25th December, 2005

Dear Parents,

St. Joseph’s parish has its own website and this can be accessed via pages on our children’s site or by clicking here.

We began the parish site in February, 2005, and it has become a valuable source of communication and information for members of the parish, along with their families and friends from other parts of the country and the world.

Its success has encouraged us to look into making a website available especially for our parish children. Obviously, we have had to be very careful how we set this up and have taken advice from various sources as to the best and most secure way. (Further details on net safety for children can be obtained by clicking here and other similar websites sponsored by Children’s Child Protection Charities.)

We want the children to feel that they own the site and that it can develop and grow with them. For this to happen we need the site to be interactive with the children so they can post news and information, share questions and answers that they think other children might be interested in. But the site is not a site open to all internet traffic and can only be accessed by means of an individual Log-on Name and Password.

Log-on Names and Passwords can only be obtained by parents, who should apply on behalf of their child by completing the application form. The child’s log-on will only be activated when the details have been verified by the referees. The password will then be sent by email to the parent’s email address.

We hope that you would like your child/children to enjoy the benefits from the parish community offered through our children’s website. However, the only adult parishioner that the children will officially meet on the site is their website guide, Frankie. Frankie is actually a real guide dog belonging to Paul, an elderly blind member of the parish – and is the one characterised on the introductory page of the website. The site moderators (who have been cleared by diocesan and national child protection procedures) will use the name Frankie.

If you would any further information before completing your child’s application form, please telephone the parish house on the above number.

Yours sincerely