Dear Parents,

A very warm welcome back to school. We are all very excited to have all of the children back at school and we are looking forward to a wonderful and productive Term 4.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding throughout this challenging year. Your support continues to remind us of what a wonderful community we have and how lucky we are to be part of St Mary’s school.

During remote learning, and since returning to school, we have been challenged by the effects COVID-19 has had on many of our students, particularly with the use of online gaming and online chat rooms. Throughout remote learning and now with the children back at school, the gaming and chat that the children have been engaged in is concerning, and is damaging relationships the children have with each other both at school and from home. I have personally spent countless hours with many students and families since school has returned, discussing with them the challenges they face when chatting and gaming online. Some of the negative and derogatory comments going between the children have resulted in great distress and damaged friendships at school. I know that online activities have increased for many families as a result of being at home, however it is continuing now that the children have returned to school. I bring this up because your children’s wellbeing is of the utmost importance to myself and my staff. I ask you to please monitor what your children are being exposed to while online and what they are saying and doing when interacting with others. The online world has its advantages, however it also has many challenges and risks, particularly for children who are engaging in activities and conversations they are not mature enough to be a part of, and saying things that they admit are not a reflection of the person they want to be. For children to honestly and openly admit to me that the person they become online is not the person they would like us to see, hear or know, and that they are one person online and a completely different person at school, is really concerning both for them and for us. Please speak to your children and monitor their online behaviour as we only get one chance to help our children to develop to be the people they have the potential to become and this is one way to support them as they grow and develop.

I thank our families for trusting us with the conversations we have needed to have and for supporting your child by removing harmful online practices from your children’s lives.

As a staff, we are providing a strong and consistent focus on cyber safety, particularly this term. We are providing an extensive education about online practices to the children in the middle and senior classes as this is where the majority of our concern lies.

We hope and pray that this term will enable us to continue to be at school together and to finish the year in a positive, healthy and happy environment.

Kind regards

Lisa Broeren