School officials and police are making efforts to protect students and parents using the web.
An informational meeting on internet applications and safety is scheduled from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. March 11 inside the library at Pioneer Valley High School, 675 N. Panther Drive.
School Resource Officer Andy Brice plans to outline the most popular social media outlets and explain the risks and legal ramifications. A few of the websites that will be discussed are Facebook, Messenger and Snapshot.
“We want to make the students and parents aware of proper and responsible usage,’’ Brice said. “Sometimes, these sites also can be used for drug and gang activity.’’
Vice Principal Greg Dickinson believes knowledge about the internet is a necessity. That’s because social media and the internet are changing almost daily.
“The fact is that drama starts from a simple post on Snapchat or Facebook,’’ Dickinson said. “This can carry over to school and create a negative environment for the students who get caught up in making the posts or responding to such posts. A simple solution to curb this behavior is to make sure parents are aware of the various sites and for parents to have access or be their "friend on Facebook" allowing them to see such posts. Most students will refrain from the negative comments and behaviors if they know mom or grandma is reading.’
