Good Day, Sky View Family.
Each year at the turn of the calendar, I ask families to revisit some of the topics that you undoubtedly discussed with your children before the start of each school year in August. As we head into the second half of this school year, let’s help remind our students how to successfully navigate their middle school experience.
I write to you today to ask all parents and guardians to be vigilant of your students’ activities online, whether through social media, group chats or texting. Even the best behaved students can have inappropriate material sent to them, so it is very important to discuss your expectations should this occur:
Your student should tell you/show you immediately.
If you feel the material is so inappropriate that the police or school officials should be consulted/involved, take a screenshot of the material before deleting and blocking access.
Your student should then delete the inappropriate material, block the sender, quit the group chat, unfollow the social media account, etc. Whatever it takes to avoid this situation from occurring again.
Talk openly with your students about your expectations for cell phone and internet use. Better yet, insist that all social media accounts be shared with you or that you have access to all accounts so that you are able to monitor activity.
Many wireless/internet companies have parental features that will allow you to monitor texting and online activity. There are also parental apps available that will alert you when your student has accessed or been sent inappropriate material. Do the research to find what will work best for you and your family.
Explain to your student that anyone else involved with either sending or receiving inappropriate materials could find themselves in a situation that can quickly spiral out of their control. By telling you the names of any other students involved, your student could be doing them all a favor by helping to avoid serious repercussions.
Thank you for your ongoing attention to these matters. We all know that even adults can find themselves in difficult situations due to online activity, so let’s do everything we can to educate our students to the dangers involved. As always, please reach out to us if you need assistance or have concerns.
-Doug