Digital Safety and Well Being
Middlebrook PTA is pleased to sponsor several Internet and Social Media Safety assemblies and presentation in our district. Please find below resources from recent student presentations and an upcoming parent event.
Resources from Scott Driscoll:
FOR FAMILIES: Making safe choices on the Internet and on social media requires us to be ever vigilant. But working together as a family, the good news is you can use technology safely. Internet Safety Concepts is currently developing one-page guides to staying safe on today’s most-popular apps. https://internetsafetyconcepts.com/for-families/
Family Contracts: Internet Safety Concepts has developed contracts parents and children can use to commit to safe use of technology on the Internet and on smartphones. Print out these free PDFs and use them to talk about online safety with your family members.
https://internetsafetyconcepts.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Kids-Parent-Contract.pdf
https://internetsafetyconcepts.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Teen-Parent-Contract.pdf
Register for Event:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scott-driscoll-internet-safety-tickets-537775861077
From: January 27th Friday Letter - MB
Scott Driscoll, President of Internet Safety Concepts, spoke with students in each grade about how to make safe online choices. I do hope that your children shared what they learned with you and their siblings.
SAVE THE DATE
On March 7, Mr. Driscoll will host a session for parents and guardians. Look for additional information in a future Friday letter.
From WPS January 24, 2023
Dear Parents/Guardians,
As part of Wilton Public Schools’ ongoing efforts to educate students about their health and well-being, students participated in a program today on Digital Safety and Well Being. Scott Driscoll, President of Internet Safety Concepts, presented to students at Middlebrook in grade level assemblies. We want to share with you the topics Scott spoke about with your children:
Social Networking: Positives, negatives and potential impacts
Cyberbullying: Protecting yourself and others, and creating a positive outcome
Texting and Sexting (grade 7 & 8)
Popular/Trending Apps
Picture Sharing
Video Chats
Sharing too much information
The importance of privacy settings
Email concerns
Creating your “digital footprint/tattoo”
How technology can help or hurt your future
Attached discussion questions for you to start conversations with your child at home. Rest assured that our staff will continue to reinforce these important concepts in school as well.
Thank you to the Middlebrook PTA for funding these assemblies. Scott will host a parent presentation on March 7, 2023, from 7:00 -8:00 pm. The location for this parent presentation will be included in a future letter from Principal Higgins.
Topics to be covered at this evening program include:
Social Networking: Concerns parents should have
Cyberbullying: How to talk to your children about getting involved
Texting and Sexting
Popular/Trending Apps
Picture Sharing
Privacy Settings: Understanding the importance
Digital Footprints: Positive and negative impacts
Apps/programs that help parents monitor their families
Parental controls and available resources
We hope all parents/guardians come and learn about the latest information to help support and protect children while using the internet. You can find more information and resources on Scott’s website, Internet Safety Concepts: Empowering Smart Online Choices, also linked on our website under: Digital Resources for Parents or additional resources: Families: Digital Well-Being.
Sincerely,
Kimberly Zemo, LCSW zemok@wiltonps.org
District Safe School Climate Coordinator
Bark Presentation Recording and Resources
Wilton Public Schools held two parent technology nights in partnership with Bark for Families to address the challenges of supporting our children with navigating their digital presence. The website page/link includes the recording of the Webinars as well as resources provided during the presentation on research, strategies and tools to help parents. Wilton Public Schools is providing a series of workshops during this school year to partner with parents to address students’ digital life and how parents can support them.
Fran Kompar, Director of Digital Learning, and Kim Zemo, District Safe School Climate Coordinator oversee these efforts in our schools.
The LLC in Middlebrook has a Digital Citizenship course for 6th graders. In this class, students will practice building the skills needed to be an effective student in a digital world. These skills include topics such as managing files, staying organized, troubleshooting, understanding and evaluating online resources, and being an effective consumer and creator of online communication. The 6th Grade Digital Literacy course will address the use of technology in a responsible, effective and ethical manner. Students will demonstrate their understanding of privacy, digital footprint, and responsible use by creating an online portfolio, website and be able to evaluate a variety of digital media.
More Articles and Resources
The Smart Talk - Conversations that click - The Smart Talk is a free tool that helps families set digital safety ground rules together. National PTA and Norton co-created The Smart Talk in 2015, completing a major expansion and redesign in 2022
The Top 10 for framing positive and intentional use of social media:10 Rules for Using Social Media Intentionally. Social media can be a wonderful thing. It allows us to stay in touch with friends, interact with people around the world, grow in our passions, and even make a difference in the world. However, it can also become a distraction that keeps us from living our best life. Social media can also lead to anxiety, depression, and broken relationships.
SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENTS ‘PROFOUND RISK OF HARM’ FOR KIDS, SURGEON GENERAL SAYS, CALLING ATTENTION TO LACK OF RESEARCH
A new advisory from the US surgeon general...notes that although there are some benefits, social media use presents “a profound risk of harm” for kids. It calls for increased research into social media’s impact on youth mental health, as well as action from policymakers and technology companies.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/23/health/social-media-kids-surgeon-general-advisory-wellness
YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
This Advisory describes the current evidence on the impacts of social media on the mental health of children and adolescents. It states that we cannot conclude social media is sufficiently safe for children and adolescents and outlines immediate steps we can take to mitigate the risk of harm to children and adolescents.
https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/youth-mental-health/social-media/index.html
Wilton Youth Council Event Recording
