At Middlebrook PTA, we realize that technology and social media are a part of our lives. As parents and educators, we have a responsibility to ensure our children know how to use these tools safely and respectfully. We had:
- 4 teacher volunteers join other parent volunteers in leading 6 sessions for our Kindergarten-5th grade school.
- 1 critical partnership in our Technology Integration Specialist to get her support and ask her colleagues to join her in leading a breakout session.
- 1 Director of Digital Learning to lead the first session with all who attended that night.
Having the “agree/disagree” cards for parents and students was an effective way to see differences of opinions in the school and offered a kinesthetic learning moment for all. It was reported to be a favorite activity by many who attended and the energy in the room was high. It set a great tone for the night and both parents and students felt engaged in the material and with each other.
Melissa Larzo, PTA President for Towne Acres PTA, agrees with Middlebrook PTA.
Our event served as a family engagement night for our school. It came on the heels of a presentation with similar subject matter that had just been held for the area middle schools in response to those incidents, so our event was tailored to capture those families with younger children. We had:
- Multiple outlets of promotion, but primarily through online promotion on our school’s PTA Facebook page.
- 1 principal and many of our teachers to come out and show their support
- 1 supervisor of safety and mental health for our school system as our guest speaker
- 150 people in attendance that night, which was better than we expected given the busy time of the year it was.
The information we were able to deliver to the audience that night helped to begin the discussion within families, it seemed to ease some of the fears that many families had, and it helped us to feel more like a team as we tackle these issues together.
Visit PTA Connected to get made-for-PTA resources on hosting digital safety events and apply for grant funding to host your own event night. PTA.org/Grants
About the Authors: Ruth Fontilla is from Middlebrook PTA and Melissa Larzo is from Towne Acres PTA
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