Curriculum 

School Wide Teaching and Learning

In each edition of our school newsletter, we share with our community an insight into the curriculum being taught within our classrooms. This reflects our school's strong focus upon continuous improvement. 

Each edition covers a different area of the curriculum, and is supported by our school-wide approaches to teaching and learning. 

Within the year level pages of this newsletter, we provide you with an overview of the amazing Mathematics which is occurring across our school, as we build towards our 2021 Annual Improvement Plan curriculum focus of increased delivery of high quality mathematics. 

Online Cyber Safety Basics

The below information has been sourced through the Australian Government eSafety Commissioner website:

Three Key Strategies to Promote Safe Online Use

Be engaged, open and supportive

• Get involved. Share online time with your children as part of family life. Play games together. Talk about favourite apps, games or websites.
• Keep lines of communication open. Ask about their online experiences, who they are talking to and whether they are having any issues.
• Reassure your child they can always come to you, no matter what. Let them know you will not cut off internet access if they report feeling uncomfortable or unsafe when online ― this is a real concern that may stop your child from communicating with you openly.
• If you notice a change in behaviour or mood, talk to your child about it. If you are concerned, consider seeking professional help ― from your GP, a psychologist or school counsellor.

Set some rules

• Set age-appropriate rules for devices and online access, with consequences for breaking them.
• Ensure your child’s input — this will help them understand risks. As they get older you can review your rules together.
• Consider creating a family tech agreement (sometimes called a family media plan or family online safety agreement). A family tech agreement is a set of rules about how devices, like smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs and gaming consoles are used in your home. It is written down and agreed to by all family members and kept in a place where everyone can see it, such as on the fridge.
• Your family tech agreement could cover the type of websites that can be visited, time spent online and acceptable online behaviour.
• eSafety has created our own version of a Family Tech Agreement, in collaboration with ABC KIDS, especially designed for families with children under 5. You can download this and fill it in with your family. Another example, from ThinkUKnow Australia, can also be a good starting point for families with older children.
• The consequences for breaking the rules should be clear. Negotiate these with your child when you create your agreement so they mean something to them — Raising Children Network has some useful tips and advice.
• Consider making some ‘rules for parents’ too — and stick to them! Model behaviour that you would like to see.

Use the available technology

• Get to know the devices you and your children use and set them up for privacy and online safety. Take advantage of parental controls to monitor and control screen time and access to content in ways appropriate to your child’s age and experience. See our guide to taming the technology.
• Choose apps and games carefully, taking age ratings and consumer advice into account. Check the App Store or Google Play, and for games, the Australian Classification Board’s online database. NetAware (UK) has a comprehensive guide to popular social media apps and games. The Australian Council on Children and the Media and Common Sense Media (US) both offer information about apps, games and websites searchable by age.

For more information, please refer to the below website: 

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/skills-advice/online-safety-basics 

An Open Letter about eSafety for the Parents/Carers of Senior Students

Our School Principal has written an open letter to the parents of students in our Year Five/Six cohort. 

However, this letter provides important information for all parents/carers about the trappings of social media use in teens and pre-teens.