Sacred Hearts Academy has incorporated Internet safety information in all classes to educate students about the dangers of the World Wide Web. Each month students learn about making smart choices, protecting their personal information and protecting themselves from web predators.

“The Internet Safety program makes sure that teachers and students are aware that the Internet is a very powerful tool that can be used positively and negatively,” said Campus Minister, Sr. Katherine Francis Miller. “We try to make sure that students are safe and learn to make wise decisions before sending or posting private information.”

“Internet safety is very important because the Internet can be a dangerous place,” said junior Shelby Ford. “Everyone, including adults, needs to consider safety not just from online predators and people, but from viruses as well.”

Two themes that students have already discussed in homeroom and class include Internet image and cyberbullying.

“On my online Facebook profile I have the security and privacy settings for my friends to view my profile only,” said Ford. “I do not add random people,  and I make sure to think before I post anything because I know that once it’s out there, I can’t get it back.”

Sophomore Samantha Keomalu agreed. “When I am on social networking sites, I avoid adding friends who I don’t know. I turn on my security settings so that certain people can’t view my page, and block them from seeing any of my posts or pictures.”

The safety program has helped students be more aware of their actions and acknowledge the consequences that result from those decisions.

“I have learned to think before I post because I cannot ever get it back. I learned that even though you think it’s okay, later on in life an employer can find things I posted and decide not to hire me,” said Ford. “Lastly, I learned to watch who I become friends with and who I talk to online because you never know who they really are behind their profile.”

Students will continue the program throughout the school year. Upcoming topics include social networking, security, private information and predators.

Sr. Katherine Francis said, “As a school, we aim to provide a safe haven for students and hope to prevent Internet dangers from targeting us because unfortunately, it is a reality.”