Wellbeing
We continue to work daily to support the wellbeing and overall development of our young people.
Our Year 10 Peer Support Leaders had a planning session last Tuesday and have collaborated with each other to plan some fun and engaging sessions to deliver to our Year 7 students. These will start on Friday 20th May and we thank the Year 10 Leaders for their engagement and planning so far, we look forward to seeing you all in action this week.
Also on Friday 20th May, our Year 8s will have their Personal Development day and it is a great day planned and will be very beneficial to our Year 8s. We will report back in the next Newsletter.
Last week in our Year 7 Community Conversations evening a topic of conversation was Social Media and so the below SchoolTV clip is great timing. I invite you to please follow the link below. We work tirelessly to educate our young people about their responsibilities as online citizens and monitor their laptops but we acknowledge that post covid families have raised concerns about screen time and what students are using their devices for. Please do not hesitate to contact us at the college if you have any questions about screen time or how you can support your daughter to use her device best way.
This month on SchoolTV - Screen Time
As a result of the global pandemic, there has been a noticeable shift in the amount of time people spend on screen-based devices. Families are transitioning back to pre-COVID routines but many are still struggling to re-establish the boundaries and rules around screen use. Some continue to deal with digital conflict and tech-tantrums on a daily basis. The latest research found that 77% of teenagers spend more than five hours on screens per day, but it is important to note that not all screen time is considered equal.
Parents play a crucial role in modelling a positive and healthy approach to using screens and assisting children to navigate the content they watch. It is better to model and mentor screen use, rather than monitor it. Children tend to do more of what they see us do, and less of what we tell them to do. However, it is still important to outline the risks and highlight the benefits of screen use to ensure you keep a balanced attitude. Encourage discussions around the issues that people experience in monitoring their screen time and be honest about your own difficulties.
Parents need to remain firm in their approach to managing screen time. Excessive screen time can be detrimental to a child’s overall wellbeing. Ensuring the correct privacy settings are in place is vital to prevent children from being inadvertently exposed to inappropriate content or online predators. Parents need to also be mindful of the potential impact screen time can have on a child’s social, emotional, educational, behavioural, and even physical domains.
In this edition of SchoolTV, care-givers will be provided with a range of guidelines and strategies to help manage screen time at home. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition, and we always welcome your feedback.
If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.
Here is the link to this month's edition
https://killester.vic.schooltv.me/newsletter/managing-screen-time
Emma Neville and Mr Peter Harte
Assistant Principal - Students