Safer Internet Day this week provided the opportunity to have conversations across all year levels about the importance of creating a safer and more inclusive online environment for everyone. The theme “Together for a Better Internet” reinforced our community approach to eSmart and our consistent message across all year levels to being safe, smart and responsible online. Whilst the socks were crazy fun, the message behind the positive digital footprint that they represent is an important one.
We believe it is never too young to start having these conversations about being kind and respectful online, alongside how to be safe and use critical thinking around the use of technology. One of our key messages is always encouraging our students to reach out to a trusted adult if they see something online that makes them uncomfortable. Just as technology is ever evolving, our programmes evolve to encourage continuous learning and discussions that focus on the latest trends in the cyber landscape.
Our eSmart programme throughout the year reinforces these messages and allows students to explore a range of topics in a developmentally appropriate way. In the younger years, this is through Information Literacy lessons, moving into the Digital License which all our Year 6 students complete with sessions in Term 1 and Term 3. In the Senior School, our wellbeing programme and year level meetings provide these opportunities to discuss and highlight safe practices and promote a positive and balanced use of technology.
We believe that Internet safety is a shared responsibility and encourage our families to have open conversations, set boundaries and stay informed. Our Parent eSafety Guide on Schoolbox provides resources, subscriptions and recommended reading to help support parents in this space. For more details, head to the link from your parent dashboard in Schoolbox.
Type on the line above then press the Enter/Return key to submit a new search query