Dear BHSD Families,
I hope this message finds you well. We want to bring to your attention a matter of safety and security that has recently emerged within our school community. It has come to our attention that there have been instances of inappropriate emails circulating, falsely claiming to be associated with our school’s Google Classrooms. These emails may be part of a phishing attempt to deceive recipients for malicious purposes, or expose recipients to inappropriate content.
The safety and security of our students and their families are our top priority. To that end, we want to provide you with some tips and best practices to help you and your children identify and avoid falling victim to spoofed emails:
- Verify Sender Information: Always check the email address of the sender. Official communications from our school will come from an email address ending in our school's domain (brookings.k12.or.us). Be cautious of emails from unfamiliar sources.
- Look for Red Flags: Poor grammar, spelling mistakes, and urgent requests for personal information or to click on links are common indicators of phishing emails.
- Do Not Click on Suspicious Links: If an email asks you to click on a link, hover over the link first to see where it leads. Do not click if it looks suspicious or does not match the context of the message.
- Contact the School for Verification: If you receive an email that appears to be from our school or a teacher but seems suspicious, please contact the school directly to verify its authenticity. You can call the middle school at (541) 469-7427.
- Educate Your Children: Discuss with your children the importance of not clicking on links or opening attachments from unknown sources. Encourage them to report any suspicious emails to a teacher or parent immediately.
- Update Your Security Settings: Ensure that your email and internet security settings are up to date to help block malicious emails and websites.
- Use School-Provided Resources: Remind your children to access Google Classrooms and other educational resources only through the official links provided by the school. Logging directly into Google Classroom, and then accessing your list of classes is safer than clicking on an outside link to take you to that location.
We are taking measures to address this issue and prevent future occurrences. We also ask for your cooperation and vigilance in helping safeguard our community against these frustrating interruptions. Should you or your child receive any suspicious email, please do not hesitate to contact us for guidance and support. Together, we can ensure a safe and secure digital environment for our students and families.
Helena Chirinian, Superintendent
Bruce Raleigh, Director of Technology