We, the students and community members of Robert E. Fitch High School, are deeply concerned about the proposed changes to the 2025–2026 school policies. These adjustments will have a negative impact on student life, learning, and safety.
Here's why we oppose these changes:
-Club participation will suffer. Morning meetings are inconvenient and will likely lead to a continued decline in student involvement, especially when students previously had time during the day to engage in extracurriculars.
-The new bell schedule may lead to increased absences, as students might arrive later knowing that missing CTL will not impact their attendance record, ultimately undermining overall attendance and consistency.
-Mid-day breaks are essential for mental health. Previously, having a period during the school day to decompress, eat, check in with friends, or simply take a breath helped students recharge and manage stress. Removing this break, especially when paired with stricter phone restrictions, can increase anxiety and make the school day feel overwhelming and nonstop.
-Removing phones completely, even during lunch, eliminates our only break and mental reset during the day. Lunch has been a necessary time to relax, connect with others, and mentally recharge.
-Lack of access to phones prevents students from communicating with family during emergencies, last-minute changes, or ride coordination, which increases anxiety for both students and parents.
-Coaches rely on texting athletes during the day to communicate schedule updates or last-minute changes, something that will now be disrupted.
-Dismissal will become more chaotic with hundreds of students heading to lockers just to retrieve phones, creating safety concerns and delays.
-Blanket punishments are unfair. Every student should not be punished for the behavior of a few. Responsible phone use can and should be managed by teachers with individual systems like classroom pouches or expectations. This fosters accountability and trust, not frustration.
We want to be clear: The majority of students agree that phones should not be used during instructional time. However, we also strongly believe that students should have access to their phones during personal time, such as lunch, passing periods, and study halls. Taking away phones completely throughout the day is extreme and unnecessary.
We believe students deserve a voice in decisions that affect our education, safety, and well-being. We urge school administrators to reconsider these changes and work with students, staff, and families on a more balanced and effective solution.
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
July 30, 2025
29 Comments
i look forward for CTL in the middle of the school day for my clubs and to study, it’s not convenient for students to have to do these things first thing in the MORNING and also have to wait to do work at home/afterschool!! we might as well combine with the middle school if we want our high school schedule and PHONE policy to align. the phones are such a small issue in this school and to revoke phones from students is not ensuring further safety by doing this, it will make students much more anxious when it comes down to negative circumstances without their phones during the day, and during free time.
Although I have gratefully graduated, I will not stand by these changes that the students are expected to unfairly adhere to.
I understand the need for cell phones not to be out during class time, but it was really helpful to be able to reach my son for after school activities, scheduling, etc. between classes and during lunch. Please rethink this proposal and continue with the policy you had last year, which I think was a perfect balance.
As it is my senior year, I enjoyed the previous rules of the last school year and would like to experience that as well this year - thank youuu
This doesn’t exactly have the same excuse as “It’s keeping us safe!” Because this just seems like totalitarianism (being dramatic but you get it)
Yeah no ty
doing everything but taking assault rifles
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We, the students and community members of Robert E. Fitch High School, are deeply concerned about the proposed changes to the 2025–2026 school policies. These adjustments will have a negative impact on student life, learning, and safety.
Here's why we oppose these changes:
-Club participation will suffer. Morning meetings are inconvenient and will likely lead to a continued decline in student involvement, especially when students previously had time during the day to engage in extracurriculars.
-The new bell schedule may lead to increased absences, as students might arrive later knowing that missing CTL will not impact their attendance record, ultimately undermining overall attendance and consistency.
-Mid-day breaks are essential for mental health. Previously, having a period during the school day to decompress, eat, check in with friends, or simply take a breath helped students recharge and manage stress. Removing this break, especially when paired with stricter phone restrictions, can increase anxiety and make the school day feel overwhelming and nonstop.
-Removing phones completely, even during lunch, eliminates our only break and mental reset during the day. Lunch has been a necessary time to relax, connect with others, and mentally recharge.
-Lack of access to phones prevents students from communicating with family during emergencies, last-minute changes, or ride coordination, which increases anxiety for both students and parents.
-Coaches rely on texting athletes during the day to communicate schedule updates or last-minute changes, something that will now be disrupted.
-Dismissal will become more chaotic with hundreds of students heading to lockers just to retrieve phones, creating safety concerns and delays.
-Blanket punishments are unfair. Every student should not be punished for the behavior of a few. Responsible phone use can and should be managed by teachers with individual systems like classroom pouches or expectations. This fosters accountability and trust, not frustration.
We want to be clear: The majority of students agree that phones should not be used during instructional time. However, we also strongly believe that students should have access to their phones during personal time, such as lunch, passing periods, and study halls. Taking away phones completely throughout the day is extreme and unnecessary.
We believe students deserve a voice in decisions that affect our education, safety, and well-being. We urge school administrators to reconsider these changes and work with students, staff, and families on a more balanced and effective solution.
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
July 30, 2025
29 Comments
literally fitch after getting ZERO student body opinion EVER (and when they do use student body opinion they twist our words and barely listen, aswell as making it harder to push our ideas) and making fitch even harder to tolerate
i look forward for CTL in the middle of the school day for my clubs and to study, it’s not convenient for students to have to do these things first thing in the MORNING and also have to wait to do work at home/afterschool!! we might as well combine with the middle school if we want our high school schedule and PHONE policy to align. the phones are such a small issue in this school and to revoke phones from students is not ensuring further safety by doing this, it will make students much more anxious when it comes down to negative circumstances without their phones during the day, and during free time.
Although I have gratefully graduated, I will not stand by these changes that the students are expected to unfairly adhere to.
I understand the need for cell phones not to be out during class time, but it was really helpful to be able to reach my son for after school activities, scheduling, etc. between classes and during lunch. Please rethink this proposal and continue with the policy you had last year, which I think was a perfect balance.
As it is my senior year, I enjoyed the previous rules of the last school year and would like to experience that as well this year - thank youuu
This doesn’t exactly have the same excuse as “It’s keeping us safe!” Because this just seems like totalitarianism (being dramatic but you get it)
Yeah no ty
doing everything but taking assault rifles
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literally fitch after getting ZERO student body opinion EVER (and when they do use student body opinion they twist our words and barely listen, aswell as making it harder to push our ideas) and making fitch even harder to tolerate