PLEASE NOTE:
This event has been rescheduled from Tuesday, November 13, to Wednesday, December 12. We apologize in advance for any inconveniece this change may cause.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 10, 2007
CONTACT:
Lisa McVey, Communications & Community Relations Liaison, 610-869-2441, ext. 1019
AVON GROVE SCHOOL DISTRICT & OXFORD AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT COSPONSOR “CYBER SMARTS” PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, AT OXFORD AREA HIGH SCHOOL
Avon Grove School District and Oxford Area School District are scheduled to cosponsor a “Cyber Smarts” parent information night on Wednesday, December 12, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the auditorium of Oxford Area High School, 705 Waterway Road, East Nottingham.
Nationally known speaker Katie Koestner of Campus Outreach Services in St. Davids, Pa., is scheduled to provide a crash course on what parents needs to know about the Internet, online safety, and other communications technologies popular among youngsters.
The program is designed for adults and is not open to students. Parents/guardians of students of all ages are encouraged to attend this meeting.
According to Koestner, popular technologies have revolutionized youth social scenes in ways we are only beginning to understand, and, unfortunately, many parents have been left behind and are unaware of the dangers created by these new tools.
Koestner is a recognized national expert on teen relationships and current risk issues for schools. She has extensive knowledge in the field of Internet safety, gleaning her insights from research, experience, and “insider” information from teens, as well as partnerships with various technology institutions and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
She has been featured on the cover of TIME Magazine, The Oprah Winfrey Show, NBC Nightly News, Larry King Live, Good Morning America, MTV, and dozens of other national news programs. HBO and Lifetime television have made films about her life. In 2003, she completed two films with award-winning Top Hat Productions titled “Please Write Back: Sexual Assault among America’s Students” and “Helping a Sexual Assault Survivor.”
Campus Outreach conducted in-school assemblies for eleventh- and twelfth-grade students at Avon Grove High School in September. Students in ninth and tenth grades are scheduled to attend assemblies in November, and students from Fred S. Engle Middle School are scheduled to attend small group information sessions in January. Topics covered in the school assemblies include online safety, practical advice on safe and smart ways to use technology, as well as real-life anecdotes that drive the lesson home that technology needs to be used wisely to avoid dangers and unforeseen, negative repercussions.
A number of Avon Grove administrators, faculty, and staff were also trained on developing comprehensive Internet acceptable use policies, related disciplinary response techniques, and general education around policies, boundary setting, and other technology-related issues pertinent to the school setting. Koestner, who founded Campus Outreach Services, conducted the staff training through a series of Webinars and in-person sessions.
Avon Grove School District has partnered with Oxford Area School District, the Chester County Intermediate Unit, and other local school districts to promote cyber-safety in schools.
Posted:
Monday, November 5, 2007 3:33 PM
