Richard Montgomery High School

 250 Richard Montgomery Drive

                                                                        Rockville, Maryland 20850

                                                                         September 1, 2006

 

Dear Parent or Guardian:

 

As the Media Center Specialist at Richard Montgomery High School, I would like  to inform you about the risks as well as benefits of internet use for the students at RMHS. To that end, I will be holding an informational meeting on this topic, as well as the safety guidelines and expectations for internet use that we have established at RMHS, immediately following the other scheduled activities at Back-to-School-Night. You are cordially invited to attend this presentation at the following time and location:

 

                                    Alice May Nicewarner Auditorium

                                    Richard Montgomery High School

                                    Time:  8:15 PM

                                    Date: September 17, 2006

 

There will be printed safety guidelines and a form for internet use which requires a parent or guardian signature available for distribution at that time.* The presentation will be followed by a Q. & A. session during which parents can air concerns or raise questions about school internet use or teens and internet use generally.

 

For those of you who will not be able to attend this presentation, let me briefly state what measures the school has taken to protect your children from the risks associated with internet use, as well as the specific measures I will take to educate your student about safe and responsible use of the internet. The school has taken the following measures to provide an online environment that is as safe as possible for your children:

 

ü      RMHS has established a “white list” of websites for educational purposes that are kid-safe and kid-friendly for your children to use at school

ü      RMHS has purchased internet filtering software that enables us to screen out many undesirable internet influences

 

That said, even the best software may not be enough to ensure a 100% safe online environment. For this reason, I will also try to educate your children about the safe use of the internet by talking to them about the following subjects:

 

ü      The danger of disclosing personal information online

ü      The presence of sexual predators online and how to recognize and avoid falling prey to such predators

ü      The possibility and warning signs of internet addiction

ü      The presence of online gangs and the potential legal troubles involvement with such gangs can lead to

ü      The potential hazards of online romance

ü      The etiquette and the potential pitfalls of online chat

 

If you are interested in learning more about these topics yourself, I encourage you to attend the presentation on Back-to-School-Night. Also, whether or not you are able to attend, please carefully read the Agreement/Guidelines for internet Use that will be sent home with your child following Back-to-School-Night. Your signature on this form has implications for both you and your student that you need to understand fully before deciding whether or not to authorize school internet use for your child.

 

Thank you for your attention, and I look forward to seeing you on September 17th!

 

 

                                                                                    Sincerely,

 

 

                                                                                    Ashley S. Moss-Pham

                                                                                    Media Center Specialist

                                                                                    RMHS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*The internet use form must be signed and dated by a parent or guardian, as well as by the student, and returned to the Media Specialist before the student will be permitted access to the computers or internet at school.