BVNW has a three-strike cell phone policy and it has recently resurfaced this year. Now teachers are expected to abide by the rules more than in the past, principal Amy Murphy said.

Communication Arts teacher Claire Reagan said the policy is a great idea and she is fully committed to making sure students have their cell phones put away and students are focused on learning.

“It is up to the individual teacher to enforce the policy,” Reagan said. “But as a building, I am extremely excited that we are laying down the law.”

According to Murphy on the first offense the cell phone should be turned into the grade level administrator. On the second offense the phone will be turned in to the grade level administrator and the student’s parent will pick up the cell phone. On the third and last offense the phone is turned into the administration and they will keep it until the end of the semester, Murphy said.

Reagan said she agrees that cell phones can be a source of communication and that is important, but according to Reagan, too much communication can detract from BVNW’s academic excellence. She said the cell phone policy is a solid policy, with one exception to the third consequence.

“I’m not so sure how they are going to be able to enforce the no cell phone on [school grounds],” Reagan said.  “[An idea is] if the student gets it taken away, they have to check it in [to the office], in the morning and check it out in the afternoon,”

Senior Tessa Farmer does not believe the policy will be as beneficial as it is thought to be. Confiscating a student’s cell phone would only make the student want it more Farmer said, they will just be more clever about it next time.

“I think it’s stupid,” Farmer said. ” If you have a cell phone problem, taking [the cell phone] away is not going to solve that except for [the student does not] have it anymore.”
According to Farmer, taking a student’s cell phone away could not only upset the student but also the parents, Farmer said. Some students need their cell phones for contact with their parents and taking away that communication could anger the parents, according to Farmer.
Freshmen Jacob Fiola agrees students should not text in class or use their cell phones for non-school related activities. Fiola said it is not that big of a deal if a student has a cell phone in sight.
“If a student has their cell phone in their pocket, it is not going to drive them away from their work, unless they were texting,” Fiola said.
Fiola believes there will be no noticeable progress or difference concerning the students when it comes to the cell phone policy.

Murphy said for students to have their cell phones in use during passing periods, during lunch and even during class when a teacher allows it is fine. However, discipline is a valid virtue.

“We want [the students] to use them, but appropriately, at the appropriate time, at the appropriate place, and for the appropriate reason,” Murphy said. “Cell phones are a part of society, they’re here to stay and they’re not going away.”