Online safety is an area that continues to be significant issue across the globe and across age groups.  Last year we offered all families access to free seminars and resources in this area, with resources still available on our school website in our Remote Learning menu.

The media often shares stories (mostly negative) on the topic of social media, and while we can quickly jump into a rant about its evils we should also consider the many advantageous uses of it.  What makes parenting a challenge in the past few years is the swift development of the various platforms and apps that are available.  I can remember writing a similar newsletter article on online safety a few years ago when I was talking about the arrival of a new app that was being mis-used by teenagers called 'Snapchat'.  That app has grown from being relatively unknown to now one used widely by grandparents!

Keeping aware of the latest craze or platform is probably unachievable for most of us, so it is key that we establish strong expectations and strategies to both educate and protect our children.  It is worth noting that the majority of online platforms have a 13+ age restriction on them, which recognises that primary students at times do not have the maturity to interact in these virtual spaces appropriately.  Experts note that it is a common issue that children use language online that is more crude or on topics that are not age-appropriate.  They often interact in aggressive, negative or excluding ways that contradict the ways they interact with their peers face-to-face.  This inconsistently quickly impacts interactions within friendships, classrooms, schoolyards and sporting teams. 

As parents we need to be across our children's interactions in chat rooms and discussion boards, as well as during 'live-play' while gaming.  Various apps offer parents a weekly summary of their child's interactions (eg.Kids Messenger) and it is critical that parents spend the time monitoring their child's online behaviour.  The challenge exists when we try to balance having a trusting relationship with our children, while also risking your child fearing reporting any issues to you as they might lose access to their online world as a consequence.  

Can I take this opportunity to encourage families to once again take advantage of the terrific resources available on the www.esmart.org.au website.

As a school our curriculum deals with Online Safety while our annual IT agreement that students and parents sign notes a commitment to child-safe practices.  This agreement is a terrific opportunity to engage as a family in a discussion around online safety.