Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS)

Technology is a big part of children’s lives, offering wonderful opportunities to learn, play and connect with others. However, growing up in a digital world also brings challenges. As a school and family community, we can work together to help our children develop the skills and confidence to make safe, respectful and responsible choices online.

The eSafety Commissioner is an Australian Government agency dedicated to helping Australians have safer online experiences. Its website provides practical advice for parents and carers on topics such as online gaming, social media, cyberbullying, privacy, screen time and parental controls. Families can also find helpful conversation starters, resources and advice about what to do if something goes wrong online.

Explore the eSafety Parent and Carer Hub for practical tips to help keep your child safe online.

At Boroondara Park Primary School, online safety and responsible technology use are important parts of our approach to student wellbeing. We use Common Sense Education to support our digital citizenship teaching through engaging, age-appropriate lessons that help students understand the opportunities and challenges of growing up in a digital world.

Our learning connects closely with the BPPS Wellbeing Scope and Sequence, supporting students to develop the social and emotional skills they need to build positive relationships, show empathy and make responsible decisions.

Through Common Sense Education, students explore:

• Digital Footprints and Identity: Understanding that what we share online can leave a lasting digital footprint and influence how we are seen by others.
• Relationships and Communication: Learning to communicate kindly and respectfully online, recognise the impact of our words and actions, and apply our school values of Care, Respect, Responsibility and Inclusion in digital spaces.
• Healthy Technology Habits: Developing a healthy balance between technology and other activities, including sleep, learning, friendships and physical activity.
• Privacy and Safety: Protecting personal information, understanding privacy settings and recognising when to seek help from a trusted adult.
• Online Harms: Recognising cyberbullying, inappropriate content and other online risks, and learning how to respond safely and support others.
• Information and Media Literacy: Thinking critically about information found online, recognising advertising and persuasive messages, and beginning to identify misleading or unreliable content.

These evidence based lessons help students build more than an awareness of online risks. They develop the critical thinking, decision-making and help-seeking skills needed to navigate the digital world safely and confidently.

You can learn more about these lessons through the Common Sense Education website.

Families play an important role in reinforcing these messages at home. Some simple ways to support your child include:

• Keep talking: Ask about the games, apps and websites they enjoy and what they experience online.

• Encourage help-seeking: Remind your child they can always talk to a trusted adult if something online makes them feel worried, uncomfortable or upset.

• Set clear expectations: Establish age-appropriate boundaries around screen time, online activities and device use.

• Model kindness and respect: Talk about thinking before posting, sharing or responding online.

• Explore safety settings together: Where appropriate, check privacy settings and parental controls.

Most importantly, keep conversations open and non-judgemental so children feel comfortable asking for help, even when they are worried they may have made a mistake.

By reinforcing these messages at home and school, we can help our children understand that the same expectations we have for how we treat one another face to face also apply online. Together, we can support our students to become safe, thoughtful and responsible digital citizens.

Useful links for families:

eSafety Commissioner – Parent and Carer Hub

Common Sense Education – Digital Citizenship

Thank you for supporting our school's commitment to student wellbeing. 

Kind regards,

Kristen Schultz

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader 

Learning Specialist - Wellbeing