Dear Eastview Learning Community,

Over the summer, a teacher focus group and our department leader team reviewed research and best practices related to the impact that cell phones have on creating meaningful student relationships with their peers and teachers, social and emotional learning and academic focus. We care greatly about our students and their learning achievement and know that cell phones provide many benefits for students. At the same time, cell phones create significant challenges for a focused learning environment including the social emotional learning and development of our students.

We believe we must adjust our practices and policy (details below) to help students enhance their connection to learning at EVHS and, today, we shared with students this important information for our cell phone expectations in all classrooms. As we start the new school year, our teachers will be working with our students to create routines that support our focus on developmental relationships, social and emotional learning and a focused learning environment.

Thank you in advance for partnering with us to support what we believe to be an essential step in developing relationships and creating a more focused learning environment. We believe growing these skill-sets will assist them greatly both now and in the future.

As always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Bruce Miller

Principal

All learning spaces will have a phone caddy for students who bring a cell phone to class to place their phones during each class period.

Students have a school-issued iPad which provides them access and communication (school email) to resources to support learning. Personal phones are not needed during instructional time.

For the past several years, many of our teachers have been successfully piloting cell phone caddies in classrooms wherein students place their phone in a centralized location in individual phone pockets at the start of class. Some of your students may have already experienced a classroom where this was an expectation.

In addition, students will have the flexibility to access their cell phone during passing time between each class, during lunch, and before and after school.

NOTE: We understand there may be circumstances when students will need access to their phones.

• Students who use their cell phone to monitor a medical condition (i.e. diabetes, epilepsy) may have their cell phone with them at all times.
• Depending on a student’s unique personal situation, students may access their phones during class with teacher permission.

• If your student does not have a cell phone, please have your student inform their teacher.

• Please contact Rob Franchino (rob.franchino@district196) if there is a different essential reason that your student needs their phone in class during academic time.

Creating meaningful relationships with others is a continued focus of our purpose and guiding principles at Eastview High School. Relationships in school are important factors in maximizing a student's learning and social and emotional development. Research indicates that cell phones create significant challenges, barriers, and distractions that deter from building these important relationships.

Maintaining a focused and engaged learning environment in our classrooms is essential in helping students learn. Cell phones distract students during valuable learning activities that take place in the classroom both with teachers and peers. Learning can be difficult and distractions only make these opportunities more challenging.

Proximity to the cell phone in the classroom can have an effect on learning, brain development and academic focus. Research indicates that quick accessibility to a cell phone in a pocket, on a desk or in a backpack, can still cause distractions for students by diverting their attention away from learning and other important tasks. Again, this diverts our focus during valuable learning activities that take place in the classroom both with the teacher and peers.

For the past several years, many of our teachers have been successfully piloting cell phone caddies in classrooms wherein students place their phone in a centralized location in individual phone pockets at the start of class.

• “I was spending so much of my instructional time monitoring students' cell phones that I implemented a phone caddy half way through the school year. After doing so, I saw a drastic difference in student focus, my ability to better connect with my students and classroom culture.”

• "Consistent expectations for the entire class allows me to better focus on all of my students' needs without having to manage and monitor students on phones causing distractions.”

• “One of my students thanked me for implementing the phone caddy. They saw their grades increase as a result of no longer having the temptation of their phone as a distraction. It was clear the students appreciated the consistency.”

• “The reason I began using a cell phone caddy in 2018 was when I realized the constant need to patrol cell phone usage was affecting my ability to teach and build relationships with students.”

• "Some students would always grumble a bit at the beginning of the year when I explained why I use a cell phone caddy. Year after year, however, students undoubtedly realized the positive impact of the caddy on their learning and often thanked me for using it.”

The below resources were shared with students today. You are encouraged to take a moment to review them and discuss them as a family.

Bruce Miller

Principal

952-431-8909

bruce.miller@districtc196.org

Email: Eastview@district196.org
Website: evhs.district196.org
Location: 6200 140th Street West, Apple Valley, MN 55124
Phone: 952-431-8900
Facebook: facebook.com/EastviewHighSchool
Twitter: @EVHSLightning