2023 - 24 Annual Report
Goal 1
Yondr ( Cell Phone Parking Lot ) Pilot at Day Middle School
As part of the NPS initiative to meet the social emotional needs of its middle school students , the district applied for and was awarded a Cell Phone Use Pilot grant from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education . As part of the pilot , the Day Middle School Administrative Team partnered with Yondr , a company that provides pouches for students to secure their cell phones during the school day . Beginning in September , they conducted student , faculty and parent orientations and engaged in community messaging and meetings to support a shift in culture around cell phone access and usage . Below are some ways in which this pilot program has positively shifted the culture of our school : There have been only 14 incidents of negative interactions around cell phones from September 2023 - March2024 . By comparison , from November 2022 - May 2023 there were over 400 negative interactions around cell phones . There has been a significant decrease in the frequency of students signing out of class and a decrease in vandalism of shared spaces such as hallways and bathrooms . There has been a decrease in social media related bullying instances this school year . There has been an overwhelmingly positive response from the parent community and from the Day faculty and staff . Cell phones have been replaced with more in - person opportunities to interact through an increase in outdoor time and opportunities to play interactive games in shared spaces like the cafeteria and in the enrichment block . Although the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is not renewing this specific grant , we will be collaborating with our central administrative team and our PTO to identify a less expensive and more sustainable resource to support the continuation of this positive shift to our school culture and climate at Day .
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