e-Safety
St. Margaret’s Primary School Maribyrnong
e-Smart News Edition # 17 - Tuesday 27 October 2026
Welcome to the latest edition of St. Margaret’s e-Smart News. We hope you find the information in these articles to be of great use during the year!
I recommend families refer to our school website and the Technologies tab (within Learning and Teaching) for resources and links which will assist your families to keep children safe online, both at home and also at school. We will continue to provide useful resources to help keep our families e-Safe and make updates as they roll out.
School Instagram Account
You can find us at @smmaribyrnong. New content will be coming out very soon!
e-Safety SOCIAL MEDIA AGE RESTRICTIONS
The campaign ‘For the good of their wellbeing’ raises awareness of the Social Media Minimum Age law. The new law, which has been in effect since 10 December 2025 requires you to be a minimum age of 16 years to have a social media account. Social media platforms will not allow Australians under the age of 16 to create or maintain an account.
This change is designed to protect young people from the risk of harm from social media and to support their wellbeing.
You can find helpful resources for young people, families and educators in the e-Safety Social media age restrictions hub.
e-Safety's New Focus on Online Gaming
Online gaming can be a great way for children and young people to connect, learn and have fun. But like any online space, gaming also comes with risks including unwanted contact, scams, harmful behaviour, in game purchases and privacy concerns.
e-Safety have published a gaming guide for parents and carers for practical advice and conversation starters to help you understand your child's gaming experiences and keep the dialogue going. Some useful and important information with various links and guides can be found by clicking the link below.
e-Safety Parent Resources and Webinars
Some fantastic e-Safety advice and tips can be found using the following link. https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents It is highly recommended that parents explore the useful resources available from the eSafety Commissioner website.
A webinar on Navigating screen time: tools for today’s families will be held online on 11 November 2026 (12:30pm).
This 45-minute webinar:
explores what quality screen time looks like
how to create balanced family routines
ways to manage boredom and transitions
strategies to support children’s wellbeing at different ages and stages.
The webinar offers realistic and practical approaches to strengthen digital skills, encourage open conversations, and make screen time more positive and predictable for the whole family.
It is suitable for parents and carers of children, including teens, in primary and lower secondary school.
To register for the webinar, go to https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars. It is recommended to book in advance.
Remember to stay eSafe!
Kind regards,
Mr. Gary Romeo (Digital Technologies Leader)