09 November 2021
Congratulations, as we are in our last month of 2021, we hope you and your family are well and are in the best of health.
We wanted to share a few reminders about our upcoming school activities and other pressing matters.
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Global Changemakers Program
Thank you very much for participating in our Ecobrick Activity for September and our United Nations - Global Changemakers Program last October.
For November, we will be in collaboration with Sari Cycling, a company that repurposes trash and gives importance to household waste management. Know more about Sari Cycling and how you can participate in their cause on November 19, 3:00 PM on our official Youtube Channel.
Dangerous Online Games
As we know, our children are very much into computers nowadays. We would like to remind parents to be vigilant in watching their children using the computer or playing games as some games are easily accessible by other users from around the world and we are not sure if our children are still playing with people they know. We strongly advise that you monitor your child’s browsing history from time to time. We are sharing some dangerous online games as mentioned by several online sites:
What is Roblox about?
What is it?: Roblox is a vast online platform where kids can create and interact in what its makers describe as "immersive 3D worlds." Like any online multiplayer game, there is little to no control over the types of people or age limits of those playing the game. Despite the fact that strict chat filters can be activated - blocking inappropriate words and phrases - children are still susceptible to being targeted by online predators.
What is My Friend Cayla about?
What is it?: This smart toy looks like an innocent baby doll with pretty features, lovely hair, a sweet smile, and an equally adorable outfit.
It is so smart that it can even talk to your kid and ask her personal questions.
The dangers to your child: Regulators in Germany have classified the Cayla dolls which are equipped with built-in microphones as "hidden espionage devices" and are even urging parents to destroy this toy!
What is Blue Whale about?
What is it?: This social media game dares its players to also participate in a series of tasks that are detrimental to their health and can also cause them great harm.
The dangers to your child: As each "level" progresses, it gets increasingly dangerous.
What is Fire Fairy about?
What is it?: This online prank targets younger children and is modeled after the animated series, Winx Club.
It gives dangerous instructions to unsuspecting kids on how they can become a magical "fire fairy".
The dangers to your child: Your little one will be encouraged to secretly turn on the gas on the stove at midnight when no one else is awake, and then go back to sleep.
What is Cloud Pets about?
What is it?: These innocent-looking smart toys which come as a cuddly elephant, bear, cat, rabbit, dog or unicorn can record audio messages via a mobile app and replay them for your child's entertainment.
The dangers to your child: Application security expert, Troy Hunt, reported that private information from the CloudPets database has been leaked and not only did it contain audio messages by its users, but their profile pictures and privacy were also compromised.
What is The Letter X about?
What is it?: The latest trend on the online app, Snapchat, is called "The Letter X", where users will target someone by coming up with hurtful insults about their physical appearance, weight, or personality.
The dangers to your child: This cruel game is a form of cyber-bullying and can even lead youths to commit suicide.
Recommended Online Games
We are recommending the following games for your children instead:
Khan Academy
Learn for free about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more.
PBS Kids
Educational games and videos from Curious George, Wild Kratts.
BBC Schools: Games
The British counterpart of our PBS, the BBC, offers interactive digital games and activities involving subjects such as literacy, numeracy, history, mathematics, music, and the arts. The games are also categorized into age ranges. The cartoon graphics are very appealing for children, but the content is stellar for teachers and parents that want children to play to learn.
ABCYa.com
This game site offers teacher-created and approved educational computer games for elementary students to learn math and language arts on the web. Featured by The New York Times, Apple, and Fox News, ABCYa.com provides young children with well-crafted games and activities.
Fun Brain
Funbrain, created for kids ages preschool through grade 8, offers more than 100 fun, interactive games that develop skills in math, reading, and literacy. Plus, kids can read a variety of popular books and comics on the site, including Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Amelia Writes Again, and Brewster Rocket.
Skribbl.io
This drawing game is great fun and a bit like an online version of Pictionary. Create a private room so that your family can play together without distractions, then you'll be given prompts to draw. The random word generator is fun, but if you have younger children you'll want to control the content by creating your own customizable word list.
Dominoes
Gather a group to play a round (or seven!) of the classic game of dominoes. Dominoes is played by matching the number of dots on the tiles on the table to the dots on a tile in your hands, creating long chains of tiles. You can play online easily with up to four people by creating a free account or playing as a guest, then making a new private game.
Connect 4
Though simple, a quick game of Connect 4 can quickly turn into a fierce competition. Play as a guest and invite a friend via a link, or create an account to organize an online tournament for multiple friends. This website also offers tic-tac-toe, Battleship, and Gomoku, a game similar to tic-tac-toe, which is played on a gridded board.
Parenting Webinars on Technology
We are also sharing some online resources that would be helpful for parents to watch.
Let us continue to work together and be more vigilant on the use of technology specially during this time.
Should you have any questions or clarifications, please don’t hesitate to send us an email at studentdeskims@gmail.com or contact us at 09569304476(Globe or TM) / 09234505600 (Sun or Smart).
Thank you very much!
All the best,
Sarah Alberto - Tordesillas
Program Director
Studentdesk Integrated Montessori School Inc.
Noted by:
Emerson O. Fababaer
Executive Head
Studentdesk Integrated Montessori School Inc.
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