Internet Safety

With increased access to devices and the Internet, the concept of Digital Citizenship is of great importance for all who use “the web”. Digital Citizenship relates to the way in which an individual communicates and presents oneself on the Internet and the identity the user develops through interactions on the Internet and social networking sites. School-based activities and discussion about Digital Citizenship include awareness and resources related to Internet safety and cyberbullying.

Helping our students stay safe and make responsible choices on the Internet can be promoted at home. The following guidelines may help students and their families stay safe through about Digital Citizenship and related areas such as Internet Safety and Cyberbullying.

Keep personal information to yourself as much as possible. If you have to share, keep it professional and limited.
Choose Strong Passwords that include a capital, a number, and a symbol.
Be careful what you post. Protect your digital footprint and don’t publish anything online that you wouldn’t want all of your friends, family, teachers, and future employers to see. What you post online is permanent, if even if you delete it.
Keep your antivirus program up to date.
To surf the web safely, make sure your searches are as specific as possible. Also, be sure to spell your search terms correctly.
If you come across something that upsets you during a web search, talk to a trusted adult about it.
A website with https in the address bar is considered secure. You should only log into or buy things from websites that use “https” in the URL.
Sites ending in “.gov” or “.edu” are the safest to visit.
Don’t believe everything you read online. Be sure to fact check or find a reliable source for information.
Cyberbullying is when someone picks on you, annoys, embarrasses, hurts, or threatens you repeatedly using technology. If you are a victim of cyberbullying, talk to a trusted adult about it. Report the abuse to the platform where it is occurring.