Dear Cold Spring Families,
I received wonderful news today: Cold Spring School has been recognized as a Common Sense Media Recognized School for our commitment to digital citizenship, digital literacy, and student well-being.
I am deeply grateful to our teachers for the care, thoughtfulness, and dedication they bring to helping our children use technology responsibly. Their work goes beyond teaching students how to use a device. They help students think critically about information, protect their privacy, practice kindness online, and understand when to put technology away. These lessons support our children in becoming thoughtful, confident, and responsible decision-makers.
I am pleased to share the below press release that Common Sense Media sent me to share with our community. Thank you for your continued partnership as we help our children develop the knowledge, judgment, and habits they need to navigate the digital world with confidence and care.
With appreciation,
Dr. Alzina
Cold Spring School earns
Common Sense Media Recognition
Montecito, California —Common Sense Media, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids and families thrive in a world of media and technology, has recognized Cold Spring School as a Common Sense Media Recognized School.
Students today have more possibilities at their fingertips than any previous generation. But making the most of it—knowing what to trust, who to credit, and when to close the laptop—is something students need to be taught. Cold Spring School has demonstrated its commitment to taking a whole-community approach to that work: helping students take ownership of their digital lives, look at a social feed and see the algorithm behind it, tell reporting from opinion from advertising, and understand the difference between using AI to think harder and using it to avoid thinking. This recognition acknowledges the school's commitment to creating a culture of digital literacy and well-being among its students.
"Digital literacy and well-being aren't separate subjects; they're woven into how students research, create, and make decisions every day, including how they use AI. We applaud the faculty and staff of Cold Spring School for treating those skills as essential. They're giving students the judgment to participate thoughtfully in a world where the tools keep changing,” Merve Lapus, VP of Education and Engagement, Common Sense Media.
Cold Spring School has been using Common Sense Media's research-based digital literacy resources. Grounded in the real issues that students and teachers face, the program teaches students, educators, and families tangible skills in media literacy, digital citizenship, AI literacy, privacy, online kindness, and digital well-being. The free K–12 curriculum is used in classrooms across all 50 states, in more than 70% of U.S. schools, and by more than a million educators worldwide.
"We're honored to be recognized as a Common Sense School," said Dr. Amy Alzina, Superintendent. "Our students deserve to move through the digital world with confidence and care, today and for whatever comes next. This recognition reflects the work our whole community has put into making that happen."
For more information about Cold Spring School, go to https://www.coldspringschool.net/. To learn more about Common Sense Media, visit https://www.commonsense.org
About Common Sense Media:
Common Sense Media is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the research-backed information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the age of apps, algorithms, and AI. We rate, educate, and advocate to protect and prepare kids online. Our ratings, research, and resources reach more than 150 million users globally, over 1.4 million educators, and more than 100,000 schools worldwide every year.
