As students pour out of VISTA and the Centennial Academic & Arts Center, their voices fill the air — sharing updates on the latest television plot twist or replaying last night’s big game. As they head into the School Building and climb the stairs to Hard Auditorium, they pass an installation of Pomfret’s Values Statement. The value on display is Community. In the auditorium, their conversations buzz until the School President calls the meeting to order. This vibrant scene of camaraderie — so ordinary now — was not always the norm.

This fall, during a School Meeting, Head of School Tim Richards shared an observation: seventeen students walking to School Meeting, eyes glued to their phones, not speaking to one another. It was a moment that sparked deeper reflection — and ultimately, action.

After more than a year of discussion and preparation, Pomfret implemented a new Cellphone-Free Environment Policy. As of Long Winter Weekend, students are required to keep their phones in dorm rooms or day student lockers during the academic day. The move reflects a growing national conversation around screen time, adolescence, and mental health. In 2024, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy urged schools to “ensure that classroom learning and social time are phone-free experiences.”

In his bestselling book The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt outlines a dozen ways that the “great rewiring of childhood” through smartphones has disrupted social and neurological development. One of his four core recommendations? Establish phone-free schools. The message is clear: limiting cellphone use is not just about attention — it’s about health.

Establishing a phone-free environment was not without its challenges. In the first week of the new policy, seventeen phones were collected to be returned at the conclusion of the academic day. But the community quickly adapted, with fewer and fewer violations each week. By the sixth week, only one phone was collected. 

As the School navigates this new phone-free environment, the Deans Office continues to implement The Social Institute curriculum, a forward-thinking program that equips students to navigate the complex intersection of wellbeing, social media, and technology, empowering them to make positive, healthy, and high-character choices that fuel their health, happiness, and future success.

What has emerged is a more present and connected Pomfret. In the space once filled with scrolling and silence, conversations now bloom — between classes, across dining hall tables, and in the hallways. Students and faculty alike are rediscovering the power of face-to-face connection.

This policy is an expression of our core value of Community — fostering meaningful relationships and shared experiences. It also reflects our commitment to Growth — embracing change, prioritizing wellbeing, and creating space for creativity and engagement. And it embodies Integrity — daring to make intentional choices that reflect our values, even when they’re hard.

At its core, the cellphone-free policy is not just about setting boundaries — it’s about creating the conditions for deeper learning, healthier habits, and more authentic human connection. It’s about who we are and who we strive to become — together.
 

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