eSmart and School Parent Resources
SchoolTV
Because parenting doesn’t come with instructions, SchoolTV is a wellbeing resource that can support you in the challenges relating to modern-day parenting.
This award-winning resource helps build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding and break down barriers to navigate a pathway towards better mental health and wellbeing for young people. It can assist in starting conversations on topics that are sometimes awkward or difficult to tackle.
St Laurence O'Toole Primary School subscribes to SchoolTV and anybody can access their invaluable resources via our website at www.stlleongatha.catholic.edu.au
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Swimming between the digital flags: helping young Australians navigate social media’s dangerous currents
The relationship between social media and children’s mental health is one of the most important conversations of our time. That's why, from mid-December, the Australian Government will require certain social media services to take steps to prevent under 16s from having accounts.
This week, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant outlined how Australia plans to take this bold action forward, in a speech delivered at the National Press Club.
Here's what parents need to know right now:
- It’s not a ban, it’s a delay. We’re giving kids more time to build digital skills and resilience before facing the pressures of social media.
- The responsibility lies with the platform. There are no penalties for children or parents—only for platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to prevent under 16s from having accounts.
- You’re not alone. eSafety offers trusted resources for parents and carers, educators, young people and kids. We’ve got the flags, the swimming lessons, and the safety tips to help you support your kids. And our protective powers in areas such as cyberbullying and image-based abuse will still be there to help if things go wrong.
Australia is building a culture of online safety—just like we’ve done on our beaches. Because the internet, like the ocean, is not going away – and our kids are already dipping their toes in. To stay up to date on social media age restrictions, visit eSafety.gov.au.
Free Webinars:
Click the link to access all webinars.
https://esafety.cmail20.com/t/i-l-fkydrhy-tjuytdtkih-s/
When 'love' becomes control
Recent findings from an eSafety survey suggest controlling behaviours are becoming normalised in young people’s romantic relationships. Track, harass, repeat: Investigating attitudes that normalise tech-based coercive control found nearly 1 in 5 young people think it’s okay to track their partner whenever they want and almost 1 in 3 young people believe constantly texting their partner to ask what they’re doing and who they’re with is a sign of care.
If a young person you know is in a worrying relationship, and you’re unsure how to help, you can:
- Register for eSafety’s free parent and carer webinar: Recognising online control in young people’s lives, 6 August 2025, 12.30pm
- Read our latest Online Safety Advisory: When love becomes control
- Listen to the Daily Aus podcast unpacking the eSafety data: Is tracking your partner healthy?
Share this information with the young person in your life: Being in a respectful relationship
Free WebinarSupporting boys and young men online
Our latest eSafety webinar on the online experiences of young men and boys was so well received, we’re doing it again!
Here's what people said:
- “Keep the sessions coming! We need to talk more about what's going on, especially with the rapid rise of AI.”
- “Excellent and practical content. It didn’t shy away from naming some platforms.”
- “I wish this session was made mandatory in all schools. Fantastic.”
For additional reading on some the challenges facing young people today (and their parents), here’s some recommendations from eSafety:
An unfair fight: how algorithms are shaping our adolescents
Shining a light on the dark forces manipulating our teenagers
A way forward: Disrupting the darker forces impacting young men online
Join our upcoming session:
Date: Monday 30 July 2025 Time: 12.30-1.15pm AEST
https://esafety.cmail20.com/t/i-l-fkydrhy-tjuytdtkih-s/
Future Webinars
The changing face of cyberbullying: Protecting your child in 2025
- Tuesday 5 August, 3.45-4.30pm Find out more
AI-assisted image-based abuse: Navigating the deepfake threat
- Thursday 21 August, 12.30-1.15pm Find out more
Understanding AI companions: what parents and carers need to know
- Thursday 28 August, 12.30-1.15pm Find out more
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Head to their wesite for registration details https://www.safeonsocial.com
Supporting anxious children: what every school community needs to know. Sign up for our five-part series on managing child anxiety.
Anxiety in children is on the rise. Nearly one in three young Australians aged 16 to 24 now experiences some form of anxiety. But signs of anxiety often begin much earlier, with many students in upper primary and lower secondary showing symptoms that go unrecognised or misunderstood.
As a school, you’re probably already seeing it:
- The student who avoids sport, group work or presentations
- The frequent health complaints or visits to sick bay
- The child who refuses school altogether
- The families requesting exemptions, adjustments or ‘special treatment’ to help their child cope.
While some support is important, it’s also possible to over-accommodate anxiety. When we do, we unintentionally teach students to avoid discomfort, which only strengthens the anxiety over time.
At Parentshop, we believe there’s a better way. One that helps students stay engaged in learning while building their resilience.
Over the next several weeks, we’ll be sharing practical, research-informed tips that school communities can use to better support anxious students, without lowering expectations or burning out staff.
In this series, you’ll learn:
- What anxiety really is (and what it isn’t)
- How to recognise early signs in the classroom
- Why avoidance makes anxiety worse
- What works when supporting students at school and home
- How teachers, parents and school leaders can respond with confidence.
https://parentshop.schoolzineplus.com/primary-schools?nid=124