New Dartmouth High Principal Ryan Shea joined DHS TV Media’s Ryan Arruda for a Ryan on Ryan interview just before the start of the school year.

Arruda asked Shea about the “elephant in the room” — the school’s new cell phone policy — and how it will affect students this year.

“We are taking cell phones really seriously this year,” Shea said, explaining the damage that cell phones can do to students’ learning and mental health. “We want students to understand that this is a choice we made because we care about our students.”

The two also discussed the emphasis that will be put on attendance this year as the school looks to reorient students to pre-pandemic standards after a “tough year” last year.

Finally, Shea talked about one of his top priorities: getting more students involved in sports and extracurricular activities to make them feel more involved at school.

“We want you to feel connected to this building,” Shea said. “If a student has an idea for a club, we’re listening. Get 10 friends to sign up for it and we will find a way to make it work.”

The full “Ryanology” interview, which is published on the DHS TV Media YouTube channel, can be found attached to this story.