Assistant Principal's Update

Student Wellbeing and Engagement

Welcome back to the School Community and a very warm welcome to our new families who are joining us for the first time.

On a number of occasions during the holiday period, I was reminded of the importance of balance and wellbeing in our lives. I reflected on how important it is that our girls are healthy physically and mentally. I am optimistic that the holidays provided all of our girls with the opportunity to rest, enjoy some quiet time and a sense of renewal. I sincerely hope that your daughters are refreshed and ready for a successful Semester 2.

Term 3 brings much promise with some amazing opportunities and challenges in store for our girls. I look forward to seeing you at our College production of Mary Poppins, the Pathways expo, Parent-Teacher interviews, Music soirées, sporting competitions or at the gate at drop-off time very soon. I hope that all our girls have an enjoyable and rewarding term ahead.

Digital Wellbeing: Ages, Stages and Statistics

There has been a lot of Australian and International media coverage about the changing role of technology within today’s society. This series of newsletter articles will explore these changes and their potential impact on our digital wellbeing throughout different life stages. Importantly we recognise the interrelationship between emerging technologies and our behaviour as technology users.

This week we begin by examining usage trends and guidelines for the youngest members of our Kilbreda community, Year 7 students. The ubiquitous nature of technology means its use by Year 7 students has been normalised. You may be surprised by the results of the 2018 Internet Watch report on trends in live streaming that found that over 96% consisted of girls under 13 on their own in their bedroom. Streaming is using digital technologies to transmit or receive data on devices such as iPhones, tablets, laptops, consoles such as Xbox or Playstation. Streaming can also be on demand (Netflix and YouTube channels) or even live (Skype, Facebook, Snap Chat and Instagram).

It is widely recommended that parents/carers establish with their children what the boundaries are in terms of live streaming such as where it occurs (not in the bedroom), when (set time limits – plan it!) and that they are dressed appropriately. It is also important to have conversations with each child about who they choose to view their content, their privacy settings and their digital reputation.

The Office of the eSafety Commissioner advocates that whatever the age of the child, that parents should stay involved in their child’s digital world. This includes:

Keeping up to date with sites, apps and online chat services they are using and explore them together.
Building an open trusting relationship so that the child knows that they can come to you when someone is asking them to do something that does not feel right or if they have done something they regret.
Teaching your child to be alert to signs of inappropriate contact. Some children can be particularly vulnerable to inappropriate relationships and online activities.

Guidelines provided within this article have been drawn from a range of authoritative resources, including those listed below:

Office of the eSafety Commissioner, an Australian Government resource.
The Australian Communication and Media Authority, an Australian Government resource.
ThinkUKnow, an Australian website provided by the Australian Federal Police and assorted partnerships.

Stephanie Smyth

Assistant Principal: Wellbeing and Engagement