Digital Learning

Hi WPS Families,

If you haven’t already, please use the below link to access an invitation to our parent information evening run by the Alanah & Madeline Foundation. The second link will take you to a brief survey. The survey results will help inform the presenters on topics of interest

Event Link: https://www.trybooking.com/CUKYP

Event QR Code:

The survey link : https://forms.office.com/r/2NXhuqcWDu

Last week, our Grade 5/6 families were notified by Mat of the importance of staying safe online, mainly when using online message apps and group chats. Most of the online issues we face with our students are centred around iMessage group chats and other online message groups.

Group chats, for some students, are an important part of their social life and can be one of the first opportunities to stay connected to friends and family. Like all things online, students need reminders and strategies on how to stay safe online. 

Group chats offer numerous benefits for kids. They provide an easy way to stay connected with friends, discuss shared interests, and work together on school assignments. These online interactions can help foster a sense of belonging and improve communication skills.

However, there are also potential dangers to be aware of. Cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content, and privacy concerns are just a few of the risks that come with group chat participation. It’s essential for kids to recognise these dangers and know how to navigate them.

We encourage parents/carers to have direct conversations at home about using message platforms while also monitoring their use and content. Here are some tips and information we share with our illy Kids when accessing online platforms like iMessage. 

• Keep group chats positive, helpful and supportive. These are not the places we have a whinge about someone else, reveal our secrets or create drama, gossip or spread rumours. 
• Don’t feel compelled to respond straight away or be a part of every single interaction.
• Remember that just because there are only 6 of you in a private chat doesn’t mean that chat will remain private. There are plenty of ways these chats can become very public. 
• Avoid using it late at night, or let people know when you are signing off for the day.
• Mute group chats after an agreed time of the day.
• Set your iPad/phone to do not disturb – you can always check the chat tomorrow at an appropriate time.
• Setting your message receipts to “read” creates an enormous amount of unnecessary anxiety. If you are the recipient of a text and you are set on “read”, then you feel pressure to respond immediately, or your friend will get angry. If you are on the other side and just texted a friend and see that they “read” your text you will begin to feel insecure and concerned if you’re not receiving a response immediately. Set text receipts to “delivered” leaving space for everyone to respond in their own time with less pressure.
• When you feel uncomfortable, anxious or unsure, seek a trusted adult right away.

Regards,

Steven Puhar

Leading Teacher - Curriculum Leader

Apps List 2024

Digital Statement

Williamstown Primary School acknowledges the recent Human Rights Watch report on Edutech in privacy violations and findings. 

Williamstown Primary works closely with the DET’s Digital Learning and privacy teams to ensure that all DET guidelines regarding the implementation of digital devices are followed.

Attached is the school’s digital statement outlining the online platforms and their privacy policies that the school uses on a day-to-day basis. 

As part of the school’s ongoing student education, the school will further enhance key understandings around user privacy, as well as the tools available on selected devices.

This will be embedded within the current school’s eSafety program that currently sees students undertake numerous digital workshops run by both school leadership, classroom teachers and external providers such as the Alannah and Madeline Foundation’s eSmart organisation.

Parents are advised of a key iPad feature to turn tracking off. This feature will be explicitly demonstrated to students within the school-based workshops.

Go to Settings > Privacy > Tracking.

The list shows the apps that requested permission to track you. You can turn permission on or off for any app on the list.

To stop all apps from asking permission to track you, turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track (at the top of the screen).

Williamstown Primary Digital Information

Below is a link to the schools Digital Learning page. This page contains key information about the school's implementation of the digital technology curriculum as a tool within a blended learning environment.

Further GoogleSuite for Education Information 

Please find attached documents released by DET.

The first document gives a deeper understanding of the DET licences G Suite for Education, how it is set up and how it differs from the public Google platform.

The second document provides families with supporting resources on how to protect individuals privacy online.

The Department of Education information pack for parents is available from the following link:

https://www.williamstownps.vic.edu.au/source/Build/2020-GoogleSuite-Parent-Information.pdf