PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents / Carers, Families and College Community

Fresh mornings and sunshine during the day! A nice change to the previously wet weather.

As mentioned last week there are several curriculum and extra curricula activities having taken place or are about to occur. 

The Year 11 Muresk/Dowerin trip took place on Tuesday and Wednesday which included a couple of industry visits on the way up. Staff and students are certainly excited about Country Week next week. For students not attending Country Week a modified program has been arranged which will still provide learning opportunities across the Class, Farm and Trades areas. Students not attending Country Week are still expected to be in attendance at school.

A reminder that the Skills West Careers Expo is on this weekend, with students and parents/guardians attending under private arrangements as indicated in last week’s Weekly Wrap. Access the link for further details http://skillswestexpo.com.au/)

Talk with Year 12 Students (‘Head Coach’s three quarter time address to the players’)

On Wednesday during period three and four I took the opportunity to visit each Year 12 group to discuss with them and to make them understand the speed and closeness of how their time at the College is coming to an end. Students were encouraged and understand that they need to push through and apply themselves to finish strongly to enable the best possible outcomes and to not leave the College wondering, what if! Also that students achieve their best, finish off positively as this how they will be remembered at this stage of their lives before moving onto the next. 

Some students may have mixed feelings and be apprehensive about leaving the security of the College after their two or three years and leaving the ‘home’ of the Harvey Ag family. These feelings are natural and are okay! Students who may be in this situation are encouraged to talk to their parents, friends, school staff or members of the student services team. 

Year 12 students are eligible to depart the College as of Friday 23rd September if they have completed all course work and their VET qualifications. Students should be acutely aware of where they are situated with both their courses and VET qualifications.  If they are unsure, they need to be having discussions with their respective teachers and/or trainers. 

Further information and specific details will be provided in the coming weeks in relation to Year 12 student exit processes, clearances and graduation information.

eSafety

The eSafety Commissioner (eSafety) was established in 2015 by the Coalition Government at the time and is the world’s first government agency dedicated to keeping people safer online. Under the Online Safety Act 2021, eSafety has the authority to compel online service providers to remove seriously harmful content within 24 hours of receiving formal notice. eSafety is the first port of call for harmful material such as non-consensual images or serious bullying material shared online without consent. 

eSafety has online resources for young people, parents, grandparents and educators. As we know cyber safety starts in the home with early and open communication in the family unit vital to keepings our kid safe online. eSafety provides a range of tools and communication topics that parents and caregivers can access when having these conversations with their children. 

This information can be accessed at https://www.esafety.gov.au/ . Parents and caregivers can also access up-to-date, trusted cyber safety information on the go, via the Beacon app. A collaboration between Telethon Kids Institute and Bankwest, the app aims to improve the digital future for kids by building parents’ and caregivers’ digital skills to confidently navigate their kid’s use of technology. The app can be downloaded on Apple and Android devices through the relevant app store and further information can be found at https://beacon.telethonkids.org.au/ .

Thank you to Nola Marino Federal Member for Forrest and Shadow Assistant Minister for Education, for sharing information on the eSafety Commissioner and her direct involvement in cyber safety in schools – something she is very passionate about!

I have accessed and downloaded the app myself and have spent time navigating through and looking at information under the ‘Hot Topics’ section. Certainly an eye opener and what I learnt in the first 10 minutes is amazing and beneficial. I would encourage all members of the College community to do the same and access the wealth of information through the links provided above, so that together we can help our children and young adults navigate the online world safely.

Stay safe, look after each other and have a great weekend!