Wellbeing & Religious Education News

See you in 2026!

I am taking long service leave this coming week and the next, to spend some special time with my family. I wish all our Sacred Heart families and friends a very merry and joyful Christmas and may 2026 bring peace and happiness to all. 

I look forward to seeing all our families recharged and ready to go in the new year! 

Take Care,

Kate 

Wellbeing and RE Leader

kharris@shpreston.catholic.edu.au

Carols Night

Thanks to all our Sacred Heart families and friends who attended this week's Carols night, where our students got to shine and sing along to our favourite Christmas carols, as well as highlighting the story of the Nativity, the birth of Jesus Christ. A wonderful community feel to the night was enjoyed by all, with the community spending time with each other afterwards whilst the children enjoyed their icy pole treat.

Well done to all the students who have had a wonderful year making music with each other in 2025 - it was a wonderful way to finish 2025.

ESAFETY - Keeping our kids safe online: A partnership with families

You may have heard about upcoming government changes in the law regarding social media accounts for children under the age of 16, which will take effect on 10 December 2025. We are committed to understanding these new changes and working with you to ensure our students have a safe and positive digital life.

Why are these changes happening?

The new rules are all about protecting our under-16s. Many social media platforms have inbuilt design features that can:

• encourage too much screen time (like non-stop notifications or content that disappears)
• expose children to upsetting, inappropriate or difficult content through their feeds.
• learning about the positive aspects of being online and the things they need to be careful of
• building their digital, social, and emotional skills so they can navigate the online world confidently and safely
• knowing where to seek help if they see or experience anything that worries them.

Experts have linked these features to problems for young people, including increased stress, less sleep, and trouble concentrating.

What is the goal?

These changes give us all a chance to help our children by:

Are you ready to partner with us?

While social media platforms have the main responsibility to enforce the age restriction, we all play a part in teaching our children to be safe online.

The best strategies are:

• Clear communication – talking openly with your child about their online activities
• Effective teaching – helping them understand online safety rules
• Positive modelling – showing what responsible and kind online behaviour looks like
• Mindful timing – holding off purchasing your child a smart phone. 

Quick facts about the upcoming changes

We will continue to update you as more guidance is provided. In the meantime, we encourage every family to subscribe to the eSafety Commissioner alerts so you can remain informed about the legislation change and ongoing digital trends.