January 25, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 13 (NAPSI) During the school year, parents are asked to sign many forms. In the wrong hands, the personal information on these forms can be used to commit fraud in your child’s name -- to apply for government benefits, open bank and credit card accounts, apply for a loan or rent a place to live. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, cautions that when children are victims of identity theft, the crime may go undetected for years. There are laws that help safeguard your child’s and your family’s personal information. For example, the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, enforced by the U.S. Department of Education, protects the privacy of student records. It also gives parents the right to opt out of sharing contact information with third parties, including other families. If your child is enrolled in school, the FTC suggests that Ensure security of your student’s private information you: • Find out who has access to your child’s personal information, and verify that the records are kept in a secure location. • Pay attention to materials sent home asking for personal information. Before you reveal information about your child, find out how it will be used, whether it will be shared and, if so, with whom. • Read the notice schools must distribute that explains your rights under the FERPA. • Ask your child’s school about its directory information policy. FERPA requires schools to notify parents and guardians about their school directory policy, and gives you the right to opt out of the release of directory information to third parties. • Ask for a copy of your school’s policy on surveys. The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment gives you the School Notes Pinnacle offers early childhood care center Pinnacle Learning Center, an early childhood care and learning facility, offers half and full day preschool to children two-and-a-half to six years old. Located at the Ramapo Reformed Church at 109 West Ramapo Avenue in Mahwah, the school offers open enrollment. The Pinnacle program includes instruction in academics, music, Spanish, computers, science, crafts, and more. The school is open from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. all year. The professional staff is New Jersey licensed and CPR trained. For more information, or to see the school, call (201) 512-3313. Rockland Y offers dance classes The Rockland County YMCA is registering students for the winter session of its dance program. Classes are offered in creative movement for children three and four years of age, jazz, tap, ballet, pointe, hip hop, modern, lyrical, and tumbling. Students registering now will be able to participate in the annual spring recital held at Rockland Community College. The Y provides a nurturing environment where children learn to appreciate dance as a lifelong activity for selfexpression, grace, strength, agility, creativity, and balance. The teachers are highly qualified and care about the development of the whole person -- mind, body, spirit -- through dance. The Rockland County YMCA is located at 91 Washington Avenue in Suffern, New York. For more information, call the Y at (845) 357-4404, extension 304 or visit www. rocklandymca.org. Activities abound at Spring Lake Day Camp Spring Lake Day Camp will host an Open House on Sunday, Jan. 29 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its 30-acre campus at 234 Conklintown Road in Ringwood. Spring Lake Day Camp offers swim, sports, and art (continued on page 17) right to see such materials before they are distributed to students. • Take action if your child’s school experiences a data breach. Contact the school to learn more. Talk with teachers, staff or administrators about the incident and their practices. Keep a written record of your conversations. Write a letter to the appropriate administrator, and to the school board, if necessary. The U.S. Department of Education takes complaints about these incidents. Contact the Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-5920, and keep a copy for your records. To learn more about FERPA and PPRA, visit www2. ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/index.html. For information about identity theft, visit ftc.gov/idtheft. To file a complaint or get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, (877) FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).Watch a video, “How to File a Complaint,” at ftc.gov/video to learn more.