Haydon Elementary is Honored as a Common Sense School
April 30, 2020 -- Haydon Elementary School has been recognized as a Common Sense School for the 2019-2020 school year. The honor recognizes the school’s dedication to teaching students in kindergarten through fourth grade how to be safe, responsible digital citizens.
“We are very excited about this honor and very proud of our Haydon Hawk teachers, students and families!” said Katie Bookwalter, Haydon’s Instructional Technology Training Specialist. Bookwalter and several colleagues at Haydon have completed training to become Common Sense Educators.
Common Sense is an independent, nonprofit with a mission to provide K-12 schools the resources necessary to prepare students for success in the 21st century. Through the Common Sense Education platform, schools, students and their families thrive in a world of media and technology. This recognition acknowledges Haydon’s commitment to create a culture of digital citizenship.
Haydon has been using Common Sense Education's innovative and research-based digital citizenship resources. The resources teach students, educators, and parents tangible skills related to internet safety, protecting online reputations and personal privacy, media balance, managing online relationships, and media literacy.
Students at Haydon, including those in the Dual Language program, participated in Common Sense curriculum throughout the year. Third and fourth graders were taught Common Sense lessons by counselors at the school, while families were invited to learn more about the program at an in-person session. Families were also provided with Family Media Agreements and Common Sense articles and research in Haydon’s weekly parent newsletter.
"We applaud the faculty and staff of Haydon Elementary School for embracing digital citizenship as an important part of their students' education," said Liz Kline, vice president of education programs at Common Sense Education. "Haydon deserves high praise for giving its students the foundational skills they need to compete and succeed in the 21st-century workplace and participate ethically in society at large."
Haydon Elementary School has demonstrated its commitment to taking a whole-community approach to preparing its students to think critically and use technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate, while preparing them for the perils that exist in the online realm, such as plagiarism, loss of privacy, and cyberbullying. With the right support, kids can take ownership of their digital lives, engage with real issues, and change their communities for the better. The recognition acknowledges the school's commitment to helping students build skills that are essential for their well-being today—and for the opportunities they'll have tomorrow.