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Parent Pillar Newsletter
In order to assist you as the primary educator of your children, we have committed to providing you with three Pillar in Action newsletters a year. Each of these newsletters will follow a specific theme that ties to one or more of our mission pillars. The content of these newsletters is created by the faculty and staff of BFCCPS. 
 
If you have any questions or would like further information on any of the information included in this newsletter, please contact  Mrs. Zolnowski . Previous issues are archived  here

Mr. Perna
BFCCPS
Head of School
Internet Safety and Your Children
Earlier this year we welcomed Dr. Elizabeth Englander for our first Parent Pillar night of the year. She shared a variety of tips to promote internet safety at home. For those of you that were not able to join us, we hope that the following tips and resources can help guide you.

Did you know that the average home has about 4 internet-enabled devices per home? How many do you have? Consider cell phones, computers, tablets, web enabled televisions, smart home devices etc.

When we eliminate or confiscate devices, children can creatively find other ways to gain access by visiting a friends house, going to the library etc. Instead Dr. Englander suggests that we can supervise and make their access difficult using technology such as:


Dr. Englander also recommends creating an ongoing dialogue so that your child(ren) can confidently reach out for your guidance. Her advice to the group is that "Parents who talk have kids who listen." You can read this article for 20 tips on how to talk so your children will listen.

Some other tips she proposed for us are as follows:

  • Encourage your children to respect the 24 hour rule: When you are upset, wait before you text or post.

  • Experts advise that both dinners and bedrooms should be tech-free; create a family tech charging area in a common area. Set a good example for your child.

  • Encourage personal social gatherings (versus online gatherings) by being willing to schedule or host face to face activities.

During the event, Dr. Englander and parents discussed the " Wait Until 8th " pledge. This movement "empowers parents to rally together to delay giving children a smartphone until at least 8th grade. By banding together, this will decrease the pressure felt by kids and parents alike over the kids having a smartphone." You can read more about "Why Wait" here.

What is FOMO?
"Jerry Bubrick, PhD, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute, observes that “FOMO (fear of missing out) is really the fear of not being connected to our social world, and that need to feel connected sometimes trumps whatever’s going on in the actual situation we’re in. The more we use social media, the less we think about being present in the moment.”

Instead we might be occupied with worrying why we weren’t invited to a party we’re seeing on Instagram, or making sure we don’t miss a single post from a friend. But if we’re always playing catch-up to endless online updates, we’re prioritizing social interactions that aren’t as emotionally rewarding and can actually make us feel more isolated."

Some experts even believe that social media use can potentially decrease happiness, read more in this article .
Be a "Bucketfiller"
Many of our younger students have read Have you Filled a Bucket Today book in Kindergarten. This spring, the author added a new book to the series for slightly older readers that younger students might enjoy!

We encourage you to check out Buckets, Dipper and Lids . No matter our age, we all have the ability to help others become happy; and unfortunately we all can become bucket-dippers if we aren't careful.
Responsible Use Policy
Over the summer, BFCCPS reviewed our policies surrounding technology use. The Responsible Use Policy was created with thoughtful consideration as to how we expect students, faculty and staff to utilize BFCCPS technology infrastructure.

Why not consider an acceptable use contract of your own at home?
Some online resources for determining your own families use are linked below

The Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School
201 Main Street, Franklin

www.bfccps.org