Schools, Police, and State’s Attorney’s Office Unite to Provide Parents and Students with Information about Internet Safety and Ways to Protect against CyberBullying


“My parents have no clue what I’m doing on the Internet.” That’s a comment often heard from students—and a primary reason why Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), the Montgomery County Department of Police and the Office of the State’s Attorney have initiated a cybersafety program to provide parents and students with information and resources to protect against inappropriate Internet content and online predators.

A cybersafety kickoff event will be held at 6:30 p.m. on November 25 at the Carver Educational Services Center. Board of Education President Nancy Navarro, Superintendent Jerry D. Weast, Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, and State’s Attorney John McCarthy will present highlights of the program to delegates of the Montgomery County Council of PTAs.

The cybersafety program will be launched in schools the week of Dec. 1–5 with posters, a brochure for middle school students and cybersafety activities for K–5 students. Middle and high school students will receive cybersafety instruction in health and information technology classes and through the media literacy curriculum.

A cybersafety website at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/cybersafety/
offers tips, explains cyberbullying, suggests parental control tools and provides warning signs that a child may have received inappropriate computer communication. The site also lists Internet sites popular with students, safe surfing, educational videos, and commonly used e-mail and chat acronyms.

The MCPS Parent Academy will offer cybersafety classes throughout the school year. In addition, a hotline has been established to report unsafe online law enforcement incidents. Call 301-279-3669 or e-mail CyberSafety@mcpsmd.org.

When:
Tuesday, November 25
6:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.

Where:
Carver Educational Services Center, auditorium
850 Hungerford Dr., Rockville, MD