Secondary School News

Secondary Instrumental Concert, October 2018

From the Deputy Principal Pastoral Care, Nick Jones

Social Media

In my role as Deputy Principal Pastoral Care, I am often required to speak with students who have made some poor decisions when using social media. The power of the technology that our children have in the palm of their hand is truly staggering. The ability to post comments, thoughts, opinions, and photos onto a platform for potentially tens of thousands of people to view is both inspiring and terrifying. There are some very positive outcomes for teenagers when using social media including:

developing better social skills
feeling less isolated
learning about new cultural and societal ideas and issues
bonding with their friends
being creative and sharing their own ideas with friends
being better equipped to be active citizens in society
developing real world skills to help them become more independent

However, the downside of social media for teenagers is well known and can include:

cyberbullying
risk of grooming by strangers
exposure to adult content
becoming socially isolated through an online addiction

My message to students is always very simple – never post anything online that you would not be happy for your mother, grandmother or any other respected family member to see.

My advice to parents is also very simple. As you would be in other aspects of your children’s lives, be involved and be engaged with what your children are doing.

Yes - you should be ‘friends’ with your children on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and other social media sites.

Yes - you should put a limit on how much time your child spends online.

Yes - you should request to view chats, posts and any other online activity your child is engaged in.

There are some very good online resources to assist you in managing and supporting your children’s online activities. Some of these include:

All the best.

Nick Jones

Deputy Principal Pastoral Care

From the Acting Director of Administration, Alice Alibrandi

Thank you to the school community for your patience this week whilst we host the WACE ATAR examinations. Our John Wollaston students have welcomed students from neighbouring schools who have attended our venue and also been most respectful during examination times. The examination period will continue until Friday 16 November 2018.

Students in Years 8 and 9 have received their specialised subject selections this week. This will assist with book list purchases when the time comes. Whilst every endeavour was made to satisfy students' first preferences, there were a few students who might find that their second choices were looked at. This is due to classes filling up and also the combination of subjects chosen. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at the School.

Alice Alibrandi

Acting Director of Administration