SPECIAL EDITION Community Update

In keeping with our commitment to educational excellence and innovation, we are laser focused on creating environments where students have access to and are learning about new technologies. All students need to develop the requisite skills and abilities to navigate an increasingly digital world. Parallel to this commitment, our district is responsible for working in partnership with families to instill in all students the importance of practicing good digital citizenship. How students behave in the digital environment should mirror how we expect them to behave in person.

Vista Unified is proud to kick off Digital Citizenship Week October 20-24! We’re passionate about helping students build media balance and wellness—using technology to create, think critically, and collaborate, not to replace curiosity or real-world learning. Together we can support growing brains to make thoughtful, healthy choices online and offline.

All week we’ll share bite-sized tips for families on:

• Balance & Boundaries: screen-free spaces/times that protect sleep and connection

• Modeling by Adults: kids copy what we do—let’s show healthy habits

• Creativity over Consumption: use tech to make, explore, and problem-solve

• Safety & Kindness: privacy, empathy, and responsible posting

• Family Media Agreements: clear expectations everyone follows

Follow along on our district channels and school newsletters for daily tips and ready-to-use ideas you can try at home the same day. Thank you for partnering with us to help every student thrive—online and in life.

There is no better time than now to engage in digital citizenship conversations with your children. Here are 5 things you can do to make a difference!

• Check out the Common Sense Media Tip Sheets (K-5 Tip Sheet English/Spanish, 6-12 Tip Sheet English/Spanish)

• Go to Common Sense Media website to access free resources, including movie, website, and app reviews.

• Create a Family Media Agreement with together with your family to set clear family expectations, boundaries, and support

• Listen to our Digital Citizenship Webinar Recording: Parenting the Plugged In Generation (English recording) (Spanish Recording)

• Commit to making digital citizenship a conversation with your family!

To jumpstart your commitment, read this entire newsletter for everything you need to launch digital citizenship with your family!

Why Digital Citizenship? The Facts About Youth Media Use

Source: Rideout, V., and Robb, M. B. (2019). The Common Sense census: Media use by tweens and teens, 2019. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense Media.

Source: Rideout, V., Fox, S., Peebles, A., & Robb, M. B. (2021). Coping with COVID-19: How young people use digital media to manage their mental health. Retrieved from Common Sense website: https://www.commonsense.org/coping-with-covid19

Along with districts and organizations across California, we have adopted the 5 Competencies of Digital Citizenship. All members of our organization, including students, staff, and families can develop healthy digital habits through the 5 competencies.

To promote digital discussions that are rooted in our district values of trust, respect, collaboration, equity, and kindness, we have adopted the "THINK" acronym.

Before you post online, THINK:

• Is it true?

• Is it helpful?

• Is it inspiring?

• Is it necessary?

• Is it kind?

Parenting in the digital world can be tough. We know many parents grapple with questions about media balance, use, and safety:

• My child is asking for a cell phone, what should I consider?

• Is my child ready to use social media?

• What tools are available to monitor my child's social media use?

• How can I determine if a certain movie, app, or video game is appropriate for my child?

• I'm concerned about cyberbullying. How can I keep my child safe?

Go to the Common Sense Media website to access free resources, including movie, website, and app reviews. One of our favorite resources are the Ultimate Guides for Parents---everything you need to know about first phones, social media, AI, video games, and more!

Did you know you have access to all of the past Community Updates? Click here to check them out! Another way to access those is by going to our website: vistausd.org/news and clicking on Archived Community Updates.

Email: webmaster@vistausd.org
Website: vistausd.org
Location: 1234 Arcadia Avenue, Vista, CA, USA
Phone: (760) 726-2170
Twitter: @VistaBlueprint