Knights in the Know
February 23, 2018
Campus Culture and Climate Survey
Dr. Jamie Wilson, DISD Superintendent, sent an email earlier this week about the district's Campus Culture and Climate Survey. The email was sent to and contained a link for parents, staff, and campus volunteers to use to participate in providing feedback to our campus and district. We have provided a copy of that email for you below and encourage you to participate. Your feedback is important to us and we value your input.
Based on the feedback from the community, we developed a set of goals in four core areas: Teaching/Learning, Opportunities for Students, Culture/Climate, and Growth/Management. Learn more about What We Value 2.0 here.
In an effort to more accurately assess our progress toward meeting goals in these areas, we thought it would be best to measure the results in two-year increments. As a result, please look for a third edition of the What We Value report this fall. To help us move forward in this process, we want to continue to hear your thoughts on critical school issues, including academic preparation, student support, parent and community involvement, and accessibility of school leaders.
This survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. It will be open until Friday, March 9. Your answers will be confidential, so please answer honestly. Because we'll share only the overall results, reports will not identify individuals. No one in the district will know if you participated unless you identify yourself in open-ended comments.
If you would like to take this survey more than once, either because you have children enrolled at more than one school or because you are both an employee and a parent, you will have an opportunity to take the survey again after your submit your responses.
Engaging in an ongoing, two-way dialogue is critical to providing our students with the best possible education. After the survey closes, we will share the findings and specific steps we’re taking as a result of your feedback.
Counselor's Corner
This month I have been visiting 2nd and 3rd grade classes to talk about Cyberbullying and Online Safety and Behavior. A Family Tip sheet from Common Sense Media was sent home giving information about Cyberbullying in particular.
I also wanted to share a couple of resources for our parents to help children to be safe online, and some information to be aware of about a popular game with our students right now.
- Common Sense Media – www.commonsensemedia.org This website is very helpful for parents to research and form of media. Parents can search online games, movies, books, TV shows, websites, Apps, even YouTube channels. Each search will give you information about age rating/appropriateness as well as what kinds of things children are or could be exposed to. It also has a section where you can read other parent’s opinion and experiences.
- Katie Greer visited Blanton in the past to talk with our students and parents about Cyber Safety. Check out her Tech News tab for tips and trends for managing today’s cyberworld and her Blog for up to date information about technology now. http://www.klgreer.com/
While researching some of the popular games amongst our students right now, I ran across some information about some of the dangers that can occur when playing ROBLOX.
excerpt from familyzone.com
Keeping up with the latest in online gaming can be a multi-level challenge for parents - especially when what's ‘cool’ seems to change at the speed of a mouse-click. One of today's most popular games is also one of the most dangerous.
Roblox has been called "the world's most popular game you've never heard of." In fact, this massive multiplayer online game has recently outstripped even Minecraft's user numbers. While the game may seem like an innocent digital playground for children, there are some frightening issues with its online community.
What is Roblox about?
Roblox is a vast online platform where kids can create and interact in what its makers describe as "immersive 3D worlds." Players are given the opportunity to create an avatar (player) for themselves and allotted a small amount of digital money to rent a house. Money to furnish and decorate the house requires real world money, with costs adding up fast. A variety of different outfits are also available to purchase which is a huge drawcard for many young children who want to make their avatar look as cool as possible. Players who don’t buy upgrades may be mocked by other players and pressured into spending more.
Why is it such a risk to children?
But additional purchases are not the biggest issue with this game - the social interaction amongst players is. The purpose of Roblox is for players to interact and make friends. This is achieved by wandering around the online world and stopping to talk with other players within an unmoderated chat feature. Like any online multiplayer game, there is little to no control over the types of people or age limits of those playing the game. Despite the fact that strict chat filters can be activated - blocking inappropriate words and phrases - children are still susceptible to being targeted by online predators.
This problem isn't unique to Roblox. Far from it. Throughout the online gaming world, wherever games are marketed to children, online predators lurk. Social games like this are often used as a platform to lure children away from the game and onto other platforms: eg., Facebook, Snapchat and even in some cases Skype. Roblox appeals directly children under 12, easy targets who lack the ability to discriminate between appropriate and inappropriate requests.
The game invites players to explore imaginary worlds of all kinds. Some of these are sexual in nature. One British dad who decided to check out the game his sons were obsessed with was shocked to discover avatars having virtual sex, ABC News reported in 2017.
"The chat function poses a real danger to children playing this popular game," explains ySafe psychologist Jordan Foster, a leading Cyber Expert at Family Zone. "With limited safety measures embedded within the game, children are open prey for predators to communicate with. "Consider it similar to sending a child out into a real room filled with strangers, with no barriers in place to stop people being able to talk to whomever they like.'
For these reasons, Ms. Foster regards Roblox as unsafe for children under the age of 12 and possibly older children as well.
This Week's Watch DOG
Learning in 3rd Grade
Math ~ Third graders really enjoy showing the teachers how they can use different strategies to solve multiplication problems. The rainy weather didn't dampen the spirits of our students this week as they worked with a partners in a "Sidewalk Scoot". Different problems were hung in the halls and classrooms for students to solve. There were some pretty proud students when they realized how much they have learned about multiplication.
Think 30 Celebration
Rainy Days
Dr. Seuss Week
Upcoming Events
Feb. 23 ~ Honor Choir concert at Strickland Middle School at 6:15
Feb. 26 ~ PTA Board Meeting
Feb. 26-Mar. 2 ~ Dr. Seuss Week (see flyer in newsletter above for special dress days)
Mar. 2 ~ Dr. Seuss Read-in
Mar. 6 ~ Kinder Knights at Playground 4:15 p.m.
Mar. 6 ~ Ocarina Karate Concert
Mar. 7-8 ~ Tae Kwon Do in PE Classes
Mar. 8 ~ PTA Meeting 6:00 p.m.
Mar. 12-16 ~ Spring Break
Mar. 19 ~ Staff Development for teachers; no school for parents
Mar. 20 ~ School Resumes for students
Mar. 20 ~ College T-shirt Day
Mar. 21 ~ Kinder Knights 1:30 p.m. (cafeteria for snack and PE class)
Mar. 22 ~ Kindergarten Field Trip
Mar. 23-27~ Spring Book Fair
Blanton Elementary School
Email: blantonnotes@dentonisd.org
Website: www.dentonisd.org/blantones
Location: 9501 Stacee Lane, Argyle, TX, USA
Phone: 940-369-0700
Facebook: facebook.com/BlantonKnights