The Killeen Independent School District will be hosting a series of special briefing sessions in the coming weeks to educate local parents about the dangers lurking online and how to keep their children safe.

The first sessions were Thursday and Friday at Palo Alto Middle School, where KISD police Chief Ralph Disher said the danger for students on the internet is real and pervasive.

He said diligent parents can be their child’s first line of defense against predators, bullies and others who use the internet to abuse children, urging parents to be vigilant in monitoring their child’s social media habits and frequently checking their devices.

The tips shared with parents include:

Making sure children understand what information is OK to share and with whom and what information they must keep private to protect themselves.

Learning children’s account settings and passwords and always requiring children to let parents examine their devices for signs of any safety threat.

Being aware that social games such as Minecraft, Fortnite and others are used by online predators to get information from vulnerable children.

Learning how to use the parental control features of devices to block access to potentially dangerous platforms or to set limits on the time children can access those apps and platforms.

Similar urgent briefing sessions will be held for the parents of fourth- through eighth-grade students at other KISD campuses, according to Terry Abbott, the district’s chief communications officer.

Schools will establish their own schedules for these safety sessions and will communicate directly to parents to urge their attendance, he said.

The program is part of KISD’s safety improvements, which also includes security vestibules and buzzer systems at schools, along with automatic door locks, intercom systems and security perimeter fencing.

Disher also hired three new officers for the school year, increasing the size of the KISD police force by 17 percent.

To watch Disher’s speech on FaceBook Live, go to https://www.facebook.com/killeen.isd/videos/890489441145816/?t=12.

kfarmer@kdhnews.com | 254-501-7568

SUGHED KISD hosts internet safety session for parents; more to comeBy Kirsten FarmerKilleen Daily Herald

The Killeen Independent School District will be hosting a series of special briefing sessions in the coming weeks to educate local parents about the dangers lurking online and how to keep their children safe.The first sessions were Thursday and Friday at Palo Alto Middle School, where KISD police Chief Ralph Disher said the danger for students on the internet is real and pervasive. He said diligent parents can be their child’s first line of defense against predators, bullies and others who use the internet to abuse children, urging parents to be vigilant in monitoring their child’s social media habits and frequently checking their devices. The tips shared with parents include: Making sure children understand what information is OK to share and with whom and what information they must keep private to protect themselves. Learning children’s account settings and passwords and always requiring children to let parents examine their devices for signs of any safety threat.Being aware that social games such as Minecraft, Fortnite and others are used by online predators to get information from vulnerable children.Learning how to use the parental control features of devices to block access to potentially dangerous platforms or to set limits on the time children can access those apps and platforms.Similar urgent briefing sessions will be held for the parents of fourth- through eighth-grade students at other KISD campuses, according to Terry Abbott, the district’s chief communications officer. Schools will establish their own schedules for these safety sessions and will communicate directly to parents to urge their attendance, he said. The program is part of KISD’s safety improvements, which also includes security vestibules and buzzer systems at schools, along with automatic door locks, intercom systems and security perimeter fencing. Disher also hired three new officers for the school year, increasing the size of the KISD police force by 17 percent. To watch Disher’s speech on FaceBook Live, go to https://www.facebook.com/killeen.isd/videos/890489441145816/?t=12.

Larry Mitchell, Realtor, ABR, CRS, GRI, VLB

254 681 5115 Cell

254 226 3363 Office

LMSells@aol.com

kfarmer@kdhnews.com | 254-501-7568