![Adding a tray of canned corn to the pile, junior Michael Collop assists in transporting donations for the Holiday Food Drive. The event, hosted schoolwide from Dec. 10-17, raised over 5,000 food items to deliver to the Parkway Food Pantry, helping several families in need. [The drive] is a great thing for us to do because you're giving to those who are less fortunate, and it helps provide for people who can't provide for themselves. [The] competition is always fun, too. It was fun to be in [social studies teacher Jess] Chazen’s class, because he always gets worked up over [the competition]. He made it exciting, and was always convincing us to turn in cans for the drive,” Collop said.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/feature-photo-unsung-2.png)
![NEW CHALLENGE, NEW TEAM MEMBERS: Every season, VEX creates a new game that robotics team members are faced with and have to build a robot to compete in. This year’s game forces students to create a robot that is able to stack rings onto mobile goals in order to score points. The change in games each season is something that robotics teacher Audrea Moyers appreciates.
“One of the things that I like about VEX is that they have a new problem to solve every year,” she said. ¨Even though the equipment’s the same, they have to analyze the game, and they have to come up with solutions that are unique that year. They are using their knowledge from prior years, but they have to kind of redesign a problem.”
As returning teams were faced a new game, some new teams and members had to adapt to a uncommon playing field and game.
“Three of our four teams were competing for the first time this year, and they had very different experiences match to match, so I think they learned a lot,¨ she said. ¨It’s hard just watching a video online to know how it’s actually going to be in person, so they all learned a lot about what gameplay is like, how to work with an alliance partner [and] how to adapt during the day to changes.”](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_9283-1-1200x800.jpg)
Wheeling Park High School just finished the first nine weeks with the secured phone policy in action. Many people want to know: is the phone policy is effective?
“As the nine weeks wraps up, I continue to see the positive effects of the school phone policy. In looking at students’ grades there are less nine week failing grades as a result of cell phone free classrooms. It seems students are much more engaged in learning without that distraction. I also continue to see less drama between students during the school day”, said Jennifer Kucera- Short, department chair of counseling at Wheeling Park High school.
Comparing the first nine weeks from the 23-24 school year and the first nine weeks this year, failures are down 26.9% across the school.
“Passing classes and being successful at school contributes to more positive mental health!” said Ms. Short.
According to University of California San Francisco, “The more time kids spend using screens from ages 9 to 11 years old, the higher their odds of suicidal behaviors two years later, at ages 11 to 13. Specifically, each additional hour of screen time increased the risk by 9%.”
Counselors are noticing a difference in students’ mental health, but what about students?
“I think it makes me happier, and I feel really included in everything, when I’m not worrying about what’s on my phone”, said Emma Geisel, senior at Wheeling Park High School.
According to school discipline reports as of Oct. 4, the cell phone jails have been used by a total of 74 students so far this school year.
Cell phone jail holds 20 phones, the number has never reached that. The most phones we’ve had, have been 17. In comparison this is 1.1% of the student population.
Most students have, at least in data, adjusted to the policy well, although, according to a poll taken on The Park Press’ instagram asking, “do you feel like you have noticed a positive difference in your mental health in this first quarter with the new phone policy?”
Out of 34 responses 76% answer no, 24% answer yes. Whether this data shows that students are unaware of the positive impact of the phone policy or feel this less on an individual level versus a school-wide markable change, the phone policy is here to stay and students are adapting.
This story was originally published on The Park Press on November 13, 2024.