WOODSTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL

15 LINCOLN AVENUE

WOODSTOWN, NEW JERSEY  08098-1392

Tele:  (856) 769-0144

Fax    (856) 769-3872

 

MR. JOHN B. FARGNOLI                                                                                                                                                         MRS. SUSAN BAUM

             Principal                                                                                                                                                                                 Guidance Counselor

           

MR. NATHAN FREY                                                                  MR. GLENN MERKLE                                                  MRS. AUDREY CLEARY

 Instructional Facilitator                                                                    Director of Athletics                                                                      Instructional Facilitator

                                                                                                           

 

 

M E M O R A N D U M

 

 

TO:                              WMS Parents

 

FROM:                       John B. Fargnoli

 

RE:                             Internet Safety

 

DATE:                        March 8, 2006

 

 

On March 6th we had an assembly for all of our students entitled “Internet Safety and Cyber Bullying” that was run by the New Jersey State Police.  Below is a list of internet safety tips that they recommend so our students can remain safe.  Please read and familiarize your child(ren) with these safety tips.

I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents' work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school without my parents' permission.

I will tell my parents right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable.

I will never agree to get together with someone I "meet" online without first checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring my mother or father along.

I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first checking with my parents.

I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do, I will tell my parents right away so that they can contact the online service.

I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online. We will decide upon the time of day that I can be online, the length of time I can be online and appropriate areas for me to visit. I will not access other areas or break these rules without their permission.

Don’t give out personal information about yourself, your family situation, your school, your telephone number, or your address.

If you become aware of the sharing, using, or viewing of child pornography online, immediately report this to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.

When in chat rooms, remember that not everyone may be who they say they are. For example a person who says "she" is a 14-year-old girl from New York may really be a 42-year-old man from California.1

If someone harasses you online, says anything inappropriate, or does anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, contact your Internet Service Provider.

Know that there are rules many Internet Service Providers (ISP) have about online behavior. If you disobey an ISP's rules, your ISP may penalize you by disabling your account, and sometimes every account in a household, either temporarily or permanently.

Consider volunteering at your local library, school, or Boys & Girls Club to help younger children online. Many schools and nonprofit organizations are in need of people to help set up their computers and Internet capabilities.

A friend you meet online may not be the best person to talk to if you are having problems with your friends, or at school, speak with your parents.  If you know of friends who cannot find an adult at home, school or church to talk to, the Covenant House is a good place to call at 1-800-999-9999. The people there provide counseling to kids, refer them to local shelters, help them with law enforcement, and can serve as mediators by calling their parents.

If you know of someone who is thinking about running away, a friend from online (remember the 14-year-old girl) may not be the best person to talk to. If there is not an adult in your community that they can talk to, call the National Runaway Switchboard at 1-800-621-4000.

 

1Adapted from Teen Safety on the Information Highway by Lawrence J. Magid. Copyright© respectively 1994 and 1998 National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). All rights reserved.

2Adapted from Children Online: The ABCs for Parenting: When Is Your Child Ready by The Children's Partnership. Reprinted with permission of The Children's Partnership. http://www.childrenspartnership.org

JF/kw