Safer Internet Day is celebrated globally and this year, it will focus on encouraging young people to explore how they manage their identity online and offline, and how the internet shapes how they think of themselves and others. This year's theme has therefore been named;
Free to be me!
Safer Internet Day aims to celebrate difference and help us work towards a truly inclusive internet.
At Eling we will be celebrating Safer Internet Day with an afternoon of activities linked to the theme, free to be me. The children will have an assembly which will cover what the term 'identity' means and discuss how this links to using the internet. They will then create their own 'This is me!' poster in Key Stage 1 or bunting in Year R, which will represent their online and offline interests and hobbies. This will provide the children with an opportunity to get to know each other better and demonstrate that everyone has their own individual identity. Discussions around online identities will also take place and the children will think about issues such as cyberbullying and personal information.
One of the best ways to support your child at home is to talk to them! Ask them about what they learnt during Safer Internet Day and encourage them to talk through their poster or bunting with you. Stories are also a fantastic way to cover some of the issues raised during the day and below you can find a list of several books chosen for their themes on identity and being yourself.
Be Who You Are!
by Todd Parr
The Things I Love about Me
by Trace Moroney
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon
by Patty Lovell
Exclamation Mark
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Elmer
by David McKee
Giraffes Can't Dance
by Giles Andreae
You can visit the following websites for more information on Safer Internet Day and E-Safety;
Safer Internet Day Website
www.saferinternet.org.uk
NSPCC Website
www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety
Thinkuknow Website
www.thinkuknow.co.uk
Childnet Website