From the Deputy Principals
Dear Parents,
As part of our commitment to keeping students safe online, we have upgraded the way internet filtering and monitoring operate on College-managed student devices. Our new system is NetSupport DNA 4 Education.
This new system will help us provide stronger online protection for students, ensure that learning remains focused and safe and allow teachers and our ICT team to identify and respond quickly to concerning or inappropriate activity.
What is changing?
- Stronger protection from harmful or inappropriate online content
- More accurate and reliable filtering across all devices
- Real-time monitoring so teachers can identify when students are off-task
- Immediate blocking when unsafe activity occurs
- Improved support for safe digital learning
- Compliance with the latest online safety expectations for schools
For students, this means a safer and more structured online experience while at school.
What happens when the device is at home?
When students take their devices home:
- The student’s device will have the same restrictions at home as it does while at the College.
The College will collect data when trigger phrases are detected in categories including self-harm, wellbeing, mental health, eating disorders, bullying, grooming, pornography, homophobia, racialisation and child abuse. This trigger data will be uploaded to the College’s on-site database the next time the device connects to the College network. Please note that monitoring is not limited to internet searches and also includes all keystroke activity on College-managed devices.
NOTE : For vulnerable students, or students identified as “at risk” whilst live notifications will be received by school staff, all notifications, even those of imminent danger will be reviewed daily.
Additional Policy Information
Our digital learning tools have been configured to capture online incidents ranging from low risk to severe risk and may identify indications that a student is at risk of imminent harm. Our system will collect this data 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
All incidents indicating potential imminent harm that occur during standard school hours and school terms will be reviewed and acted upon during that school day, where reasonable and appropriate. Incidents captured outside normal school hours or school terms will be reviewed and acted upon on the next school day between 8:30am and 3:15pm.
Sam Dawson
Deputy Principal (Students)
Online Awareness - Support for When Things Go Wrong
If something goes wrong online, it can feel overwhelming but knowing what to do ahead of time can make all the difference.
The good news is there’s support available, and you don’t have to figure it out alone. Whether you’re reporting for yourself, helping your child or acting on your child’s behalf, being prepared with simple steps can help you respond quickly and confidently.
If something happens, start by collecting evidence like screenshots, usernames and links – but only what you need. Importantly, don’t save or share sexual images of a child, as this can be illegal. In these cases, report directly to:
Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation.
From there, report the issue to the platform first. Most apps, games and websites have tools to report harmful content or behaviour – see the eSafety Guide for platform reporting options.
Some issues should be reported to eSafety straight away, including image-based abuse, illegal or highly harmful content or ongoing serious abuse that platforms haven’t addressed. You can also take steps to protect yourself or your child in the moment – like blocking or muting accounts and tightening privacy settings to prevent further contact.
Acting early not only helps keep you and your family safe but can also protect others from harm.
Presentation Standards Reminder
Please be reminded that our presentation standards apply from the moment the first bell sounds for Term 3. This applies to correct uniform inclusive of footwear, belts and winter uniform, including ties.
This also applies to expectations around hair, facial hair and jewellery. If there are any concerns or questions, please refer to the college diary for further information. Please note that staff have been requested to make contact home to address any failure to meet these expectations and to establish an appropriate timeline to amend.
Sam Dawson
Deputy Principal (Students)
Parent and Caregiver Voice Survey
Mazenod College invites parents and caregivers to share their perspectives through the Parent and Caregiver Survey. Your anonymous feedback will help inform future planning and support our ongoing commitment to creating a positive school environment in which every student can flourish. We encourage all families to take a few moments to complete the survey using the details provided below.
Beau Hemley
Deputy Principal (Administration)