Troup Goes Phone-Free

Troup School has officially kickstarted its phone-ban rollout, and saw that throughout the day, students participated in class more and were less distracted — even if students said it was ​“awkward” and even ​“scary” to be without their phones.

That was the scene during Augusta Lewis Troup School’s first day, on Wednesday, of using Yondr pouches to seal away the phones of fifth- through eighth-grade students. 

Last month, the school district announced that all K‑8 schools would be going cellphone-free starting in January. That policy came after the state Board of Education recommended, but did not require, that K‑8 schools across Connecticut should get rid of phones. Read more about students’ and parents’ thoughts on a cellphone ban here.

Troup Principal Eugene Foreman had ordered 250 Yondr pouches just before the start of the school year for Troup’s middle school students, who in recent years have struggled to remain phone-free in the classroom. He noted that during the school day, students’ phone distractions led to less in-person interaction with their peers and sometimes physical altercations that stemmed from social media drama. 

On Wednesday, the 259 Edgewood Ave. public school issued 140 pouches to students to kick off a phone-free year going forward. Foreman received the pouches toward the end of October. His leadership team decided the first day of implementation would be Nov. 6, a week after the school hosted a student assembly to answer students’ questions and concerns about the pouches. The school also organized two parent information sessions for parents to also discuss the new phone policy, but no parents attended.

During the first day of rollout on Wednesday, Foreman told the Independent that the introduction of Yondr pouches had been successful, with no behavioral incidents related to phones occurring throughout the day. While students were at first hesitant about the pouches, he said that by the end of the day, many forgot their phones were locked up in their bags. 

Yondr pouches require a device to magnetically unlock. Troup also purchased Velcro phone pouches for its few students with medical conditions like diabetes and kidney monitoring, for easier access. Three Velcro pouches were issued out of the 140 total Wednesday. 

There have been a few main problems that stemmed from phones in recent years, Foreman said. One was that students would message each other during class to meet up in bathrooms. Another was that they would airdrop each other photos and videos and FaceTime during class. Also, educators had to go back and forth with students if they were trying to take the device away.

Foreman noted that if students damage or lose their Yondr pouch, they will be expected to pay for it. 

He said he looks forward to the pouches eliminating distractions in the classroom and encouraging students to talk to their friends and get to know their peers more. ​“Today the [cafeteria] was quieter than normal because those socialization skills have been lost for years,” he said.

Foreman added that when one student was dismissed early on Wednesday, their phone was easily released while they were waiting for their parent to pick them up in the main office. According to Foreman, their parent said that that they appreciate the school’s phone-ban policy.

Eighth graders Yabsira Gorigi, Milton Pittman, Nashuana Thompson, Shyanna Robinson, and Annis Strong talked with this reporter about Troup’s first day of phone-free school on Wednesday at around 2:30 p.m.

They said that their first day phone-free was ​“awkward” but ​“good.”

Yabsira said that he thinks the new phone policy is especially good because it allows teachers to not have to be distracted in class by asking students to put their phones away. ​“The more they focus, the more they get knowledge,” he said about his peers. 

Shyanna agreed that she believes the Yondr pouches will help lessen the number of fights and disagreements stemming from social media. 

Annis said that she wishes their phones were at least released temporarily during advisory time.

Nashuana argued, ​“If they give us a break, some might not lock it back up, though.” 

Annis said she wants a break because she likes to text her mom updates during the school day. ​“It’s scary because what if she’s texting me for an emergency?” she said. 

While Shyanna said the first day of using the pouches was stressful, she understands why the policy is in place. She added that she unfortunately won’t be able to take selfies when her classes have good lighting. 

While the group agreed the policy is necessary, they also relayed concerns about safety. 

Shyanna said that if there was a lock down for an active shooter, she’s scared she won’t be able to get in touch with her mom or fifth-grade brother who also attends Troup. She made sure to mute her phone’s notifications but still keep it on while in its pouch so that her mom can still track her location.

Nashuana agreed that she would prefer to have her cellphone during a lockdown because during past lockdown drills, ​“some kids don’t take it serious and that scares me.”

In response to concerns about not having their phones during emergency lockdowns, Troup informed families that ​“if we are locking down the building because of dangers outside the building, if students are then calling their families and they’re showing up, that creates a dangerous situation for them and even law enforcement,” said Culture and Climate Specialist Da’Jhon Jett. 

“As the adults in the building, one of our many responsibilities is ensuring the safety of our students first. If there’s a lockdown or any safety emergency happening in the building, the staff and administration would be in contact with law enforcement and district leadership to communicate necessary information while also ensuring everyone remains as safe as possible.” 

He added that Troup has a communication system called ParentLink that would also be used to inform parents en masse of any emergency issues.

Annis said that sometimes there are personal ​“emergencies” that she doesn’t want to share with school staff and would prefer to just text her mom about.

Nashuana concluded that ​“these phones are really getting to us. We will just scroll for hours and don’t talk to anybody.” 

She said her day to day includes being on her phone in her bedroom, sleeping, and watching TV. ​“I don’t know anyone to hang out with in my neighborhood,” she said. 

Annis agreed, saying she has no desire to play outside because she enjoys staying in her room and scrolling on her phone and texting her friends. 

English teacher Ranisa Sweat told the Independent that she was surprised to see so many typically-quiet students speak up more in class, which she believes was due to the lack of distraction from phones on Wednesday.

She added that even students without phones were eager to carry a Yondr pouch to be like their peers.

“It makes a difference when everyone is engaged. It’s starting to look like whole-group discussions,” she said. Wednesday’s increased participation gave her class the chance to hear more from students who were less engaged in the past, she concluded.

As the fifth through eighth graders dismissed Wednesday at around 2:50 p.m., students crowded around Jett on the third floor as he unlocked each student’s phone from their pouches in less than ten minutes. 

Students cheered and said ​“finally” as they slipped their phones from their pouches, which they returned to their homeroom teachers, and had their devices back in hand.