Media Awareness for Families

An article in this week’s New York Times about adolescents (“Behavior: TV Time Linked to Depression in Future” February 10, 2009, Science Section) got me ruminating about a topic near and dear to lower school educators’ hearts: kids and media. If you don’t already know of it, I’d like to highly recommend a website called Common Sense Media (commonsensemedia.org). Started by an independent school parent in California and intended to be a more pragmatic, savvy way to navigate media than the stereotypical staunch luddite approach (which you might hear me take in a lot of instances!), Common Sense Media provides parents easy access to movie and tv show reviews, discussion forums where they can seek consensus, and really useful suggestions for how to monitor online games and social networking sites that we ourselves did not grow up with. Straight talk on a complex subject, without hype or ulterior motive.

Here’s an excerpt from Common Sense. I chose it because some of LREI’s youngest students were discussing Club Penguin with me at recess just the other day.

What it is: Club Penguin from Disney is a hugely popular virtual world for elementary school kids. They create penguin characters (avatars) and hang out with others to chat and play games in a cartoon environment. Although standard membership is free, paid memberships bring more privileges such as buying clothes or things to decorate your igloo, and more puffles (small puffy friends). Kids are also rewarded for time spent playing games with coins that they use to buy more stuff to send other members.

There are no ads anywhere on the site, but there is a store that sells real merchandise like shirts, hats, and key chains. Club Penguin has invested a great deal in the area of parental controls, including new time management features. And they are constantly upgrading parents’ abilities to manage the site.

Why it matters: Every kid over 7 knows about this site and is probably on it. Although Club Penguin is one of the safer virtual worlds out there, it still has some areas to pay attention to. For one thing, it’s a real time-killer. Kids can spend hours in front of the screen exploring the different environments, chatting with new-found “friends,” trying on outfits, or just waiting for another penguin to strike up a conversation. Every hour our kids spend in front of a screen is one they don’t spend reading, writing, jumping, playing, or imagining.

And then there’s the whole social-interaction aspect. Kids can be exposed to some not-so-friendly behavior; your kid could get a mean face icon in response to “Wanna be friends?” Snowballs can also be thrown at random. And there’s a big focus on earning and spending money: The more clothes and accessories, stuff for your igloo, and puffles you have, the cooler you are.

If you found this helpful, I encourage parents to consult this website for advice about age-appropriate video games, tv shows, and movies.

P.S. For a really positive use of media, see last week’s Middle School Parent News (http://blog.lrei.org/msnews/2009/02/12/) and read about LREI’s screening of the Sundance film, FUEL. (By the way, the middle school and high school parent news sites are always linked on the left side of this page, so you can check out their happenings from time to time!)

Warmly,

Namita

 

 

LOWER SCHOOL NOTES & ATTACHMENTS
(click on the links below to view and print information from teachers and specialists.)

  • All grades: Please click here for the ‘at a glance’ calendar for the 2008-09 school year. Click here for the 2009-10 school calendar.

UPCOMING PARENT MEETINGS & EVENTS

  • Friday, 2/27, 8:15am – Kate’s 4th Grade Publishing Party
  • Friday, 2/27, 8:30am – 2nd Grade Parent Meeting with Roberta
  • Monday, 3/2, 8:45am – Multi Cultural Comm. Mtg.
  • Thursday, 3/5, 8:00am – Lesbian-Gay-Straight Alliance (LGSA) Meeting
  • Thurday, 3/5, 8:45am – Adoption Committee Meeting
  • Friday, 3/6, 3:30pm – School Spirit Game – Schoolwide Events
  • For an up-to-date, searchable all school calendar, please visit www.lrei.org/calendar

 

 

WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

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February Food Drive: Next week the Lower School will again be collecting food for the St. John’s Food Pantry. Bins will be placed on each floor beginning on Monday morning, February 23rd and food will be placed up on Friday, February 27th. Last month we collected 327 items. Can you help us surpass that this month? Click here for a list of needed items.

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Big Auction Update:
The Big Auction is just two weeks away! If you haven’t done so already, you can buy your ticket(s) by emailing or calling Sandra Song at ssong-at-lrei.org or 212-477-5316 x275. Please have your credit card information ready with the expiration date and three digit security code–we only accept MasterCard and Visa. This year, we’re featuring select items online–please visit lreibigauction.cmarket.com and start bidding today!

If you would like to bid anonymously for any of the LIVE items, you may do so by sumbitting an Absentee bid. Please contact Sandra Song or Pippa Gerard (pgerard-at-lrei.org, 212-477-5316 x236) by noon on Wednesday, March 4th. To see the whole catalog online, please visit lrei.org/bigauction. We hope we’ll be seeing you on March 5th!

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Director’s Drop-In: Phil will be available for drop-in conversations in his Sixth Avenue office from 8:45 am – 9:30 am on Friday, March 6th. Drop in, ask a question, and hear about what is going on at LREI. Can’t make these times? Give a call or send an email, 212-477-5316.

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Updates from the Red is Green Committee
Take the LREI Green Pledge! We are asking all students and families to sign an environmental pledge to do our part to save our earth. We’ve included things like conserving water, turning off lights and recycling. Look for the Red is Green table in the 6th Ave. lobby this Friday morning to sign the pledge (or download the pledges here: adult pledge form and student pledge form). Please return the signed portion of your pledge by next Wednesday, Feb. 25. There is an envelope at the reception desk.

Join us for our first LREI Goes Green to School day next Wednesday, February 25. Find an earth friendly way to get to school: walk, bike, scooter, take public transportation or carpool. It’s a great way to get our kids involved and start off honoring the LREI Green Pledge!

Recycle update: So far the LREI community has collected 40 cell phones, 90 ink cartridges and over 600 batteries! Next month’s recycle drive will be corks and bare naked granola bags. Start saving now!

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