BEST. YEAR. EVER.
October 30, 2026
MCS SCHOOL POLICY ON CELL PHONES
UPDATED CELL PHONE AND WEARABLE DEVICE POLICY
At the June Board of Education meeting, the School Board approved updates to Policy 6.312 in response to a new Tennessee state law (HB 932/SB 897). This legislation restricts the use of personal wireless communication devices, such as cell phones, smartwatches, tablets, and similar items, in schools.
Our policy requires that these devices be turned off and stored out of sight for the entire school day, unless specifically permitted for educational purposes by a teacher or administrator, or allowed under a student’s IEP or health plan. For CGIS students, this means no phones from 7:00am-2:40pm each day.
We believe this change will have a positive impact on student health, behavior, and focus by reducing distractions and preserving valuable learning time.
Please take a moment to review these expectations with your student before school begins. The full policy is available on the MCS website under Board Policies.
SELF-DIRECT
This month’s Leadworthy Character Trait is Self-Direct.
What does it mean to Self-Direct?
Self-Direction is the ability and learned skill to cast a vision of future goals and then take intentional steps toward who, where, and what we want to be. Instead of focusing on things to control or avoid, we emphasize our responsibility to make positive choices related to our emotions, attitudes, and actions.
Why focus on Self-direction?
- Self-direction strengthens relationships. Self-direction helps to grow social skills and develop meaningful, positive relationships with others.
- Self-direction teaches personal responsibility. Learning to self-direct teaches students to take responsibility for their own actions.
- Self-direction helps us to regulate emotions: Self-direction empowers students to regulate their impulses and emotional responses to situations and circumstances in their life.
Self-Direction in Action:
- Practice goal setting and action planning. When we establish goals and develop action plans, we learn to take intentional steps to successfully achieve goals.
- Monitor and adjust. Provide students with regular feedback and opportunities to self-assess progress toward goals to make adjustments and improvements in their behaviors.
- Reflect and evaluate. Facilitate discussions and reflection to prompt students to examine what they do, think, and say against their goals and vision for their life and learning.
