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Counsellors' Corner

Spring Edition

Counsellors' CornerSpring Edition

This Spring newsletter focuses on screen time and online safety. We hope you find these tips and strategies useful. Please feel free to share!

Many Canadian parents are concerned about how much time children spend using media. According to recent research from MediaSmarts, parents report that about 36% of their 10- to 13-year-olds spend 3 hours or more per day using digital devices for reasons unrelated to school work. That’s at least 21 hours a week! Clink on the photo below to explore suggestions and tips to support your child.

Raising Digitally Responsible Youth

This Parent’s Guide to Raising Digitally Responsible Youth will equip you with the knowledge you need to stay in the loop about the most popular applications and trends. Correspondingly, this guide will give you a better understanding of your child or teen’s internet usage so you can relate to the digital world they live in.

We’ve all done it—you open your phone to check one notification, you get pulled in, and suddenly, boom! It’s been an hour. How does that even happen? The thing is, if it happens to you, imagine how easily it happens to your kids and teens. Check out this video for tips to Stop the Scroll!

Five Ways Parents Can Help Kids Navigate Social Media

Parents can help mitigate some of the harm that social media may be doing to young people's mental health.

Screen Time Contract for Families

Looking for a Family Media Agreement? Check out this one from Common Sense Media!

Parenting Apps for Screen Time Management

Here is a list of the best screen time management apps.

Recommended for Parents/Caregivers/Grandparents and youth aged 10 and up as a way to facilitate the conversation of safe and caring use of technology at home and in the community. (60 minute session)


This session covers all things digital, from how to be a good digital citizen, the criminal consequences of cyberbullying, and how to report and receive support in cases of sexting/sextortion.

FamilySmart Online Events in March

March 4 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm PST

March 13 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm PDT

April 3 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm PDT

Returning to School after Spring Break

Talking to your child about the return to school after Spring Break can help to ease fears or uncertainty. Here are some ways to start the conversation:


  • Who are you looking forward to connecting with?
  • How are you feeling about the school year?
  • What is one thing you feel excited for?
  • How can I help you to feel omfortable about school?

Understanding just how much insufficient sleep affects our children is a motivator to help them get the best sleep possible. As kids return to school, resetting sleep habits and rules around tech in the bedroom is hard but imperative. Check out this blog post from Screenagers for more info.

Need More Support?

Contact Your School Counsellors

If you need support or have questions, please reach out to us. We can be reached at the school at 604-703-1707 or by email: cathy_preibisch@sd33.bc.ca or marie_amos@sd33.bc.ca

Cathy Preibisch
Cathy is using Smore to create beautiful newsletters