RESERVE — Counselors in St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools recently covered a topic important for children today — Internet safety.

“Parents and children alike must remember that ‘online’ is much more than spending time on the computer,” East St. John Elementary Counselor Jennifer Russell said. “Now smart phones and even video games are completely connected to the outside world. Parents and kids must understand that if the ability exists for communication with children, predators are there. These lessons open up our children’s eyes to the dangers that lurk behind the computer screen.”

West St. John Elementary School Counselor Janet Kinzy said students were excited to ask questions about Internet safety after viewing a presentation on the subject.

“It made the students aware not to put personal information on a website without a parent’s permission,” Kinzy said. “With the right precautions, we can protect our kids. Having the Internet safety presentations will help our kids make the right choice when using the Internet.”

Kinzy also had students sign an Internet safety pledge.

Students at Fifth Ward Elementary defined Internet safety in their own words. From there, they worked on worksheets they brought home to share with their family. Fifth Ward Elementary School Counselor Renisha Oubre had students role play situations. To reinforce the learned skills, the students watched various videos and practiced those skills around school.

John L. Ory Communication Arts Magnet School Counselor Amanda Bourgeois covered Internet safety and cyberbullying with kindergarten through fourth grade students earlier this year through the stories “I Said No!” and “Be Safe Jane, Be Safe.”

She took the month of February to cover cyberbullying and Internet safety with a group of fifth-grade girls who meet once a week as a group to discuss relational aggression, which is the usual form of bullying in which girls participate.

Students at Garyville/Mt. Airy Math and Science Magnet School identified what they already knew about Internet safety, what they hoped to learn and then finally what they learned during class.

East St. John Elementary School utilized NetSmartz, an interactive, educational program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children that provides age-appropriate resources to help teach children how to be safer on- and offline.

“I know to not give my name and address to anyone on the computer and to never, never meet anyone face to face,” ESJE first-grader Nijhai Dennis said.

St. John Alternative School students covered the types of cyberbullying, cyberstalking, impersonation and harassment.