October 1, 2013

MRS. LAKINS 3RD GRADE CLASS NEWSLETTER

Dear Parents, As many of you are well aware, the internet is a wonderful resource that your 1 children have the privilege of using for educational, and sometimes entertaining, purposes. The internet opens up a world of possibilities for educational experiences and learning, but should be cautiously used. I urge parents to ensure their childs internet safety by following the tips and using the resources provided in this newsletter. Thank you, Mrs. Lakin Mrs. Lakin

RESOURCES 1. Kidsdomain.com- teaches internet safety rules. 2. Surf Swell Island- interactive Disney game that teaches internet responsibility. 3. Kidrex.org- a child friendly internet search engine. 4. Fbi.gov- provides a handbook guide for internet safety.

1. Discuss internet safety with your child. Make sure they are aware of the dangers of giving personal information (address, phone number) and the dangers of chatting with strangers. Create internet house rules. 2. Give your children a set time for internet usage at home. Make sure the time you allow is that which is able to be monitored by a parent or guardian. Use the internet with them. 3. Utilize parental internet controls or filters that will eliminate the access of inappropriate websites. Introduce your children to child friendly search engines. 4. Inform your children of cyber bulling. Set consequences for cases of cyber bullying your child maybe a part of, and listen for signs of bullying.

Dr. Gail Gross, a Human Behavior and Education Expert and speaker for Huffington Post shares, Children may be at a much higher risk of becoming victims of Internet crimes than most parents realize. While online computer exploration opens a world of possibilities for children, it can also open the door to dangerous sexual predators, cyber bullying and interactions with financial and legal consequences.

Safety Matters!
Resources Cited 1. Gross, Gail. "Tips to Keep Your Child Safe Online." Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc, 30 Sep 2013. Web. 1 Oct 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-gail-gross/tips-to-keep-your-child-safe-online_b_4017356.html>. 2. "Internet Safety Tips for Elementary School Kids." Common Sense Media. Common Sense Media, Inc., 19 Mar 2012. Web. 1 Oct 2013. <http://www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-parents/internet-safety-tips-elementary-school-kids>. 3. "Internet Safety." Kidshealth. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 1 Oct 2013. <http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/net_safety.html 4. "Safety Tips." Netsmartz Workshop. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, n.d. Web. 1 Oct 2013. <http://www.netsmartz.org/safety/safetytips>.