Olympia South

Family Tip #4 (Elementary): Develop their instincts Help kids trust their guts so they can exit iffy or inappropriate online conversations. Discuss different scenarios and ask how they would feel and what they would do.

1st graders in Mrs. Gray’s room were creating umbrellas to withstand wind. After each wind test, if their design was unsuccessful, students could make adjustments to their design before testing again. They were making connections between their design and the design of trees.

Family Tip #3 (Elementary): Help kids navigate online friendships In the beginning, you might limit all communication with strangers online. As kids get older, you can monitor any online chatting. And once they're more independent, you can discuss which methods of communication are appropriate as well as which types of information to keep private from online-only friends.

Thank you to the family of Garry Fulk who visited Olympia South today to donate an AED machine in his name. We will use it in the school nurse’s office until the new gym construction is complete. Once the construction is complete the AED machine will be mounted there.

Happy 4th birthday, Gunner! We hope you have an amazing day! 🎉 Love, Your OLY South family

Family Tip #2 (Elementary): Play a game of telephone Discuss how a message can change depending on the person delivering it or the delivery method. Read a question like "What are you doing?" with different tones of voice. Talk about how emoji and punctuation can help communicate tone and emotion in text messages.

Games, social media, and other online spaces give kids opportunities to meet and chat with others outside the confines of their real-life communities. But how well do kids actually know the people they're meeting and interacting with? Help students consider whom they're talking to and the types of information they're sharing online. In this video, kids hear from teens about the benefits and drawbacks of presenting themselves differently (or even anonymously) to others online, and consider what it means to "be yourself" in digital spaces. Video Link: bit.ly/olyRCv3

*Keeping Games Fun and Friendly* Social interaction is part of what makes online gaming so popular and engaging for kids. But online communication can come with some risks. Show your kids how to keep their gaming experiences fun, healthy, and positive. Video: bit.ly/olyRCv1

Family Tip #1: Give them the right words. Kids learn about appropriate verbal and physical communication from watching you. But online conversations can be invisible. Occasionally, narrate as you're writing texts or social media comments when your kids are in earshot.

First graders in Mrs. Gray’s class enjoyed the nicer weather while illustrating their personal narratives. Each student used chalk to draw their small moment in a sidewalk square!

**Help Kids Make Friends and Interact Safely Online: Elementary** Soon after kids start reading and writing, they often begin interacting with others online. Whether they're chatting within games or texting family members, kids need the skills to interact respectfully. These skills will help kids -- and the people they're communicating with -- have positive experiences online. Throughout April, be on the lookout for these 4 Family Tips for elementary families who are looking to build a strong foundation for online relationships and communication! 1. Give them the right words. 2. Play a game of telephone. 3. Help kids navigate online friendships. 4. Develop their instincts.

Family Tip 5: **Skip quizzes** Help kids identify and avoid clickbait, quizzes, special offers, and anything that asks for personal or private information. This helps keep information secure and devices safe.

5 Myths and Truths About Kids’ Internet Safety Help keep your kids' online experiences positive and productive by learning the truth (and ignoring the rumors) about what really makes them safe. Article by Caroline Knorr bit.ly/olyDSA5

Parents' Ultimate Guide to Parental Controls Do you need parental controls? What are the options? Do they really work? Here's everything you need to know about the wide array of parental control solutions, from OS settings to monitoring apps to network hardware. Article by Caroline Knorr bit.ly/olySDA3

5 Surefire Ways to Protect Your Kid’s Online Privacy Today's kids​ spend lots of time posting and sharing information online. ​Learn five surefire ways to protect their ​privacy. bit.ly/olyDSv2

5 Ways to Make YouTube Safer for Your Kids Kids love YouTube. Whether they're watching funny videos, learning cool stuff, or uploading their own creations, they can stay busy on the popular website. But not everything about YouTube is fun and games. Discover five ways to make YouTube safer for kids. bit.ly/olyDSv1

Family Tip 4: **Power up passwords** Work together with kids to help them come up with complex passwords. Think outside the dictionary. Use phrases and special characters that make passwords hard to guess but easy to remember. Remind kids to keep passwords private and change them regularly.

Family Activity: Creating Strong Passwords Evaluate some sample passwords, and then create some strong passwords with your family. This simple, short activity could save you a WORLD of hurt and countless hours down the road! bit.ly/olyDSfa1

Family Tip 3: **Avoid location tracking** Location-aware apps can be super helpful. But apps that use a device's location to help people find your kid or offer them ads for nearby businesses should be used with caution. Turn them off if you can.

Real-World Reasons Parents Should Care About Kids and Online Privacy If you don't want to have the bejesus scared out of you, don't talk to an expert on kids' online privacy. If you knew what was really out there -- online predators, identity thieves, data miners -- you'd lock up the internet and throw away the key. The truth is, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The internet is so woven into our lives, we need to be aware of the worst-case scenarios that can strike when we're unprepared. Check out this article for a few of those scary things that can and do happen. But with some eyes and ears to the ground, they are totally preventable. bit.ly/olyDSA2