Dear Parents and Carers, 

This Friday is the Solemnity or Special Feast Day of St Mary Help Of Christians. Jesus’ mother has many special names, and this is the name for Mary the Patron Saint of Australia. On Sunday many of our Year 6 students will be selecting a Saint’s name for their Confirmation name. This is part of our Catholic tradition of selecting the name of a Saint who has inspired us by their own lives. We wish our Confirmation candidates every blessing for such an important sacrament and step in their faith lives. 

Thank you to the many parents who have restrictions in place for their children’s online access. Recently you will have noticed there have been increasing concerns raised and incidents reported in the local community and media, regarding the potential danger of access that children have to the online world. This includes; social media, messaging groups, and internet searches. I have written to Stage Three parents over the last fortnight in an attempt to assist parents in keeping their children safe. I am so aware that it is challenging for parents to safeguard their children from the many risks involved. We work with you in partnership, therefore, I strongly recommend the following tips for monitoring your child’s device use;

1. Take charge of your child’s device if you have not done so already. Install parental restrictive software on all devices and ensure that when in use, the device is used in full view of an adult in the central part of your home. Set a clear expectation that devices are not present or attended to during mealtimes. This would include not allowing the device to be in your child’s room at any time, particularly during the night. A good habit to develop in families is to place devices in a container that remains in the parent’s bedroom all night. 
   
   
2. Close down your child’s Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Tik Tok, or other social media accounts. New ones are hitting the market regularly and as interested parents, you will need to be fully aware of how the various devices are used in the home. Encourage children to contact friends face to face or through a phone call.
   
   
3. Restrict your child’s use of devices. Limit the time your child is using devices. Sleep deprivation is rife amongst children aged 8 onwards. The recommended screen time recommended by the Australian Parents Council is:  
1. Under 2 years old – ZERO screen time (including watching television, electronic media, DVDs, computers, and electronic games).
2. 2-5 years – Less than 1 hour per day.
3. 5-17 years – Less than two hours per day.
   
   
4. Check your child’s device on a very regular basis. If the history has been deleted, your child is probably visiting sites they do not wish you to know about. Check regularly which Apps have been downloaded and are being used. Sit with your child and have them show you what the App is intended to do. 

Most of all, open the lines of communication with your children, so they know they can come directly to you if they are concerned or need guidance. Reinforce that if students see anything that concerns them, or become aware of a peer that may be in a dangerous or vulnerable situation they should screenshot if possible, make an adult aware rather than discussing with peers. 

Thank you for working in partnership with us to keep your children safe,
Laurinda Nelson