KEEPING MRS. PATERSON IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

It is with great sadness that we announce to our St Ita's community that Mrs. Paterson’s daughter Kristy Telford passed away in the last week of the school holidays. Kristy was a beautiful warm personality who was so strong and brave during her battle with cancer. She is now at peace and there is no more suffering and pain.

Thank you to all those who offered their prayers and kind words of support to Mrs. Paterson as she works through this very tough and emotional time with her family. Mrs Paterson will be taking some leave over the coming weeks.

Kristy's funeral will be at St Ita’s Church Drouin on Saturday, 8th October at 1.30pm.

WELCOME BACK TO TERM 4

A warm welcome back to all our families as we begin the fourth and final term of our 2022 school year. So far this year we have had our school back in a space where we can almost operate as normal, and hopefully we can finish the school year on a positive note without any interuptions. St Ita's will continue to implement measures to keep everyone in our community safe whilst still inviting our families to be involved within our school environment.

During the term holidays, I was alerted by several of our parents that  students from St Ita's were trading some pretty nasty comments to one another via the social media app Snapchat. Whilst this matter happened out of school hours, during school holidays, I think it’s important to make all families aware of what is happening via social media apps given that a number of our students have access to these apps via phones, smart watches and computers.

On Monday I met with all our senior students and had an informed conversation in relation to the appropriate use of social media, and the legal repercussions that can follow when laws are broken and people are trolled or bullied online. I spoke to all students about their digital footprint and  the damage and consequences that online bullying or hurtful comments can have on individuals, and I am confident the message has been received and understood by the students.

Our school devices (Chromebooks) are a tool to be used specifically for learning. All students have signed a user agreement and are aware that they should not be downloading apps to be used for communication with other students or outsiders. We can monitor all chromebooks at school, and keep a track of communication traffic and any issues that may potentially arise, however we can't monitor student Smart Phones, Smart Watches or other communication devices that are used at home and out socially. This is the responsibility of you the parents, and it’s important that you are aware of the apps your children have access to, who they are communicating with and more importantly how they are communicating.

WHAT CAN PARENTS DO?

It's important to be aware of what your kids do online. But snooping can alienate them and damage the trust you've built together. The key is to stay involved in a way that makes your kids understand that you respect their privacy but want to make sure they're safe.

Tell your kids that it's important to:

• Be nice. Mean behaviour is not OK. Make it clear that you expect your kids to treat others with respect, and to never post hurtful or embarrassing messages. And ask them to always tell you about any harassing or bullying messages that others post.
• Think twice before hitting "enter." Remind kids that what they post can be used against them. For example, letting the world know that you're off on vacation or posting your home address gives would-be robbers a chance to strike. Kids also should avoid posting specific locations of parties or events, as well as phone numbers.
• Follow the "WWGS?" (What Would Grandma Say?) rule. Teach kids not to share anything on social media that they wouldn't want their teachers, future bosses — and yes, grandma — to see.
• Use privacy settings. Privacy settings are important. Go through them together to make sure your kids understand each one. Also, explain that passwords are there to protect them against things like identity theft. They should never share them with anyone, even a boyfriend, girlfriend, or best friend.
• Don't "friend" strangers. "If you don't know them, don't friend them." This is a plain, simple — and safe — rule of thumb. Let them know that kids who follow friends are generally happier than those who follow strangers.

Make a Contract

Consider making a "social media agreement" with your kids — a real contract they can sign. In it, they agree to protect their own privacy, consider their reputation, and not give out personal information. They also promise not to use technology to hurt anyone else through bullying or gossip.

In turn, parents agree to respect their kids' privacy while making an effort to be part of the social media world. This means you can "friend" or "follow" them, but don't post embarrassing comments or rants about messy rooms.

Parents also can help keep kids grounded in the real world by putting limits on media use. Keep computers in public areas in the house, avoid laptops and smartphones in bedrooms, and set some rules on the use of technology (such as no devices at the dinner table). 

And most importantly, as a parent, don’t forget to set a good example through your own virtual behavior which can go a long way towards helping your kids use social media safely.

ST ITA’S MOBILE PHONE AND SMART WATCH POLICY

At St Ita’s, we aim to empower our students to engage and learn with confidence, courage and empathy by providing an education that inspires them to become global citizens. For the purposes of this policy, ‘communication devices’ refer to mobile phones and smart watches.

The school discourages students from bringing mobile phones and smart watches to school. These communication devices cause disruption in classrooms and on the playground and can be used inappropriately to access call and message, use social media and take photos without permission. This can cause distress and is a breach of the privacy of others.

Parents are always able to contact their children by calling the school phone number (03) 5623 7222 or sending a ClassDojo to your child’s teacher. If necessary, students are also given the opportunity to contact parents from the school’s office phone.

If a parent feels it is necessary for their child to bring a communication device (Mobile Phone or Smart Watch) to school, then the rules for student use of mobile phones and smart watches in the school are listed below: 

• Devices brought to and kept at school are used entirely at their owner’s risk. St Ita’s Primary School cannot accept any responsibility for theft, loss or damage of these devices
• Mobile Phones and Smart Watches are to be turned off and handed to the class teacher at the start of each day and collected from the class teacher at the end of each day. Phones or Smart Watches will be stored in a locked safe place in the classroom. (If a smart watch is set up to only be used as a watch during school time, it can remain with the child for the school day. A form will need to be signed off by the child’s parent or guardian stating that the restrictions have been set in place.)
• Mobile Phone and Smart Watch, notification alerts and location must be switched off whilst at school.
• We advise that Mobile Phones and Smart Watches are not to be used to call home in an emergency. This is the duty of the school and the administrator/teacher in charge
• Mobile Phones and Smart Watches are not to be used to call home in the event of a mishap at school or because student belongings have been forgotten unless at a teacher’s discretion and under the supervision of the teacher. In the main, these events are to be dealt with by the school
• Parents will be informed of any events that have or will impact on their child via a phone call, Schoolzine, Class Dojo or PAM
• Mobile Phones and Smart Watches are not to be used in the classroom, playground or incursion/excursion for any of the following purposes; check text messages, access games, the internet, images, the camera or videos
• Mobile Phones and Smart Watches are never to be used to be used to harass, bully or intimidate students or teaching staff

Any use of mobile phones and smart watches by a student, that is in breach of these rules, will lead to the

confiscation of the device. In this instance, parents will be notified and confiscated devices will need to be collected from the Administration office by the student’s parent or guardian at the end of the day.

DEALING WITH ONLINE TROLLS

Online trolling is when someone makes a deliberatively provocative comment or post and waits for people to take the bait.

Trolls may post anonymously or under a fake name, so they feel free to say things without being held responsible. This anonymity can make people feel more powerful and willing to say more provocative things than they would in real life. It also makes it difficult to identify who is making the comments.

Trolling can be damaging and harmful to individuals. A post or comment might target a person because of their race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or disability, or be discriminatory in other ways.

Here are some tips for how to deal with online trolls.

What to do

Don’t feed the trolls

Resist the urge to respond. As tempting as it will be, by replying, you will just be giving the troll what they want. Not responding is the best response.

Screenshot evidence

Make sure to take a screenshot before you report, block or delete. If you have seen or been the target of mean or nasty stuff online, your immediate reaction might be to make it disappear. But keeping evidence is really important in case it continues and you need to report it to the app, site or eSafety.

Report and block

If it spills over into online hate or cyberbullying, your best course of action is to report the abuse to the site or app and block the abuser. Most have rules against abusive online behaviour and tools that allow you to report any comments or accounts. For more information about a specific site or service, see The eSafety Guide.

Report to eSafety

If it’s getting serious and the site or app doesn't help, you can report it to eSafety. We can help take any abusive content down and point you in the right direction if you need other help. If you are over 18, you can make an adult cyber abuse complaint.

Talk to someone or get help

Talk to a trusted adult and get support from friends or your parent or carer. There are also many online counselling services with trained professionals who are ready to hear you out.