For the 2025-6 school year, Shalhevet instituted a new phone policy banning the use of phones on campus. An update to the policy, which requires all students to bring their phones into school for placement in phone lockers, was issued at Town Hall on January 13. 

This semester’s changes mean that 11th and 12th graders, who had previously been permitted to leave phones in their cars, can no longer do so. If a student does not have a phone or simply left it home, the student’s parents must send a message to Principal Daniel Weslow or Chief Academic Officer & Judaic Studies Principal Malka Popper.

Senior Orley Kagan said that before this policy she was not leaving her phone in the car that much and the shift in policy has not affected her or her friends that much yet. 

“I don’t really [..] need my phone that often,” Orley said, adding that when students have had to leave early, faculty permits them to access their phones. “So it really has […] (not)come across as a problem yet,” said Orley.  

On arrival each morning, all students are required to put phones in designated, grade-level phone lockers/boxes with labeled slots for each student. MacBooks or other laptops, as well as iPads, are still permitted during the school day. 

During lunch or free periods, seniors and juniors with off-campus privileges may retrieve their phone from the designated grade-level box before leaving campus and must re-deposit it upon return and before attending their next class.

In clarifying the second semester restrictions, Mr. Weslow sent an update to the student body on Jan. 14. 

“The core principle remains the same, with one important clarification,” he wrote in the update, “namely that every single student must turn in their phone immediately upon arrival to campus without exception.”

This policy expands on last year’s more flexible policy, which prohibited the use of phones during class time unless a teacher required them for a class activity. At the start of classes, students were required to place their phones in hanging phone cubbies and claim them after class ended. 

Under both the original policy and the new rules for second semester, there are consequences for those who violate the requirements. A first offense imposes lunch detention on the student, whose parents would be notified, and the phone is confiscated for a day. A second offense results in lunch detention and parent notification, as well as a phone confiscation for several days. Additionally, the student has 2 percent deducted from their grade in the class where they used the phone.

Mr. Weslow declined to provide an estimated number of violations of the policy for the fall 2025 semester, but said that there were fewer violations in the first quarter than in the second quarter.

The new phone policy has had positive effects, faculty members said.

“I would say that the changes I’ve noticed are that students are connecting more,” said Mr.  Weslow. Even though they have seen certain improvements in student behavior the phone policy is not perfect, he said. 

“To the credit of our students, we haven’t had to enforce it that much, which has been really awesome,” said Mr. Weslow. 

Since the new phone policy was implemented, teachers have noticed that students are more interactive with one another. Darlene Grover, Director of Education Support, said that when she walks through the halls, while she still sees students on their MacBooks and iPads, they are not playing games or watching movies alone, but making it a group activity. 

Education Support Specialist Andrea Serrano also sees less negative feedback from teachers in terms of grades and from students in general, she said. 

“Outside of the hallways and in the study room, they’re interacting much more,” Ms. Serrano said. “Back then they would be on their phones, on TikTok or Instagram, social media, but now they’re interacting more. I feel like there’s even more laughter. There’s also more studying in groups, which is great to see, and in the hallways, I would say there’s more chatting, which is good. It’s a better way of communicating with others,” said Ms. Serrano. 

In addition to social benefits, Mr. Weslow said, without phones, students are more involved in activities.

“There’s been an uptick in students being involved more in some of the optional programming that our Judaic faculty offer for enhanced Judaic learning,” he said. “I feel like they’re more connected.”

Sophomore Hana Berg said that before the policy, the students were on their phones “a lot,” but now, even without phones, students still have their iPads and MacBooks. 

“I feel like it didn’t make that much of a difference,” said Hana. 

As students approached the year’s halfway point, History Teacher, History Department Chair, and Junior Class Dean Dr. Keith Harris, said that while the new phone policy is helpful in keeping phones out of the classroom, compliance was much better at the start of the year.

“I’ve noticed that the little boxes downstairs aren’t nearly as full as they used to [be],” Dr. Harris said.