Wellbeing

Year 4 - 6 Cybersafety

On Monday 24th February, our Year 4 - 6 students attended a cybersafety talk from Leading Senior Constable Brooke Pollock, a Youth Resource Officer from the Warrnambool Police Community Engagement unit.

The interactive session spoke about the importance of how to be safe and respectful with your online behaviour, what to do, who to talk to and support available if students recognised online bullying, or were concerned by a comment or post that they viewed. 

The discussion was very interactive and an e-safety video was shown during the presentation. This link contains some helpful resources for parents on cybersafety.

Recently, Focus on the Family Australia spoke with Daniel Sih, a former pastor, TED Talk speaker, the CEO of a productivity group called Spacemakers, and author of the book Raising Tech Healthy Humans.

Daniel spoke about strategies for dealing with devices in your home and why it’s so important for your child physically, psychologically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.

You can listen to part one here and part two here.

Camilla McLeod

Chaplain

Being a Good Friend: Kindness, Trust & Encouragement

Friendship is one of the most important parts of life - especially for children as they navigate school, learning, and growing together. Good friends lift each other up, share in laughter and fun, and support one another through challenges. But what does it really mean to be a good friend?

At school, we often talk about kindness, respect, and empathy, and these qualities are at the heart of strong friendships. A good friend:

• Listens – Taking the time to hear how someone is feeling and being there for them.
• Shows kindness – Small gestures, like a smile or a kind word, can make a big difference.
• Encourages others – Celebrating a friend’s achievements and supporting them when things get tough.
• Is trustworthy – Keeping promises and being honest helps friendships grow.

We asked some of our Year 2 students what it means to be a good friend, and here’s what they had to say:

• "Friends look out for each other." – Jemima
• "Making sure everyone has someone to play with." – Charlotte
• "It's good to listen to each other." – Olivia

Their words remind us that being a good friend is about care, inclusion, and understanding.

As Christians, we can look to the Bible for guidance on friendship. Proverbs 17:17 says, "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." This verse reminds us that true friends love and support each other not just in good times, but when things get difficult too.

Encouraging children to be kind, understanding, and forgiving in their friendships helps them build strong, lasting connections. It also teaches them the value of being the kind of friend they would like to have.

Perhaps this week, we can all take a moment to reflect: What makes a great friend? And how can we be one?

Ally Robinson

Mental Health & Wellbeing Leader