Every class period starts in the same fashion; the bell shrieks, and students crowd Woodside’s two-year-old solution to the issue of phone usage: the phone pockets. Parents, students and staff all had the opportunity to share opinions regarding the current cellphone management system through the September and October Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD) newsletters.
Woodside High School currently uses a pocket system to manage cell phone use in classrooms. Students are expected to place their cell phones in the pockets at the beginning of class; they may retrieve them at the teacher’s discretion or once the bell rings. The November newsletter released conclusions drawn from the survey results and a policy draft that they plan to implement before July 1, 2026.
The current policy draft states that, “Students may use smartphones or other mobile communication devices on campus during non-instructional time as long as the device is utilized in accordance with law and any applicable school rules.”
“I don’t really mind [putting my phone in the pocket],” freshman Class President Oscar Ortiz said. “I kind of like it because it actually helps me stay more engaged in class.”
Before the 2024-25 school year, students were expected to keep cellphones in their bags during class. For students like junior Luke Weppner, the switch to phone pockets didn’t change anything regarding phone usage.
“[The phone pockets are] not super different for me,” Weppner said. “I would just put it in my backpack. Instead, I just put it in the pocket. I do have to remember to pick it up, which sometimes is a little annoying.”
According to Ortiz, students have multiple ways of avoiding the phone pockets.
“If [a student has] a negative connection with their teacher,” Ortiz said. “It’s most likely the student will put a case, or not even put their phone in the pocket.”
According to the student survey, most students are open to having their phone use regulated, but they don’t want their devices to be fully prohibited. Another reason some students dislike the pockets is that, like Weppner, they might forget their phones in the phone pockets, which can cause issues.
“I had soccer after school, “Weppner said. “I went to go to soccer, but then I left my phone in the [pocket]. I went back, and it wasn’t there, and the office was already closed, so then I had to wait the whole weekend to get it back.”
It all begins when entering the classroom; students are expected to place their phones in their pockets before the bell rings. Weppner reflects on his conclusion and the issues that arise when some teachers take attendance based on students’ phone pockets.
“I think [phone pockets] haven’t really changed [phone usage at Woodside] much,” Weppner said. “[They’re] just a formality for me, although it is really annoying when people do attendance based off of my phone. If I leave it at home, it’s not charged, or something like that [phone pockets can be] stupid.”
