As part of their participation in the Kids, Cops & Computers program, kids are asked to complete a 500 word essay about one of the topics covered during the Lead & Learn sessions by their Toronto Police officer mentors. Shane B. wrote an excellent essay on Internet safety, which was recently showcased on KiwiCommons. Here's what he had to say about being safe online:

Internet safety
by Shane

"Internet safety is an important thing. You have to be very careful of what you put on things like Facebook or twitter sometimes even yahoo. The Internet is a dangerous thing to have but now everyone can have the Internet and be someone that there not like child predators or a rapist looking for a little boy or girl to rap. Today anyone can get Facebook. If you’re a kid you can ley about their age but if you’re an adult you can put a fake pic and use that pic to make you think that there kids just like you. They would send you a message telling you to take a photo of yourself and tell you to meet them at a place at some time but often you are going to be rapped or kidnapped. The next safety rule is whatever you post it too late to take it back. From a pic to a video you better know what you are doing to yourself. The Internet has something like a grid. Whatever you send it goes through it and people see if it’s inappropriate or not, say you send a dirty pic to someone, there is some people that have the brains and the Technology so they can spy on you. There are some people that can hack in to your computer and download all your things or spy on you throw your webcam and see what you are doing. Cyber bullying is a way to rely hurt someone. Tdsb is deciding to expel someone that does cyber bullying’s. Cyber bullying can be a message or a text from your phone. Some ways you can bully is to sand a threat to someone. Say if I send a message to my enemy saying “I’m going to kill you” the person would start to feel scared. That’s where the cops come in and put you in and cell. School get involved to so you are expelled from that school. You can get charged for it or be arrested. The Internet is like a person that has a big belly and it store all that you put online or say. It knows almost everything about you. The age to have Facebook is 13 but kids these days are making them anyway. So you don’t know who can be on Facebook. It can be any one! It can be your friend or a rapist that’s looking for kids. Whatever you put on the Internet, it stays on the Internet so don’t put bad thing or a pic of yourself doing bad things. The cops are now arresting people that cyber bully or are a pitiful. Most Internet connections are wireless now these days so you can pick up a connection from anywhere you feel like, but if they have a password in it you cannot get in. kids have to watch what you put on and the adult’s too or one day you could be in a cop car and be sentenced to a prison for life. Make the right choose, do the right, don’t stop."

For more information and to watch videos on Internet Safety see  Be Web Wise

Three Kids, Cops & Computers students know that submitting their report cards on time is as good as eating Timbits.

Shabab A, Daryll S and Isha R were awarded with Tim Hortons and Futureshop gift cards for exhibiting responsibility by sending their report cards to the Kids, Cops & Computers program on time. 

Students who met the deadline were entered in a draw and the three lucky winners had a choice of receiving a $25 gift-card to:

Kids, Cops & Computers students in Grade 8-12 who submit their report card in time are eligible to participate in the draw. 

Many charities have complained that the public does not understand the complexity of their work and relies too much on ratios and misleading rankings. We agree. We invite you to visit this new micro-site (www.smartgiving.ca) that the Charity Law Information Program and Blumbergs have created to identify factors donors should consider when donating to charity. It also warns donors of common schemes that should be avoided. Another website, Donate2Charities, which extracts information from data filed with Canada Revenue Agency, is also a reliable source of information on charities. Also, you can always go direct to the CRA website for charity listings for information.   

With some bias we believe Merry Go Round Children’s Foundation is a special organization. We are proud of what we do to help kids in the Greater Toronto Area and the fact we have been doing so for the past 14 years.

We want existing and potential donors to not only feel good about making a contribution, but also to feel confident that their donation is making a difference and is wisely invested. We make our foundation reports and audited financial reports available on our website under Publications. We invite you to look around our site to see examples and testimonials of the impact we are making.  If you have any questions please contact us.

If you're in Grade 8 and recently filled out a Kids, Cops & Computers survey, thank you! You're feedback is greatly appreciated and will help us make the Program even better!

The survey was sent out to the 200 students who entered the Program last year and was tailored to measure the impact we've had on self-esteem, academics and social life.  Here are some of the responses we received:

"I think this program is really fun and I am sooo thankful I got to be a part of it."

"The Kids, Cops & Computers program was extremely beneficial to my family and I! It not only helped me, but also my 2 brothers, and my oldest sister. As well as my mother. I am very grateful that I am a part of the Kids, Cops & Computers program!

"I'm really grateful to you Kids Cops & Computers may the Lord bless you"

"I loved this program and I think every kid should have the privilege of having a computer for themselves. I now have a lot more confidence in myself and I'm really happy that there are such wonderful people out there that want to help us kids so thank you soo much for helping me to achieve my goals. I will never forget what you have done for me"

"It's so generous what this program is offering. I hope every kid who has potential, yet is financially troubled has the opportunity to receive a Kids Cops Computer laptop, and most importantly, a police officer to chitchat to."

"Kids cops and computer is a really good program that helps kids a lot. I went from a B student to a A student in homework because of you guys. This is a very nice company and its useful."

For the past seven years, St. Maria Goretti teachers Leslie Karra and Danielle Murphy have witnessed the profound impact that the Kids, Cops & Computers program is having on kids.

They've "seen first-hand how the computer and eBuddy mentorship motivates kids to do better at school."

"I've seen kids go from quiet and shy to exhibiting leadership after they've been selected to be part of the Program," notes Karra.

Kids, Cops & Computers works with Grade 7 kids who are selected by their educators as having high learning potential.

"Students often feel a great sense of pride knowing that they were selected by their teachers and principals," says Murphy, noting that the Toronto Police mentorship component of the Program also has a "very positive effect on students' self-esteem."

Karra and Murphy, who still keep in touch with past-year students, say the impact of the Program on kids does not stop at the Grade 7 level. Rather, it is continuous through high school and university.

"It's ongoing," says Karra. "Students who've graduated to high school still tell me how great a Program it is-it's just an upward trend for success."