The focus for this years Safer Internet Day (SID) was about empowering children to play their part in making the internet a safer and kinder place. Activities throughout the school underpinned the idea that the internet is exciting because you can contribute and interact with the wider world. However, this also opens up the potential for people's feelings to be hurt and unkind messages to be spread. We all have a responsibility to be kind when online. The younger years of the school drew their activities from the story of DigiDuck, who faced a dilemma when he read an unkind message posted between his friends. 

 

Following an activity based on real life scenarios of online comments, some unkind and some intended to be funny, the older years of the school discussed their responsibilities as digital citizens. The children were encouraged to empathise, and highlighted the emotions which are generated when someone reads a comment about themselves, or when they read a comment about someone they know. They discussed sensible course of action to take should they be faced with these choices.

 

The school looked at the ways to stay SMART when using the internet:

 

Safe keep your personal information safe

Meet friends made online are strangers; meeting them can be dangerous

Accepting files can be dangerous.  If unsure, ask an adult!

Reliable not everyone or everything online is reliable or trustworthy

Tell always tell an adult if something online upsets or worries you