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

________________________________________________________________________________

ALERT 

Schools Are Facing Laptop Fires, Emergency Evacuations, and Parents Hit With $3,400 Repair Bills. Welcome to the New Normal of Unregulated EdTech Risk.

A pencil and a laptop. They saw it on TikTok a video claiming that if you insert a piece of pencil lead or a paper clip into a USB port, something wild happens. Sparks. Smoke. Fire. It looked thrilling. Harmless. Just another digital dare for the algorithm to feed on.

So like a typical curious teenager they tried it. 

Within seconds, the laptop short-circuited. The lithium battery reacted. Smoke began pouring out of the device. 

This is happening in Australian Schools and was reported to Safe on Social by a Secondary School on Friday. 

This TikTok Challenge is moving fast through Australian schools. And it’s not just dangerous, it’s potentially explosive.

Lithium battery fires don’t behave like normal fires. They’re chemically unstable. Once they enter thermal runaway, they can erupt violently, reignite hours later, and can’t be put out with water. You need a specialist extinguisher and a fast evacuation plan. 

In this case, no one was hurt. But the family is now facing a $3K+ replacement cost, and the school narrowly avoided a full-scale emergency response.

This Is What We’re Dealing With: 

Lithium-ion Batteries Are Volatile - When pierced or short-circuited, they can ignite or explode. This is not a prank. It's a fire risk with chemical consequences. 

TikTok’s Algorithm Isn’t Built for Safety - The more a video is watched, the more it spreads. Dangerous dares can go viral faster than platforms can take them down. 

Students Need Understanding - “Don’t do it” isn’t enough. We need to teach why not, and embed that knowledge in digital safety education that resonates.

Talk to Kids:

This is about outsmarting a system designed to hijack their attention and suppress consequences. 

Here’s how: 

1. Lead with, “Have you seen this?” Most kids have. Ask them what they’ve heard. Let them speak before you correct. 

2. Give them the real science. Explain that lithium batteries aren’t magic, they’re chemistry under pressure. A short circuit can cause heat spikes over 1,000°C. That’s not a prank. That’s a potential explosion. 

3. Name what’s really going on.“This isn’t just about doing something dumb. This is about trying to be seen. I get that. But TikTok doesn’t care what happens to you once the views roll in.” 

4. Ask, “What would you do if a friend tried this?” Turn them into allies. Kids are more likely to act if they feel equipped and respected.