With phones no longer part of the school day, students have had to find new ways to spend their free time during seminars and lunch.   

“Ever since they banned phones, I thought reading would help a lot,” Micaela Ochoa said. “So, I ended up saving money to buy a kindle, and I’ve been using that a lot, and I think it’s been really helping and improve my English.” 

Other students have found ways to make their free time more social. During seminar, students play games such as Mafia with their classmates. Others said they have spent more time talking or playing games on their iPads.  

Teachers have also noticed changes in the lunchroom since the policy began.   

“The lunchroom is 10 times louder day to day because kids aren’t sitting on their phones,” Mrs. Nichols said. 

Mrs. Nichols also said students are more focused in class, and that seminar has become more energetic. Games and other activities have given students more chances to interact with each other.   

While the transition has been an adjustment for some students, they are finding diverse ways to spend the time they once spent on their phones, whether that means reading, playing games, or spending more time with their classmates.