Exceptional Teaching Exceptional Relationships
Cheryl A. Gomez, Principal * Sherrie Gallegos, Assistant Principal * Jean Granberg, Counselor * Amanda Braaten, Academic Coach
Dear Johnson Elementary Community:
As we begin the second half of the school year, we want to bring to your attention a growing
concern for your children. We have seen a trend of younger and younger children using the
Internet in loosely supervised or unsupervised situations outside of school, beyond the ethical
considerations, there are safety and behavioral implications that sometimes spill over into the
school day. Elementary children may not have the necessary maturity and judgment to use these
sites appropriately. Their poor judgment can lead to a long term consequence. Comments, audio,
photos, or videos may be posted without the permission of the subject, containing content that can
be embarrassing or hurtful. Some children, who would not behave this way in person or in the
presence of their family may do so online because no one is watching. The reactions of their peers is
muted and once-removed by the technology. Moreover, children of this age do not realize that it is
difficult, once something is posted, to take it back, because content can be printed, copied, saved,
and forwarded to others.
We are asking parents to take a moment to PLAY with your kids on their devices. Have them
explain to you how the device and app work. Create with them, explore with them. Most
importantly please review with your child who they are “following” or who is following them on
social media. Same rules apply in the digital world. You wouldn’t want a stranger following your
child down the street. Some concerning details specific to Music.ly, Snapchat, and KiK have
caused us serious concern. These apps are concerning because:
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Dangers for kids:
18+ content in the songs lyrics. Swearing and adult concepts in the provided music.
Pornography, graphic content, suicide notes.
Musical.ly users can search for other users to view or follow near their own location/city
User generated videos can be viewed and shared onto other social media and messaging apps
increasing exposure
Bullying in comments.
Users can publicize their massager usernames or social media profiles on their Musical.ly profile
Live.ly live streaming is not private even if you have the privacy settings set up.
Using live streaming Musical.ly app Live.ly may mean larger exposure with mean comments,
interacting in real time with viewers.
Many fake user accounts, used to hijack views or set up to bully.
Hacking of accounts by promotional accounts (Free Musical.ly Crowns) within the apps.
Not easy to report accounts for being fakes or underage inside the app.
Many underage accounts with large amounts of followers.
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Easy for users to create multiple accounts and hide them from their parents.
Fake Musical.ly apps on the app store that charge for download or offer followers
Digital Citizenship Resources
https://youtu.be/OH6869bD8iU -video on digital citizenship
What are some resources for teaching digital citizenship?
What is digital citizenship? (More Info.)
Childnet International
Learning About and Teaching Digital Citizenship
Sincerely,
Johnson Elementary School Staff
Johnson Elementary
* Montrose County School District * 13280 6700 Road * Montrose, CO 81401 * 970.249.2584