Personal Safety in Public & Private Domains

 

With each session geared specifically for the developmental readiness of the grade, our ninth and tenth graders engaged in an interactive program on the topic of cyber-safety and cyber-ethics through a Jewish lens based on various real life scenarios presented by Mr. Mark Kaiser and Ms. Rachel Levitt Klein. Our students learned about the permanence of online posts and geotagging, the automatic tagging of photos taken on their phones with the location where they were taken. Posting tagged photos online tells people where they are, something that should be avoided.

Our eleventh graders met in small groups with representatives from CHANA (Counseling, Helpline and Aid Network for Abused Women) and the Shofar Coalition (addressing the needs of Jewish children and families exposed to physical, sexual and emotional abuse) for a special program that focused on abuse, its range and breadth. Mrs. Sullivan and several clinicians from CHANA were on hand for questions. The students then had an exercise in self-defense by the staff of Masada Tactical to help students know how to handle themselves in unsafe situations.

Our seniors met with Scott Shellenberger, States Attorney for Baltimore County. His presentation focused on college students’ legal rights and responsibilities on campus. Speaking in an open and forthright manner, he discussed the short- and long-term ramifications of impaired driving, drinking, and other serious behaviors that are becoming increasingly common on college campuses, with an emphasis on making safe and smart decisions.

We encourage you to ask your child about the program he or she attended and take a look at the resources we’ve linked below. Freely discussing these topics with your child gives parents the opportunity to reinforce messages of safe decision making, and reassures your children that they can talk to their parents about difficult subjects.

Network safety:

• SafeTeens.com
• NetSmartz

Geotagging
CHANA 
Healthy Relationships