Author: .Arivella, Megan

Guidance Office

St. Michael School

Parent/Student Education

Internet Safety

Protecting your child online...Don’t wait...EDUCATE!

Thoughts from 8th grade students:
“There are some kids I don’t talk to much in school, but I will have a conversation on social media” “
My parents look at everything, look at it, but don’t comment on general stuff-get involved if it gets worse.”
“I don’t have a phone– I feel left out of everything.”

Special points of interest:
Consider installing Internet monitoring & filtering software
Find social networking sites suitable for your child on www.commonsensemedia.org
Help set privacy controls. ConnectSafely has published a parents guide
Consider turning off GPS feature for camera & certain apps

The current trend is cell phone use– you see people and many teens and children constantly on their phones. In order to keep your child safe, it is important to understand the apps that they are using and discussing with their friends. Even more imperative, is that you know what your child has access to when using a tablet, computer, cell phone and gaming device. Check comments for what he/she is posting, teach about group texting and review online contacts. Most social media services have ads and applications from 3rd parties. If children click on these or add them to their profiles, they are allowing access to their personal information. Each social media service has a different setup, so take a look at what account settings are being used. The risks of smartphone use include: cyberbullying, geolocation, sexting, security attacks, and access to view inappropriate content. Be smarter than the smartphone by: establishing clear guidelines, set up password protection, update the operating system, approve apps before they are downloaded and understand location services. Another “smart” idea is to try out various apps yourself so you can understand how each of them work. What are the pitfalls? What is the benefit? Is this a good and appropriate way for contact? Are others able to view personal information? Would my child’s privacy be compromised? These are many questions that you need to ask when using apps, especially those like Snapchat, Vine, KiK, Instagram and other online blogs and social media websites. Discuss bullying with your child and if whether he/she has bullied anyone. Encourage him/her to seek help.

Visit www.trend.micro.com/internetsafety for more tips

Does my child need a cell phone or smartphone?

The decision on whether you child should have a phone depends on the parents. This is a personal decision which you may have already considered. Would you hand your child the keys to the car without a license? No. So, make sure you teach appropriate and safe behavior with cell phone use. Your child should be mature enough to take care of it, not lose it, keep it charged and follow set rules. At young ages, children may think phones are a toy and it’s an alluring electronic devise. Educate yourselves and your child. Prepaid cell phones are an option as well. Remember you pay for it, so you are in charge of it. Teach respect.

Page #

Internet Safety

Inside Story Headline

This story can fit 150-200 words.
One benefit of using your newsletter as a promotional tool is that you can reuse content from other marketing materials, such as press releases, market studies, and reports.
While your main goal of distributing a newsletter might be to sell your product or service, the key to a successful newsletter is making it useful to your readers.
A great way to add useful content to your newsletter is to develop and write your own articles, or include a calendar of upcoming events or a special offer that promotes a new product.
You can also research articles or find “filler” articles by accessing the World Wide Web. You can write about a variety of topics but try to keep your articles short.
Much of the content you put in your newsletter can also be used for your Web site. Microsoft Publisher offers a simple way to convert your newsletter to a Web publication. So, when you’re finished writing your newsletter, convert it to a Web site and post it.

Caption describing picture or graphic.

Inside Story Headline

This story can fit 100-150 words.
The subject matter that appears in newsletters is virtually endless. You can include stories that focus on current technologies or innovations in your field.
You may also want to note business or economic trends, or make predictions for your customers or clients.
If the newsletter is distributed internally, you might comment upon new procedures or improvements to the business. Sales figures or earnings will show how your business is growing.
Some newsletters include a column that is updated every issue, for instance, an advice column, a book review, a letter from the president, or an editorial. You can also profile new employees or top customers or vendors.

“To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or quote from the story here.”

Inside Story Headline

This story can fit 75-125 words.
Selecting pictures or graphics is an important part of adding content to your newsletter.
Think about your article and ask yourself if the picture supports or enhances the message you’re trying to convey. Avoid selecting images that appear to be out of context.
Microsoft Publisher includes thousands of clip art images from which you can choose and import into your newsletter. There are also several tools you can use to draw shapes and symbols.
Once you have chosen an image, place it close to the article. Be sure to place the caption of the image near the image.

Caption describing picture or graphic.

Page #

Inside Story Headline

This story can fit 150-200 words.
One benefit of using your newsletter as a promotional tool is that you can reuse content from other marketing materials, such as press releases, market studies, and reports.
While your main goal of distributing a newsletter might be to sell your product or service, the key to a successful newsletter is making it useful to your readers.
A great way to add useful content to your newsletter is to develop and write your own articles, or include a calendar of upcoming events or a special offer that promotes a new product.
You can also research articles or find “filler” articles by accessing the World Wide Web. You can write about a variety of topics but try to keep your articles short.
Much of the content you put in your newsletter can also be used for your Web site. Microsoft Publisher offers a simple way to convert your newsletter to a Web publication. So, when you’re finished writing your newsletter, convert it to a Web site and post it.

Caption describing picture or graphic.

Inside Story Headline

This story can fit 100-150 words.
The subject matter that appears in newsletters is virtually endless. You can include stories that focus on current technologies or innovations in your field.
You may also want to note business or economic trends, or make predictions for your customers or clients.
If the newsletter is distributed internally, you might comment upon new procedures or improvements to the business. Sales figures or earnings will show how your business is growing.
Some newsletters include a column that is updated every issue, for instance, an advice column, a book review, a letter from the president, or an editorial. You can also profile new employees or top customers or vendors.

“To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or quote from the story here.”

Inside Story Headline

This story can fit 75-125 words.
Selecting pictures or graphics is an important part of adding content to your newsletter.
Think about your article and ask yourself if the picture supports or enhances the message you’re trying to convey. Avoid selecting images that appear to be out of context.
Microsoft Publisher includes thousands of clip art images from which you can choose and import into your newsletter. There are also several tools you can use to draw shapes and symbols.
Once you have chosen an image, place it close to the article. Be sure to place the caption of the image near the image.

Caption describing picture or graphic.

Business Name

Primary Business Address
Address Line 2
Address Line 3
Address Line 4

Phone: 555-555-5555
Fax: 555-555-5555
E-mail: someone@example.com

Business Tagline or Motto

We’re on the Web!
example.com

This would be a good place to insert a short paragraph about your organization. It might include the purpose of the organization, its mission, founding date, and a brief history. You could also include a brief list of the types of products, services, or programs your organization offers, the geographic area covered (for example, western U.S. or European markets), and a profile of the types of customers or members served.
It would also be useful to include a contact name for readers who want more information about the organization.

Organization

Back Page Story Headline

This story can fit 175-225 words.
If your newsletter is folded and mailed, this story will appear on the back. So, it’s a good idea to make it easy to read at a glance.
A question and answer session is a good way to quickly capture the attention of readers. You can either compile questions that you’ve received since the last edition or you can summarize some generic questions that are frequently asked about your organization.
A listing of names and titles of managers in your organization is a good way to give your newsletter a personal touch. If your organization is small, you may want to list the names of all employees.
If you have any prices of standard products or services, you can include a listing of those here. You may want to refer your readers to any other forms of communication that you’ve created for your organization.
You can also use this space to remind readers to mark their calendars for a regular event, such as a breakfast meeting for vendors every third Tuesday of the month, or a biannual charity auction.
If space is available, this is a good place to insert a clip art image or some other graphic.

Caption describing picture or graphic.