Community Information

RSPCA Pawsome Stories!

At RSPCA Victoria we know it takes people of all ages to help create a kinder future for animals. We want to educate, build awareness and create the next generation of animal welfare advocates by engaging with school aged children in fun and interactive activities. That’s why we’re bringing back our fourth annual Pawsome Stories writing competition!

TO ENTER:

If you’re in grades 3-6, we want to hear from you! Share your one-page story and show animals you care in one of the following 2023 categories:

Fiction/Narrative: The day my pet saved the world
Non-fiction/Persuasive: Why caring for animals is important?

Length:

For handwritten, one double sided A4 paper
For typed, one page with size 12 font.

Parents/guardians can submit on behalf of individual students, or teachers may enter their whole class. Enter here!

Road Works Update

Please find attached the July/August 2023 works notification for the Mt Derrimut Road project, which was distributed locally earlier this week.

These are key the impacts:

Full road closure at Mt Derrimut Road, Station Road and Tilburn Road, 7pm Friday 18 August to 5am Monday 21 August
Two northbound lanes closed on Mt Derrimut Road and Station Road, between Foleys Road and Railway Parade, 7pm to 5am each night Monday 14 to Friday 18 August
Section of eastbound lane closed on Eagle Way, 7am Friday 28 July to 6pm Friday 18 August
Westbound lane closed on Tilburn Road between Station/Mt Derrimut roads and Fitzgerald Road, 6.30pm to 5am each night Monday 31 July to Friday 4 August and Monday 7 to Friday 11 August
Intermittent lane closures on Station Road, Mt Derrimut Road, Tilburn Road, Eagle Way and Railway Parade, July and August 2023

For more information, click on the link below

MDR_Works Notification_July August 2023_final PRINTED.pdf

**On Friday 5 August the ramp to Platform 2 opened at Deer Park Station, along with the toilets, waiting room and parkiteer (bike parking). For more information, visit the V/Line website.

Students and Social Media

This a reminder for all, that parents play a key role in guiding their children around the use of technology, especially when determining when they should be using social media accounts.

Social media sites/apps usually have a minimum age requirement for those who use their site/app. Most specify that users must be at least 13 years old. Parents may be unaware of this requirement.

The minimum age stipulations are based on the requirements of the US Congress as set out in the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. The act specifies that website operators must gain verifiable parental consent prior to collecting any personal information from a child younger than 13 years old (O'Keeffe et al., 2011). Many social networking sites avoid this requirement by setting a minimum age of use at 13 years old but there is no responsibility on website operators to verify the age of users.

We are aware that quite a number of our students have active social media accounts. I recommend having a talk with your child about this topic. They might be aware of the minimum age requirement, or choose to ignore it and sign up anyway.

While most people who use social media do so to connect with friends and family, and use it in a responsible manner, there are those who abuse this.

At times, people might be drawn into saying hurtful or negative things about others which can make a small problem into a bigger one. This is especially possible for those who are young and may not have the maturity to understand the consequences or effect this can have on others. Younger people may not be prepared or know how to manage a negative experience on social media.

At times, the negativity or hurtful comments can be posted more often and with more people joining in with posting these things. This is where it can become Cyberbullying. In Victoria, cyberbullying can become a criminal offence with the police being involved.

To have a clear understanding of your child’s use of technology, it is a good idea to supervise your child’s online activity. Be clear on things like when and where online devices can be used and when they need to be switched off.

If you would like further information about online safety and/or the use of social media for young people, please have a look at the following sites:

Youth Law Australia

https://yla.org.au/vic/topics/internet-phones-and-technology/cyber-bullying/

eSafety Commissioner Australia

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/skills-advice/online-safety-basics