March 10, 2006

Dear Parents and Guardians:

As a Catholic high school, our mission at Bishop Canevin holds our faculty and students to the promotion and exercise of strong Christian values.  We expect that our students, within age-appropriate development levels, express these values at school, during school events and in their public behavior. There are many excellent examples of how our students fulfill these values through school activities and within their communities. However, sometimes there is a need to call attention when we fall short of these Christian ideals.  And so, I ask your support and attention to the seriousness of the issues discussed here.

Much attention has been given in the media recently to “social networking” among teenagers on Internet chat rooms and other online computer sites.  One popular site among teens that has received much attention is MYSPACE.COM.  A recent statistic shows that 6.4 million teenagers between the ages of 12 to 17 have created pages in MYSPACE.COM.  Many of our own Bishop Canevin students have or had pages, almost 1 in 3 students. Their pages are often nothing more than innocent teenage social chatter. However, it concerns us that some pages contain photos (some innocent; some of a suggestive nature; some depicting behavior and activities of improper/immoral/illegal nature).  Some pages often contain other personal identifying information (names, ages, addresses, hometowns, school, workplace, etc.), answers to questionnaires with private information, links to pictures and pages of friends (or strangers), personal profiles, chat room discussions (some laced with vulgarities, degrading language, off-color content, etc.)  Much of it is simply an outlet and convenience for teenage social relating and discussion. However, not all of it is complimentary of upright character or proper moral behavior.

Our concerns are several:

1. Are parents aware that their sons/daughters may have a page on MYSPACE or one of several other “social networking” sites?  Or… perhaps they do not have their own myspace page, but others have posted photos of them on their pages?
2. That there are inherent dangers to volatile young people who post what should be private and personal information and photos (often incriminating) in print, for the entire general public to view, save, print, keep for future reference, etc. That several cases of sex crimes have been linked to searches on MYSPACE.COM by sexual predators.
3. That such information can be used/held against students, now or in the future, especially if it is contrary to upright moral character (College admissions, scholarship offers, NHS qualifications, potential employment, running for public office, government jobs, etc.)
4. That posted information, discussions, profanity, and behaviors which run contrary to Christian values, can tarnish the reputation and goals of students and of Bishop Canevin High School, leading to a student’s rejection for positions of honor, leadership or responsibility.
5. That some behaviors, practices, social interactions, etc., discussed and depicted on MYSPACE.COM may be reflective of what is actually going on in their lives, whether or not their page is private, changed or no longer existent (i.e. perhaps MYSPACE has given us a closer look into their culture).
6. That there is a real need for parents and school to work together to keep our young people safe from behaviors and practices that could potentially bring harm to them personally, socially, physically and spiritually.
7. That, as Christian educators who care about your sons and daughters, we will notify you if we become aware of practices that might be harmful/hurtful to themselves or to others. However, monitoring student behavior and Internet use is primarily a parental responsibility. (MYSPACE.COM has been made inaccessible through the school computers).
8. That we will seriously address any instances where a teacher, administrator or student might be defamed, denigrated or in any way maligned.

While we certainly believe in a student’s right to free speech (as the civil law upholds), we hold our students at Bishop Canevin to a higher standard, the Christian moral law. Certainly our intent is not to keep students from utilizing these sites. In and of themselves, the sites and their concepts are not bad. The manner and intent of how they are used by individuals can be.

I strongly urge and encourage every parent to discuss these issues with your son or daughter.  We intend to do so here at Bishop Canevin.  It is what makes us different.  We, like you, take seriously our obligations to teach our young people Christian values, upright character, good from bad, right from wrong.  Values that will serve them long after they have left our care.

I also strongly urge and encourage one parent from each household to attend the Parent Guild meeting on Wednesday, April 19, where this issue, and more concerning the Internet and student use will be the main topic of discussion.

Noted below are Internet links to articles that have addressed some of the issues and potential dangers of MYSPACE.COM and similar sites. I highly recommend, if you have not done so already, that you take the time to learn more about the issues regarding these sites.

May God continually grace us with His will and wisdom to direct our young people in their life’s journey.

Sincerely,

Kenneth M. Sinagra
Principal

KMS/jrm

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11064451
http://www.cbs11tv.com/topstories/local_story_047144614.html
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6161
http://news.yahoo.com/s/wtae/20060309/lo_wtae/3317118
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060219/myspace_dangers.html?.v=1
http://www.wiredsafety.org/parent.html