A big thank you to all our helpers last Friday who helped with our Father’s Day breakfast and BBQ lunch. I hope all our Dad’s had a fabulous Day on Sunday.

Child Safety

We are seeing an increase in students participating in online chats groups at home, we are also receiving reports that some of what is being said to each other and about each other is turning into intimidation and bullying. Please ensure you are checking in regularly with your children and having open conversations about what is happening in this space to support them as they navigate this online platform.

Online bullying can be devastating for young people, whose online activities are a key part of their identity and how they communicate. It can include online hate, trolling, harassment and threats.

Key points:

• If your child is experiencing online hate or bullying, you might feel like you want to stop them using devices, but that can mean they miss out on important experiences.
• Children and young people are better able to cope with cyberbullying when they have the support of at least one trusted adult.
• Parents can help their child deal with the bullying by listening to them, collecting evidence like screenshots, helping them to report abuse to the game, app or social media service where it’s happening, and supporting them to get help from counselling services like Kids Helpline.
• If the cyberbullying is severe and the platform doesn’t help, eSafety can help remove content shared online, and provide more support.

For most children and young people, online life is a key part of their identity and how they communicate, so cyberbullying can be very harmful. It can cause a range of emotions including fear, anxiety, anger and despair. They may suffer trauma and ongoing depression.

The eSafety website have videos and information to support parents and children.

This video provides the tools to support young people to have safe and respectful online relationships, and tips on what to do if things go wrong. It’s designed for parents and carers of young people aged 11 to 18 years old.

Karen Leighton
Asistant Principal