Maitland Middle School PTA Presents ‘Screenagers’
In partnership with Maitland Middle School (MMS) Parent and Teachers Association (PTA), the Winter Park Health Foundation (WPHF), and the Enzian Theatre, a private showing of the documentary ‘Screenagers‘ was shared with MMS parents and students. The film explores the impact of electronic devices and ‘screen time’ on children. Following the film, Kelly Walker, MMS CHILL Counselor, and Aimee Jennings, CHILL Program Coordinator, led a discussion on how families can find balance with their electronic devices.
Mr. Andrew Leftakis, MMS principal, attended the screening and answered parent questions about screen time in school and expectations for school-related screen time at home.
The screening was the idea of Stacy Cox, Maitland Middle School PTA Past President, who read a Healthy Kids Today newsletter containing information about the documentary. The Healthy Kids Today newsletter, website, and social media is published and maintained by the WPHF especially for students and families affiliated with the 12 schools in the Winter Park Consortium (WPC) — Aloma, Audubon Park, Brookshire, Cheney, Dommerich, Hungerford, Lake Sybelia and Lakemont elementary schools; Glenridge and Maitland Middle schools; Winter Park 9th Grade Center; and Winter Park High School.
Over the past year, Healthy Kids Today has been focusing on social media usage and digital citizenship as a result of conversations held with WPC principals about the challenges students, parents, and teachers are facing as a result of increased digital technology usage.
WPHF continues to partner with Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) to address health related barriers to learning. Most recently, WPHF has partnered with the OCPS Digital Curriculum and Instructional Technology department to ensure students and parents in WPC schools are aware of district wide efforts to address social media usage and digital citizenship. As a result, tips for parenting in the digital age will presented at the upcoming OCPS Parent Academy:
Saturday, October 22, 2016 8:00 am – 1:00 pm Colonial HS District 2 (Southeast) “All Aboard the Digital Express: Get Connected!”
Additionally, in the 2016-17 spring semester, through a grant from the Aetna Foundation, CHILL counselors will have the opportunity to become Common Sense (Media) Certified Educators: Digital Learning. This certification will provide the CHILL counselors with the knowledge and skills necessary to teach digital citizenship to students and engage parents using Common Sense Education materials. This will become another tool for CHILL counselors to help redefine the way WPC students and families view and interact with technology. The CHILL Counseling Program was founded by WPHF in 1998 to provide free, school-based 1:1 and group behavioral counseling for students and families.
To learn more about how to encourage responsible digital citizenship for children, visit these websites:
Center on Media and Child Health
The Center on Media and Child Health (CMCH) at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) is an academic research center whose mission is to educate and empower children and those who care for them to create and consume media in ways that optimize children’s health and development.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense is the leading independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology.
Screenagers Movie
The latest research, trends, and thought-provoking commentary on screen time and parenting issues.
Smart Talk
The Smart Talk gets parents and kids together for a conversation about being responsible with new technology.
Are you interested in bringing a ‘Screenagers’ screening to a WPC school? Fill out the form below and place “’Screenagers’ screening” in “Reason for Inqury.”
[gravityform id=”1″ title=”true” description=”true” tabindex=”0″]
