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Cell phones have been taking over classrooms. These Boston-area schools are making a stand.
Local News
The move comes after students struggled to pay attention in class following remote learning during the pandemic.
Schools across the state reported that following the pandemic — when kids were often glued to their screens for seven hours a day, if not more — students had issues letting go of their devices when they returned to in-person classes.
Teachers told principals that their students struggled to pay attention in class, were constantly distracted by their phones, and didn’t socially engage with one another in person.
Now, close to five years after the pandemic began, schools are considering what to do about their cellphone policies.
Some are beginning to use magnetic locking pouches to prevent students from accessing cell phones during the day, and others are enforcing stronger punishments if a student is found using a cell phone in class, or are even awarding those who voluntarily turn in their phones.
In the Boston Public Schools system, many schools are turning to pouches after the district awarded $842,520 to Yondr, a California-based company that makes cellphone pouches with magnetic locks. The funding covers the cost of the pouches for schools with grades 5-12 that want to use them.
As of September 2024, 31 of Boston’s public schools are either using Yondr or gearing up to implement the pouches. BPS has 125 schools in total.
Each school in the system has the autonomy to create cell phone policies and is not required to participate in the Yondr program.
The Eliot K-8 Innovation School in the North End began using the Yondr pouches in 2021 for grades 5 through 8, with nearly 350 students.
“I think the impact is what we recognized right away,” said Traci Griffith, the school’s executive director, on a call with Boston.com.
“Being a young person in America right now is really challenging with all the social pressures,” Griffith continued. “Let’s, for the seven hours, let’s support them academically, socially and emotionally and make sure families felt engaged.”
Even though parents initially expressed concerns about being unable to communicate with their children, Griffith said they reminded them they could always call the school directly to get a message though. And if an emergency happens, she emphasized the school will contact them.
Plus if something happens, each teacher has a key to open the magnetic locks of the pouches, which the students keep with them.
Griffith said that the pouches give the students the responsibility of bringing them to school and unlocking them at the end of the day. If a student forgets their pouch, they have to turn their phone in for the day.
Griffith, who plans to continue this program, said the pouches have become so ubiquitous that they have become a part of the school’s “fabric.”
“Seeing the result of our children continuing to lean into being joyful learners — that’s what we want,” said Griffith.
What schools across the state are doing
Across the state, the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief money also provided a one-year program that awarded 77 grants to schools to revise their mobile device policies and purchase equipment such as pouches, lockers, and charging stations.
Some school districts not in the grant program, such as Chicopee and Brockton, are also changing their cellphone policies. The state has 1,751 schools.
Springfield Central High School, which has about 2,000 students, was the first school in the district to use the Yondr pouches beginning in 2022.
“Coming back from COVID, we realized that the students’ dependency exponentially grew,” said Thaddeus Tokarz, principal of Central High School.
To be fair, Tokarz said, it “was the only way to communicate for about two years.”
Before the program, students charged their phones, sent text messages, and had them out on their desks during class.
So the school realized that the cellphone policy had to be addressed, and decided to use pouches to keep students off their phones while at school. Although there are always ways around it, he has found that it generally prevents cell phone use.
“It’s an imperfect science that’s been relatively effective,” Tokarz said.
Tokarz said even the cafeteria has become louder as students returned to having conversations rather than being glued to their phones.
The students “have four years to create a resume to determine the rest of their life,” said Tokarz. If they are “distracted by their phones, their resume wouldn’t be as impressive as it could have been.”
Some opt to not use pouches
Lowell High School decided to go a different direction than the pouches. Michael Fiato, the head of school, said they have elected to use cell phone boxes, where students put their phones at the start of every class period.
The 3,400 students continue to have access to their phones during passing times, advisory periods, and lunch.
“Our main priority was to take away the distraction in the classroom, to try to improve academic outcomes, engagement, improve community building, and take the phone out of the element of the classroom so students and teachers can focus on teaching and learning,” said Fiato.
The program went into effect in January of last year, and after surveying the teachers, Fiato said, “it was an overwhelming feeling” that there was “more engagement, less distractions.”
Fiato said the aim was to find a compromise with the students. Students can still connect with their families or other responsibilities, such as outside-school jobs, by allowing some periods when they use their phones.
Similarly, Sutton High School, which has around 385 students, began considering ways to get students off their phones without investing in pouches.
At one point, the school even tried giving out raffle tickets for a chance to win a gift card for any student — or teacher — who voluntarily turned in their phones at the office.
After a committee was formed with students, teachers and administrators, it was decided that the new policy would allow them to be on their phones during flex periods and lunch, but they were not allowed to be seen during class.
If a teacher sees a student’s cell phone in class, they are asked to turn it in. The first time, they can pick it up at the end of the school day. Subsequent times, their parents have to come pick up the phone. Then, the student must turn in their phone daily for the next month.
“In my view, cell phones are ubiquitous,” said Ted McCarthy, the principal. “Now, everyone has them, and often, you need to have one. But we’ve all been in a meeting with a guy who keeps checking his phone when he should be talking to you, and that’s not a productive skill.”
“But you know what?” McCarthy continued. “You’re expected to have your cell phone on and not be distracted by it.”
Still Sizzling: Chef Lydia Shire’s enduring legacy in Boston cuisine
With a career rooted in hustle and heart, the Boston legend remains one of America’s most influential chefs
NO. ON THE BOSTON RESTAURANT SCENE, THERE ARE CHEFS. WATCH THIS. AND THERE ARE ICONS. SEE HOW THE SKIN IS SEPARATING A LITTLE. LYDIA SHIRE MADE HISTORY AS THE FIRST WOMAN TO WIN A PRESTIGIOUS JAMES BEARD AWARD, AND HAS MENTORED GENERATIONS OF BOSTON CHEFS. AT 77, LYDIA IS STILL COOKING, STILL CREATING, AND MAKING IT LOOK OH SO EASY. GETTING A LITTLE SIZZLE ACTION THERE. ON THIS DAY, LYDIA IS TAKING ME WHERE SHE FINDS INSPIRATION. SO HOW OFTEN ARE YOU HERE IN CHINATOWN? EVERY WEEK. I’M HERE ALL THE TIME. FIRST UP, CHINATOWN’S PEACH FARM IS HANDS DOWN MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT. TRUE AUTHENTIC CHINESE FOOD THAT I’VE BEEN EATING HERE FOR 30 YEARS. 30 YEARS, 30 YEARS. WHAT DO THEY HAVE YOUR PICTURE ON THE WALL OR SOMETHING? THEY DO, DO THEY? A QUICK HELLO TO THE OWNER, TOM LYNN. HI GUYS. LYDIA HANDLED THE ORDER, OBVIOUSLY, AND I ORDER IT EXTRA FATTY. THAT’S WHY MY SKIN IS SO BEAUTIFUL. BECAUSE ALL THAT FAT I EAT. THIS DISH IS ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITES. THIS IS GAO WANG, YELLOW LEEKS. IT’S DONE WITH ROAST DUCK. REMEMBER THAT ONE WILL DO. LYDIA’S FOOD JOURNEY HAS TAKEN HER ALL OVER THE WORLD AND CONNECTED HER WITH SO MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS COOKS OF ALL TIME. YOU HAD A GOOD BUDDY THAT USED TO COME AND DINE HERE. YES, JULIA. AS IN JULIA CHILD. JULIA CHILD. YES. SHE LOVED CHINESE FOOD. WELL, ESPECIALLY. SHE LOVED DUCK. JULIA CHILD WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN PUTTING LYDIA IN THE CHEF’S SEAT AT HARVEST AND CAMBRIDGE, A CAREER MAKING KITCHEN. ONE DAY I COOKED DINNER FOR HER AND I SAT DOWN NEXT TO HER AND SHE LEANED OVER TO ME AND SHE SAID, SO, LYDIA, WHAT’S THE GOSSIP? JULIA WANTING THE TEA. LOVE IT. FULL AND HAPPY. WE HEAD TO OUR NEXT STOP. JIA HOW TO GRAB GOODS FOR DINNER. THEY HAVE EVERYTHING. AND THIS IS THE FOOD THAT YOU’RE SERVING IN YOUR RESTAURANT YOU’RE BUYING HERE? ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. SIX RESTAURANTS OVER THE YEARS, TO BE EXACT, EACH LEAVING ITS OWN SPECIAL MARK. SCAMPO SHIRES RESTAURANT AT BOSTON’S LIBERTY HOTEL, HAS BEEN GOING STRONG SINCE 2008. THERE IS NO FINER SESAME OIL IN THE WORLD THAN KADOYA SESAME OIL, SO REMEMBER THAT I WILL. I’M GOING TO BUY YOU A LITTLE ONE FOR YOUR HOUSE. YEAH, YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT. WE’RE GOING TO GET SOME LEAKS BECAUSE I’M COOKING THE YELLOW CHIVES FOR YOU. OH, YUMMY. THE CHINESE ARE AMAZING. THE WAY THEY RESPECT FOOD AND HOW THEY COOK IT. AND IT HAS TO BE RIGHT. LOOK AT ALL THESE MUSHROOMS. PEOPLE COME HERE AND THEY BUY A LIVE FISH AND THEN GO HOME AND COOK IT. TO ME, THERE’S NOTHING BETTER THAN THIS. IT’S TRUE. MEANING OF FRESH. NOW WE COOK, NOW WE COOK. WE CHECK OUT AND ROLL OUT TO CAMBRIDGE. INSIDE THE CHARLES HOTEL IS BAR ENZA SHIRE’S LATEST PROJECT. SHE’S CHEF PARTNER AND THE MIND BEHIND EVERY MENU, SKETCHING OUT EACH DISH FOR HER TEAM BEFORE THEY HIT THE PLATE. I HAVE NEVER PUT IN A NEW MENU THAT I HAVEN’T DRAWN. PICTURES. LYDIA’S CAREER CAME FROM HUSTLE, GRIT AND SACRIFICE. YOU SOLD YOUR ENGAGEMENT RING TO GO TO CULINARY SCHOOL? YEAH. YOU KNOW, I WAS MARRIED AND HAD MY FIRST BABY AT 17. MY HUSBAND DROPPED ME FOR ANOTHER WOMAN. I NEEDED A JOB, AND THAT’S WHEN I APPLIED TO THE MAISON ROBERT AND THEY HIRED ME. SHE CREDITS HER PARENTS FOR HER FAMOUS FLAIR. MY PARENTS WERE ARTISTS. THEY WERE FASHION ILLUSTRATORS. I HAD GREAT PARENTS AS TEACHERS. I REALLY GOT MY DOGGEDNESS FROM MY MOTHER. MY MOTHER ONLY WORE RED SHOES AND THAT’S WHY I LOVE COLOR. WAS COOKING ALWAYS IN YOU? DID YOU KNOW? YES. OH, I KNEW MY FATHER WAS THE ONE WHO TAUGHT ME. I WAS FOUR YEARS OLD AND I WAS PEELING FRESH GARLIC. WHAT KEEPS YOU HUNGRY FOR IT? MY BRAIN IS 21 YEARS OLD, 100%. AS LONG AS MY BRAIN NEVER FAILS ME AND IT WON’T, I CAN TELL. I GET UP IN THE MORNING AND I RIGHT AWAY. I THINK OF PHONE NUMBERS OR WHATEVER TO KEEP MY BRAIN ACTIVE ON THIS NIGHT. IT’S CRISPY ROAST PORK BELLY. THAT’S A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF PORK BELLY WITH YELLOW CHIVES BOUGHT AT THE MARKET ALONG WITH LEMONGRASS OIL THAT I MADE YESTERDAY FOR SHAYNA AND NANTUCKET SCALLOPS. HERE, I’VE RECONSTRUCTED A CHINESE DISH, BUT NOW I’M ADDING AMERICAN INFLUENCES TO IT. THESE BEAUTIFUL SCALLOPS FROM NANTUCKET. OH, LYDIA. THANK YOU. YOUR FOOD IS ALMOST, ALMOST AS DELIGHTFUL AS YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I AM SO HUNGRY, SO GOOD. THAT’S UNBELIEVABLE. YOU KNOW, LYDIA TALKED A LOT ABOUT COLORS BEING IMPORTANT. OR SAYS ORANGE IS HER FAVORITE COLOR BECAUSE IT’S LIKE FIRE. I LOVE THAT. AND WHEN SHE COOKS A SPECIAL MEAL, SHE DOESN’T JUST BRING THE FOOD, SHE BRINGS THE DISHES AND THE SETTINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MEAL TRULY REFLECTS HER, AS SHE DID WITH US, WHICH WAS FANTASTIC. AND BACK TO PEACH FARM. THE OWNERS RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT THEY ARE RETIRING. THE RESTAURANT WILL CLOSE TEMPORARILY, BUT THE NEW OWNERS
Still Sizzling: Chef Lydia Shire’s enduring legacy in Boston cuisine
With a career rooted in hustle and heart, the Boston legend remains one of America’s most influential chefs
Updated: 8:04 PM EDT Apr 2, 2026
Editorial Standards
In Boston’s culinary world, Lydia Shire is a legend. The first woman to win a James Beard Award in the Northeast, Shire has mentored generations of chefs and helped shape the city’s food scene for 50 years.At 77, she’s still a creative force. Her latest project, Bar Enza at The Charles Hotel in Cambridge, is a testament to her energy—she still hand-sketches every dish before it hits the plate. She also continues to find inspiration in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood, frequenting markets and restaurants such as Peach Farm Restaurant, where she says she has dined for 30 years. Shire’s path to culinary success was paved with grit. Married and a mother at the age of 17, she sold her engagement ring to attend culinary school after her marriage ended. She drew support from Julia Child, who loved her cooking and helped launch her into the chef’s seat at Harvest in Cambridge.Today, Shire is best known for restaurants including Scampo at the Liberty Hotel, as well as for her bold, personal style—driven by her artist parents and relentless curiosity. “My brain is 21,” she says. “As long as it stays that way, I’ll keep going.”Lydia Shire’s food is deeply personal, endlessly creative—and still, unmistakably hers.
In Boston’s culinary world, Lydia Shire is a legend. The first woman to win a James Beard Award in the Northeast, Shire has mentored generations of chefs and helped shape the city’s food scene for 50 years.
At 77, she’s still a creative force. Her latest project, Bar Enza at The Charles Hotel in Cambridge, is a testament to her energy—she still hand-sketches every dish before it hits the plate. She also continues to find inspiration in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood, frequenting markets and restaurants such as Peach Farm Restaurant, where she says she has dined for 30 years.
Shire’s path to culinary success was paved with grit. Married and a mother at the age of 17, she sold her engagement ring to attend culinary school after her marriage ended. She drew support from Julia Child, who loved her cooking and helped launch her into the chef’s seat at Harvest in Cambridge.
Today, Shire is best known for restaurants including Scampo at the Liberty Hotel, as well as for her bold, personal style—driven by her artist parents and relentless curiosity. “My brain is 21,” she says. “As long as it stays that way, I’ll keep going.”
Lydia Shire’s food is deeply personal, endlessly creative—and still, unmistakably hers.
Boston Marathon
I hope to honor my grandfather’s memory and help ensure a future where fewer families must face this devastating disease.
In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon athletes share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. Looking for more race day content? Sign up for Boston.com’s pop-up Boston Marathon newsletter.
Name: Abigail Zerbey
Age: 24
City: North Andover
I am honored and excited to be running the 2026 Boston Marathon in memory of my grandfather and in support of Massachusetts General Hospital — a place that means the world to me. MGH is where my grandfather received amazing care during his fight with pancreatic cancer, and it’s also where I’ve recently begun my career as a registered nurse on Bigelow 7.
After my grandfather’s diagnosis, our family made countless trips to MGH for chemotherapy and other treatments. Though I was young at the time, I vividly remember the compassion, dedication, and strength shown by his care team. The nurses didn’t just care for my grandfather — they supported our entire family with empathy and hope, never giving up even during the hardest moments.
Now, as a new registered nurse at MGH, I strive every day to provide that same level of care to my patients and their loved ones. Running these 26.2 miles is my way of saying thank you to the medical team who cared for my grandfather, and to the hospital that has become such a meaningful part of my life.
I am raising money to support the exceptional care MGH provides to patients around the world, as well as pediatric cancer research and the home base program. Through these 26.2 miles, I hope to honor my grandfather’s memory and help ensure a future where fewer families must face this devastating disease.
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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Boston, MA
Celtics score a franchise-record 53 points in first quarter in rout against Heat – The Boston Globe
“We didn’t do that,” Mazzulla said. “We kept fighting for good looks, the next best look, and I thought that kept the momentum going.”
When the dust settled after this historic opening quarter, the Celtics had scored a franchise-record 53 points and raced to a 20-point lead behind a startling display of shot making. Their defense afterward was imperfect, but it did not matter in this 147-129 win in front of an audience that included Tom Brady.
“That first quarter,” Hauser said, “was unbelievable.”
The Celtics’ first-quarter point total and their 11-of-15 3-point shooting were franchise records. Jaylen Brown (20) and Hauser (17) became the first Celtics teammates in the play-by-play era (since the 1996-97 season) to score at least 17 points apiece in the same quarter.
Boston actually trailed Miami by 1 point with just over four minutes left in the first before closing the period with a loud and masterful 24-3 run.
Brown put another notch in his MVP-caliber season by pouring in 43 points on 17-of-29 shooting. He was disheartened by a rare off night in Monday’s loss to the Hawks, but confident it would not be repeated.
“I didn’t like how that game went,” Brown said, “so I wanted to come out with an aggressive mind-set tonight and make up for that last game.”
Jayson Tatum registered his first triple-double of the season, with 25 points, 18 rebounds, and 11 assists. Despite the impressive stat line in yet another Celtics win, Tatum stressed that he is still working to regain his All-Star form after missing the first 62 games because of last May’s Achilles injury.
When asked after Wednesday’s win how close he is to truly being back, he said he could not attach a figure to his recovery. But he said he feels the progress that has also been quite visible.
“It sounds cliché, but I feel a little bit better every game,” he said. “I don’t know how long it’ll take to get back to what I was, or hopefully better, but the goal is to continue to stack days.”
The Celtics shot 58.3 percent from the field and made 21 of 44 3-pointers. Miami actually outshot Boston from beyond the arc by making 24 of 47 (51.1 percent). The Heat hit 11 in the third quarter, matching the Celtics’ franchise-record total from the first. But it was not enough.
Still, Miami’s response allowed the Celtics to extract some teaching moments from an otherwise feel-good night.
“The sign of a great team is even after a great quarter you come back and do it again,” Brown said. “I thought in the second quarter we allowed some slippage and they took advantage. So, still some stuff to clean up.”
Brown scored the Celtics’ first 11 points, and they opened the game by making 10 of 12 shots and 5 of 6 3-pointers. Despite this initial surge, though, they trailed, 30-29 with 4:15 left.
Then Boston uncorked one of the most dominant stretches of this season. Hauser, who was 5 for 5 from the arc in the quarter, drilled four over the final 4:14.
Baylor Scheierman came up with a steal and flipped the ball over his shoulder to Brown for a reverse dunk. The dam was opened.
Hauser’s fifth 3-pointer, with 32 seconds left, set up a two-for-one chance. Tatum air-balled a 3-pointer on the final play, but Payton Pritchard slid in for the putback to make it 53-33.
“Just high-level shot-making on both ends,” Tatum said.
The second quarter was more, well, normal, with Tatum leading the way after having his first quarter disrupted by foul trouble. The forward had 10 points and eight rebounds and Boston outscored Miami, 27-24.
At the end of the second, Derrick White lofted an alley-oop to Brown, who converted the layup with 1.5 seconds left. White then noticed Heat guard Pelle Larsson roaming free at the other end, so he broke into a full sprint and got there in time to disrupt his last-second attempt. The Celtics went to the break with an 80-57 lead.
Boston led, 104-80, with four minutes left in the third, but Miami punched back with three 3-pointers over the final 65 seconds, with a buzzer-beater by Davion Mitchell pulling the host within 112-102 after its 45-point period. The Heat sliced the deficit to 9 early in the fourth, but a pair of mid-range jumpers by Hauser and a Tatum 3-pointer ensured there would be no collapse.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.
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