Bruriah middle schoolers continue to focus on being aware of appropriate times for—and positive uses of—social media, this time through iConnect, which makes students aware of cyberbullying, and positive and negative uses of technology, especially phones. A glimpse of yesteryear let the students peek what life was like prior to cell phones and social media as we know it today.

The rotary phone, answering machine tape, old camera and typewriter on display offered concrete examples of how (slowly) people communicated before the advent of advanced technology. Hila Revah and Shira Pomeranz from JFS of Passaic Clifton taught the ABCs of technology to the middle schoolers: Awareness, Be Responsible, Cyberbullying and Do tell. The students also learned more about cyberbullying, how technology impacts us. The students decorated cupcakes with favorite positive emojis. The packed program included an “Agree or Disagree” about various statements related to technology and a Q&A with Bruriah’s guidance department. Students are readying for the iConnect contest that will take place over Pesach. They’ll be encouraged to choose one challenge, such as not using their phones during dinner or going somewhere without a phone each day. There will be a raffle after Pesach for all those who participated. As one participant stated, “If the success of this program is measured in terms of student interest and engagement, I’d say that iConnect was a huge success. The Bruriah Middle School girls were actively involved in every part of the program, sharing insights, opinions, and asking great questions.”