August 2, 2018
Dear BCS Parents,
In my last Parent Email in June, I introduced the notion that we are at a crossroad as a school, as families, as a church body and as a nation in regards to the increased influence of “social media”. This last school year we saw a significant rise of social interactions that we could correlate to our student body’s behavior and emotional growth that I have come to refer to as “early age social media interference”. I can say without reservation that early use of social media is challenging our very young students to join conversations that should be left to adolescence and adulthood. I’ll elaborate during our Thursday and Friday Parent Open Houses. If you did not get the opportunity to read the June 21, 2018 BCS Parent Email, you can find it on our website under the About Us page, under the Headmaster’s News at www.bcsbulldogs.org.
In this email I will lay out an intentional process to rally your support and offer your assistance to Berean Christian School and Grace Fellowship to take on social media and help plot a course to lessen its grip on our children, and yes, us. If you don’t attend Grace Fellowship; I trust you’ll seek your churches’ help as well.
My goal is to give you information to help you make a sound decision about how your family participates in social media and ultimately provide you with information to help keep you and your children safe. As promised, let me start by discussing some of the results of the anonymous social media survey we conducted in May with a select BCS population of 178 students in grades four through eleven.
The data shows us that 94% of our students who participated in the survey have access to internet on their personal devices, with 63% of them having the ability to load apps without their parents’ permission. Overwhelmingly, most respondents come from a home with both parents intact and 63% of the respondents attend church three or more times per month. The most prevalent electronic device is a cellphone; with approximately 7% of the students surveyed stating they do not use electronic devices. I will get into the types of apps found on their phones at the introduction phase of this Friday’s Parent Open House at 6:30 PM in the Grace Fellowship Worship Center.
If your minor child has full access to the internet and social media on their devices, I would ask that you take parental control of that device, and for children under the age of 16, even consider ending that access. Over the course of this year I have heard alarming stories of what parents have found on their child’s devices when they took that initiative. I have quickly become an advocate that minors should not have untethered access to social media and the internet until they’ve earned the right to drive a car. You’ll hear more about this in future discussions.
In regards to cell phone use on campus, BCS prohibits use during school from AM carline until the end of the school day, unless administrative permission is granted for class research. Students are instructed to leave their electronic devices in their locker and off until the end of the school day. Students who violate this policy will have their phone confiscated, with mandatory parent pickup and appropriate consequences. Please reinforce this policy with your child heading into next school year. This policy is found in the BCS Student Handbook under the section titled Electronics and Social Media.
In the coming weeks, you will hear about a planned round table discussion regarding the effects of social media and what we can do as parents, a school and a church to address this head on. Please pray about your possible involvement in the initial discussion. The BCS administration has already identified key individuals who they think could speak effectively to this issue. I would also invite others to volunteer their time to join the conversation. From my desk, this is a local and national crisis, not just a BCS issue. For the future of our children, there should be no excuse important enough for you NOT to participate in this process, even if just in your own home. Please pray over our planning and your involvement.
If for a moment you think this email isn’t directed at you, think twice, I have. I would suggest that if you’ve mastered the issue of social media with your family, you may want to jump into this conversation and consider advocating for what works in your home by sharing with those families who are currently struggling to keep the lid on this immediate family crisis.
While on the subject of parental involvement, let me again suggest you watch a recent sermon series from our pastor at Grace Fellowship, Dr. Jeff Robinson. During the month of April he covered several different topics under the framework of #RelationshipsGoals. His April 29th sermon was directly pointed at parenting. Helicopter, Drone and Laissez-faire Parenting, is a must view. As you watch this message, keep an open mind and heart, this is not an assault on your parenting, but a message on what God’s Word has to say about parenting and the battles you face and yes, you create; with solutions for contemplation. If you do not attend Grace Fellowship or were not present for this particular message, I strongly urge you to go to www.gogracefellowship.org for a viewing of this sermon and entire series.
If you’re looking for a new home church, I would like to personally invite you to attend Grace Fellowship this weekend. Our Sunday services are scheduled at 9:30 and 11:15 AM. Programs are provided for children and teenagers. Pastor Jeff would like to personally invite you to our next Starting Point class Sunday, August 5th immediately following the 11:15 PM service. Pastor Jeff and Larry Starkey will discuss our beliefs, values, various ministries and much more. It'll be a great chance to learn more about the heartbeat of Grace Fellowship and meet some of our pastors and ministry leaders. Lunch & childcare will be provided. If you are planning on attending please let me know. We hope to see you there! You can RSVP to https://gograce.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/148744 .
Thank you for your time and consideration of this topic. Don’t forget our Parent Open Houses for ESE at 6:00PM in the SCC and our Preschool Parent Open House at 7:00 PM GF Worship Center tonight, and our K5 to Secondary Parent Open House on Friday starting at 6:30 PM in the GF Worship Center.
See you Monday, August 6th. The first day of school starts promptly for first through twelfth grades at 8:00 AM, with a special First Day of School program for all K5 students starting at 8:30 AM in the Worship Center. Make plans to get on campus early as traffic is heavy, particularly during the first two weeks of school.
Thank you again for choosing BCS. We are honored to partner with you and your family for this school year.
Respectfully,
William Dupere, Headmaster, Berean Christian School
