Calendar »
Parents »
Students »
Alumni »
Faculty/Staff »
The Campus Connect e-newsletters sent monthly have included news from the heads, upcoming campus events, campus news and announcements. With the recent launch of Dutch Weeklies, much of the information available on the monthly Campus Connect is redundant. In order to continue providing relevant and interesting information, starting January 2012, the Campus Connect will be renamed and given a new focus. "Holland Hallmarks" will be sent home once a month and will feature articles from various faculty, staff and administrators on topics that pertain to the school's mission, educational philosophy and core values. To find out the latest on campus events, news and grade level announcements, we encourage you to read your Dutch Weekly or visit the Holland Hall website.We hope this change starting January 2012 will bring insightful and interesting information to you as parents and as Holland Hall community members.
Addressing Internet Safety at Home and School
January 10, 2012
Dear Holland Hall Parents:
As we usher in the New Year and our new Holland Hallmarks, we would like to take this opportunity to address a timely and important topic – Internet safety for children. This topic is relevant for our students across all three divisions. While parents may remember a time when the Internet did not exist, our students’ entire lives have occurred during the digital age. As students’ progress through Holland Hall, the role of the Internet increases in the learning activities crafted by our faculty. At the same time, students’ growing independence and natural curiosity leads them to explore a variety of on-line topics both at school and at home. It’s therefore imperative that parents and teachers work together to help students develop safe and positive habits using the Internet.
Parental input and involvement is a hallmark of Holland Hall. A trusting partnership between teachers and parents is an integral part of what makes our community unique – and safe. We must work together as our children’s mentors to define and monitor the age appropriate boundaries for their Internet use. Appropriate online behavior evolves as a student moves from the Primary to the Middle to the Upper School. And what is deemed appropriate for one student may be inappropriate for another. Determining what is – or is not – appropriate is not always easy and can be subjective and course specific, especially in the Upper School. Our administration and faculty will continue to communicate clear standards appropriate for each division. A core principle that will guide our discussions is the standard of respecting oneself and others. To review current school acceptable use policies by division, click the following links: Primary School, Middle School, Upper School.
As our teachers increasingly use technology to enhance our curriculum, we will also rely on parents monitoring a child’s digital behaviors at home in order to help us maintain a safe environment at school. Working together, parents and teachers can manage the risks and leverage all the educational benefits the Internet provides.
The Division Heads are contacted often for parenting tips regarding appropriate Internet use. Anecdotally, we know it is never too early to think about what boundaries are appropriate in our homes. We also acknowledge that it becomes increasingly more challenging to determine the appropriate level of monitoring as students move into the Upper School.
The following tips from InternetSafety.com are suggested for parents of students of all ages.
● Become a “net-savvy” parent. Being knowledgeable and staying abreast of your child’s activity and the possibilities and pit-falls of Internet use is the best safeguard for parents.
● “Chat” with your child. Have an ongoing dialogue with your child about the on-line world. As children engage in Internet activity, they will want to discuss what they are seeing and learning. Strive to create a home environment where children feel safe sharing with you.
● Agree on a game plan. Engage your child in developing agreed upon ground-rules for use of the Internet. InternetSafety.com provides an example of a game plan you can use to start your conversations with your child.
● Protect your computer. Consider the software options available to parents to monitor Internet use on your home computer. Doing so allows you to be proactive in blocking inappropriate Internet activity and keeping your computer’s hard-drive free of invasive spyware, If you have any questions regarding what you can do to protect your computer, please contact our Director of Technology Henry Finch by phone at 918.481.1111, ext. 753 or by email at hfinch@hollandhall.org.
● Explore the Internet as a family - Once your child is engaged in online activities, take the opportunity to interact with them online. This allows you to model positive behaviors on the Internet and to engage with your child in a manner that is comfortable for both of you.
Please also consider the following resources as you reflect on the expectations you have in your home.
● Netsmartz – www.netsmartz.org/Resources/Pledges - This page contains helpful internet and real-world safety rules for Primary, Middle, and Upper School students.
● PBS Frontline Program – Growing Up Online – This documentary can be accessed online and provides sobering tales and helpful advice for parents.
● SafeKids - www.safekids.com - This website contains a number of articles pertinent to Internet safety. There are links to two other websites, ConnectSafely.org and SafeTeens.com.
Guest Speaker, Katie Koestner, to present on February 22
We have arranged for a nationally-known speaker, Katie Koestner, to present to students in 6th-12th grades and all Holland Hall parents and faculty. Please join us on February 22 at 7 p.m. in the Walter Arts Center’s Branch Theater for her parent presentation. Ms. Koestner is a national expert on student safety and teen relationship culture. She has appeared on the cover of TIME Magazine, The Oprah Winfrey Show, the NBC Nightly News, CNN and other national television programs. She is the subject of an HBO movie and has lectured at over 1600 schools in North America. Her audiences include the incoming classes at MIT, West Point, the US Naval Academy, Brown University, Amherst College, Williams College, and many other top universities. While Ms. Koestner has a wide range of expertise, she will speak at Holland Hall only about responsible use of the Internet and potential consequences of poor digital choices. We are optimistic that her age-appropriate presentation will resonate with students and provide an opportunity for all of us to engage in meaningful and productive conversations.
The digital world is ever-evolving. It is full of tremendous benefits as well as significant risks. As educators and parents, we both must be fully engaged as partners in shaping our students’ on-line behaviors. Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to support your conversations at home on this topic. Together, we can be diligent and confident in our efforts to raise our children to be responsible digital citizens in the 21st Century.
Sincerely,
John D. Marshall, Head of School
Dennis Calkins, Head of the Upper School
Joel R. Bicknell, Head of the Middle School
Jo-An Vargo, Head of the Primary School