Student in Cherry Hill will need to keep their cellphones out of the classroom at schools throughout the district starting Tuesday.

That's because the district -- one of the largest in South Jersey -- has implemented a ban on cellphones, smart watches, ear buds and wireless headphones during class instruction.

Officials with the district said that the move is intended to help students focus in the classroom and improve learning and student mental health.

"We believe these changes will benefit our students socially and emotionally, in addition to eliminating distractions in class, as there has been a growing body of evidence about how student mental health has been negatively impacted by cellphones over time, including being the focus of the Abington School District Leadership Team's summer reading book, "The Anxious Generation" by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt," wrote Jeffery Fecher, superintendent of schools for the Cherry Hill Public Schools, in a letter to parents.

As detailed by Fecher, at elementary schools throughout the district, there will be no cellphones permitted during the school day.

At middle and high schools, there will be cellphone holders in instructional places to keep phones out of students' hands during classroom instruction.

However, Fecher noted, there will be exceptions to this rule -- for example, there will be concessions for students who need their phones for health or accessibility reasons -- and, individual concerns will be addressed as they arise.

"We will continue to monitor the bill currently going through state legislation to see if we need to make any modifications to our plans, and as with all new procedures being implemented at school, we will evaluate the effectiveness of this initiative and adjust as needed." Fecher noted, in his statement.

Overall, officials said they hope this effort will make sure that students are less distracted and more engaged both socially and emotionally.