SPA is committed to providing resources to help families be better informed about the issues raising children. We invite you to look through the following to learn how you can make a difference in your child’s life.
Stuart is one of 13 independent private schools in the greater Mercer County area that have banded together to bring resources to parents and the community. Formed in 1998, Common Ground sponsors a lecture series focusing on education and parenting issues. Subject-matter experts in homework, behavior, adolescent social issues and other topics are guest speakers throughout the year.
2009 Events
February 5, 2009
7:30 pm on the campus of Stuart Country Day School Angela Lee Duckworth, Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania will discuss her research in how GRIT (Perseverance and sustained interest in long-term goals) predicts academic and professional achievement.
April 2009
7:30 pm on the campus of the Hun School, Princeton, N.J. Cyber-Bullying Panel Discussion –More information to come.
Social Networking Sites: Keeping your Child Safe
Social Networking Internet sites such as http://www.myspace.com/ and /parents__alumni/parents_association/parent_resources/keeping_your_child_safe_online/www.facebook.com are used heavily by students to communicate online. These sites allow students to post pictures, post personal information and chat with others online. They can be thought of as a combination of a photo album, journal, instant-messaging site and source for meeting people.
The major danger to students is that they often think the information they post is private, when it is actually very public. Although these sites require a password for access, it is easy for anyone to set up an account and begin to search the sites. These sites remain a mystery to most adults because this is the first generation to use "social networking" Websites. We believe that the more you inform yourself about the sites, the better you will be able to inform your daughters about safety and the Internet.
Education is the Best Prevention
The following articles offer valuable information about some of the issues surrounding sites such as Facebook and MySpace. They were compiled by Stuart’s Upper School administrative team, utilizing the school’s subscription to the EBSCOhost database.
"Brochure Offers Cyber-Safety Advice." by Erica Erwin The Erie Times-News (PA), 06/27/2006
"The MySpace Invaders" by Thomas K. Arnold USA Today, 08/01/2006(Article gives basic information about social networking sites)
"Alarms Sound Over Facebook Time" by Erik Brady USA Today, 03/09/2006
"What You Say Online Could Haunt You" by Janet Kornblum and Mary Beth Marklein USA Today, 03/09/2006
"MySpace Takes Steps to Keep Kids Safe" by Janet Kornblum USA Today, 04/12/2006
"Niche competitors crowd into MySpace" USA Today, 08/01/06 (Article about teens using Facebook more than MySpace)
"Online predators Less Prevalent" by Janet Kornblum USA Today, 08/09/2006
"How Safe is MySpace?" by Julie Rowe et al. Time, 7/3/2006
"Web of Risks" by Brad Stone and Robbie Brown Newsweek, 8/28/2006