelines will create a good learning environment, allowing students to be more engaged in classroom activities because they will be less distracted by non-school activities. Safran also noted the policy change will have a positive impact on mental health.
Mari Mathiasen of Sartell, a sixth-grade Sartell Middle School math teacher with 28 years of teaching experience, is hopeful the new policy will encourage student interactions, remove distractions and promote independence. She said she feels constant buzzes and dings alerting students to new Snapchats and text messages are a huge distraction middle-school students have trouble ignoring. She has seen children choosing to look at their cell phones rather than interacting with one another in the lunchroom, which she finds “concerning.”
Mathiasen is well aware some parents are very concerned about not being able to keep in touch with their children during the school day. Jessica Landucci of Sartell, a parent of a middle-school student, worries a bit about that, saying it will be more difficult to change plans like pick-up time or scheduling a last-minute appointment.
Landucci’s daughter, Lily Ludewig, 13, of Sartell thinks some students and parents like having the comfort of knowing they can check their phone for important communications from one another. Ludewig did not feel last year’s cell-phone guidelines negatively impacted her learning environment since she adhered to the rules and kept her phone in her locker during class.
Ludewig also didn’t feel phone usage impacted her socialization at lunch. She said all of her friends had cell phones last year, and they would put them down and listen when a friend was talking. She said some students who were perhaps having a bad day would be on their phones, separated from the group during lunch and taking time to re-energize.
Aubrey Bird, 12, of Sartell also had a cell phone last year and would use it to text her parents questions or entertain herself at lunch and recess. She is concerned about her inability to communicate with family members. However, Bird does see a positive side – that students who do not own cell phones may not feel “left out” anymore.
In Safran’s letter, parents and guardians are encouraged to call the main office at 320-656-3710 if they need to reach their children during the school day. Students who have a medical or other emergency reason for accessing their phone during school hours are asked to discuss an exception to the policy with an administrator. Teachers and administrators hope parents will put faith in them to help their children resolve issues that previously required text communications during school hours.
Safran’s letter concludes by outlining what happens when a student does not meet the expectations. On the first offense, students will be referred to the main office and will pick up their cell phones at the end of the day. If there is a second or third offense, the students’ parent(s) or guardian will be required to pick up the cell phone from the office. If there is a fourth offense, a plan will be made between the school and the family either to store the cell phone in the office each day or to leave it at home.
The new cell-phone policy differs from the Sartell High School policy, which states, “Cell phones and other electronic devices are restricted from use during class time. Students should leave their cell phones in their lockers, backpacks or put the cell phones in the designated location in the classroom. Cell phones may be used in hallways, cafeterias and other designated places but not in classrooms.”
While at their home, Lily Ludewig, 13, and her mother, Jessica Landucci, both of Sartell, prepare for the 2024-25 school year by discussing the impact of the new Sartell Middle School cell-phone guidelines on their school day routine.
