Principal's Message

Dear parents and carers,

Welcome back to a new term of learning and excitement. I am so happy to be back at work and home after six weeks away. I have certainly had the most amazing experience and I return with renewed faith, hope and love for my home, my family and this wonderful school. I congratulate Leisa Shortis for the way she led our school in my absence.

My days of parenting primary school aged children are definitely over and I understand the world our students live in is different to twenty five years ago. However, working as an educator gives me insight into just how hard the job of parenting is nowadays. It’s always been hard but these days the challenges are different. One of the biggest differences is screen time, social media, game platforms etc. It is alarming for us as we regularly discover the many types of things some of our children are watching and engaging in online.

The following summary paragraph comes from an article- Effects of Excessive Screen Time on Child Development: An Updated Review and Strategies for Management.

“Excessive screen media usage in children can have both positive and negative impacts on their development. Regarding cognitive development, screens have the potential to enhance education and learning. However, studies have shown that excessive screen time and media multitasking can negatively affect executive functioning, sensorimotor development, and academic outcomes. Early screen exposure has been associated with lower cognitive abilities and academic performance in later years. Language development is also affected by screen time, as it diminishes the quantity and quality of interactions between children and caregivers. Contextual factors such as co-viewing and appropriateness of content play a role in determining the impact on language development. Excessive screen usage can also lead to problems in social-emotional development, including obesity, sleep disturbances, depression, and anxiety. It can impair emotional comprehension, promote aggressive behavior, and hinder social and emotional competence.”

Muppalla SK, Vuppalapati S, Reddy Pulliahgaru A, Sreenivasulu H. Effects of Excessive Screen Time on Child Development: An Updated Review and Strategies for Management. Cureus. 2023 Jun 18;15(6):e40608. doi: 10.7759/cureus.40608. PMID: 37476119; PMCID: PMC10353947.

A large number of our students play games on the Roblox site. I read this recently, “Although critic reviews for Roblox have been positive, it has faced heavy criticism for its content moderation, which in turn has led to a large amount of sexual or politically extremist material on the platform. It has also been criticized for its alleged exploitative practices toward children and microtransactions. The platform has been restricted or completely blocked in several countries, including China, Turkey, Qatar, and Jordan.”

When conversing with some students they appear to be unable to separate reality from a virtual environment. It’s a fact that students can chat online, argue and threaten online and use inappropriate language online yet are unable to have a decent face to face conversation. This is concerning!

We are seeing some students come to school displaying the following;

Lack of oral language, unable to describe or engage in a conversation.
Lacking physical capability, no core strength.
Unable to speak in full sentences due to heavy screen time.
Lack of family time around the dinner table.
Using sexual or violent words and phrases well beyond their age of understanding.
Refusal to accept instruction and support.
Complete disregard for the adults looking after them.

Please think about the following;

Monitor screen time and the types of things your children are engaging in.
Screens or devices in the bedroom is not a good idea.
Say NO and stick to your guns!
Sometimes we have to do things we do not enjoy. Bad luck! Others are relying on you.
Stop giving in because it’s too hard to follow through on expectations. It will pay off in the end.

My children were not perfect, they still aren’t and neither are anyone else's. Please try to set yours up for the best possible future. There are complex things some children are dealing with at the moment, some of which are avoidable.

Parenting is hard, do your best, and talk to your children. Children are our greatest gift (until the grandchildren arrive).

Kind regards,

Jen