McKinley Mindset
Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow
International Baccalaureate, World School
Offering the Primary Years Program, Preschool - Grade 5
Mindset 1/14/2019
Hello Skippers!!
I hope that you all enjoyed your day off yesterday. Your teachers were hard at work preparing grades for the end of the semester. Report cards will be opened for release to families in the Campus Parent Portal on Friday morning, January 18th!
We are excited that Lake Erie College has asked us to host one of their classes as a labsite for their teacher education program! Students from Lake Erie who are taking the class Curriculum Development and Implementation will be on site at McKinley on Thursday's throughout the second semester. They will be with their professor from Lake Erie in order to learn about the curriculum design appropriate for the affective, cognitive, physical, and social stages of the preschool child through early primary grades. This will be particularly focused on the practices that support inquiry in the classroom and International Baccalaureate. They will be visiting various classrooms.
Online Safety
It is never too early to have a conversation with your child regarding online safety. If your child has access to the internet- this includes through video games, please ensure that you are monitoring their activity, utilizing Watchdog Software, and having conversations about what to do if they come across something inappropriate. I have listed some important talking points and resources below.
Thank you for helping us keep our kids safe.
Kind Regards,
Jennifer Polak, Principal
Social Media For Kids
http://www.parenting.com/gallery/social-media-monitoring-kids?page=13
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently released findings from a comprehensive study on the impact social media has on kids and families. Although there are real benefits to kids using sites like Facebook, including increased communication, access to information and help in developing a sense of self, there can be serious downsides to all this online sharing too.
Social networking is on the rise, and the study found that 22 percent of teenagers log onto their favorite social media sites more than 10 times a day, and that 75 percent own cell phones. This level of engagement online increases the risks of cyberbullying, “Facebook depression” (a new phenomenon where “de-friending” and online bullying lead to symptoms of depression), exposure to inappropriate content, and sexting.
Just as we prepare our kids for life in the real world, we should prepare them for life in the online world. Read on for tips that every parent should keep in mind.
No Underage Facebooking
Did you know that no one under the age of 13 is permitted to join Facebook? However, there is no real way for Facebook to truly enforce it, because anyone can lie about their year of birth. You need to make sure that your child stays away from Facebook until 13 AND until you are comfortable with him or her having an account. There are measures put in place, such as reporting an underage child, but ultimately, it should be the parent who has the say on when and if that account gets created.
Check Privacy Settings
Check that your privacy settings for the Internet and Facebook are set to the strictest levels. Depending on which browser you are using, you can adjust the settings directly from the options tab and adjust levels around cookies, third party sites and more. This not only protects the computer user, but also the computer from the threat of viruses. Checking your Facebook privacy settings is easy as well.
Use Filtering Software
There are software suites you can purchase to monitor your child’s Internet usage; many even enable you to view the exact keys that were typed, time spent online and all computer activity in general. Popular programs such as Net Nanny and PureSight PC let you monitor social media sites, block chats, filter content and much more. You can even monitor your child’s cell phone with a software program like My Mobile Watchdog.
Create Ground Rules
If your kids are old enough to be using the computer on their own, they are old enough to understand that there are rules they need to abide by. Breaking them should not have a lesser consequence than if they broke a rule in the offline world. The best way for families to agree on ground rules is to create a contract that all parties must sign. The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) encourages parents and kids to have an open discussion about what these rules mean, and offers a good example of a contract.
Get To Know What Your Child’s Habits Are
You don’t need to be a super sleuth and spy on your kid’s every online move, but it is important to be aware of the kinds of sites he is frequenting and the people he is associating with. You get to know the friends he’s hanging out with at school, and his online friends shouldn’t be any different. One of the contract rules should be that you have full access to his Facebook friends and can take a look whenever you wish.
Keep the Computer in a Central Location
It’s much easier to keep tabs on any online activity when the computer is located in a high-traffic zone than if your child is using a computer in the privacy of her own room. Place the computer in a central location like your kitchen or family room so that everything is out in the open.
Urge Your Kids to Avoid Questionnaires, Free Giveaways and Contests
A pop-up ad appears and tells kids they can win a free iPad by simply clicking the link. Anyone would be tempted by this kind of offer, but kids are particularly susceptible, so it’s important to warn kids against falling for this kind of Internet trick. Many of these ruses are attempts to glean personal information. Inform kids that even if they are forwarded a fun questionnaire from a friend, it’s best to close the window and not participate.
Monitor the Pictures Your Child Posts Online
In an ideal world, your child would never post a photo of herself online, but that might not be entirely realistic. If she wants to share photos with her friends via email or a social networking site, be sure you know exactly which pictures are being posted. Make sure the content of the photo is completely innocuous and that no identifiable locales in the background are noticeable.
Be a Good Example of How to Use Social Media
If you are tweeting and updating your Facebook page at a stop light and taking every opportunity to “just check something,” you’re setting a poor precedent for social media usage that your child will surely follow. Always remember to ask yourself if you’re setting a good example and demonstrating proper technology etiquette as well.
Limit Cell Phone Use
Just as you would limit use of a computer, TV or gaming system, you can do the same with a cell phone. Set rules for the device, only allowing cell phone usage at certain hours in the evening or after homework has been completed. If you have teens of driving age, the most important rule to enforce is that under no circumstances should cell phones ever be used while driving. Phones should be kept off so incoming text sounds aren’t a distraction or should be kept in the glove compartment, out of reach.
Teach Kids about an Online Reputation
Many kids don’t seem to understand the permanence of the online world. Make sure to stress to your kids what a digital footprint is and the impact inappropriate messages or images could have if a future college administrator or employer were to stumble upon them. As stated in the AAP study, what goes online stays online.
Talk to Kids about Online Dangers
You may feel like you’re scaring your kids when talking to them about the dangers of being online, but it’s better for them to be scared than to be unaware. Having an open line of communication is crucial the minute your kids start using the Internet more independently. Parry Aftab, noted online safety and privacy expert and Executive Director of WiredSafety, says, “Who's a stranger online? Everyone is! You need to remind your children that these people are strangers and that the standard rules always apply.”
Get to Know the Technology
Kids have gained a mastery of technology so quickly and can easily pick up on the nuances that any new gadget has, far more easily that we can in some cases. It is every parent’s responsibility to know exactly which key features are included in the gadgets our kids are using. Stephen Balkam, founding CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute, says, “This can be a humbling experience. You may find that you had no idea that the Sony Playstation Portable that you bought your 11-year-old last Christmas had a web browser. Or that your 5-year-old son (with the help of his older brother) has managed to create an avatar on Club Penguin and regularly goes for in-world pizzas with his other penguin friends.” http://www.parenting.com/gallery/social-media-monitoring-kids?page=13
Please note that there is NO SCHOOL on Monday JAN. 21 in observance of Martin Luther King Day.
Website: https://sites.google.com/fhevs.org/mckinleyelementarypyp/home
January is Board of Education Appreciation Month!
January is Board of Education Appreciation Month and we would like to give a shout out to our wonderful board members!
Mary Javins - President
Linda Cope- Vice President
Anna Coll
Amy Hites
William Lukshaw
Thank you for all you do for the Fairport Harbor Schools!!
PTO News
Happy Tuesday Skippers! Thank you to everyone who attended last Thursday's PTO meeting and Friday's Pizza Bingo. We had a lot of fun and were excited to see some new faces there!
This Friday, January 18th is "Family Game Night" 6:30-8:30pm in the McKinley gym. Admission is FREE. We will have a variety of games set up for families and friends to play together. The McKinley PTO will be selling hotdogs, nachos, chips and beverages for $1 each, and our 5th graders will be hosting a bake sale and 50/50 raffle too.
We have formed a small committee for the upcoming school carnival to be held on March 9th. Our 1st carnival committee meeting will be in the gym at 6:30pm on Monday 1-21-19 (MLK Day).
We will also be seeking volunteers to help set up, serve and take down for the father, daughter, special person dance February 17th.
The PTO has a lot of fun events planned for the remainder of the school year and could use all the help we can get. Please pm us on Facebook or text Christina at 440-479-5042. Look forward to a great remainder of the school year. Hope to see you at a meeting or event soon!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK MCKINLEY SKIPPERS!
About Us
Email: jpolak@fhevs.org
Website: www.fhevs.org
Location: 602 Plum Street, Fairport Harbor, OH, USA
Phone: 440.354.5400
Facebook: facebook.com/fairportharborschools/
Twitter: @PrincipalPolak