Screen Smart September Newsletter

Looking for a way to stay up-to-date with technology and keep your students safer online? Catoosa County Public Schools and the Georgia Department of Education are excited to provide you with resources to help protect your family online with Parent ProTech's on-demand platform at no charge!

Sign up here: https://app.parentprotech.com/932/catoosa-county/en/signup?source=admin

Your Parent ProTech access includes: 

Watch this short video introduction to find out more about Parent ProTech.

Parents, in the online world, the classic saying, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," has never been more important. Identity thieves are becoming increasingly sophisticated, using tempting offers like free items, promises of remote jobs, or even cryptocurrency to trick people - including students - into giving up private information.

Here are the essential security tips to discuss with your student today: 

Protect Personally Identifiable Information (PII) 

Online thieves are looking for details that can be used to steal your child's identify. A good rule of thumb: If it's something you wouldn't shout in the school hallway, don't share it online with strangers. 

Your child should never share: 

Even if you child is tech-savvy, the temptation to overshare or respond to a seemingly harmless request can be strong. Remind your child that strangers online are not friends.

Your student's school Google account username and password are the keys to their entire digital school life. They must be kept completely private. 

The rule is simple: DO NOT SHARE!

When login information is shared, it allows a stranger to:

This is a dangerous and escalating trend. By securing your child's online accounts, you are protecting them and the entire school community.

Action Item: Take five minutes today to talk with your child about these dangers and reinforce the importance of keeping their personal and account information private.

 

Parents, now might be a great time to discuss contracts with your student. Professional athletes sign contracts. Singers and songwriters sign contracts. Even teachers sign contracts. Parent ProTech has created a Smartphone Contract to help parents define boundaries when managing a cell phone with their student. Cell phones can be convenient for knowing when to pick up your teen from ball or band practice, but they sometimes create new issues with seemingly endless opportunities for communicating with friends and strangers. The Smartphone Contract can be  great place to bein discussing rules and limitations around your student's cell phone use. You can find the Smartphone Contract on the Parent ProTech homepage by searching for "Smartphone Contract." 

Don't have a Parent ProTech account? You can sign up for free at: https://app.parentprotech.com/932/catoosa-county/en/signup?source=admin

This summer, why not try a 24 hour screen free challenge with your child? You can pair a screen free day with a trip to a playground or the library to participate in the summer reading program. you can find information about the Catoosa County Public Library's Summer Reading program at https://www.catoosacountylibrary.org/summerreading 

You could make a screen free challenge fun with a reward at the end! 

For older students, you might try a screen free weekend. Try asking your teens what free activity they would enjoy doing this summer to get a break from screen time. Get tips on a screen free challenge on Parent ProTech at https://app.parentprotech.com/932/catoosa-county/en/singup?source=admin 

According to a recent review by Common Sense Media, the AI Chatbot Grok is not safe for children and teens. Grok is built into the social media platform X, which was formerly known as Twitter. According to Common Sense Media, Grok scored an unsafe rating for, "inadequate identification of users under 18, weak safety guardrails, and frequent generation of sexual, violent, and inappropriate matters." 

You can find the full article about the dangers of Grok online at