Community Letter 11/10/26

Dear Holliston Families,

This district communication focuses on educational technology. Across my ongoing conversations with community members, educators, and district staff, a clear focus has emerged: ensuring our schools offer an engaging, modern, and protected educational environment. Technology continues to play an essential role in how Holliston students build knowledge, work together, and explore new ideas.

This Digital Safety and AI Guide, authored by Technology Director Dan MacLeod and his team, details our district wide strategies for responsible screen time, digital citizenship, and online safety. By establishing clear expectations around new devices and artificial intelligence, we aim to equip families with practical recommendations. Working together, we can guide our students toward healthy, balanced, and informed media and technology habits.

Best regards, J. Kimo Carter, Superintendent

A Message from the Director of Technology & Digital LearningAs we settle into the 2026-2027 school year, technology continues to unlock new opportunities for creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking across our classrooms. Navigating this fast-moving digital landscape effectively requires a close, transparent partnership between our schools and your homes.
Our Technology & Digital Learning team remains deeply committed to safeguarding student privacy, online safety, and digital well-being. As our district prepares for its next Strategic Plan, our AI work is anchored in state DESE guidance and our 2025-2026 AI Steering Committee recommendations. This ensures all AI integration stays ethical, student data remains secure, and human thought remains at the heart of learning.
This guide also brings together practical district recommendations on smartwatch use, social media awareness, AI ethics, and digital wellness habits. You will also find simple instructions for families in Grades 6-12 to activate their free Deledao Parent Portal account to help support safe browsing on school devices at home.
Thank you for your continued partnership in helping our students become safe, balanced, and thoughtful digital citizens.
Dan MacLeodDirector of Technology & Digital Learning

AI & ChatGPT Controls for Families: Managing artificial intelligence at home starts with clear boundaries and active oversight. Common Sense Media has published an ultimate guide detailing how to navigate parental controls, privacy settings, and age-appropriate guardrails for ChatGPT.

Click Here To View The Common Sense Media ChatGPT Family Guide
AI & Mental Health Safety(Common Sense Media Guidance): Remind children that AI chatbots (including ChatGPT and wellness apps) are never a substitute for real human mental health care or crisis support. Chatbots can miss critical warning signs, provide inappropriate reassurance, or create false emotional bonds.
Strict Zero Tolerance for AI Deepfakes (MA Law & DESE Guidance): Under Massachusetts law and formal DESE guidance, creating or sharing AI-generated or AI-altered explicit, nude, or harmful images and videos of anyone without consent is a serious criminal offense. Holliston Public Schools investigates all complaints promptly in accordance with cyberbullying, Title IX, and state reporting requirements. Encourage students to follow our S.H.I.E.L.D. protocol: Spot the fake, Halt the spread (do not like, save, or share), and Inform a trusted adult immediately.

Minimize School-Day Distractions: Enable “Schooltime” or “Do Not Disturb” modes on smartwatches and mobile devices during class hours (if permitted). Apple’s Schooltime Support Guide has step-by-step setup instructions. For urgent messages during the school day, please contact your school’s main office directly. Additionally, review handbooks in your student’s school for more details on these devices.
Protect Privacy & Digital Footprints: Regularly review privacy and chat settings on gaming platforms (such as Roblox and Minecraft) for younger students, and turn on “Ghost Mode” on location-sharing apps like Snap Maps. Remind older students that online posts build a permanent digital footprint, and instruct them to never input personally identifiable information (PII) into unverified websites, apps, or public online platforms.
Engage & Mentor at Home: “Join their world” by co-viewing and co-playing games alongside your student. Nurture offline passions, avoid using screens as emotional pacifiers, model healthy media boundaries during family meals, and approach digital missteps as constructive, teachable moments.

Action Item for Families (Grades 6–12): Sign Up Today!To support safe browsing on district-issued Chromebooks at home, Holliston Public Schools offers families of students in Grades 6–12 access to the Deledao Parent Portal at no cost.

[ CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE DELEDAO PARENT PORTAL ]Note: Upon completing the interest form, an account invitation will be sent to your email from noreply@deledao.com.

Key Features of the Deledao Parent Portal:Custom At-Home Web Filtering: Adjust or extend web filtering settings on school Chromebooks during evening and weekend hours. Screen Time & Bedtime Schedules: Establish scheduled internet pauses, bedtime restrictions, or study-only hours. Browsing Visibility: Review activity summaries and video engagement logs for school devices outside of school hours.
Instant Safety Alerts: Receive automated notifications if an inappropriate or unsafe web search attempt occurs at home. One-Click Internet Pause: Temporarily pause device connectivity during family meals or quiet time.