Dear Parents and caregivers,

We have nearly reached the end of another school year. As we tidy things up and prepare for the holidays, it is time to restock the library with outstanding loans. Your child will be coming home with a list of books that have been signed out to them and as yet have not been returned. I would ask that you help your child to locate as many of these books as possible and return them before the end of the school year. Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated!

Kind regards,

Leslie King

Teacher/Librarian

Keeping Your Child Safe Tips

The holidays are a great time to be together with family and friends but children also have a lot of extra free time on their hands and for some children this means more time on digital technology. While technology can be a useful tool both for learning and entertainment, it is important that parents are aware of what their children are accessing in order to keep them safe. Here are ten tips to protect your children when they are using technology.

1. Build an open trusting relationship around technology — keep communication open and supportive so your child knows they can come to you if something goes wrong or does not feel right online.

2. Co-view and co-play with your child online. This will help you understand what they are doing and why they enjoy an app, game or website, as well as providing a great opportunity to start conversations about online safety.

3. Build good habits and help your child to develop digital intelligence and social and emotional skills — such as respect, empathy, critical thinking, responsible behaviour and resilience — and practise being good online citizens.

4. Empower your child — wherever possible, help them make wise decisions for themselves, rather than telling them what to do. Try to provide them with strategies for dealing with negative online experiences that will build their confidence and resilience.

5. Use devices in open areas of the home — this can help you manage and be aware of who your child interacts with online through phones, tablets, smart TVs, gaming consoles and other connected devices.

6. Set time limits that balance time spent in front of screens with offline activities — a family technology plan can help you to manage expectations around where and when technology use is allowed — search online for templates or examples.

7. Know the apps, games and social media sites your kids are using — make sure they are age-appropriate and learn how to limit messaging or online chat and location-sharing functions within apps or games, as these can expose your child to unwanted contact and disclose their physical location.

8. Check the privacy settings on the games and apps your child is using and make sure their profiles are turned on to the strictest privacy setting. Restrict who can contact your child or ask them to check in with you before accepting new friends.

9. Use available technologies to set up parental controls on devices that can filter harmful content, monitor your child’s use and limit or block their time on connected devices or functions (e.g. cameras, in-app purchases).

10. Be alert to signs of distress and know where to go for more advice and support. More resources for parents can be found at: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/resources

Kind regards,

Leslie King

Child Safe Advocate