MONROE, CT — Masuk High School students will be more focused in the classroom this year without cellphones to distract them. A new policy to collect phones before the start of each class goes into effect today.
“That’s without a doubt going to be the biggest change,” Principal Steve Swensen said of the cellphone policy, while waiting for the buses to arrive Thursday morning. “We want to teach them to be responsible with their technology and not isolate them from it. But teachers were constantly saying, ‘put it away.'”
He said educators want students to interact with each other face-to-face more to grow their interpersonal skills and social-emotional intelligence.
“I’m excited to see how that will go,” Assistant Principal Ian Lowell said. “There will be some bumps in the road. I’m excited to see the kids reconnect with each other in class. I think they’ll be looking at each other in the eye and talking to each other again without distraction.”
Swensen said, “with everything else, we’re looking to stay the course, engage kids in learning and have a great year. Helping the kids reach their goals, that’s our job.”
He joined Superintendent of Schools Joseph Kobza and other staff members in greeting students as they stepped off the buses or arrived to school on their own.
“It’s a new school year,” Swensen said with a smile. “It’s my 26th year and the I’m just as excited as the first one.”
Roads all clear
On Wednesday, First Selectman Terry Rooney announced that Cottage Street was reopened in the aftermath of the damaging floods of Aug. 18. Mike Lawlor, manager of All-Star Transportation, drove there to see for himself before his bus drivers did their routes.
“You can go down Cottage Street,” he said. “It looks good. I think they did a very good job in the time frame they had.”
“I’m really excited about this year,” Kobza said. “The buildings are in absolutely amazing shape. The maintenance staff and IT just did an amazing job over the summer for the kids. The inside of Stepney, amazing work they did. They repainted. It’s black and white. It looks sharp. It looks good.”
“We’re really excited about the one-to-one Chromebook initiative in grades three through eight that will extend to the high school in the coming years,” Kobza said.
Kobza stopped a Masuk sophomore as he was walking by and asked him what he is looking forward to this year.
“Seeing all my old teachers,” Gia Klowter replied.
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