FAQs for Digital Citizenship
Can students use their personal phones and devices at ASFG to access the internet?
Many student phones include data plans that access the internet outside of our web-content filtering application.
ASFG can only filter the content that is being accessed using ASFG’s wi-fi system. Due to this reason, policies
are in place for our Elementary students to not have smartphones that access the internet during school hours from
8:00 - 2:30pm. In addition, Middle School students are instructed to have their cell phones put away during the
school day.
All sections of ASFG maintain a cell phone policy intended to support the academic environment. That policy can be
found in the Student Parent Handbook on the
following pages in the English section:
- General all school policy - page 60
- Early Childhood - follows the all school policy on page 60
- Elementary - page 81
- Middle School - page 91
- High School - page 107
What is ASFG’s cyberbullying policy and what resources are provided for parents regarding this topic?
ASFG includes cyberbullying as a type of bullying within its
bullying policy
equal to verbal, social, or physical bullying. ASFG’s
bullying prevention program
includes mandatory and optional workshops to educate the school community in how to address this concern.
Resources from these conferences can be found here:
Mandatory parent meetings to address digital citizenship are held in late August each year for grade 7 and 10 parents
to address best practices with our school’s 1:1 laptop program. The presentations and handouts are found here:
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Grade 7 presentation with a focus on digital citizenship, laptop care, and start-up procedures and suggestions.
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Grade 10 presentation with focus on performance tasks in the areas of online etiquette, responsible use, digital health
and wellness, and a student’s digital footprint.
-
Useful infographics used for these meetings can be found here: Online Etiquette, Digital Footprints, Parental
Ground Rules.
How can I help my child (and myself) embrace healthy technology habits?
Common Sense Media
is one of the best resources that ASFG follows and uses to guide our digital citizenship
curriculum. Below are some highlights for parents.
-
Technology Addiction
- From smartphones to social media to video-games, media and tech have become a huge part of our families'
lives. The ability to be constantly connected can affect schoolwork, relationships, and concentration.
The challenge is to get the most from technology without letting it get out of control.
-
A Parent’s Guide to Social Media
- Social media isn't simply a way of life for kids -- it's life itself. To help them keep their online
interactions safe, productive, and positive, we offer the most up-to-date research and guidance on social
media basics. Get tips on talking to your kids about sharing, posting , and avoiding digital drama.
-
Setting limits:
Family media contracts guide parents to set realistic rules that make sense for the family. Age appropriate
examples are included.
-
Cyberbullying -
Find age-specific guidelines, videos, and articles to help with tough conversations -- whether your kid is a
bully or is being bullied . We answer all your cyberbullying questions , offering age-appropriate advice,
school resources, and more from parents and experts.
-
Cyber bullying resources that I can share with my child
- Stop Bullying Now! was created by the Department of Health and Human Services to help kids learn about bullying:
what it is, how it affects people, and what kids can do about it. The site is safe for kids to navigate on their
own. Webisode videos illustrate examples of bullying using animated animal characters. The scenarios are realistic
but not too intense for younger kids -- there's no profanity, hate speech, or physical violence involved.
I understand that some student computers shut-down at 11pm. Do computers really do this and why?
ASFG wants to support parents when setting rules about screen time in their home. ASFG employs settings so that
the computers of grade 7 and grade 8 students are blocked from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 am. Given that individual family
needs vary greatly, ASFG does not employ this setting control from grades 9 -12. For these older grade levels, the
school defers to parent discretion to limit screen time.
What is the responsible use agreement at ASFG? Does my child know about this?
The responsible use agreement is included in the Parent Student Handbook on page 51. It is discussed at section
open houses and at parent meetings regarding digital citizenship. This policy is important to ASFG because it
defines the purpose of our school’s technology resources, equipment, and internet access to enrich our academic
environment. Students review it in an age appropriate way on a yearly basis in their early childhood classroom,
elementary technology class, middle school advisory, and high school mentoring class.
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