REPORT CARDS &

INTERVIEWS Report cards will be sent

home on March 20th.

Parent/Teacher Interviews

will be held on March 24 &

26. A schedule will soon be

sent home with the oldest/

only child in our school.

If you need to make

changes, please call the

school at 780-941-3927

as soon as possible.

NURTURING SUCCESS & EXCELLENCE

2015

MARCH

KINDERGARTEN

PRE-REGISTRATION Pre-registration for the

2015-2016 Kindergarten

class will be held on April 8,

2015 at 7:00 pm in the New

Sarepta Elementary School.

All parents with children who

will be 5 years old by

February 28, 2016 are

requested to attend.

Please bring your child’s birth

certificate, along with your

legal land description.

We will also be electing the

L.A.C. executive for next

year at this time. This is an

excellent way to be involved

in your child’s education and

meet new people. THE REGULAR L.A.C. MEET-

ING WILL BE ON THE SAME

DAY BUT START AT 6:30 pm.

Please pass this message on

to anyone you know who will

have a child attending

Kindergarten next year.

Having an accurate count of

students that will be attend-

ing Kindergarten next year

greatly assists us with

program planning.

CALENDAR EVENTS 4 - Early Dismissal (2:30 pm)

LAC mtg. @ 6:00 pm

5 - Miquelon Lake Day (Gr. 4-6)

5 - Family Dance (7 - 9:00 pm)

6 - PD Day - No School

- BGRS Google Summit

6 & 7- Gr. 3/4 Girls District .

. Floor Hockey Tournament

8 - Daylight Savings Time

17-St.Patrick’s Day assembly—

- @ 2:25 *Wear green

20 - Report Cards home

23 - School Council mtg. @ 7:00

23 - 26 - School Book Fair

24 & 26 - Parent/Teacher

Interviews

24 - Diabetes Presentation

26 - World Storytelling .

. Event (K - 6)

27 - NO SCHOOL - PD Day

Mar. 28 - Apr. 6: Spring Break Classes resume on Tuesday,

April 7

April 8 - Early dismissal@ 2:27

& LAC mtg. @6:00

*Kindergarten Pre-reg. . .

. meeting @ 7:00 p.m.

Principal: Mrs. Cheryl Hafso

E-mail: cheryl.hafso@blackgold.ca

Our monthly school

newsletter can also be

found online at:

www.blackgold.ab.ca/

Schools1/Schools/

NewSarepta/nse/default.htm

780-955-6025

ST.PATRICK’S DAY

An assembly will take place

at 2:25 p.m. on March 17th

to celebrate St. Patrick’s

Day. Parents are welcome

to attend.

*Remember to wear green!!

CAUGHT YOU BEING

GOOD!

During the month of

February students were

acknowledged by staff

members for their positive

student behaviors in our

“Caught You Being Good”

program. In this program

“tickets” were given to

students who were caught

in the act of showing good

character or demonstrat-

ing good behavior.

Students receiving a

“ticket” entered a draw

for the chance to win an

individual prize and were

given a heart to hang on

our “Caught You Being

Good” tree.

Certainly there is much to

celebrate in terms of

positive student behavior

in our school! It is in the

doing of something good,

for yourself or others,

that the real reward is

found.

VOLUNTEER HOURS

We would like to thank all the parents who helped

with skiing and our Winter Carnival Day, and

those who have volunteered for our upcoming

Miquelon Lake Day. We greatly appreciate

all the extra supervision and assistance!

Thanks also to all the parents who helped

out at school in February!

FAMILY DANCE Our annual Family Dance

will be held on March 5

from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. We hope to see you there!

It is great opportunity to

share in our community

spirit!

Please remember to purchase your

tickets ahead of time as each

person who comes to the

dance must have a ticket.

Special thanks to

Mrs. Pedersen and the

dance committee for

organizing and preparing

us for the dance!

2015-16 SCHOOL YEAR

The 2015/2016 School Year

Calendar has been approved by our

Board of Education, and is attached

to this newsletter. It can also be

found on-line at the Black Gold

Website - www.blackgold.ca

FLOOR HOCKEY NEWS The Gr. 3/4 Girls Floor Hockey Team is

busy preparing for their District

Tournament which will take place on March 6 & 7. The Gr. 3/4 Boys Team is in the

process of being formed, and the Gr. 5/6 Boys will soon have try-outs as their tour-

naments are in April: Gr. 3/4 Boys - April 10 & 11; Gr. 5/6 Boys and Girls - April 17 &

18. We wish all teams the best of luck and know that they will do a fine job of

representing our school. Congratulations to

the following students for making the 2015 school floor hockey teams thus far:

Gr. 3/4 GIRLS TEAM Kennedy Lewis Hanna Stone Taylor Wagner Piper Enright Amanda Helynck Chalee Kuhlmann Adysonne Corbiere Amber Jones Julie Labonte Jorja Enright

Raia Farness-Becker Chloe Buyzat Dani Kuhlmann Shaylea Bester Isabella Inaba Coaches: Mrs. Hammell & Mrs. Brown

GR. 5/6 GIRLS TEAM Abby Volkman Izzy Wesenberg Laine Bird Paiten Dubray Haley Givogue Rebekah Knull Grace Scheming Peyton Reimer Sophia Brenner Kailyn Ross Emma Senft Peyton Brookman Coach: Mrs. Erdmann

Page 2 STUDENTS OF NEW SAREPTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SUCCEED!

HAIR MASSACURE Ten students from New Sarepta Elementary School, and one from NSCHS, shaved their heads to raise money for the fight against cancer at our school Valentine assembly on Friday, February 13th. The boys had their pink locks sheared as teachers, class-mates, and parents cheered them on, for what has become an annual school event. Combined, the boys raised over $4000 for Alberta’s Hair Massacure fundraiser which supports children with life-threatening illness. A proud moment for NSE indeed! Way to go, J.T., Cody, Ty & Chase Preston, Kale & Carter Sagert, Nash & Atlee Helsby, Wyatt Knight, Kadin Murch, and Ashton Perry!

BUS SAFETY POSTER WINNERS We are very proud to announce that the following students were named winners in the Black Gold Regional School Bus Safety Poster Contest: Grade 1: Morgan Knight Sierra Volkman Grade 2: Katie Woods Grade 6: Sara Munro School Trustee, Johnette Lemke, awarded these students with a $25 cheque and a copy of their poster at our Valentine’s assembly. Way to go, Morgan, Sierra, Katie and Sara! We are so proud of your accomplishment!

STUDENT OF THE MONTH Congratulations to the following

students for being chosen for their

genuine caring ways in February:

1H - Scarlett Cetinski

1KS - Daniel Bartsch

2BB - Nevaeh Hannigan

2HB - Lily Goski

3H - Atlee Helsby

3L - Brooklynn Soch

4S - Jorja Enright

5E - Mason Ross

6B - Hannah Beck

6H - Pippa McCosham Thank you for being such great role

models in our school! The Student of the

Month theme for MARCH is Choices -

making positive and responsible choices

for yourself and towards others.

Students recognized as “Student of the

Month” receive certificates and an

opportunity to have pizza with the

principal.

UNPLUGGED RESULTS

We congratulate all families who took part in the Unplugged Challenge on Family Day weekend. Lucille Erikson, from Leduc County FCSS, reports that New Sarepta Elementary School’s results were phenomenal! We also had some impressive results in the Unplugged Art Contest with the following students winning prizes: Ages 5-8 Second Place: Aidin Werenka Ages 9-13 Second Place: Sophia Brenner Ages 9-13 Third Place: Laine Bird Mixed Media: Raia Farness-Becker As well, Wyatt Knight, won a draw prize from 3H, whose class logged in an impressive number of unplugged hours. Impressive results indeed!

BLACKGOLD SPELLING BEE Congratulations to Dylan Barsness

and Riley Hinkle for their tremen-

dous spelling prowess during the

District Spelling Bee Competition.

Riley finished in the top 10 spellers,

and Dylan within the top 5! Both

boys can be commended for their

hardwork and preparation for the

spelling bee and for their fine

performances. Way to go, boys!

KINDNESS BINGO -

All students from grades 1 - 6

received a Bingo card with acts of

kindness printed in the squares.

They were challenged to complete

as many of those acts as they could

from February 9th-17th. Many of

them completed the whole card in

one day!! At the end of the week,

students were entered into a draw

to win prizes. Thank you to

Mrs. Pedersen for donating all

of the prizes!!

March Speech Tip: *Did you know that children who have good listening skills are more likely to succeed in school?

*Teach your child to be an active listener by encouraging him/her to ask to repeat or explain the message in a different way when he/she does not understand.

Page 3 NEW SAREPTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SPRING BREAK & PD Day

Our Spring Break is from March 28

to April 6. We wish you all the best

while you enjoy this break from

school. Classes will resume on

Tuesday, April 7, with Early

Dismissal on Wednesday, April 8th.

As well, there is no school on March

27th as this will be a Professional

Development day for teachers.

Take Note Music and Movement is our focus

for all grades this month and we

hope to keep it going at the start of

each music class in the future. The

students have been learning about

the amazing benefits of daily

movement to music which include

improving their moods, lowering

stress and anxiety, supercharging

their brains for better concentra-

tion and memory, boosting their

energy, and MY PERSONAL

FAVOURITE…SLOWING DOWN

THE AGING PROCESS!!!

The Grade 1s & 2s will be starting

a Salute to Spring Unit right after

they participate in a St. Patrick’s

Unit involving jigging, singing, and

Luck of the Irish musical activities.

The Grade 3s are enjoying a Ring

of Mystery Unit which involves

Vivaldi, Violins, and Venice. Their

finished masks are on display in the

music room and a hallway bulletin

board for all to enjoy.

The Grade 4s are being enriched

with a “Beethoven Lives Upstairs”

unit involving a composer’s life,

orchestra instruments, his music,

and a historical time period.

The Grade 5 & 6s are busy putting

a twist on Mozart’s Magic Flute by

learning what it takes to be given

responsibilities within an opera

company and putting on a mini

opera of their own. They also

have learned about the various

voice ranges, instruments of the

orchestra, and Mozart’s life.

The Grade 6s have also started

their Airband Presentation Unit

and will be practicing in their Music

Studio rooms on Tuesdays and

Wednesdays with music class

support and presentation skills until

they perform on April 15 at 1:00

in the gym. Be sure to mark your

calendars!!!!

Ready to SPRING IN to a NEW BOOK? Check out our SPRING BOOK FAIR MARCH 20th– 26th

Watch for flyers that will be coming home soon with the students, advertising a small number of the great books that will be on sale at the fair. Be sure to fill in the Family Event Door Prize ballot included in the flyer, and send it back by March 25! Once again, a schedule will be set up for classes to shop during designated recesses, so please watch for that on the back of the note attached to the book fair flyer, or check with your child's teacher to find out which days they are allowed to shop. The book fair will also be open for business during P/T interview evenings, March 24th and 26th. Please stop by to take a look at all the terrific new books - and check out the guessing games at the counter! We ask that parents accompany their children when shopping or browsing during P/T Interview evenings. Thank you once again for supporting this library fundraiser. Your purchases help us bring many new books to our library! Librarians: Mrs. Horvey & Mrs. Dotzlaf

LEDUC MUSIC FESTIVAL This year the speech portion of

the Leduc Music Festival will be

held from April 13 - 17.

All performances will take place

at the Leduc Community Baptist

Church (3205 Coady Blvd.).

We have 16 individual students

who are competing from Gr.’s 2- 6.

We wish the best of luck to all our

participants!

CRAFT CLUB In February, we enjoyed creating

personalized valentine cards! This

month craft club will go green.

Creativity will be key as shamrocks

abound! Join Mrs. Klassen in the

Art Room at lunch recess

the second week of March.

GARDENING CLUB

The Gardening Club will begin

meeting this month for students

in Grade 3-6 who have a desire to

develop a green thumb. This year

we are hoping to grow a few varie-

ties of plants as we learn about

planting, watering, transplanting

and general care of plants. Planting

will take place during specific lunch

hours, but students will be

responsible for implementing their

own recess care and watering

schedule.

DIABETES PRESENTATIONS The Gr. 1 - 6 students will attend an

education/information session on

Diabetes on Tuesday, March 24th.

We thank New Sarepta’s FCSS

Coordinator, Lucille Erickson, for

making arrangements with the

Canadian Diabetes Association for

this presentation to take place at

NSE.

HEALTH TIP OF THE MONTH Be a positive role model for your children.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Go for a brisk walk.

Try a new activity.

Park your car a distance away from the

shopping mall or arena.

Take your dog for a longer walk.

Keep active!

SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS P.I.I.E. FUNDRAISER: DONATIONS NEEDED FOR SILENT AUCTION THEME BASKETS

Each year the New Sarepta Ag. Society hosts the "Crooked Ice Jugspiel” which is a milk jug curling bonspiel. The Ag. Society

generously allows P.I.I.E. to run a silent auction during the

Jugspiel. For several years, the silent auction has been a ma-jor source of our fundraising income. To help ensure a success-

ful auction, we ask each classroom to collect donations of either cash or items for a "theme basket" by March

18th. Below is a list of this year’s themes for each class:

Kindergarten(both classes) Easter Basket Gr.1KS Kitchen Basket Gr.1H Picnic & Camping Basket

Gr. 2HB Barbecue Basket Gr. 2BB Sports Basket Gr. 3H Gardening Basket Gr. 3L Family Game Night Basket

Gr. 4S Movie Basket Gr. 5E Junk Food Basket Gr. 6H Coffee & Tea Basket Gr. 6B Gift Card Basket

While we encourage everyone to get involved, participation in

this fundraiser is, as always, voluntary. The theme baskets are just one aspect of the auction. We also approach businesses

for donations of cash, services or products. In the past we have had bicycles, airline tickets and Oiler tickets donated.

These larger items really increase bidding. If you know of a

company or individual who would like to donate something for our Silent Auction, please use the

corporate sponsor letter found in this newsletter to ask for donations. More copies of this letter can be obtained

through the school office or from any school council executive

member. Baskets will be available for viewing/bidding at the New Sarepta Ag. Society’s Jugspeil held on Saturday, March

28th, from 9:00a.m. - 7:00 p.m., upstairs at the Agriplex. Please feel free to call Crystal Murch at 780-941-3593 or Robin

Stone at (780) 980-8619 if you have any questions. Thanks for your continued support.

The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 23rd at

7:00pm. We hope to see you there! Room Reps are reminded to please attend this meeting as we will be creating

the Silent Auctions baskets.

WORLD STORYTELLING DAY PRESENTATION - March 26 World Storytelling Day is a global

celebration of the art of oral storytell-ing. It is celebrated every year on or

around March 20 (Spring Equinox).

On WSD as many people as possible tell and listen to stories in as many

languages and at as many places as possible, during the same time.

Oral storytelling is the oldest art form

of entertainment and was originally the “teaching tool” or school for

instruction, explanation and information that was passed down

orally from generation to generation. Oral storytellers tell stories learned by

heart– they don’t read them! Stories

come alive through the use of the voice, facial expression and gesture.

A storyteller is not just a narrator, but actually becomes all the characters in

the story. The listeners actively create

the images of the story in their imaginations as the spoken words

come to life! On Thursday, March 26, New

Sarepta storyteller Mary Ann

Lippiatt will be including NSE in the 2015 World Storytelling Day

Celebrations by bringing the tradition of oral storytelling to

students in Kindergarten to Gr. 6. Touring Alberta schools and libraries

with Storytellers of Canada, The Alberta

League Encouraging Storytelling, Young Alberta Book Society and Boomtown

Trail, Mary Ann has also been invited to tell stories in a historical village hall

in England and even to the crew and

passengers on a West Jet Flight to Yellowknife!

*Special thanks to our School Council for subsidizing this special event!

MIQUELON LAKE DAY RESCHEDULED The Gr. 4-6 students will enjoy an outdoor day on March 5th at Miquelon Lake, spending the day snowshoeing, cross country

skiing, orienteering, broomball, quinzhee hut building, and more. Students will need to be dressed appropriately for being outside

for the entire day. Snow pants, a toque, mitts, and warm

boots are essential. Parents are welcome to participate or come out and watch. Please send a note in your child’s agenda if

you are able to help.

A POSITIVE, SAFE & CARING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Star Student Behaviour at NSE ... Be Respectful to people and property

Be Responsible for your learning and your behaviour Be Safe

Be Kind & Play Fair Do Your Best!

NEW SAREPTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Page 4

PARENT RESOURCES:

Engaging Students is a co-operative effort of Central Office departments in BGRS to support student learning in our schools. Visit our website for resources and information. http://engagingstudents.blackgold.ca/

Learn Alberta.ca is a website that supports

lifelong learning by providing online resources to

the Kindergarten to Gr. 12 community in Alberta.

Students, teachers, and parents can use this site

to find multimedia learning resources that are

correlated to the Alberta programs of study.

Students, parents and staff of Black Gold

Regional schools are authorized to use

LearnAlberta at http://www.learnalberta.ca/

To access these resources you need to use Black

Gold’s codes: Username: LA03 Password: 8049

My Child’s Learning & Curriculum Express My Child’s Learning is a new online resource that provides up-to-date information about what children in Grades K—12 are learning, the resources available to help them, and how they might be assessed. It can be found at: www.learnalberta.ca/content/mychildslearning/ Curriculum Express for Parents provides a short explanation of school and what students learn in Kindergarten to Grade 3. This online resource can be found at: http://www.education.alberta.ca/parents/resources/express.aspx

Black Gold is looking for

Substitute Education Assistants

Black Gold Regional Division No. 18 is proud to

employ exceptional staff who stay on the

leading edge of education in Alberta.

We are always looking for enthusiastic and

qualified people to complement our dedicated

team. Are you interested in working for a

dynamic and progressive school division?

We are currently hiring Substitute Education

Assistants. You may request an application

package by emailing

Dakota Williams, Secretary- Substitute Services

at dakota.williams@gshare.blackgold.ca

Black Gold Google Summit for Students

On Friday, March 6th, Black Gold Regional

Schools is holding a Google Summit for

Students at Leduc Composite High School.

Google Summits have been held worldwide

for teachers by an organization called the

EdTechTeam® providing instruction on using

technology in education. This exceptional

event will be for students, only the third time

in the world that The EdTechTeam® will

deliver a Google Summit for Students,

teaching students how to use technology to

support their learning. The goals of the

summit are to help students utilize technology

for learning and become leaders in technology

use. Attending students will return to their

schools as student leaders in technology use,

able to integrate technology into a classroom

lesson making use what they learned at the

conference. NSE is able to send 4 students;

Isabella Inaba, Riley Dunphy, Kailyn Ross,

Jade Lynn Frederick, along with Mrs. Hiller

as their supervisor.

Black Gold Regional Schools

Pre-Kindergarten Programs

Pre-kindergarten programs are for children who

are eligible for: Program Unit Funding,

Mild/Moderate funding, English as a Second

Language funding, or without special needs.

Children must be 4 before March 1st of their

pre-kindergarten year.

For more information, please contact

Niki Gill, ECS coordinator at 780-955-4534.

Black Gold Regional Schools Page 5

Walk like a Penguin: Deep freeze temperatures and sheets of ice may not inspire feelings of safety and comfort. Most of us have known someone - if not ourselves - who has fallen and been seriously injured on ice. In fact, from April 2013 - March 2014, injuries caused by falls on ice and/or snow accounted for 16,910 visits to Alberta Emergency Departments. But, this doesn't mean that hibernating is the safer bet. Quite the opposite: being sedentary contributes to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and unhealthy weight gain. This winter, Alberta Health Services is encouraging all Albertans to leave the hibernating to the bears, and to take a cue from some web-footed friends instead.... Enjoy the winter wonderland safely by learning the penguin walk! Watch a great new short Penguin Walk animation from AHS (featuring our penguin friends) at www.penguinwalk.ca

COMMUNITY NEWS

Babysitting Course -

The New Sarepta FCSS Office is

hosting a Babysitting Course – Friday and

Saturday, March 6 and 7, 2015.

Registration forms are available at

New Sarepta Elementary School or the

New Sarepta FCSS Office (located at

the Agriplex, West Doors).

Volunteer Appreciation – New Sarepta and area volunteers are

invited to drop by the FCSS Office on

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

(9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)

for coffee and cake.

Parent Link Stay’n’Play and

More:

Stay’n’Play is held Thursday morn-

ings, 9:00 - Noon @ the Agriplex.

This is a free drop-in program for

parents and children 0 to 6 years.

Enjoy an interactive playtime with

your child. By following your

child’s lead, you can support play

while building self-confidence and

self-esteem.

Mobile Mammography Clinic-The Alberta Health Services

Screen Test Mobile Mammography

Unit will be in Beaumont on March

11 and 12, 2015 (east side of No

Frills parking lot) and in Leduc on

March 13 and 14, 2015 (Old Nurs-

es Residence, 48 Street and 43

Avenue – across from the

hospital). Remember: women 50

and over are recommended to have

a mammogram every 2 years and

do not need a doctor’s referral.

To book an appointment, please

call 1-800-667-0604.

Free Information session

regarding Alberta Seniors

Benefit FCSS invites seniors, soon-to-be

seniors and/or families of seniors

to a Free Information session and

discussion regarding Alberta

Seniors Benefit, Dental and

Optical Assistance, and Special

Needs Assistance. In addition,

representatives from Service

Canada will provide information on

Old Age Security, Canada Pension

Plan and Guaranteed Income

Supplement.

WHEN? Wednesday, May 6, 2015,

1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

WHERE? New Sarepta Golden

Pioneers Centre (located at the

Agriplex).

Volunteer Income Tax Program –

New Sarepta FCSS will complete

2014 Income Tax Returns for

low-income individuals who have a

simple tax situation and are living

within rural Leduc County or the

municipality of New Sarepta. Please

contact Lucille at (780) 941-2382

to make an appointment to have your

2014 Income Tax Return completed

free of charge. Please Note: we are

not able to complete complicated

returns, returns for the deceased,

or those with business, farming or

rental income.

The City of Leduc FCSS, Alberta Works and Servus Credit Union have partnered to offer a

FREE Information Session on Managing Job Loss. When: Monday, March 9th Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Where: Leduc Public Library

New Sarepta Public Library

Regular hours: Mon. - Fri. 8:30am -12:15 pm

(Closed daily from 11:30 - 11:53am)

Tues. and Thurs. 3:00- 9:00pm

Fridays - 12:00pm - 4:00pm

Saturdays - 11:00am - 3:00pm

Library Closures Friday, March 6 - Closed in a.m.

Friday, March 27 - Closed in a.m.

March 30 - April 6 - Closed in am

Preschool Storytime Fridays, April 3, 10 and 17 1-2pm

This registered, parented program

will give you and your child an op-

portunity to make memories that

last a lifetime, and help foster a

love of learning.

Zentangle Saturday, March 14

This registered program will be led

by a Zentangle Pro! There will be a

small cost for materials, please call

Dana at 780-941-2448 for more

information.

Free Family Movie Night Tuesday, March 10th at 6:30pm BIG HERO 6 Come on down to the library for a

free family movie showing on our big

screen. New releases are shown

sometimes the day they come out,

popcorn and healthy snacks will be

available for purchase (Cash or

cheque only).

Book Club Picks Women who run with the wolves : myths and stories of the wild woman archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estés

Orange is the new black : my year in a women's prison by Piper Kerman

Did you know we offer:

FREE membership, FREE programs

Computer assistance, Printing,

Technology training, Photocopying

Scanning, 3D Printing, Resume help

Tutoring, Afterschool homework

help..and much more! Give us a call

today! (780) 975-7513

http://www.newsareptalibrary.ca/

Box 279

5150 Centre Street

New Sarepta, Alberta T0B 3M0

Social media advice for parents Teens and pre-teens have been active on social media sites for years, and their online presence is increasing. According to one study, 40 per cent of all Canadians use a social net-working site. If you look at social media use by teens, the number of users rises significantly. In a study by Common Sense Media, 90 per cent of 13-17 year olds have used a social media site. Seventy-five percent of teens have a profile on a social media site, and more than half visit social media sites daily. Social media is any site that provides a forum for posting and interacting. www.commonsensemedia.org/research/social-media-social-life/key-finding-1%3A-teens-are-avid%2C-daily-users-of-social-media Because of legal requirements, sites like Facebook require users to be 13 or older. Despite the age restrictions, many younger children have accounts on sites without separate privacy guidelines. Social media sites are evolving, and new sites pop up frequently. Whether a child is on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, a site through their school, or something else entirely, parents should continue to remind them about safe social media practices and should check in on their activity from time to time.

Concerns about social media

A recent study showed that social media use can have risks and benefits for youth. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/127/4/800.full.html

Risks Cyberbullying and online harassment.

Using digital media to communicate false, embarrassing or hostile information about another person.

Sexting. Sending or receiving sexually explicit messages or photos.

Facebook depression. Depression that develops in teens and preteens who spend significant time on social media sites such as Facebook.

Privacy concerns. Sharing too much information online.

Digital footprints. Putting future job and college prospects in jeopardy by leaving a trail of inappropriate messages, pictures and videos that stay online.

Benefits It’s not all bad though. Responsible use of social media allows teens and pre-teens to strengthen social connections, improve communication and technical skills and collaborate on homework and school projects. Some schools use blogs to help students improve writing skills and creativity. And many adolescents have become smart users of the Web to research their health concerns online anonymously and develop networks of people with similar concerns.

Teach your kids skills to stay safe online There are many websites that provide tips to help you keep your kids safe as they interact online. (See examples below) Basic guidelines for parents include:

Talk regularly to children about responsible social networking activity.

Teach children to think before they post.

Remind your child to be kind in their interactions.

Work with your children to set privacy settings on each site.

Tell children not to post their location or reveal personal information.

Get your own account and follow or friend your child to monitor their activity.

Some sites provide an outline of a class or workshop parents can do with their kids to broaden their understanding of responsible social media use. What kind of information is appropriate to share and what isn’t? www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-steinberg/social-media-and kids_b_2659434.html Author Scott Steinberg suggests that parents show their children their own social media accounts and discuss the following questions with their kids:

What kind of information do you hope to get from and share over social media sites?

What types of communication do you think social networks are best for?

What kind of information do you hope to get from and share over social media sites?

What kind of information is appropriate to share and what isn’t? www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-steinberg/social-media-and-kids_b_2659434.html

Find more tips on these sites

How to keep your child safe using social media – Canadian Pediatric Society http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/social_media

Web safety resources by Royal Canadian Mounted Police http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/is-si/index-eng.htm

Privacy Commission of Canada’s information about youth privacy http://www.priv.gc.ca/youth-jeunes/index_e.asp

On line safety tips by age http://www.bewebaware.ca/english/default.html

13 Tips for Monitoring Kids’ Social Media www.parenting.com/gallery/social-media-monitoring-kids

How to Spy on Your Child Online www.parenting.com/article/how-to-spy-on-your-child-online

The Secret Life of Kids Online: What You Need to Know www.parenting.com/article/kids-social-networking?page=0,1

Social Networking Tips www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-parents/social-networking-tips