The Hartford School District has made it a priority to contact the families of students attending our programs to discuss the issue of Internet safety.  Many of you may be aware of the wide-spread use of “social networking” Internet sites by high-school and middle-school students.  Perhaps the most well known of these sites is MySpace.com, but there are many others as well.  A quick visit to MySpace.com reveals scores of Hartford youth who have put personal, and frequently inappropriate, information on the Internet for the “cyberworld” to view.  Many of these youth may not be aware of the ramifications of posting this type of personal information on the Internet.  There are potential dangers involved with the use of these sites, just as there are potential benefits.  The purpose of this communication is to inform you of the possible dangers and benefits of these sites and to suggest some strategies you may find helpful in dealing with this issue at home.

 We have created a Frequently Asked Questions page and encourage you to use this information as a starting point for a face-to-face dicussion with your childern. We would hope that this type of conversation between parents and their children will ensure that the Internet is used in a safe and responsible manner and that you, as parents, will provide informed supervision of your children’s Internet use.