Medina school district offering internet safety session for community

Press Release, Medina Central School

MEDINA – In a lot of ways technology has brought great advantages to us all, but it has also opened the door for putting us at risk.

Children especially are being exposed to harmful interactions like bullying and harassment as well as engaging with someone online who might not be who they appear to be.

Medina Central School District’s Mustang Parent Academy is offering a workshop entitled “Staying Safe Online: Internet Safety for Everyone” on Tuesday, April 11, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Oak Orchard Primary, 335 West Oak Orchard St. Childcare will be available for school-aged children and we are providing Case Nic Cookies for refreshments.

Julie Webber, director of curriculum and instruction at Medina, is working in tandem with school resource officer Dustin Meredith.

“In this day and age, we feel it is imperative to educate parents/guardians and the community of a variety of topics that impact our youth, especially navigating the digital world,” Webber said. “By making parents more aware of the dangers online, we are trying to assist them in helping their children out of potential or damaging situations before they escalate.”

Officer Meredith said he spends time collaborating with staff at the district’s schools about internet safety and the importance of being vigilant on where students are going on their electronic devices.

“It’s important for parents to know that those horrible stories you see on the news, happen right here in Medina,” he said. “Social media and the internet are fraught with dangers that can be prevented if parents are monitoring and regulating their usage.”

Oak Orchard Primary School Principal Jennifer Stearns said she believes it is never too early to talk about digital safety.

“Elementary school children are spending more time on devices than ever before and are vulnerable to risks online,” Stearns said. “I think it’s important to give their parents the tools to help keep them safe.”

For anyone unable to attend the session, you can also access it live online from your computer or phone with the meeting ID: meet.google.com/kuj-hdki-whe or at (US) +1 413-961-2517, PIN: 905 524 588#. The session will be recorded and it will be available for viewing at a later date on the school district webpage at www.medinacsd.org.