Dear Northfield School District Families:
I want you to see this message that Northfield High School principal Shane Baier sent to parents a short time ago.
Why it’s important
- We need to be “in the know” as a community to support each other when social media trends become problematic.
What you can do
- If your student has access to social media, ensure you discuss your family’s expectations.
- This resource from the University of Utah can be helpful for parents in discussions with their students about their social media use.
Sincerely,
Matt
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Matt Hillmann, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
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Dear Raider Parents/Guardians and Students:
It has been brought to our attention this morning that there is a new Tik Tok filter gaining momentum within our nation’s schools, including at Northfield High School. This particular filter is disturbing in nature and has no place in our schools. With how quickly social media can impact a school community, we want to be proactive in our response. Being in partnership with you and the community is an important part of ensuring a safe and respectful learning environment for students and staff. Together we can expect to keep each other informed and up-to-date.
The Tik Tok filter in question features a nerf gun that shoots out ammunition when overlayed on a picture using the phone’s camera. Whatever the phone is pointed at becomes the target of this filter. While the filter displays a caricature of a gun, it does not diminish the potential concern as an act of violence. Regardless of the intent, we view all gestures similar to this as a potential act of violence and we will respond accordingly. It is our goal to help students recognize the importance of being a responsible user of technology and social media. This proactive message is part of our plan to create clear expectations for students.
While we will of course be reinforcing this message at school, we encourage you to have a conversation with your child related to this topic to ensure they know both what to do if they happen to witness pictures or videos like the ones described and what outcomes they should expect if they were to participate. Intentionally making, publishing or conveying in any manner a threat pertaining to an individual or school location is prohibited. Students who choose to participate in this type of inappropriate behavior can anticipate an immediate school response in alignment with our student citizenship handbook.
Thank you for your partnership and continued support as we work to create and cultivate a culture of leadership and excellence at NHS. Please reach out to the administrative team if you have questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Shane Baier
Principal
Rico Bohren
Assistant Principal
Becca Bang
Assistant Principal