Staying on Top of Children's Social Networking Ecosystem

As we move at lightning speed to delve deeper into the Digital Age, there is a growing concern on how social networking might negatively impact our children. Do not undermine the power of social networking websites. They can be highly influential. 

According to U.S. data, "Children are the fastest growing population of victims of Internet crime, but only 52% of parents moderately supervise Internet use, while an unsettling 20% do not supervise at all."

In a U.K. survey, "A child's social media development begins at aged nine; first accesses YouTube, and begins to use mobile and/or laptop. At 10, they experiment the use of Internet slang (e.g. "BRB", "YOLO") and instant messaging. At 11, when the greatest proportion of internet activity takes place, they are likely to first upload an image or video of themselves, post a nasty comment online and set up a fake social media profile! At 12, children will venture into Twitter and Whatsapp, and message someone online they haven't met in real life. When children reach their social maturity at aged 13, they will try SnapChat and Ask FM, and perhaps try sexting for the first time! I do suspect Asian youths are generally digitally-connected at a comparatively younger age; as consumers in Asia use social media far more than their Western counterparts.

With the advent of technology, so come the accompanying dangers of social networking security threats. Social media has removed the barriers between a child's public and private self, leaving him / her vulnerable and exposed to content, people or situations that may be potentially out of their depth and which they're not emotionally prepared for. Parents must exercise diligence in their supervision, and persistently interact with their children on the technology they embrace:-

• Know the sites your children visit.
• Know the chat lingo.
• Maintain an open dialogue with your children. Nothing can replace one-on-one communication. Encourage sharing of both good and bad online experiences.
• Educate the children on potential social networking and internet dangers, i.e. False identities, internet predators, information posted online isn't always private. Alert them to risks about compulsive online sharing and giving out personal information to strangers.
• Establish internet safety rules and boundaries.

Here are 15 next-generation apps and sites (is Facebook still the favourite digital hangout?) that parents should acclimatise themselves to:-

Twitter
Instagram
SnapchatTumblr
Google+
Vine
Wanelo
Kik Messenger
Ooovoo
Ask.fm
Yik Yak
WhatsApp
Omegle
Yo.
Whisper

For the social networking "dummies", further reading is recommended to put us on the right track of what's currently trendy. Let's hope this will help bridge the Information Age divide between the parents and our teens...
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/15-sites-and-apps-kids-are-heading-to-beyond-facebook

Parents, let's stay computer savvy so we can better guide our children on being SAFE and socially RESPONSIBLE internet users! 

Article written by Julia Oh

Primary "The Golden Rules"

Extract from Parents Bulletin 37

The Golden Rules 

The Golden Rules were designed by former teacher, now educational consultant, Jenny Mosley. Jenny has devised several programmes to improve behaviour and self-esteem, such as Golden Time and Circle Time. All of these programmes teach children and teachers about respect for self and others, reciprocal appreciation and allowing enough emotional space for children to flourish, while maintaining firm boundaries. 

There are just 6 Golden Rules and note the positive way in which they are worded: 

• Do be gentle 
• Do be kind and helpful 
• Do work hard 
• Do listen to people 
• Do look after property 
• Do be honest 

Although only six simple rules, they actually address almost every type of behaviour common in primary schools. The rules can be categorised into six areas: 

• Respect For Physical Safety – We Are Gentle 
• Respect For Emotional Safety – We Are Kind 
• Respect For Self – We Work Hard 
• Respect For Others – We Listen 
• Respect For The Environment – We Look After Things 
• Respect For The Truth – We Are Honest 

Once these rules are embedded in a school, Jenny believes that children truly access the deeper, more complex, universal values such as tolerance, justice, compassion and fairness. This is why the Golden Rules are displayed and applied in all TIS Primary classrooms. We even have a giant poster in the Servery which our incredible Parents Association bought for us last year. 

By following the Golden Rules, the younger children can earn Golden Time, a special time at the end of the week when they can choose some favourite activities. Each day, children are guided to reflect on their behavioural choices. If they have followed the Golden Rules for the day, they keep their Golden Time. If they have chosen to break a Golden Rule, they lose 5 minutes of their Golden Time and are asked to sit and reflect for those 5 minutes during the session. 

By using their ‘Managing Distractions’ learning muscle and choosing to follow the Golden Rules, lesson time will be spent learning and play times will be happy and safe. Of course, children will always push to see how far they can go but thrive once they know where the boundaries are. 

As a parent you can really help your child to do well in every aspect of school life, and this is no different: A few ideas on how you can support Golden Time are listed below: 

• Discuss with your child how Golden Time operates in their class 
• Advise your child how you want him/her to behave in school 
• Discuss with your child his/her “good days” and any “bad days” 
• Be positive about the importance of Golden Time and encourage your child to do his/her best 
• Discuss our school rules with your child and explain why they are sensible and fair rules for one and all 

School-wide Malaysia Day Celebration on September 19th, 2014

Tenby Schools Eco Park celebrated Malaysia Day in a befittingly grand way this year on September 19th. Organised by SST, this event began with a colourful parade of all the primary students wearing Malaysian traditional costumes. Witnessing this reminded us of how beautifully culturally rich our country is. The children then gathered in the assembly hall to watch special cultural performances staged by our very own SST students, ranging from Dikir Barat to classical music presentation to traditional dances which were brilliantly executed. A nicely done video clip showing the formation of the Malaysia coalition was also prepared and screened for the audience. The show ended with a rousing and heartwarming singing of the "Jalur Gemilang" song, complete with the proud waving of hundreds of the Malaysia flag throughout the hall. What a glorious end to the Malaysia Day celebration at Tenby SEP!

Many thanks to the students, parents, teachers, staff of both TIS and SST who helped make this event a memorable one. And special thanks to the Principal of SST Pn Lee for pulling everything together and making this day possible. May our children feel the pride of being Malaysian and strive towards the betterment of their beloved tanahair.

After the showcase, the SST PA committee organised a free Malaysian food-tasting buffet for the students. A number of parents contributed local delicacies including local kuihs, nasi lemak and keropok udang to name a few. Needless to say, the entire lot was duly walloped by the children! Thank you to those who brought something to the table! You made many children very delighted that day, especially when they found out the food was free! All in all, a wonderful celebration and a wonderful day. Till next year!

* Singing the closing song "Jalur Gemilang". The hope, pride and joy was palpable. 

* Free Malaysian food-tasting organized by the SST PA Committee.