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January 12, 2026
Dear Saint Joe Students, Parents, and Guardians:
As previously announced, starting on January 20, students will no longer be permitted to carry their cell phones or wear their smart watches during the school day between 8:15 and 3:15 pm. If they take a cell phone or smart watch to school, they will be required to leave it in their locker. The policy reads as follows:
All personal electronic devices (cell phones, smart watches, etc.) other than a student’s school-issued laptop are not to be in a student’s possession, taken to class, or used within the building between the hours of 8:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. Devices are to be turned off and left in lockers or locked cars during this time.
Students who must carry their phone or smart watch for medical purposes (i.e. diabetes), will receive authorization from the school nurse. This is already in place for students whose parents previously provided information from a doctor. Any question on this can be directed to Nurse Katie at kharshman@saintjoehigh.com.
Based on the research and work done by a team of teachers and administrators, we see the following advantage to this:
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Greater focus and engagement in class. We believe this will lead to deeper learning and improved academic outcomes. As illustrated by this video, studies have shown that phones that are nearby, even if not being used, distract students and “reduce available cognitive capacity.” Conversely, physical separation, achieved by keeping phones in a separate room, increases focus and improves learning.
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Improved social-emotional well-being. Studies have shown a connection between excessive cell phone use by teens and greater levels of anxiety and depression. We want to create a space where our students can learn to have a healthy separation from their phones and believe this will have a positive impact on overall well-being.
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Enhanced in-person communication and relationships. Based on conversations with several school principals that have implemented cell phone bans in their schools, we believe that separating students from their phone will lead to better conversation, stronger relationships, more collaboration, and a greater sense of community among students.
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Better communication in the event of a school emergency. Our research concluded that communication during a school emergency will be more accurate and clear, resulting in increased safety for students. We are committed to providing timely and accurate information to parents during an emergency.
Please click here for a resource page with articles and resources on the impact of cell phone use on teens and in schools.
We realize that most of our students need to develop the new habit of leaving their phones in their lockers. We are not aiming to catch students violating the policy, we are aiming to support them in following the policy. The following steps will be taken in January to help with this:
- Information, multiple reminders, and opportunity for discussion through announcements, the Morning Show, Flex period, classes, and lunches.
- Hallway posters, locker magnets, and even a new bell tone at 8:09 a.m. (9:39 a.m. on late start days).
We are asking all parents to support this policy and to place the expectation on your children that they will follow the policy in full. This may cause some inconveniences and adjustments in your habits as parents. For example, we are asking parents not to text students and certainly not expect a response to a text during the school day. If there is an urgent need for a parent to contact a student, they may do so via email or they may call the Main Office at 574-233-6137 or the Office of Student Life (OSL) at 574-239-7665 and request that we get a message to the student. The OSL will continue to handle all exit passes.
There will be consequences for non-compliance with the policy. Each consequence involves the confiscation of the device. The first violation will still result in a warning where the student is permitted to retrieve the phone him or herself from the Office of Student Life. Subsequent violations will include detention (after-school detentions or Saturday morning), and the phone will only be released to a parent or legal guardian. To retrieve the cell phone the same day it is confiscated, parents will have to be present in the OSL before 4:00 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Excessive violations will result in required parent meetings, out-of-school suspension, and possibly expulsion. This is not the result anyone would like to see, thus, student compliance and parent support is key. The full policy and consequences are listed in the Student-Parent Handbook.
As previously announced, we are also implementing new security and management settings on the school-issued laptops. One change is that messaging apps (i.e. iMessage) will no longer sync with students’ personal phones on school MacBooks. We are also implementing Securly, a program designed for K - 12 schools, to improve student safety, support well-being, and give teachers tools to guide device use in class. Click here for more information on the Securly.
To help with communication on these changes, we are holding two parent information sessions this week. We plan to share information, take questions, and provide support for parents that want to access the parent features on Securly.
In-Person Parent Information Session
Cell phone and Laptop Information (Securly)
Wednesday, January 14, 7:00 p.m., Black Box Theater
7:00 pm - Cell phone policy and procedures
7:45 p.m. - Information and support with Securly
Please park and enter on the west side of the school.
Virtual Parent Information Session
Laptop Information Only (Securly)
Thursday, January 15, 7:00 p.m.
Join via Google Meet (not Zoom):
https://meet.google.com/tys-jaiq-jcg
We are confident that these changes will promote student engagement and well-being, allowing students to thrive academically and personally, and we are excited about the possibilities. Questions can be directed to either of us at the email addresses or phone number listed below. More technical questions about Securly can be directed to Jason Inman, Director of Technology, at jinman@saintjoehigh.com.
God Bless and Go Huskies!
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