Parents in the Saugerties Central School District (SCSD) are being encouraged to sign up for a free virtual seminar on internet safety to be held early next month.
The seminar will be hosted by Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Director of Regional Safety Services Frank Guglieri on Tuesday, January 7 at 7:00 p.m., and will focus on empowering parents and guardians to play an active role in protecting their children from the risks of uninformed online decisions while encouraging secure, thoughtful internet use.
SCSD Superintendent Daniel Erceg said he believed the seminar will offer clear tips on how parents can ensure they’re doing their part to minimize the risk of the potential pitfalls of internet use.
“I believe this presents a great opportunity to empower families with the knowledge and tools they need to protect their children online,” Erceg said. “This includes an increased awareness of potential risks their students may face. These include cyberbullying,inappropriate content and privacy issues.”
Additionally, Erceg added, he expects the seminar to give parents a playbook for connecting with their children about the importance of internet safety.
“I also hope that families will leave with actionable tips to set boundaries, monitor their child activity and encourage open communication between students and parents,” he said. “Most importantly, I hope parents feel confident in having follow-up conversations with their children to foster save and appropriate digital experience.”
Putnam/Northern Dutchess BOCES Regional Safety Services offers a wide range of workshops, seminars, and special events both on campus and online, with a broad definition of safety covering everything from natural disasters, gun violence and drug and alcohol use. Like BOCES, Erceg considers internet awareness a critical component of school safety.
“Children are surrounded by the digital world and it will continue to be a part of their life,” he said. “Students need to be protected from risks such as cyberbullying, online predators and harmful content. Awareness helps them recognize and avoid these dangers. Students need to learn how to make appropriate choices to protect their digital footprint.”
Parents can also play a key role in helping keep kids safe online.
“Our parents need to be aware of the potential risks and what technology is out there,” Erceg said. “Students are often times several steps ahead of parents in the technology realm. This awareness will help parents to set health boundaries and have informed conversations with their child. When both parents and students are informed, they can work together to hopefully ensure a safer, more positive online experience.”
Like other school districts in the Hudson Valley and around the country, the SCSD must ensure its students and parents are aware of the internet’s reach and impact, which sometimes spills over onto campus.
“Saugerties is not exempt from having issues linked to technology,” Erceg said. “Confrontations between students escalate through social media posts due to comments made directly to other individuals or through individuals sharing comments. Arguments or misunderstandings that start online can escalate, impacting relationships in school. A single post can spread to hundreds of students in a matter of seconds. A picture or video of another student can be posted for all to see. In addition, there is always a concern about students sharing inappropriate content that will exist on the internet for eternity.”
Erceg said kids can sometimes become dependent upon their internet and social media fix.
“One area that is hard to quantify is overuse of devices,” he said. “How many students are struggling with the need to be connected to social media? How many students are not sleeping well because they are scrolling or play video games? How many are struggling academically? How many are struggling to develop face-to-face relationships?”
Erceg said he hoped the virtual seminar will see greater community engagement than a pair of previous in-person events run by trooper Anca Watt, a school and community outreach coordinator with the New York State Police.
“Unfortunately, her powerful message was only heard by a handful of parents,” Erceg said. “We are optimistic that a virtual presentation may allow for greater access for our families.”
To register for the virtual internet safety seminar, visit https://bit.ly/3Ok4Vui.
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