From the 

Head of Junior School

Safer Internet Day – Junior School eLearning Program

The Junior School year has begun with a few firsts. One of these was the onboarding of students in Year 1 and Year 4 who received their iPads and laptops for use at school over the next three years. At Kinross Wolaroi we believe the use of computers, technology, iPads, print facilities and the internet is an integral part of the learning process. All students from Pre-Kinder to Year 6 have regular access to School-owned devices, networks and systems and are taught specific understandings as to what the actions of a responsible digital citizen look like.  

Our students are surrounded by technology and for this reason it is not salient or remarkable to them. Rather it is “ordinary and largely invisible” (Kinash, Wood & Knight, 2013). They have never known or will know a world without technology. For this generation technology is about more than mere devices. It is about complex instruments and procedures such as programming languages and simulators (Kinash, Wood & Knight, 2013). 

In 2023 as part of the Junior School’s commitment to support students and staff with the implementation of eLearning, all Year 1-3 students have 1-1 device access to iPads. Students in Years 4-6 have 1-1 access to laptops. The onboarding of students is an important milestone not only for our students but our approach to the use of technology. This experience tied in with events on the national stage as we acknowledged 20 Years of the Safer Internet Day program. 

The focus this year of Safer Internet Day  was on calling on everyone to Connect. Reflect. Protect. whenever they are online. Connect safely by keeping apps and devices secure and regularly review your privacy settings.  Reflect on how your actions may affect others or jeopardise your safety.  And protect yourself and loved ones by visiting esafety.gov.au for advice and support, or to report serious online abuse. 

As educators it is important to mark Safer Internet Day with students as well as revisiting concepts throughout the year. Our Junior School diaries devote a double page to Student Digital Citizenship at Kinross Wolaroi. We know 'while it’s exciting to contemplate the promise of immersive technologies, it’s important to recognise existing and emerging harms'. Research by eSafety tells us that 45% of Australian children said they were treated in a hurtful or nasty way online in the past year. This Safer Internet Day, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant encouraged every Australian to moderate their own online behaviour to help stem the negativity and abuse that permeate many parts of the internet. (Retrieved from: Safer Internet Day 2023: A global day of action (teachermagazine.com) 8.2.23)

Student storytelling can often give a glimpse into what’s happening in their lives, their interests and passions, and the issues that are on their mind. The latest instalment of the Australian Children’s Word of the Year reveals online safety is a top concern for students. Researchers analysed 87,117 short stories written by students aged 7-13 years – more than 7.5 million words – and named ‘privacy’ the Oxford Children’s Word of the Year for 2022.

The data from Oxford University Press, in partnership with the Storyathon online story-writing event, show a clear trend towards language associated with the internet, data protection and online behaviour with ‘information’ and ‘risk’ also making the shortlist, alongside ‘impact’, ‘opinion’ and ‘pollution’. Flinders University’s Anne Bayetto says student usage of the word ‘privacy’ increased by 397% compared to 2021, when ‘power’ was named Children’s Word of the Year. Unsurprisingly, ‘virus’ topped the list in 2020 as the pandemic changed our lives. ‘Bravery’ took out the title in 2019.

Bayetto says the increase in language associated with online safety is likely due to students being immersed in online learning and virtual networking as a result of the lockdowns and pandemic restrictions. ‘Students are recognising some of the risks of the internet and the importance of protecting their privacy and ensuring that their personal information is safe.”  (Retrieved from Privacy concerns for school students (teachermagazine.com) 8.2.23)

To support our students and families in staying safe online our students will be participating in workshops with Susan McLean Home - Cyber Safety Solutions. I invite all Junior School families to attend the workshop in the evening to engage in learning about what has been shared with your children. 

Further to this experience, families are invited to attend the online workshops available through the eSafety Commissioner:

Kinross Wolaroi students making their mark 

At Kinross Wolaroi we value and strive for academic rigor. Students have a myriad of opportunities to engage in enriching learning experiences which in some instances the school provides or facilitates student access to them.  Please share with us your child’s interest, passions, and achievements by emailing junioroffice@kws.nsw.edu.au.

Swimming Success

On 4-5 February, five students from the Kinross Wolaroi Junior School competed as a part of the larger Kinross Wolaroi School Swim Team at the Mountains and Plains Summer Championships held in Lithgow. The weather was perfect, with the kids loving the opportunity to compete. Our team came second in the overall point score for the carnival. Congratulations to Lazo Jalal, Ewen Kerridge, Nick Strahorn, Grace Lowther and Isabelle Provost who put in some great PB performances.