In November of 2014, Matt Carver, the attorney for the School Administrators of Iowa wrote a column – his third – on the topic of “sexting”-(sending of sexual photos, videos, or messages) by students. At that time, Matt mentioned that this topic was one of those most frequently brought up by member schools. In fact, in a two-week period, he had received eight separate calls from different school districts dealing with students and their families embroiled in the issue. Recently, Matt shared that sexting is more prevalent than ever.
When you consider the fact that the average American child has his/her first exposure to online pornography by the age of eleven, and you couple that with the rapid changes in technology and how our youth use technology to communicate, it isn’t surprising that society is facing this challenge. There is no doubt that as parents and educators, we need to understand the implications of this and how we can best guide and support our children.
That is why the MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District has invited Mr. Aaron Baart – Dordt College, Dean of Chapel to share with students, educators and parents regarding this very important topic of sexuality, pornography, and self-respect in a presentation entitled, “Sexuality and Self Respect.” Aaron has given presentations in a variety of neighboring school districts to both parents and students. In addition, local law enforcement officials and Sioux County Sheriff’s Deputy Waylon Pollema will provide students and parents with the legal ramifications that accompany this issue.
Presentations will be held at MOC-Floyd Valley on Thursday, February 9, 2017 as follows:
· Grades 9-12- 9:00 – 950 a.m. in the high school auditorium
· Grades 6-8- 10:15 – 11:10 a.m. in the middle school gymnasium
· Parents and Community Members- 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium
By opening this conversation with students and continuing it with parents, we hope to bridge the communication gap that often happens surrounding this topic. We appreciate your support of this endeavor with your planned attendance to the event.