Dear Parents,

How did you go with your quiz above? Could you name all of these apps? Did you know which one wasn't an app for social media?

What if I told you they were all social media apps? Yes, even Youtube.

We know that technology is moving at an alarming rate and that the majority of the adults in our community were born well before the internet. This newsletter article is very fitting given it is National Child Protection Week.

I had always seen myself as tech-savvy and being able to keep up with the times. That was until I realised that there is a messaging app called Discord (the blue logo) that I could not intuitively navigate thereby being unable to tell who the students were talking to and the content of their discussions. It alarmed me to learn that many students come to use apps such as Discord through their online presence on Youtube, which they use as a social media platform.

In the past week, we have had a number of incidences involving our students and their use of social media, including Youtube, to engage with strangers. These incidences have been distressing for our families, staff and students and can be avoided with some education for the adults in our community. 

Over the coming weeks, I will be sharing various resources to support you as parents, and our staff as teachers, of the iGeneration. I would urge you all to critically reflect on the time your child spends being 'left to their own device'. Is it literally their own or do you have parental controls set up? Are they left in a place that is unsupervised? Are devices left in their bedroom overnight? 

We would never allow our children to talk to strangers in a shopping centre, open any magazine they like in the newsagents, watch any film at the movies or accept a gift from someone they don't know. However, all of these concepts are able to be explored in the comfort of our own homes through the use of a backlit device and a connection to the internet. 

Please spend 5 minutes finding out what your child/ren are doing online and put measures in place to support their safety. 

This week I'd like to share a Youtube information sheet prepared by the team at ThinkUKnow. ThinkUKnow is a crime prevention program run by the AFP aimed at supporting families with online use. We are hoping to book a ThinkUKnow session for our 3-6 students and a Parent Information Night before the end of this term.

Walkathon

Yesterday we reached over $3,300 which means we will be having a UNIFORM FREE DAY TOMORROW! 

There are only 7 more sleeps till the Walkathon. Don't forget to spend the weekend finding sponsors for your child/ren so that they have the chance of taking out the grand prize. Due to WWVP legislation, ALL ADULTS attending the Walkathon need to have a WWVP card. If you are planning to come on the walk you will need to sign in at the front office. You can obtain a volunteer WWVP card by visiting the Access Canberra website and taking a completed form to a shopfront. You can then show your receipt to the front office before your card arrives.

Fletcher Allen

A huge congratulations to Fletcher Allen who was named runner-up at the 45th Annual Primary Schools Public Speaking Competition - Rostrum on Monday night at the Ann Harding Conference Centre, University of Canberra. Fletcher gave a newly written speech on the topic; To climb or not to climb. He can be very proud of the fact that he prepared the speech without any assistance. What a wonderful achievement for our school community. Well done Fletcher!

Parent-Teacher Interviews

The booking details for Parent-Teacher Interviews have been distributed today via the school app. The site can also be accessed here:

Uniform Reminder

With the warm weather this week some families have had confusion and angst getting ready in the morning. This year the Community Council updated the uniform policy to say that all students from Kinder to Year 6 are able to wear shorts or skirts and short sleeves during Terms 2 and 3. So if this glorious weather continues for the next 3 weeks feel free to send your children in shorts, skirts and/or short sleeves. The girls will still wear their winter tunic until the end of this term.

Special Prayers

We would ask that you keep Christine Richards, mother-in-law of Monica Richards, in your prayers at the moment. Christine has been unwell and took a turn earlier in the week. We pray that God shines upon Christine and her family during this difficult time. 

Yours in Christ

Luke Donnelly

Acting Principal