English
Option 2: You are a student at HHS. You are writing a formal letter to the Principal, persuading him to allow students to have their phones on them throughout the day, following the institution of a new rule that all phones be handed in at the start of the day and collected at the end. You could also argue in favour of the policy instead.
Dear Mr. Sutton,
In regards to the hesitancy of the cellphone policy, I am writing to you in high esteem that it's time for this much-needed change. Why are we still debating this? I believe all phones should be handed in at the start of the day to ensure the learning of all students. Nowadays, everyone has this almost seemingly “indispensable multi-tool”; but is it really such a necessity in the classroom? Well the long and short of it is no. No it's not. But since you require conclusive evidence, I’m only happy to oblige.
Irrefutably, one thing all teachers complain about is that cellphones are a classroom disruption. Don't just take my word for it, take theirs. Now imagine this, one student finds a funny video and shows his friends, they all start laughing and it piques others interest, the next thing you know the whole class is in uproar and guess what? All focus is gone. Cellphones not only disrupt the learning focus of the user but others as well. Studies show that 72 out of the 87% of people using their phones during class-time are using them inappropriately. However, you might encounter the rare fraction of students who comply and use them as an aid to their learning. Although a handful compared to a sea of people, the odds aren't exactly looking pleasant. One might counterclaim that only having them stored in their possession isn't distracting. But we all know the temptation is too overwhelming to resist. By handing them in at the start of the day, and having them be recollected at the end, it's a win-win scenario for all involved. Grades will rise and overall productivity levels will improve.
Another reason is to keep the device safe. How many times has a student bewailed about a cellphone being stolen or lost? Or parents calling in to blame the school for being liable, when really it states in the School Rules and Expectations: "The school is not responsible for any possessions which students bring into school." That would have to include cellphones, no? With the rule in place, that dilemma would be alleviated instantaneously. Furthermore, the school would save a fortune if they didn't have to compensate the expenses of every phone come prey to theft. Shiny—let alone expensive—phones unattended are a target to prying eyes and itchy fingers. Or if theft isn't the case here, misplacement is all too common. If there is no phone in the first place, then it can't be stolen or lost now can it? Save yourself and others some heartache later down the road and enforce the no cellphone policy.
Now here comes the controversial question. What about in the case of an emergency? Predictably, every student will argue that point in perpetuum. Although, you and I both know that if this unfortunate occurrence were to happen, the school has already got it covered. It would be redundant for a student to reach anyone because the school has a list of provided contacts that
they can text or call in a second. Additionally, if we were in a school lockdown, the last
thing we need is a Snapchat notification going off, alerting the intruder with the gun outside. All that is required is one forgotten phone that wasn't left on silent to be accountable for the classes demise.
Granted, I'm not saying there will be no initial repercussions because there will be the select few. In spite of that, this can be swiftly dealt with. As a part of maturity, we have to learn to accept rules outside of our jurisdiction, and if we don't, consequences follow. Nevertheless, in this case an equal balance has to be found. My solution to you is if a student is spotted with a phone during school hours, it is simply taken away and given back at the end. This gives the student reassurance that they'll get it back at the appropriate time and they'll soon figure out that roughly six hours and thirty minutes isn't a long time. On the other hand, if you confiscate it for a day or longer, this will provoke the student because they have rights to their property during their time. You see, if you go too harsh; i.e giving the student a referral for being on their phone, that will just encourage a negative head-space. Hypothetically, let's say that you extracted the phone from the student and now they are aggravated and are disrupting the class. This is when you refer them. Because normally if a student is causing a classroom disruption, they would get a few warnings then a referral, but what I'm saying is the rule is the warning.
In conclusion, I've given you all the supporting reasons to my claim on banning cellphones. I feel the only thing that was lacking to initiating this rule beforehand was the perspective of a student in this day and age. Now that you have it... what do you choose to do with it? Will we all reap the benefits of a promising tomorrow, or shall we remain stagnant?
Yours sincerely,
