I hope that all families have returned to Term 3, relaxed and ready after the Winter holiday break. I would also like to welcome new families to the Leumeah Public School community this term.

Student social media use

Alarmingly, issues from social media and online game use at home are being brought to the attention of school staff by students and parents. With gaming and app (application) use, like everything online, there are pros and cons. As parents, you need to weigh up these when determining which platforms your child will use, how often and how you will monitor. Many other families face these issues and the eSafety Commissioner website has a number of resources to help you navigate these.

There are so many platforms and apps that everyone can be connected to now and too many to name. Below is some information about the most popular ones we hear about at school. What they are and how you should be access them. More information is from the eSafety Commissioner website: The eSafety guide.

Among Us: No minimum age requirement, however, children who are under 13 require parental permission to activate their account.

Fortnite: Minimum age requirement of 13 years

Minecraft: Minimum age requirement of 10 years

Roblox: Minimum age requirement of 8 years

These are all games that can be downloaded for free on PCs, gaming devices e.g Xbox, or through apps, e.g from Google Play and the App Store. Each one of these allow users to interact with others, which can pose potential risk for children online. A private mode and secure settings are recommended for young players, with parental supervision. Each one of the games have processes where users can be blocked and reported.

TikTok: This is a social media app for creating and sharing short videos. Minimum age is 13 years as recommended by TikTok. The app has built in ways to report inappropriate content or block other users. The user can also set up privacy settings and comment controls to make the account as secure as possible.

Discord: This is a social chat platform used during online games that is available on computers and mobile devices. It is accessible via app and a web browser. Discord recommends a minimum age of 13 years. On Discord users set up a profile and interact with other users through messaging, voice or video chat and you can share images, files and links to other services. There are ways to report issues and to establish secure privacy settings within the app.

If your children are using these games or applications, I encourage you to monitor their use and regularly check who they are interacting with.

High school students Tuesday afternoon

In the past, we have welcomed high school students onsite to pick up their siblings, however, due to poor behaviour there was disruption to learning, damage to the school and intimidation of staff. For this reason, students were not allowed onsite prior to 2.50pm. After remote learning and restrictions to the school site in the afternoons, high school students picking up their siblings has been able to occur, as they have followed expectations and left the school immediately.

Towards the end of last term and at the beginning of this one, we have experienced a significant influx in the number of high school students entering the school grounds from 2.40pm on a Tuesday. Some of them do not have siblings at the school. When requested that they leave immediately or not enter school grounds, students have ignored or have argued with LPS staff. For this reason, no high school students will be allowed on site as of Week 3. They will need to meet their siblings at an organised gate. High school students will be able to enter school grounds with an adult.

I have addressed my concerns with Ms Mateus at Leumeah High School and she will ensure that students are informed at their next assembly about the return to these expectations.

Please organise in your family, for a spot for students to meet with their high school siblings after school on a Tuesday.

Air-conditioning install

Just as the administration block roof is moving towards completion, more work has begun and new temporary fencing has gone up.

The new work and fencing are due to the installation of cabling for the Cooler Classrooms air-conditioning. Parts of the school will need to be dug up in sections and then cabling laid. At times concrete paths and driveways will need to be dug up, resulting with new concrete being laid. Once this process is complete, the units will be installed in classrooms. When units are being installed in classrooms, students will be moved to another room for the day so their learning can continue.

Please be mindful of the temporary fencing and move around the school in a safe manner to avoid the work.

This work will continue throughout the term and perhaps over to next term too.

Inclusive, Engaging and Respectful Schools policy

In the newsletter in Term 2 Week 2, I wrote to you about the Inclusive, Engaging and Respectful (IER) Schools package that was announced in February this year by NSW Minister for Education and Early Learning, Hon. Sarah Mitchell

I wrote about how this policy was planned for implementation from Term 3, 2022. This policy is now planned for implementation from Term 4, 2022. The school will still spend some time reviewing our current approach to ensure that we are ready to implement the policy when it is finalised and released. Further information about departmental policies can be found at the Policy Library.

Extended leave

I wrote to you last newsletter (Term 2 Week 7) about extended leave and the expectations of families, the school and principal in this process.

I remind you, that where possible, you are strongly encouraged to travel during school holidays.

As the Principal, I will look at applications for extended leave on a case by case basis. I do not need to accept applications for extended leave. As the leave is on a case by case basis, I will take a very considered approach. I can discuss my decision with you, but I will not change it.

The Department of Education recommends, that students should attend school at least 90% of the time. This allows for less than 20 days to be missed per year. If your child’s attendance is already close to or below 90% and the leave period will take them under that so they will not achieve 90% by the end of the year, I may decline the leave.

You can read more about attendance and travel here.

Early Stage 1

KB & KE - Mrs Bates and Miss Everingham