Our virtual lives

Although we take it for granted in our daily lives, the power of modern communication is actually quite staggering. Take Friday for example, a typical school day. The morning started with my whole school assembly on the entrepreneur and philanthropist Warren Buffett, which I had researched online. As the day progressed, I received breathless text and email updates with the hockey scores from the North Finals in Leeds and I was enthralled by the real-time progress that the U18 team were making. In the early afternoon, I had a webcam meeting with someone in London, and then found myself 'tweeting' the hockey scores as our U18 team qualified for the North Final! In the early evening, I read the newspaper on my Kindle while my children played games and listened to an audio book on the iPod... phew. My life is certainly enriched with these whirlwind technological advances.

All around the world, Safer Internet Day is celebrated on the second day of the second week of the second month of the year; 8^th February 2011. Hundreds of events are organised not only on this day but throughout February to raise awareness around online safety issues. This week, we will be teaching 'Internet Safety' as part of our PSHE programme in the Senior School and as part of our ICT lessons for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils in the Junior School.

I hope that you will also take the opportunity this week to discuss with your children how they can stay safe whenever they are online. There are some fantastic resources available to educate and inform parents about the online world and I would urge you to look at the following websites:

The Thinkuknow Parents Section: http://bit.ly/hbSzh4

The Vodaphone Parents Guide: http://bit.ly/fSDvBz

The Vodaphone Digital Parenting Magazine: http://bit.ly/ejQFQU

The Safer Internet Day website: http://bit.ly/eVwA6w

At Arnold, we recognise that we must encourage our pupils to use the amazing resources that are available to them on the Internet; going online opens up so many educational and social opportunities for them. Not only will these resources enhance the children's education but will help prepare them for life at university and in the workplace. However, we are equally aware of the dangers that exist in cyberspace. The emphasis that we place on e-safety at Arnold is based on a few simple rules to 'keep your personal information private, be careful what you accept or share online, never arrange to meet online contacts in the real world and tell a trusted friend or adult if things go wrong or make you feel uncomfortable online.'

Whether they are using a computer at school, a laptop at home, a games console or a mobile phone, children are increasingly accessing the Internet whenever they can and wherever they are. As you would protect your child in the real world, so you will want to ensure that their virtual world is also safe. If your child understands the risks and can make sensible and informed choices online, then they can get the most from the Internet and stay safe whilst doing so; avoiding those people who might seek them out to harm them. By educating our young people and encouraging openness and awareness, we can help keep them safe.

Best wishes

Jim Keefe, Headmaster

Posted by: J E Keefe
Date: Tuesday 08/02/2011