The ban on using cell phones in schools from the first bell to the last is coming to Pelham and to all New York public schools this fall. It is a huge step forward for digital safety that will improve the health and safety of our children in the digital world. 

Kids need bell to bell and, frankly, so do we. The policy will help our children by reducing distraction. It will allow them to focus on school work during classes and real-life socializing during breaks. Bell to bell will let our kids reclaim mental stamina and reduce negative cognitive-development issues that can come from too much smartphone activity. Bell to bell will encourage children to be more independent during the day.

Bell to bell will also keep our children safer in real-world, school-emergency scenarios.

I realize this statement will upset some parents. Allow me to explain. In the event of an emergency, it is reasonable for parents to want to know that their children are safe. The problem is that direct communication in the middle of an emergency can be incredibly dangerous.

• A child with a smartphone can inadvertently alert a perpetrator to their location and/or the location of those around them because of buzzing, ringing or talking.
• A child with a smartphone is more likely to be distracted and may miss life-saving instructions from a trained school employee.
• A child with a smartphone can inadvertently spread incorrect information as they may not know the full extent of a situation.
• Many parents and children calling each other could tie up cell phone capacity, making it more difficult for everyone involved to communicate.

That said, certain elements must be in place for bell to bell to be successful, including in emergency situations.

• Teachers and staff must be trained properly to manage real-world danger scenarios.
• There must be enough staff to handle logistics, whatever the implementation plan.
• Parents and kids must have the ability to communicate during a school day when appropriate.
• Any exceptions must be reasonable, minimal and clear.
• Schools must commit to radical transparency in communication.
• Parents and kids must accept and respect the policy and the plan.

I am hopeful that the Pelham school district is developing a thoughtful, thorough plan that will ensure our children are safe, can learn well and have reasonable ways to communicate with parents, when appropriate, during the school day. 

Regardless of our feelings about bell to bell, it’s happening. However our district decides to implement, let’s work together as a community to support the plan.

I look forward to hearing more about the district’s approach at the Pelham Board of Education meeting on Wednesday.

Sarah Gallagher Trombley is a Pelham resident and small business owner. Learn about her work as a digital parenting expert at digitalmom.me and subscribe to her free parenting newsletter at tfadigitalmom.substack.com. Trombley provides consulting support to the Pelham Examiner on fundraising and revenue development.