Dear Junior High Families,
In the past month, we have encountered issues surrounding the use of a social media app known as “YOLO” by our seventh and eighth grade students. The “YOLO” app is an anonymous question-and-answer app that is a free add-on feature for Snapchat. Users can post anonymous questions and comments on a SnapChat “story.” The users can respond to those questions in their “stories.” Unfortunately, the anonymous component of the app has become a breeding ground for cyberbullying, as students cannot be traced to the comments that they post. This has become problematic at school, as we are presently unable to trace the origins of these harmful messages. As outlined in our school Code of Conduct , cyberbullying is considered a serious offense. During the school day, our students are expected to use their personal devices for educational purposes. If students are unable to use their devices responsibly, they will not be able to bring their personal devices to school with them. I write not only to inform you of this app, but to encourage you to continue to actively monitor your child’s online activity and discuss the potential risks of using these digital platforms. We have attached some resources below if you would like to learn more about the app and its risks:
I appreciate all of your efforts to work to support our students’ health and wellbeing, especially during this difficult year.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Luce
Assistant Principal