Parent Information

Barrington 220 offers live and online events for parents to help build and sustain our partnership between school and home. Sevral past presentations are available online.

Beginning in August 2020 Barrington 220 offered a series of Parent U Distance Learning Dialogues led by our instructional coaches, technology specialists, and wellness staff. Sessions focused on the key components of Distance Learning: creating an at-home learning environment, navigating instructional technology, and managing the social and emotional needs of students. Sessions included:

• Preparing for Distance Learning—Learn helpful tips in preparing for distance learning, including preparing a dedicated learning space, creating structure and routines, encouraging independent learning, and communicating with your child’s teacher. Watch the video and get more resources.
• Introduction to Schoology—Schoology is Barrington 220’s digital learning management system used in Grades 4–12. Learn how to create a parent account and connect to your child’s class and get a basic overview of the platform. 
• Introduction to Seesaw—Seesaw is Barrington 220’s digital portfolio used to introduce students to digital learning used in Grades PK–3. Learn how to create a parent account, connect to your child’s class, and get a basic overview of the platform. 
• Managing Technology at Home—Helping your students navigate safe, healthy, and balanced technology use is important to ensure they get the most out of their devices while learning from home. This session helps parents understand the tools built into the iPad to help kids self-regulate and stay on task. A discussion of the myths and realities of “screen time” and how to effectively use technology for educational purposes is included. 
• Navigating the SEL Needs of Students—Distance learning puts a spotlight on the need to ensure we are meeting the social and emotional needs of our students. Learn what to look for when our students are struggling and how to respond to the relative isolation of remote learning. 
• Visit the Distance Learning Resources for Parents website.
   

Two Parent U Events were held in October 2018:

• Screenagers Film and Panel Discussion, October 9, 2018
• Dr. Devorah Heitner, author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World, October 30, 2018
  BStrong Together and Barrington 220 presented guest speaker Dr. Devorah Heitner as a part of our @Home in the Digital Age series. Dr. Heitner founded Raising Digital Natives and wrote the book Screenwise. Her community conversation, held in the Prairie Middle School library, explained how parents, educators, and community members can support students by becoming digital mentors instead of digital monitors. Through our arrangement with Dr. Heitner, this video is only available to barrington220.org and bsd220.org users. Parents may watch the Parent U event from any device using a Barrington 220 (bsd220.org) student login. Watch the video.

One to World Parent Meetings for elementary parents from 2016:

• Online One to World Parent Meeting (English)
• Online Reunión de Padres del Programa One to World (en Español)

To learn about setting up restrictions on iPad using Screen Time, please download the document:

• Working with iPad In & Out of School (PDF)
• Trabajando con el iPad Dentro y Fuera de la Escuela (PDF)

The following resources are also available for families:

English

• Use Screen Time on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

• Set screen time, allowances, and limits on iPad

• Use parental controls on your child's iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch


Español

• Usar Tiempo en pantalla en un iPhone, iPad o iPod touch
 
• Definir el tiempo de uso, permisos y restricciones en el iPad 
 
• Usar los controles parentales en el iPhone, iPad y iPod touch de tus hijos


In recent years, Barrington 220 has worked with the Office of the Illinois Attorney General High-Tech Crime Bureau on the topic of Internet safety. Several of our schools have hosted presentations by Internet safety specialist Melissa Hemzacek, Licensed Social Worker, who has spoken with student and parent groups. The following links are provided by the Illinois Attorney General:

• Illinois Attorney General Internet Safety- To help inform parents and educators about our children’s online activities and to assist in their efforts to educate our youth regarding responsible and safe online behavior, the Attorney General’s Office provides several resources. (Description adapted from www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov.)
• NetSmartz Workshop - The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children provides age-appropriate resources to help teach children how to be safer on- and offline. The program is designed for children ages 5-17, parents/guardians, educators, and law enforcement. (Description adapted from www.netsmartz.org.)
• Family Online Safety Institute - This international, non-profit organization works to make the online world safer for kids and their families. (Description adapted from www.fosi.org.)
• Growing Wireless - While most kids feel comfortable using wireless technologies, some parents may need an online resource to help them keep up-to-date on the latest mobile products and services their kids’ may use. (Description adapted from www.growingwireless.com.) 

View a presentation by Melissa Hemzacek, Navigating the Digital Pitfalls of Today's Youth (May 2014).

Cyberbullying is when someone is harassed, humiliated, or threatened by another person using the Internet or a cell phone. Despite their benefits, these technologies make us vulnerable to bullying anywhere and at any time. The Stop Cyberbullying website provides a variety of resources for kids, teenagers, parents, and educators seeking information and advice about cyberbullying. (Adapted from illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/cyberbullying.)

Illinois Attorney General Stop Cyberbullying

• Tips for Parents & Guardians
• Tips for Kids & Teens

More cyberbullying resources: 

Cyberbullying Research Center - This site is dedicated to providing up-to-date information about the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of cyberbullying among adolescents.

StopBullying.gov - This site provides information from various government agencies on what bullying is, what cyberbullying is, who is at risk, and how you can prevent and respond to bullying.

The Smart Talk is an online activity that allows parents and children to get together and have a clear conversation about technology devices and online responsibility. This activity results in a set of home guidelines in the form of a contract that can be signed by the parent and child.

Visit https://thesmarttalk.org.

Many parents and educators use Common Sense Media as their first stop when discussing all types of media with their children, including: apps, games, online privacy, social networking, movies in theaters, TV shows, screen time, and many other media-related topics. Common Sense Media is dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology, empowering parents, teachers, and policymakers by providing unbiased information, trusted advice, and innovative tools to help harness the power of media and technology as a positive force in all kids’ lives. (Description adapted from www.commonsensemedia.org.)

Visit www.commonsensemedia.org.

A short video from Common Sense Media offers five practical pointers to help parents understand and manage the lives of their digital kids.

1. Calm Down
2. Embrace Their Digital World
3. Find Balance
4. Provide Alternatives
5. Be the Parent

Watch video - Common Sense Tips for Digital Generation Parents (6:46)

Barrington 220 uses several third-party systems as part of our One to World program. These systems provide essential features for learning and teaching, and many of these systems have web pages that report system outages and other potential connection problems. If you or your child is having a problem accessing one of these systems, you may check the system status and/or call the Barrington 220 tech support team at 224-655-1500 (school days 8:00 AM–4:30 PM):

• Schoology Systems Status (Learning Management System, Grades 4–12) 
• Seesaw Systems Status (Learning Management System, Grades PK–3) 
• Google Status Dashboard (email, Docs, Slides, Sheets, and others) 
• Zoom Service Status (video conferencing) 

Please use this guide to learn how to plug an iPad into a larger screen.

Technology support is available for Barrington 220 students and staff on district devices and systems. In-school technology support is available in each school’s library. Students and staff can also call Barrington 220 Tech Support at 224-655-1500. Support is available on school days from 8:00 AM–4:30 PM.