NAPLAN 2022 results

As we go to press, we have been celebrating the release of the 2022 NAPLAN data. In the Junior School, we are the top bayside school in Melbourne, top 3 in the Southern Region and 12th in the State.

This reflects so positively on our outstanding teachers and leaders and the targeted literacy work we are undertaking from Prep, our exceptional teaching of mathematics, the support and enrichment for all of our students and our extraordinary care.

In the Senior School, our Year 9 cohort were 6th in the Southern region and we were 25th in the State. As we continue to focus on high impact teaching strategies and curriculum planning, we are so assured that every student, every day, in every lesson is growing and developing. Shelford girls thrive!

Social Media

In the modern era, the role of social media in the life of teens is central. For teenagers, being online is to be connected, accepted and included. It allows young people to reach out to a broader circle and meet other teenagers from further afield, or to have more controlled social interactions with those they already know well. Not to mention, that various Apps are now the central way young people organise their social life!

A generation ago, the landline telephone, with its spirally long chord was taken into bedrooms for long, intense conversations with friends, scrutinising the day, feelings and allowing for deeper connection. Today, social media and digital devices reign supreme. As a parent, rather than asking the question should I allow my daughter to be online, it is increasingly a matter of when and how and what are the appropriate parameters?

No doubt there are risks associated with the virtual world, just as there are in real life. In the same way, harm minimisation strategies are best applied, rather than a “just say no” prohibition. Our students are educated about online safety. Parent involvement and oversight, guidance and support, is also crucial.

The real dangers in social media are more to do with social and emotional wellbeing and are more nuanced than predators lurking behind a paywall. There might be pressure to behave in particular ways, and conforming may be a better option for a young person then loneliness; so, a young person may find themselves influenced to relinquish ideas and values, in order to be part of the group online. This has always been a challenge of adolescence and of parenting adolescents, it is just taking place on a different medium.

Being online can also lead to disappointment, or a realisation that you are not a part of all that you thought; photos of a party you were not invited to and other students’ achievements, lives, and holidays, may bring feelings of despair. Airbrushed perfection may not help body image issues. It is worth discussing these points with you daughter – are they prepared for this and emotionally mature enough to deal with it?

Tips for parents in managing social media with their daughters:

When you first buy a phone for your daughter, or she starts using smart devices and apps, YouTube or other internet-based platforms, meet as a family. Draw up a family ICT contract or general agreed guidelines around when they can access, for how long, what and why.
Monitoring what your daughter is doing, what apps she is on, who she is communicating with, is vital. This does not mean you need to “friend” her and be involved in every interaction, but it does mean her understanding from the moment she has access to a device and apps, that you reserve the right to ask to see her page at any time, that you may walk past her and wish to talk about what you see and that you want her to be open and honest with you about what she is doing. This is not invading her privacy, it is on a par with getting to know her friends and their parents in real life. Why would you open a virtual door and allow the world in, without having some control or supervision?
Walk past regularly, look, talk, discuss.
Learn about the internet with them, explore together; as they start using new and different apps or games, check them out, do some research and be sure you understand what it is your daughter is accessing.
Install filters and blocking software.
Absolutely no exchange of personal information on line – stress this often.
Children under 13 are not allowed on Instagram, snapchat, Facebook and many other applications.
Set accounts to PRIVATE.
Friends and followers on your daughter’s accounts should only be people known to your daughter
Close supervision when young
Do not let young girls “google” randomly – once seen, images and text cannot be unseen. Think about the amount of graphic, inappropriate, violent or pornographic imagery they may unwittingly expose themselves to.
Do not have internet enabled devices in bedrooms overnight – have a central point where phones, iPad and laptops live from about 8:00pm onwards.
Be aware of mood changes and whether these are related to what she is doing on line.
If there is a rude or harassing post that your daughter brings to your attention, praise her for showing you, do not overreact and do the following: save and store the image/words involved, help your daughter block and delete from contacts, do not respond on line or phone any other parents or student involved, use “report abuse” on the platform, have down time without a computer; and if unwanted contact continues, consider starting new accounts, get a new phone number, inform the school and if ongoing, report to police.
Do not threaten “disconnection” as this will stop your daughter coming to you if they are being bullied, have seen something that they regret, or behaved poorly themselves. Let them know that you won’t punish in this way, and they are more likely to seek out your opinion, advice and support.
Model appropriate use yourself – give your daughter your complete attention at times and make a point of saying, I am going to put my phone away now so I can be completely in the moment with you and stick to this!!
Have some time in the family schedule where you all “unplug” and relax, reading, talking, playing games or doing some physical exercise. Make a point of prioritising this.
Keep lines of communication open by allowing some access, by discussing without alarm, by listening and being guided a little by them.

Good luck with all of this.

My number one advice is all things in moderation; ensure your daughter is busy with homework, music, sport and other interests; that she has household responsibilities and tasks to do; that she is conversing with the family and able to speak to adults; and then, some online time can be a welcome break, connection and addition to her world!

Katrina Brennan

Principal

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