School News
Greater Shepparton College (interim name) –
Meeting & Learning Together
On Wednesday last week, staff from the four Greater Shepparton secondary schools met together for the first time this year to begin the process of discussing and developing one of our key focuses for 2019 and beyond- developing the writing skills of students.
Our aim in this one-hour meeting was to learn how we can all start to become teachers of writing, and to consider how we might begin to develop a consistent approach to the teaching of writing.
As you can see, we had great discussions happening, led by the Literacy Leaders from each school. The ideas provided by staff were many and varied, and contributions will now be collated and shared back at schools. Staff also enjoyed the chance to get to know people from other schools.
This is just the beginning of our journey towards making our new school a great state school and we look forward to many more such opportunities.
Momo
Internet Safety –The Momo Challenge
The Momo challenge is the latest news story about an apparent online ‘challenge'. Although there have been lots of media stories in the last few weeks, there is no verified evidence that this ‘challenge’ has caused harm to children, and more recent investigations have found it to be fake news. Despite this, it is clear that it is causing distress among parents and children. The Catholic Education Commission Victoria sent out emails last week in regards to this.
What is the so-called Momo Challenge?
The Momo character — the disfigured face attached to a bird’s body — was, in fact, a prop named ‘Mother Bird’ made in Japan three years ago for an art exhibition. It was claimed that the Momo challenge was ‘played’ over WhatsApp but videos can also be found via YouTube. The Momo character allegedly asked would-be participants to contact ‘her’ and do a series of challenges – including self-harm and harming others.
What to Do
Talk about it. Though we can't always be with our teens and teens to prevent dangerous behavior, our words really can stay with them. Say, "If you ever want to do an internet challenge, check with me first."
Get them to think. Help your kid think through the challenges and whether they're safe or have potential risks. Say, "Walk through each step and figure out where things could go wrong."
Acknowledge peer pressure. Today's kids think of internet personalities as their peers, so seeing kids on YouTube doing a challenge could influence your kid. Say, "Why do you want to do this? Is this a video of yourself that you really want out in the world?"
Stay (somewhat) up to date. Ask your kid about what's happening in their lives when they're not distracted -- even when it seems like they don't want you to. Sometimes kids are more willing to talk about what's going on with other kids than with themselves, so pose questions about friends, school, and trends. Once the conversation is open, you can get a sense of what your kid thinks about the latest craze -- and if they're safe. Keep an open mind and intervene if you're concerned. Say, "Would you consider doing a viral stunt if someone asked you? Which ones would you do and not do?"
Model responsible online habits. Some parents are the ones recording their kids taking these challenges, so make sure your involvement sends the message you intend. Today it might be harmless, but tomorrow it might be more dangerous. Help your kids make the distinction so they can stay safe. Say, "Let's do a funny challenge together, but we'll only film it if you want to, and we'll only share it with family."