Primary Principal's Report

To say that it has been fantastic to welcome our students back to learning after the break would be an understatement. The learning communities have been full of excited and happy students, exuding with enthusiasm to engage in their learning and reconnect with their friends and teachers. It has been an extremely calm beginning and it is clear that all students have been ready for learning as soon as they enter the spaces.

Attendance Reminders

It is a requirement of the Department of Education and Kyabram P-12 College that all student absences are acknowledged by a parent/guardian. This means that the school must be notified of the reason for the absence by logging onto the Compass Portal or calling the office/attendance line. This procedure helps both parents and the school to provide for the safety of students. Information regarding attendance is available through your Compass parent portal.

Cyber Safety

We are fortunate in having Mitch Bull, a local senior constable, present to our Year 3-6 students next week. He will be highlighting the importance of cyber safety. With students regularly using the internet is it crucial that we teach the children how to avoid dangerous situations online. 

Online safety tips for parents

For parents, a raft of resources is available worldwide to help them keep young people safe and stay up to date with the latest issues and strategies to support children online. Dr Tom Harrison, a Reader in Education at the University of Birmingham in the UK, encourages schools and parents to foster ‘cyber-wisdom’, based on what he calls the REACT model.

R E A C T

R is for ground rules – set rules about when children can access the internet, how long for and for what purpose.

E is for exemplar – model the kind of online behaviour and habits you want your child to follow.

A is for advisor – be a partner and coach in your child’s online learning experience.

C is for character – talk about testing times that happen online, how that makes them feel and what they feel the best plan of action is.

T is for thrive - if you can encourage all the above, your child will have cyber-wisdom and thrive in the digital world.