Learning & Teaching

Creating a safe, caring and respectful community for our children is something we all share and it reaches well beyond the school gates, including into our online lives.

Across many school communities, there’s growing awareness of adults using messaging apps, private or blocked numbers or anonymous SMS services to discuss or criticise other children. We know these channels can feel like an easy way to raise a frustration privately but they can cause real hurt to children and families and in some cases they may also cross legal lines.

In Australia, the eSafety Commissioner helps protect children from online harm. Under the Online Safety Act, eSafety can investigate online material about a child that is seriously threatening, intimidating, harassing or humiliating and can require that it be removed.

We understand that disagreements between children and sometimes between families, are a normal part of life and that every parent wants to protect their child. Still, raising these matters through anonymous messages or online conversations doesn’t help children feel safe and it isn’t the example we want to set for them. Our students’ wellbeing matters deeply to us and a comment that seems harmless can affect a child or family more than we might realise.

If you have a concern about another student or something that has happened at school, please speak with your child’s classroom teacher or a member of our leadership team. We’re always glad to work through it with you. You can also find helpful information in the eSafety Guide for Parents and serious online abuse that hasn’t been resolved can be reported through the eSafety reporting page.

Thank you for working with us to keep our community, online and offline, a safe and respectful place for every young person.