https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/education/minnesota-middle-cellphone-ban/ Skip to content NewsNation Sign Up Sponsored By Toggle Menu Go [ ] [] Primary Menu * 2024 Debates + How to watch + Ask a question + Voter Guide * Crime * Border Report * Space * Missing * Your Money * Weather + Climate Top Stories Do you need to let your car warm up in winter? [GettyImage] Video Top Stories Millions face winter weather during post-Thanksgiving travel [GettyImage] Top Stories What does the El Nino weather pattern mean for winter? Video Thanksgiving travel to be busiest in decades: Here's what to know Video Where stormy weather could impact Thanksgiving holiday travel Video El Nino-fueled wet winter could soon begin hitting CA Video * Shows + Morning In America + NewsNation Live + NewsNation Now + The Hill on NewsNation + Elizabeth Vargas Reports + On Balance with Leland Vittert + [CUOMO] + Dan Abrams Live + Banfield + NewsNation PRIME * NewsNation Live + How To Watch NewsNation + NewsNation TV Schedule * More + Network + Your Morning + Meet The Team + Newsletters + Podcasts + Feedback + Advertise with Us * App * Channel Finder + How To Watch NewsNation + NewsNation TV Schedule Go Go [ ] [Go] republican debate Minnesota middle school students 'seem happy' after cellphone ban * A Minnesota middle school has banned the use of cellphones * The policy has the support of some parents * School principal: Students are "smiling" and "happy" Caitlyn Shelton Updated: Dec 1, 2023 / 10:44 PM CST (NewsNation) -- A middle school in Minnesota has banned the student use of cellphones during the school day. Patrick Smith, principal of Maple Grove Middle School, said the policy has made a huge difference. "They're smiling. They're happy. They're engaging with each other in the hallways," Smith told "On Balance" host Leland Vittert. The crackdown on cellphones started last year. The policy prohibits Maple Grove Middle School students from using their cellphone from 8:10 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. Philadelphia bans wearing ski masks in some public places "We just noticed that the culture and climate was pretty negative, and a lot of it stemmed from what we felt was social media drama, concerns, creating conflict," Smith said. "So, we knew we needed to do something." After discussions with other officials, Smith said they decided to try something new and focus on enforcing the cellphone policy already in place. "After a lot of dialogue with parents -- because we want buy-in and the reason why this is working is because we have buy-in and support from our families and staff -- So, we do allow them (students) to have phones on them, but they just cannot be seen from 8:10 to 2:40. It's working." The middle school does not allow flexibility on the no-phone policy. "We don't allow any for any reason. If we see the phone, we take it. There are no questions asked," Smith told Vittert. If a teacher or administrator sees a phone in a student's hand, they take the phone. If it's the first time a phone's being confiscated, the student is allowed to pick it up at the end of the school day. The second time, parents are notified and the student gets their phone back at the end of the day. The third time a student is caught, a parent or guardian must pick up the phone themselves. Public or private: Burchett not worried how Hunter Biden testifies Smith thinks there's a correlation between less access to social media and improved student behavior. "We do see a huge, huge difference in the way students are connecting with each other," Smith said, later adding: "Just a short two years ago, they spent more time just looking down at their phones every moment that they could, and so it has become the culture of our building, and again, the kids seem happy." And Smith hopes the rule will leave a long-term, positive impact on the students. According to a recent poll, the average U.S. teen spends nearly five hours a day on social media. Education Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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