From the Principal's Desk

An important area of child safety, and one which is constantly evolving, is that of cyber safety. We ensure that students are safe when using technology at school. We regularly engage with them in learning about safety online- the dos and don'ts, the benefits and the dangers.

We ask that families partner with us in this critical area so that children are responsible users of technology and remain safe in cyber spaces.

Susan McLean is Australia's foremost expert and internationally renowned for her knowledge on all things cybersafety and young people. She was a member of Victoria Police for 27 years; widely known as 'cyber cop' she was the first Victoria Police Officer appointed to a position involving cyber safety and young people. These are some of Susan's internet safety tips for families:

Internet Safety Tips for Parents & Carers 

• The use of computers, laptops or any internet enabled devices (iPad, phone, iPod, Xbox) SHOULD be in a common area of the house NOT IN THE BEDROOM OR BATHROOM!
• Parental monitoring is vital – walk past and see what your child is doing, who they are talking to and what sites they are on….be aware if their mood changes. This is NOT invading their privacy at all…it is parenting in the digital space.
• Make sure there is no response to rude or harassing emails.
• Advise your student/child to immediately exit any site that makes them feel uncomfortable or worried. Basic protective behaviour principles apply.  If the harassment continues….the current email account can be deleted and a new one started.
• If receiving harassing messages on social media – have the sender blocked & report to the site.  If you have found inappropriate content about your child or one in your care on a website or are informed about this situation please contact the ISP and/or Police or advise the parent to do so ASAP. 
• Have a family internet contract and set house rules about what information your child can put onto websites or share with others.
• Be aware the majority of children WILL NOT tell a parent/teacher if bullied or harassed online for fear that they will lose internet access!!  Make sure that your children understand that they will not get in trouble if they tell you about a problem.
• Parents must learn about the internet with their child – get children to share their knowledge of the internet with their parents in a fun environment.
• Spend time online with children, just as you would with many other activities such as sport, board games and walking the dog – learn and explore together .
• Install filters and other monitoring/blocking software to minimise dangers. This is already done in schools but families can have up to date filtering software installed at home.
• Know the sites they are accessing to ensure suitability. Filters CAN sometimes fail to protect and can be bypassed by a ‘tech savvy’ child. 
• ABSOLUTELY NO EXCHANGE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION! 
• Children Under 13 ARE NOT ALLOWED on Facebook, Instagram, Kik, SnapChat, iTunes and many more. Don’t support your child to break the rules & they won’t be the only one without these accounts.
• Learn to say NO!  Social Networking Profiles, such as MySpace SHOULD BE SET TO PRIVATE.  Use all the security settings available to make the site as safe as possible.
• Friends on MSN contacts and social networking sites should be people that your child knows in real life. This is one way to reduce possible risks. Anyone can be anyone online.
• Learn the lingo so that you can decipher some of the content if required.
• Teach children that information on the internet is not always reliable. 
• Very close supervision for young children is recommended. 
• Whatever sites your children use, you must use as well. Set up accounts on the same sites to ensure that they are suitable and the interactions appropriate. Engage with them online. This also allows you to know how these applications work.  If your child is playing online games it is YOUR responsibility to make sure that YOU know how to play the game too in case of problems. Play online games together.
• Do not let young children ‘google’ aimlessly with no supervision. Children need to be taught about search engines and how they work.

The internet and the various applications are a lot of fun and a wonderful tool…maximize the benefits and surf safely together! 

Working in partnership we can improve safety in cyber spaces for all children.

Jane Dunstone

PRINCIPAL

RESURRECTION SCHOOL FACEBOOK PHOTO PERMISSION

As the school year progresses, we would like to share some of the wonderful moments and activities that your children are experiencing at our school. In order to do so, we kindly request your permission to post photos of your child on our school's official Facebook page. Sharing these photos not only allows us to celebrate and showcase the achievements of our students but also helps create a sense of community within our school. It enables families to witness the joy and growth their children are experiencing at Resurrection School.

Rest assured that we take the privacy and safety of our students very seriously. We will only post photos that are appropriate and relevant to school-related events and activities. Personal details such as names or specific locations will never be disclosed along with the photos. Only those who are following the Resurrection Facebook page will be able to see photos.

If you grant us permission to post photos of your child on our Facebook page, please complete the consent form which will be sent to you. If, for any reason, you choose not to provide consent, we completely understand and respect your decision. A record of students with and without permission will be kept by the school to uphold this.

Thank you for your continued support and collaboration.