I have always said that one of my favorite things about being an SRO is being able to interact with our
students. Every time I am invited to speak in one of our classes, I always say that teaching is one of my
favorite things to do too. I guess combining interacting with students, and teaching about topics that
passionate me, is a great mix! The week before Thanksgiving Break I was invited again by Mr. Griffin to
talk to his students (several classes) about the 4 th and 5 th amendments of the Constitution. I tell you,
what an honor it is for me to discuss this with our students. All the students in all the classes were
respectful and participated too. I enjoyed the questions, and the “what ifs.” I am not going to lie to you,
a couple times we were engaging in such a great conversation, I was not able to complete the lesson…
but it was worth it! So, thank you Mr. Griffin for the invitation.
I also had the privilege of talking to Ms. Zinter’s class (Spanish). Even though Spanish is my first
language, I did not do the presentation in Spanish, only English. I was able to share with all students my
experience growing up in Venezuela and what brought me to the United States. I enjoyed the questions
and the attention given to me by all the students while I was sharing my story.
On a different note, I wanted to talk to you, parents, about online safety. In September I wrote
something for Walking the Beat about Online Safety. But I feel it is necessary to bring it up again. How
many of you talk to your students about online safety? Have you had that conversation about how to be
safe online? Did you give a device with online access to your student without proper training? These are
really important questions that we need to ask ourselves.
The amount of information our students are exposed online is beyond comprehension. So much
information and accessibility to all of this could be dangerous if we don’t guide them and monitor them
as well. It is not about being the kind of parent that tries to be in our kids’ business all the time. It is
about protecting them from the dangers of things they probably don’t even know how to react. We
should be able to protect our kids from the things they are not ready to face alone, while at the same
time showing them that we trust them.
One of the scariest things out there in the web, is the online predators. More and more kids fall victims
of online predators. I have been able to see some of the messages and interactions between kids and
strangers online. The way these subjects try to manipulate their victims is scary.
Monitoring what our students do online is not hard. There are many different tools and apps that can
help us do just that. I encourage you to do some research into the different applications that can be
used, and make a decision based on your family needs. Please be involved in their online world…There is
a lot we can learn from it.
Let’s keep working hard to keep our students safe! Let me tell you again how thankful I am for having
the opportunity to be part of your student’s story. If you have questions, please email me at
gabe.uribe@stemk12.org and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Have a wonderful weekend and stay
safe!
GO SPARTANS!
Deputy Gabe