Social networking means opening up and sharing information online with others, but it’s important that children and parents alike use high security settings to ensure that only approved friends are seeing their information.

Our Social Media Privacy Guide helps you and your children select the highest security settings so that only approved friends can access your information.

We take cyberbullying very seriously. It is our goal to educate all of our school families about internet and social media safety. If you suspect that your child may be experiencing cyberbullying, please contact your school administration immediately.

Social Media Privacy Guide

FACEBOOK INSTRUCTIONS

Log in to your Facebook account.
Click on the down arrow icon near the upper right corner of your profile page, then click “Settings.”
Find “Privacy” on the left side and click it.
Have your settings mimic the image below.
Click “Timeline and Tagging” on the left side of the screen to edit your settings to ensure your posts are only being shown to your friends.

INSTAGRAM INSTRUCTIONS

Log in to your Instagram account via mobile phone (private post settings are only accessible via mobile device).
Go to your profile by touching the button on the lower right-hand corner.
Tap the gear in the upper right corner.
Look for the “Private Account” option near the bottom for iPhone/iPad.
Switch to ON.

TWITTER INSTRUCTIONS

Log in to your Twitter account.
Click on your photo icon in the top right-hand corner of the screen and select “Settings.”
On the left menu, find the menu labeled “Security and Privacy.” Check the “Protect my Tweets” box in the “Privacy” area to make your account private.
Scroll down to the bottom of the settings page and click on “Save changes.” Going forward, all of the tweets you publish will be protected and can only be seen by your current Twitter followers.

PINTEREST “SECRET BOARDS” INSTRUCTIONS

When using Pinterest from the web, go to your profile page by clicking the person icon in the upper right corner.
Select “Create Board.”

Social Media Privacy Policy

The school is committed to protecting the privacy and safety of all students in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and internal policy. Too honor this commitment, staff and volunteers will not photograph, video record, or audio record students whose parents or guardians have submitted written notice opting out of media permissions.Upon enrollment, families are asked to complete a media consent form indicating their preferences regarding photography, video, and audio recordings of their student. These images or recordings may be used in newsletters, social media, classroom apps, marketing materials, or news stories that promote the school’s mission and culture. If a parent or guardian chooses to opt out, the school will make every effort to exclude the student from any public-facing content.

Classroom- or teacher-directed use of digital platforms (such as communication apps or learning portfolios) that include student photos or videos will not occur if parent or guardian chooses to opt out. This includes apps like ClassDojo, Seesaw, or Google Classroom. Staff will not privately share media content that features students and will only post content through approved school communication channels.

Parents and guardians may update their media consent preferences at any time by contacting the school office in writing. The school will honor all opt-out requests promptly and respectfully.

ESP and Authorizer Information

About West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science

West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science is a tuition-free Pre-k through 12th grade public charter school in Grand Rapids, MI open to ages 3 years old and up.

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Address

4463 Leonard St. NW Walker, MI 49534

Phone Number

(616) 791-7454

opt. 2 for elementary, opt. 3 for secondary

Fax Number

(616) 791-7453

Hours

Elementary
8:00 a.m. – 3:05 p.m.

Secondary
8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.