A Monthly Newsletter produced by Sands CISD
HOOFBEATS
NOVEMBER 2006
From the Editor
The Internet…whose space is
it?
I have recently been invited into
a world of fantasy, self-glamorization and unsupervised socializing. Those of you that are my age or a little
older may think I’m talking about Dungeons and Dragons or some other fantasy
game in which individuals create elaborate worlds and personas for themselves.
I am talking about the wonder of Myspace and the Internet. Some of my students encouraged me to set
up a Myspace site. At first I responded
that I was much too old to enter into their games of teenage social play. However, I finally relented and created a
Myspace account with their help.
At first I thought it was a
clever thing to be able to customize my own personal site. To create a place that allowed me to declare
my likes and dislikes. To broadcast to
the world that the people whose faces decorate my “friends” box are my friends,
students, ex-students and old acquaintances.
Each night I would get on
my Myspace site to see if I had any new
friends or to see if I had any new comments.
This was fun. However, soon I
began to see how much freedom is given to users in the name of free speech and
creative license, not exclusively to Myspace but on the Internet in
general. I begin to get concerned
about the lack of control parents seem to have on their kids while they are
online, which is the reason I am using the Internet and it’s growing popularity
as the topic of my article this month
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While my travels on Myspace have mainly been limited to the curious viewing of
my” friends” sites. I have spent time
viewing sites that belong to their friends, and their friends. It does not take many clicks of the mouse to
see various states of undress (nudity is not allowed on my Myspace), with some
pictures not leaving much to the imagination.
I have often been privy to writings about teen escapades, and other activities that most parents and I
would most definitely call immoral and inappropriate. At the same time I have seen websites that are being used for
exactly what they should be used for.
A means to express your opinions likes and dislikes with restraint from
giving out personal information.
Parents it is my opinion that
we need to put a bridle on our teenagers computer use and pull in their
reins. Our children are posting
extremely personal information and, in some cases, provocative photos of
themselves on a free Internet site.
They do not seem to realize that anyone in the world with a computer and
Internet access can see this information.
The National Science
Foundation for military use originally created the Internet. Today it is a valuable tool for educators,
students, entertainment and business users.
Myspace was created in 2003 for independent musicians to market their
music to other young adults.
Today both the Internet and
MySpace have added challenges for adults struggling to juggle safety concerns
with their teenagers and their desire to explore the Internet.
Parents and educators both
have worried about strangers preying on teenagers in online chat rooms and
unearthing personal information through online questions. But now, teens are
making it easier for predators by posting photos and feelings on easily
accessed sites.
Some educators are
highlighting MySpace.com because, they say, it has become the most popular of
such sites among teenagers. The site, now owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.,
says it has nearly 42 million users. To
become a MySpace member, users must check a box on an online form saying they
are 14 years or older. They can join a group, and converse with members within
that group via instant messaging. Groups have different rules on who can join,
and many are set up under a particular high school's name.
In September, a 16-year-old
girl in Port Washington, N.Y., was molested after a man she met on MySpace
tracked her down because she had listed her workplace on her online profile,
according to a USA Today article. I
personally don't think students fully understand the dangers of the sites. Myspace can be a wonderful tool, but it also
has its pitfalls, and that's what parents should know about."
Students are staying up late
at night. I have witnessed our own
students being up as late as 1 and 2:00 in the morning, because they have sent
message to me that originated in the early A.M. I would be willing to bet this was unsupervised Internet usage
and this cannot be advantageous to these students who are staying up this
late. Productivity at school the next
day will be affected
We need to educate our students about Internet use. However,
parents need be educated first.
I hope that what I have written serves to make you a little more aware
of what our kids do online.
Educate your kids about the Internet and its use; discuss what is appropriate
to post online. Know the warning signs
that your child is at risk of spending too much unsupervised time on the
Internet.
Does your child spend large
amounts of time online, especially late at night? Parents should know what their children are doing online. Keep your computer in a common area
accessible to everyone in the home (i.e. den, family room, kitchen) there
should be time limits on its use just like anything else in the house. Regularly monitor your children when they’re
online and set time limits. Your
computer should be in the most trafficked area of the house. The computer should never be in a child’s
room with the door closed.
Does your child
turn off the computer quickly when you come into the room, or becomes upset
when you ask to see what they are doing online? Pornographic material is too easy to access. Don’t be naive. Install software to monitor for malicious code, spy ware,
viruses, or pornography. Learn how to
check the Internet history files, which keep track of the web sites, visited
each day. Establish rules for Internet
usage and post them near the computer.
In closing I
would like to give you some disturbing statistics to think about:
There
are approximately 100,000 Web sites offering child pornography. This number is growing daily.
79% of teens state that they aren’t careful enough when giving out information
about themselves online.
64% of teens say that they do things online that they wouldn’t want their
parents to know about.
Child pornography revenue annually nets about $3 billion even though it is
illegal.
1 IN 5 Children have been sexually solicited online (only 25% of those told a
parent).
89% Sexual solicitations occurred in either chat rooms or Instant Messaging.
Most professional Adult Porn Stars have professional produced Myspace sites to
attract young viewers.
As a parent, try to learn as
much as you can about the workings of the Internet (i.e. chat rooms, Internet
Relay Chat rooms, websites, and newsgroups).
Ask your children to show you the places they visit online. This is a
great way to keep the lines of communication open.
Explain to children that
although they may be alone in a room using the computer, once someone is logged
onto the Internet, he or she is no longer alone. Talk to your child about the
potential dangers of the Internet such as exposure to inappropriate material,
sexual solicitation, or harassment and bullying. Parents should encourage their children to confide in them if
anything has made them feel uncomfortable.
Often children and teens are afraid to tell a parent for fear that their
Internet use will be taken away. The best way to get your child to discuss a
potential problem, is to be proactive and talk about the online dangers before
a problem arises.
More importantly “BE
A PARENT” don’t rely on software to be your babysitter…talk and listen to your
child!
Scott
From the Superintendent
The 2005-2006 District ratings
are now complete. Sands CISD is a RECOGNIZED school district. The
District also received a Gold Performance Rating in Math, Reading,
Writing, and Social Studies. The District met AYP standards. The Campus
had a 100% on the Highly Qualified Teacher Report. Sands also
received a rating of Superior on the Financial Accountability System.
I am very proud of all of the work our students, teachers, and staff have put
forth thus far.
The Texas Business
and Education Coalition will recognize sands CISD. This a very prestigious
award which will be presented to Mrs. Bilbo in Austin. This organization
recognizes schools that have three years of consistent, high performance in all
subjects compared to other schools serving similar student populations. This
year TBEC looked at the percentage of students passing all tests and achieving
commended on all tests. School Districts are involved in many things and it is
easy for some schools to lose focus on what is most important. I am proud of
our students and staff because they continue to perform when they are
challenged.
I am very pleased with the
direction our school is going. I am always glad to answer questions or visit
with parents or the community. If you have questions please call or come by.
Wayne Blount, Superintendent
From
the Principal
November
is an exciting time of year for us at Sands.
Basketball season begins, football and cross-country seasons are
wrapping up, and folks are busy making their plans for the Thanksgiving
holiday. On November 9th, at 6:00, there will be a parent/teacher
meeting where parents will share the messages learned from the Parenting
Conferences held on November 2nd.
Please come and get involved!
School attendance is a major factor in the success of your students. Your children must be in school to
learn. Please make an extra effort to
ensure that your child is here every day that it is possible.
This year’s Thanksgiving meal will be served on November 21st. Make plans early to eat with us. Please call the school and let us know ahead
of time that you will be here.
Let
me be the first to wish everyone a blessed Thanksgiving.
My door is always open,
Zelda Bilbo
From
the Counselor
Please view the Counselors page located at: http://sands.esc17.net/Counselor/counselor.htm
for important Internet links and other useful information concerning the school,
testing, financial added etc.
There have been new additions to the website.
In the News
Caffeine-stoked
energy drinks worry Docs
More than 500 new energy
drinks launched worldwide this year, and coffee fans are probably too old to
understand why.
Energy drinks aren't merely popular with young people. They attract fan mail on
their own MySpace pages. They spawn urban legends. They get reviewed by
bloggers. And they taste like carbonated cough syrup.
Vying for the dollars of
teenagers with promises of weight loss, increased endurance and legal highs,
the new products join top-sellers Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar to make up a
$3.4 billion-a-year industry that grew by 80 percent last year.
Thirty-one percent of U.S.
teenagers say they drink energy drinks, according to Simmons Research. That
represents 7.6 million teens, a jump of almost 3 million in three years.
Nutritionists warn that the
drinks, laden with caffeine and sugar, can hook kids on an unhealthy
jolt-and-crash cycle. The caffeine comes from multiple sources, making it hard
to tell how much the drinks contain. Some have B vitamins, which when taken in
mega doses can cause rapid heartbeat, and numbness and tingling in the hands
and feet.
But the biggest worry is how
some teens use the drinks. Some report downing several cans in a row to get a
buzz, and a new study found a surprising number of poison-center calls from
young people getting sick from too much caffeine.
FFA
Sands FFA
Leadership Teams have been working hard to get ready for next weeks contest. We
will have an Open Practice Night on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in the Ag.
Shop. All parents are welcome to attend.
There will be a Jr. Chapter Conducting Team, 2 Jr. Creed Speakers, 2 Sr. Creed Speakers, 2 Radio Teams, and a Jr. Quiz Team competing at contest on Monday, November 11th in Odessa, TX. Those placing 1st and 2nd place will compete at Area in Big Spring on November 18th.
Stock Show News:
Jerry Casas won Steer Showmanship at the Howard County Fair earlier this
fall. I will be moving Stock Show Entry Night back to Thursday, November
16th at 7:00 p.m., because we will be having County Pig Validation on Monday,
November 20th, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Coahoma Ag. Shop.
Brewer
FYI
The Sands NHS and Student Council will be
selling Butter Braid Bread November 6th - 17th. Delivery will be the week after
Thanksgiving.
The Annual Canned Food Contest will be held December 4th through 11th. Please
look for more details next month.
Picture retakes will be some
time this month.
Elementary and Junior High UIL will be
held December 6th & 7th at Klondike. We are looking forward to this
contest, and encourage parents to work with their UIL students at home.
The Booster Club would like to thank all teachers, students & businesses for the success of the
raffle.
Sands CISD
P.O. Box 218
Ackerly, TX 79713
(432) 353 –4888
http://sands.esc17.net/Hoofbeats/hoofbeats.htm
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