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During two assemblies, Grimes discussed the dangers of social media, online predators,  cyberbullying, and more. He urged students to be cautious about who they interact with online, and what kind of information they share publicly. He also encouraged the Ganders to ask themselves when they are using social media questions like, “What are you trying to accomplish with this post?” and “Does it help or hurt people?” He asked students to reflect before they post and to always think about privacy, respect, compassion, decency, and civility.

Grimes discussed privacy settings and stressed the importance of being aware of the existence of online predators. He also shared a few real-life stories that sadly ended in tragedies for teens who
became involved with the wrong people online.

“You decide who you interact with, and you control who you give access to your life,” Grimes told his audience. “Make sure youchoose wisely.”

On the topic of cyberbullying–which he said is not a “technical” problem but rather a “people” problem. He urged anyone in the audience who might be experiencing online bullying to not suffer in silence.

“Speaking up about bullying should not take an extra amount of courage; it should be the expectation,” he said. “Tell someone, and don’t stop telling them until you get the help you need.”

Grimes encouraged the Middle School students to start curating their online presence now and to police themselves into making good choices when it comes to their digital words and behavior.

Rondout Valley Intermediate School Principal Lee Cutler, who attended the assembly, said “all student audiences were engaged since so much of Thomas Grimes' presentation was something they could relate to,” Cutler said. The most powerful part of the presentation, he added, were the stories told during the Grade 6-8 assembly about children being lured into vans. “The impact of these scenes will have a lasting impression on students in the future as they hopefully make safer choices," Cutler concluded.

Rondout Valley Intermediate School students in Grade 6, who attended the assembly were asked their thoughts following the presentation.

“The internet can be a really fun place to browse through, but it can also be a dangerous place, so being safe on the internet is a mandatory thing. People can be harmed because of the choices they make on the internet. If you are safe on the internet, it can change your life, by making it a lot safer. You can turn on privacy settings, and if you’re feeling uncomfortable in a situation online, trust your gut. If you’re chatting with someone on a game, only talk about the game; nothing private or about you.”
-Lucia N.

“I’ll make sure to tell my parents everything I’m doing when talking to people online so they can help me not get into trouble.”
-Max W.