NORTHERN ELEMENTARY 

WHERE SAFETY IS ALWAYS FIRST

Technology: 

Protecting the welfare of all students and providing a safe, secure learning environment is our first priority at Northern York County School District. It's no secret that technology continues to expand at a rate that makes it challenging for parents and educators to keep up. Internet and cell phone communications in particular, can impose serious threats to our students both during and outside of the school day.

The district has procedures in place to ensure student cyber safety within our buildings, including firewalls which block access to inappropriate content on district computers. While these are important safety precautions, we also know that they are not fail safe. Coupled with these efforts, parent involvement, education, and monitoring of electronic devices is critical. To help parents stay educated on the latest trends related to technology, we recommend the following online resources:

1. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ (Dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing trustworthy information, independent reviews, and age ratings about all types of media, including apps.)
2. http://www.safekids.com/ (Safety guides for Facebook, Instagram, & Snapchat, and social web safety tips)
3. http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/parent-guide (Internet safety guide for parents)
4. http://www.checkupnewsroom.com/7-dangerous-apps-that-parents-need-to-know-about/ (Article that exposes potential dangers with popular apps including: Snapchat, Yik Yak, KiK, Poof, Omegle, Whisper, and Down)

It is important to be proactive with regard to your child's technology use. The single most important step you can take as a parent or guardian is to talk to your child regularly about technology. Monitor your child's cell phone and/or computer regularly including their text messages, photos, apps, and websites they visit. It is our hope that in partnership with you, we can continue to provide students with the many important educational benefits of technology in a safe and secure environment.