Hello VCSD Community,
Thank you for continuing to partner with us on this incredible journey through the 2025-26 school year.
In each of our newsletters so far, we’ve highlighted important steps we’re taking to support students academically, socially and emotionally. This month, we’re excited to share the next layer of that work — empowering students to make sense of the world around them through media literacy.
With the ever-growing presence of screens, apps, platforms and voices competing for our attention, the ability to evaluate information has become as essential as reading and writing. New York State recognizes this shift and is actively investing in media literacy resources to help students become active, informed digital citizens — not passive scroll-and-share users. The New York State Education Department and the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) has created a Media Literacy Toolkit to support districts and staff with this work.
This initiative builds directly on our goal of preparing students to graduate as critical thinkers, effective communicators and civic-minded individuals who contribute thoughtfully to their community and the world. And just like everything we do — this is a school and family partnership. The conversations you have at home play a powerful role in shaping how children interpret what they see online and in the media.
Thank you for the trust you place in our educators and school community. Together, we are helping our students gain the confidence to ask good questions, think for themselves and shine as responsible citizens — both online and off.
With gratitude,
Frank Macri
Superintendent
Building Media Literate Students
What is media literacy?
Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create and act using all forms of communication — news, entertainment, social media, websites, images, videos and more.
As students develop their skills with media literacy they learn to question and learn more about the content they interact with in and outside of school, on and offline:
- Who created this message?
- What do they want me to think or do?
- What information is missing?
- How am I interpreting this information?
- How might someone else interpret this differently?
Did you know?
- 82% of teens struggle to tell the difference between news, ads, opinions and entertainment. Source: The News Literacy Project.
- 80% of teens report seeing conspiracy theory posts on social media — and 81% say they’ve believed at least one.
- 84% of teens say they distrust the news media. Source: Education Week, 2025.
Mis- and disinformation spreads faster than the truth, influencing what people believe and how they behave.
Developing media literacy skills help students become:
- Safer online.
- Better problem-solvers.
- More engaged citizens.
- Ready for college, career and community life.
These aren’t just academic skills — they are life skills, too.
Media smarts at home
The conversations students have at home play a powerful role in strengthening the skills they are learning in school. When families talk about the information they see online, they help children build confidence in what’s true, recognize bias, understand the purpose behind messages and become open-minded, responsible media users.
Try these quick prompts when looking at media with your children:
- “What’s the source of this information?” Encourage your child to look for who created it (a news organization, an influencer, a company, etc.) This helps them build confidence in what’s true.
- “Who created this content… and why?” Ask your child to think about the creator’s goal: to inform, entertain, persuade or sell something. This helps them recognize persuasion and potential bias.
- “What do you think this message wants us to think or feel?” Invite your child to notice emotional triggers like fear, excitement or anger. This supports open-mindedness and helps them understand how feelings can be used to influence people.
- “Do others report this topic the same way?” Encourage your child to look for at least one or two additional sources and compare them. This builds more informed viewpoints and shows that different outlets may share different perspectives.
- “Is this meant to excite, shock or upset us?” Talk with your child about why content might be designed to get a strong reaction. This helps them slow down and think before reacting or sharing.
- “How do we know this is true?” Encourage your child to dig for an answer before accepting or sharing something: check dates, sources and fact-checking sites when possible. This reduces the spread of misinformation and builds careful, critical thinking.
These everyday habits help children grow into confident, thoughtful and responsible media navigators and users.
Winter Ahead: School Closing and Delay Notifications
As the snowy months approach, the Voorheesville Central School District reminds families, staff and community members that notifications about changes to the daily school schedule due to inclement weather will be sent through ParentSquare.
All Parent Square users, including those who regularly receive a daily digest/wrap up for other messages, will receive notice of closings and delays immediately as an alert.
Information about closings and delays will also be posted on the district website and shared with most local media outlets — with the exception of WNYT News Channel 13, which no longer subscribes to the School Closing Network.
Keep your contact information up-to-date
Be sure to keep the district informed by calling your child’s school office if your primary contact information has changed. This will ensure you receive important updates via Parent Square about closings, delays and more.