Assistant Principal Message
From the Assistant Principal
Dear Parents and Carers,
We’d like to wish you all a warm welcome back to our final term. Thank you so much to all you have done to support your children in settling into this last school term. The children have returned beautifully and we know that is thanks to you.
New Legislation to Protect Children from Social Media
The Australian Government has announced new legislation, set to take effect in January 2026, requiring social media companies to introduce stronger age-verification systems and restrict access for children under 16 years of age.
This world-first initiative reflects growing concern both nationally and globally about the impact of early and excessive social media use on children’s mental health, emotional development, and wellbeing.
As educators, we regularly see how social media, online chats, and messaging apps such as Fortnite, Snapchat, Roblox, and Kids Messenger can influence children’s friendships, confidence, and behaviour. These challenges often become more noticeable during school holidays or unstructured times when online use increases.
This legislation, which places greater responsibility on technology companies to enforce age limits and help protect young users from inappropriate content and negative interactions.
What the Research Shows
Recent studies have highlighted links between early smartphone and social media exposure and a range of wellbeing concerns, including:
- Anxiety and depression
- Poor emotional regulation
- Sleep disruption
Social isolation
Key research findings include:
- Sapien Labs Global Report (2025): Children who received smartphones before age 13—particularly before age 7—were significantly more likely to experience emotional and social challenges later in life.
- U.S. Surgeon General Advisory (2025): Youth who spend more than three hours daily on social media are twice as likely to develop anxiety and low mood.
- Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation (2025): Early phone and social media use disrupts sleep, attention, and social growth. He recommends no smartphones before 14, and no social media before 16.
Weill Cornell (JAMA Psychiatry, 2025): Children aged 10–14 with compulsive screen use were two to three times more likely to experience emotional difficulties, highlighting the risks of early exposure.
Supporting Healthy Digital Habits
We continue to advise students to limit or avoid using online chats and messaging services, as these often lead to misunderstandings and social issues among peers.
At Our Lady Star of the Sea, students have been learning about cybersafety and ways to stay safe online during ICT lessons with Mrs Chigioni. These important lessons help children understand how to use technology responsibly, protect their privacy, and seek help if they ever feel uncomfortable online.
While this new legislation is a positive step forward, our collective efforts as parents, carers, and educators remain essential. Strong boundaries, open conversations, and time spent connecting offline are key to helping children build balanced digital habits.
Together, we can help our young people focus on real-world friendships, creativity, and play, enjoying what should be one of the happiest and most carefree times of their lives.
A Friendly Request for Road Safety and Good Neighbour Relations
We've recently had some concerns raised by our neighbours regarding traffic as parents leave the school. Specifically, we've heard reports of people being nearly knocked over, which is a serious safety matter we need to address.
To help us be good neighbours and keep everyone safe, please follow these strict exit rules:
- Avoid turning right onto Kiora Road when leaving the school.
Please do not attempt a U-turn at the Kiora Road Mall or the unit complex across the street after turning left.
Thank you for your cooperation in making our school zone safe for all pedestrians.
Family News
We would like to send our condolences to Lucas and Bianca Nicholson from 1G and 3B, and the entire Nicholson family, who lost their beloved Grandfather recently. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Warm wishes and blessings are being shared with the Hudson family who welcomed a beautiful baby girl to the family. Baby Grace is sister to Lachlan (6B) and we are delighted to welcome her to the OLSS Community!
Warm wishes and blessings are being shared with the Trujillo family who welcomed a beautiful baby girl to the family. Baby Penelope is sister to Oliver (KB) and we are delighted to welcome her to the OLSS Community!
Miranda Parish Church
If you need to contact the Parish please find below the correct contact details. We kindly ask you to not use any prior email addresses you may have.
Our Lady Star of the Sea Miranda
50 Kiora Rd, Miranda NSW 2228
02 9525 1448
Mrs Louise Fairhall
Assistant Principal