Parents and Guardians,
We want to make you aware of a serious online issue affecting teens nationwide - including here at home. Criminals are using social media, messaging apps, and gaming platforms to pose as teens and pressure students into sharing private photos. They then use threats, shame, and fear to demand money or more images.
With Thanksgiving Break coming up, this is an important time to gently check in with your child about their online activity. Even if teens aren’t always eager to talk, they still need caring adults helping them stay safe.
What you can do this week:
• Review your child’s phone and social media with them
• Look for unknown contacts, hidden apps, or requests for photos
• Remind them never to share private images—real friends don’t pressure them
• Encourage them to come to you immediately if something feels wrong
• Tighten privacy settings and turn off location sharing
• Report and block suspicious accounts
Most importantly, reassure your child that they won’t be in trouble if they tell you something happened - you are there to help.
We are here to support our students and families.
If you have concerns or need guidance, please reach out to the school. Together, we can help keep our kids safe online and off.
Please see more information here.