We had our parent information session tonight (March 5) for Late French Immersion. Please follow the link below to sign up your child if you were unable to attend this evening. This is a first come first serve program so it is important to sign up you child if you are ready to commit to the program for the 2024/2025 school year.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=pP-hhz-WDkWNkBVd542b5UaIzASK1sxGnXtzA3WJ5T1UQTNXODNNRUxaU1E4MzBMN04wU0xOTjM0Sy4u

TINDER-STYLE APP FOR TEENS POSES SEXTORTION DANGER: CYBERTIP.CA RECOMMENDS PARENTS CONSIDER REMOVING WIZZ FROM DEVICES Parents may not have heard of it, but the Wizz™ app has millions of users and it is important to find out if your child is one of them. Cybertip.ca®, Canada’s tipline for reporting the online sexual exploitation of children, is warning parents and caregivers about the dangers of Wizz and recommend removing the app from their children’s phones. What is Wizz? Wizz is a chat app owned by a Paris-based company that combines features similar to those seen on Tinder® (swiping through profiles) and Omegle®, an online service designed to pair strangers in video chats which was recently shutdown following a lawsuit over child sexual abuse and exploitation. What should parents be aware of? Sextortion is when someone is blackmailed with an intimate image to send nudes or money to a predator. Sextorters seek out victims on apps that allow strangers to connect, using accounts with stolen images that trick youth into thinking they are speaking to another teen. Predators may then move conversations onto a platform where images and videos can be shared. There, a sextorter tricks the youth into sending nudes. This can happen because the predator has created a false sense of security, by sending nudes first (which the victim believes is of the person they are talking to, but are often images of a random teen girl), or pretending to have mutual friends or interests. Why are we concerned about Wizz? Cybertip.ca has received 180+ reports concerning Wizz since 2021. Compared to 2022, we received 10 times as many reports about the app in 2023. Reports about Wizz increased faster than any other platform. Of these reports, 91% concerned sextortion, with males victimized in 93% of cases when gender was known. The majority of victims reported to Cybertip.ca were between 15–17 years old. Wizz permits users to share information about themselves on their profiles (e.g. location, interests). Reports to Cybertip.ca have shown sextorters leverage their victims’ personal information (e.g. the sextorter sets their location as the same province as their victim, or mentions they like the same sports or games the victim has on their profile). Wizz’s design also allows users to feature their other social media profiles, such as Snapchat, making it easy for users to add each other on different platforms. This feature may lead sextorters from Wizz to teens’ other social media accounts to victimize them. Use of age verification at registration – doesn’t that make it safer? Wizz’s “age verification” process appears to primarily be done by applying artificial intelligence to a submitted selfie. This process is known as “age estimation”, and it is far from perfect. Female Cybertip.ca analysts who are 23 and 25 years old went through the facial recognition process and were able to create accounts on Wizz as 16-year-old males. Also, in many cases those who offend against children and youth are themselves young in age and can access the app, meaning the age estimated-related safety claims by Wizz may provide a false sense of security. Next steps – Cybertip.ca recommends all parents and caregivers consider removing this app from their youth’s phone, and talk about the risks the use of Wizz may present to their teens. Visit Cybertip.ca for more information about sextortion, how to support your child if they have been victimized, and to report instances of online sexual exploitation. Youth can access support, resources, and help with next steps if they have been sexually victimized online at NeedHelpNow.ca.‌ The tips and other information provided herein is intended as general information only, not as advice. Readers should assess all information in light of their own circumstances, and any other relevant factors. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience; C3P cannot be responsible for the accuracy of information provided by third parties. All trademarks used are property of their respective owners. Information current as of Feb. 8, 2024.

Hello SMS Families,

The City of Salmon Arm has posted that there was a cougar sighting on the Little Mountain Park trails this morning. We are telling our students to be very watchful on their walk home through that area and to walk in groups if possible. Although the risk seems minimal, we are also recommending students who must walk through that area get picked up by a parent or trusted adult if possible.

(info from BC SPCA website): Although they are skilled predators, cougar attacks are rare. However, if you see a cougar in the wild or in the city, stay calm and follow these steps:

1. Make yourself look big – stand tall, raise your arms and spread your legs
2. Maintain eye contact and don’t turn your head – stay focused on the cougar
3. Make loud noises – yell, clap your hands, use a bear bell, or bang things together
4. Don’t leave until the cougar leaves – be sure the cougar has moved on before you leave

If you have small children or a dog, pick them up or keep them close in front of you. This may feel counter intuitive, but this way you can maintain control and face the cougar. A child or dog behind you may try to run away or divert your attention from the cougar. Act like you are bigger and stronger than the cougar so they will see you as a threat.

FINAL REMINDER: GRADE 8 SILVERSTAR SKI/SNOWBOARD TRIPS!

All forms, payment, and registration are due by THURSDAY Jan 11th, 2024.

GR.8 Silverstar DATES: ( Dates Tues Jan 30th, Tues Feb 6th, Fri Feb. 23rd)

• SilverStar Registration & Payment Link:

https://shop.skisilverstar.com/s/school-programs-2/p/school-program-shuswap-middle-school-orange-team

• SD 83 Permission Form Link:

Click to access silverstarpf24.pdf

• SMS SilverStar Parent/Teacher Contract Link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkfH1GZfMH-6J_wD5LvxU1DOCYycckrXj8TYtqCF3af8ApYA/viewform

• Please pay Bus fee to SMS School office ($30)

All information can be found at the following: https://dgecse.weebly.com/sms-gr-8-silverstar.html

Contact Mr.D. Gecse for information: dgecse@sd83.bc.ca