Most kids will encounter mean behavior at some point in their digital lives. For some kids, this experience is a blip that's easily forgotten, while for others it can have deep, long-lasting effects. For parents, the key is staying involved in kids' lives -- both online and off -- so they can step in and offer help if necessary. With guidance from parents and educators, kids can learn how to dodge the drama and stand up for others.
Throughout February we will be sharing 6 different tips for families to encourage best behavior when approaching the topics of Cyberbullying, Digital Drama, and Hate Speech with your families.
Define your terms.
Check in about online life.
Role-play.
Encourage upstanding.
Take breaks.
Review worst-case steps.
Families, Hopedale Wellness Center is offering a Ninja class. Check out these details!
Families, check out this 4 week tumbling session at Hopedale Wellness Center:
Due to the forecasted storm that includes large amounts of snowfall and high winds, students WILL NOT report to school on Wednesday, Feb. 2nd or Thursday, February 3rd. Wednesday will be a remote learning day and Thursday will be a traditional snow day. Wednesday - elementary students should work on materials that have been prepared and sent home; middle and high school students should await information from teachers regarding assignments and online class meetings. Thursday is a traditional snow day, there will be no expectation of new / additional school work. This day will be added to the end of the school calendar. The last day of school will now be Tuesday May 24th, 2022 if no additional traditional snow days are utilized.
There will be no extra curricular activities or practices on Wednesday or Thursday, and all Olympia buildings will be closed.
Due to the forecasted storm that includes large amounts of snowfall and high winds, students WILL NOT report to school on Wednesday, Feb. 2nd or Thursday, February 3rd. Wednesday will be a remote learning day and Thursday will be a traditional snow day. Wednesday - elementary students should work on materials that have been prepared and sent home; middle and high school students should await information from teachers regarding assignments and online class meetings. Thursday is a traditional snow day, there will be no expectation of new / additional school work. This day will be added to the end of the school calendar. The last day of school will now be Tuesday May 24th, 2022 if no additional traditional snow days are utilized.
There will be no extra curricular activities or practices on Wednesday or Thursday, and all Olympia buildings will be closed.
Oly West 2nd Graders taking their double digit addition skills into counting coin collections!
Olympia is now officially on Instagram! If Instagram is your social media platform of choice, follow your favorite Olympia sites using these handles:
bit.ly/ConnectWithOly
Do you know your Christmas carols? Fourth graders are using picture clues to figure out 12 Christmas Carols and Escape the Naughty List.
Wikipedia.org is where millions of people stop first for information. Tools like it are what make the internet so valuable. But they also teach an important lesson, one you can start teaching your kids now: don’t believe everything you read. Family Tip Sheet: bit.ly/OlyNMFR2
Check out this list of trustworthy resources to help you learn what's true (and what is not!) on the web. You can even use one of them to look back in time and what was on a website in the past!
Tip #5: Choose a Variety of Sources.
Show your children how you get news and information from different places, and explain how you make your choices. Use words like "credible," "trustworthy," "respected," and "fair." Ask them where they get their information, and if they think about those same words when choosing. As kids get older, introduce the ideas of bias, satire, and clickbait.
If a picture's worth a thousand words, do the words always tell a true story? One way to find out is through a reverse image search. Search with an image instead of a keyword and see what you discover!
Tip #4: Discuss fact vs. opinion
Play around with ideas, deciding which are facts and which are opinions. Ask: How tall are you? What's the best food in the world? Do you like dogs? Point out that both facts and opinions show up in the news, but opinion is usually labeled.
Be A Deceptive Detective!
If you want to know if someone is trying to trick you with a headline, think through a few of these five questions each time you read a shocking story. Don't let them pull the wool over your eyes Spartans!
Reading News Online
Kids find and read news in lots of different ways. But studies show they're not very good at interpreting what they see. How can we help them get better? Teaching your students about the structure of online news articles is an important place to start.
Video: bit.ly/OlyNMV1
Family Activity: Decoding Images. bit.ly/OlyNMFR1
Tip #3: Explore Different Sides of a Story!
Use real-life examples to help kids understand how people can view the same situation with totally different perspectives. One child might experience a game on the playground as fun, while another might feel like the rules are unfair. Sibling conflict can be a great example of how two people can have wildly different opinions about the same event. With older children, talk through controversial subjects and take turns arguing for different sides to help kids understand various viewpoints.
Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! Fourth graders are getting into the holiday spirit by making snowflakes.
Fake News has been around for a long time. Track its history from 63 B.C. through present day in this infographic. Where do you see Fake News today? How does it impact your life? Does it impact the type of media you consume, or where you consume it?
Don't forget to sign up for the OHS Dance Mini Clinic by tomorrow- Friday, December 10th, to be guaranteed a shirt. Email emily.weyl@olympia.org with any questions!
Filter Bubble Trouble
When we get news from our social media feeds, it often only tells us part of the story. Our friends -- and the website's algorithms -- tend to feed us perspectives we already agree with. Show students ways to escape the filter bubble and make sure their ideas about the world are being challenged.
https://youtu.be/mh1dLvGe06Y - BBC
