Welcome back and a very Happy New Year!

This year we will aim to continue with our high profile work on Internet Safety and Responsible Use in Highland, with the aim of creating safer online communities. We have many more training courses available on the Education CPD Calendar and new guidance has been issued to help schools manage incidents of Cyberbullying.

Last year many schools participated in ‘Safer Internet Day’, 2009 was the first year we had promoted this in Highland and many schools held their own events using some of the ideas on our Highland E-Safety Site www.highlandesafety.wordpress.com we have continued to add to the list of ideas.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Center (CEOP) have also sent us the following information to distribute to yourselves to promote their resources for Safer Internet Day 2010.

SAFER INTERNET DAY 9TH FEBRUARY 2010

We are asking all schools and TUK ambassadors and trainers to get Tuesday 9th of February in their diaries and plan a Safer Internet Day event in your community. It doesn’t have to be exactly on the day, we are giving over the whole week to the events.

We’ve launched our micro site www.thinkuknow.co.uk/saferinternetdayuk which can guide you through resources that are on offer for you to use, get inspired with a number of suggestions and ideas and a feedback area for you to tell us what you are up to.

As the UK representative for the European-wide Safer Internet Day, CEOP are looking to coordinate everyone’s efforts to put Safer Internet Day on the map and raise awareness of the issues, the risks and the things that children and young people (and their parents on their behalf) to keep themselves safe online.

So, what’s new for Safer Internet Day 2010?

Think before you post competition.

This is a competition that is open for 8-16 year olds to create a short film (1-3 minutes long) under the banner of Think Before You Post – what does it mean to them, how would they explain this sentiment to other young people and we are throwing down the gauntlet to young people to be as creative as they like to get this message across to their peers – and the opportunity to win some exciting prizes. Entries can be made by individuals, small groups of up to 5 people or as a whole class – a great end of term project perhaps!

For further details click here www.thinkuknow.co.uk/saferinternetdayuk/competition

New resources for Key Stage 1

CEOP have developed a new animation for children between 5-7 with activities for pre-school children to teach them about personal information, playing safely on the computer and behaving nicely to others online. You can download the free resources the end of January 2010.

Other resources available

· A NEW cyber-bullying episode for Hector’s World

· Two assembly programmes for primary and secondary schools

· Online banners and SID badges to download for your website

Tell us all about it

We will have an interactive map which you can upload the details of your initiatives which we can make available to local, regional and national media outlets to generate local press coverage in your area.

Visit the Safer Internet Day micro-site at www.thinkuknow.co.uk/saferinternetdayuk to get more ideas and suggestions about how to raise the issue of online safety in your community.

If you do hold any sessions, events or activities please do remember to let us know and where possible keep evidence of the impact your activities have made in enabling pupils to become safer digital citizens.

If you need any further information please contact Jim Henderson or Louise Jones.

Guidance on tackling bullying via the Internet and mobile phones is soon to be distributed to all staff in education, culture and sport establishments throughout The Highland Council’s area.

Councillor Bill Fernie, Chairman of the Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Committee said: “Members have given their full endorsement to new Cyberbullying Guidance which was created by a multi-agency/organisation working group.”

The working group consulted widely with the Local Negotiating Committee for Teachers (LNCT), the Council’s E-Safety Strategy Group, parents and teachers of primary and secondary schools; Northern Constabulary and NHS Highland; the Council’s Legal Service and Education, Culture and Sport Service Officers; and the voluntary sector.

Report author, Louise Jones, Health Promoting Schools Manager informed members that advice on the draft version of the guidance was also sought from the national anti-bullying organisation ‘Respectme’. She stated that: “Respectme are unaware of any other authority in Scotland which has developed support for professionals with the unique issues which cyberbullying can present, and that Respectme congratulated Highland Council on its approach to this issue.”

The Cyberbullying Guidance will support Education, Culture and Sport staff who have to deal with children and young people who may be on the receiving end of cyberbullying. The guidance will also enable staff to learn how to avoid cyberbullying.

Louise Jones added: “Cyberbullying can have devastating impacts on the targets, some of which have been our own staff in recent times through teacher rating websites. The guidance will also help staff who they themselves have been on the receiving end of cyberbullying.”

The guidance covers; an explanation of what constitutes cyberbullying; the Laws concerned; preventing, responding and investigating cyberbullying and how to work with the person displaying cyberbullying behaviour.

Further information on cyberbullying and e-safety can be found on www.highlandesafety.wordpress.com or by contacting Louise Jones on tel: 01463 702066.

For more detailed information follow this link

N-Dubz have released their new single ‘RU Cyber Safe’. N-Dubz are ambassadors for CyberMentors – a website which helps young people support each other through mentoring

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hEeflUzX_4