Dear Parents/Carers,

Parent/Teacher Interviews Week 9

The School Online Booking System is open for parents/carers to make a booking for a parent/teacher interview. The link can be found on the school website and in the Schoolzine App under Links. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to talk to your child's teacher. Sharing information at this time of year can make all the difference in working with the teacher and your child toward improvement and success in Term 4. These interviews can take place face-to-face, via phone or Zoom to maximise every parent/carer's chance of attending. If you have booked a time and would like it to be via phone call or Zoom, please alert your child's teacher.

Some questions might be?

• What is my child struggling with or in what area are they doing very well? 
• What can I do at home to help my child with schoolwork?
• What can you tell me about my child's behaviour and concentration in class? 
• How is my child getting along with other students?

These conversations can set you up for open, positive and productive communication for the remainder of the school year, so it is very helpful to attend in whatever way you can. 

Snapchat, Social Media and Web Use

Local families have been contacted by the Child Protection Investigation Unit (Qld Police Service) in the last few days in regard to an individual who has been contacting children on Snapchat. This individual has sent images and met up with some of the children with dire consequences that will last a lifetime for some of these children and their families. Click to view news report

At school we regularly see, hear about or have to take action about the following: 

1. Children using Snapchat/TikTok at home that don't have a private account and are friends with other users they don't know. Images they post are open for public viewing with school uniforms and other such markers which may allow their location to be identified at home or school. 
   
   
2. Students may not hand in their phones and smart-watches to the office before school and message external parties to the school from their phone, smart-watch or from an IPad in the classroom. The school watches what happens on classroom IPads carefully and applies the necessary consequences. However, if students don't hand in their phones, smart-watches and message their parents/carers from school or vice-versa, there is no control over what external parties they message or message them whilst they are school. The office phone number is the safest point of contact between home and school between when they are dropped off to school and when the bell rings at 3pm.
   
   
3. Children sometimes have devices that have data or use wireless networks that don't have child-safe filters. Some children are accessing inappropriate content. They cannot access these sites at school due to Education Department filters and our IPad programs do not allow students to have devices that have their own internal data for that reason. As we know, phones are mobile computers so these inappropriate sites are easily accessed from phones, if there are no safety measures installed on the phone or network it is using.
   
   

Parents/Carers can feel offended when we have to contact them about these matters because they see it as a home issue. However, often times this use at home can impact the emotional and physical safety of other children at school. Schools and other organisations working with children by law are required to act when these things are brought to their attention.

Though this individual is now in custody, there are thousands more just like him on platforms attempting to make contact with children. Families in our community have been effected by this individual. I will certainly spend time again this weekend making sure all my ducks in a row in regard to ensure my teenagers at home are kept safe. It is hard for parents to stay on top of these things as it is an ever-changing environment. 

Have a good week,

Kathy