Over the past weeks, I have had a number of Child Safety issues with our Middle School students. These have prompted me to write this blog post.
Technology – https://caj.ac.jp/info/index.php/MS_Behavioral_Expectations#Technology
We do have a fairly extensive Technology Policy and wanted to bring your attention to it. The policy does apply both here at school, but also outside of school. This policy covers the use of Chromebooks at school, but also how they use their email address, their online behaviours, and personal device use.
In some ways, it is much more difficult for our students now. When I was their age many years ago, I did not have a camera, nor did I have internet. These two have created a world our students have to navigate, I did not have to manage until I was an adult. The access for our students is endless, which is good in some ways, but it also can expose our students to things you as parents would not want your child to see, read or hear about. We at CAJ, are trying to provide some boundaries for their internet access here at school. I do want to let you know as parents of middle school children, you can limit or restrict their time using technology. We have a couple of online resources for you as parents. One resource is https://www.commonsensemedia.org/. This site has been helpful for me with movie reviews, but there is also a whole section about what parents should know. One of the suggestions we have given parents in the past is a Family Media Agreement. You can find more information on the website.
A second resource is https://axis.org/. This is a Christian site and it can cost to be able to access some of their resources. I receive a newsletter every week that gives me some of the things going on with teens, definitions of some words used, trends, and what is popular now. It does focus on the US, but I have found it helpful information.
In light of these recommendations, one TV show that keeps coming up among our Middle School students is the Korean Netflix show, Squid Game. I have seen the trailer and solicited information from the websites above as well as gleaned from conversations with adults. Squid Game is a TV show that is about people owing debt and they have the opportunity to pay off their debt by playing a child’s game such as Green Light, Red Light. However, if you lose, you die. Here is the Common Sense Media review: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/squid-game Common Sense Media suggests it is for ages 16+. Another Christian resource I use to help review movies and TV Shows is Plugged In. Here is the Plugged In review of Squid Game. https://www.pluggedin.com/tv-reviews/squid-game/ We are always trying to discern what is appropriate and edifying for our students.
These are the three recommendations, you may have other resources that are helpful. During conferences, teachers may be giving you a flyer with 6 Technology Tips for Parents. We hope that you will find a good way for your family to work together to provide a good healthy environment.
Child Protection Policy
CAJ does have a Child Protection Policy that we review with our teachers each year, but you as parents may not be aware of this policy. To find the policy, go to Knights Portal, click on Life@CAJ tab at the top, you should see the Child Protection Click on that link which brings you to our Child Protection Policy. You can access the policy here: https://caj.ac.jp/about/childprotection.php We take this policy seriously, as we want to provide a safe place for our students. A couple of things that are important about this policy is that we do keep any reports confidential. The Child Safety Coordinator notifies the principal and together sets up a Child Safety Team, which conducts an inquiry into the report. There may be a variety of actions taken based on what was found. Much of the explanation of the child protection policy is clearly articulated in the policy. Please take some time to read through it. We want to provide a safe environment for each student.
