Ensuring the safety of our children online requires us to continually refine and improve our systems to both filter and monitor the online activity of students. At Tonasket School District, we take a proactive approach to keeping our students safe while also providing them the tools they need to enhance their learning and keep pace with the rest of society.
Below you’ll find information on what the District is doing to keep students safe and ideas for use at home.
Online Safety at School
The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires us to prevent students from accessing objectionable content online. Any website that a student attempts to visit is blocked if objectionable content is found.
CIPA also requires that communications involving students are monitored by services that alert us if student safety may be at risk. The system scans each student email, the contents of their Google Drive, Google searches, and filters all the websites they visit. Social media like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are blocked because they exist outside current monitoring systems. If an alert is created, it is forwarded on to staff to review and work with the students, staff, parents, and all people involved.
On a Chromebook issued by the school district, web traffic is always filtered like it is on campus. In other words, it doesn’t matter whether the Chromebook is at a student’s home, at a public library, at school, or at a friend’s house; it is filtered the same way that it would be on the school grounds.
Online Safety at Home
The internet is constantly changing. Filtering and monitoring are never 100% effective. So, if you notice anything odd please let us know - we want students safe just as much as you do. We can provide reports on what your child is doing any time you would like.
At home, we appreciate the time you take to talk to your children about what they are doing online. Please continue to talk with your kids about being careful when posting pictures or chatting online through social media like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or sharing pictures with friends. Sharing pictures online or through texting is permanent, and once the picture is sent, you never know where it might end up. People online are not always who they claim to be, and data moves quickly.
Keeping devices out of bedrooms while students sleep is another good practice. This will help them avoid the temptation to open the device when they should be getting a full night’s sleep. Alternatively, many home routers have parental controls that give you the ability to schedule when specific devices can access the internet.
Student cell phones are not allowed on our networks, and we do not have the ability or permission to track the activities of students on cell phones. If a student logs into their email or google drive on any device, our system continues to monitor the activity in email and drive.
If you are concerned about student safety, please call the main offices at your child’s school. If you prefer to report a concern anonymously, you can use our SafeSchools reporting area on the Tonasket School District’s website. Look for the SafeSchools Alert in the lower left.
For further information on keeping kids safe online, there are websites you can explore with your kids. We have provided links posted to the left of this article. These sites, as well as others, have great information for all ages and technical ability. If you have questions or concerns, please contact us. Student safety is our highest priority.
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