Welcome to our fourth edition of SHINE.

Here at  Holy Trinity, we are committed to working together in partnership with parents, teachers, and community members, to create an educational experience that fosters, strengthens, and enhances a variety of learning experiences for your child. 

Throughout the years gone by we have held numerous Parent Information Sessions. These sessions have been designed to support the journey of parents/ carers as they negotiate the education of their child. As we continue to navigate this ‘new covid norm’ we are excited to launch a new initiative SHINE (sending home information and news about education).

This platform will give us a new and long-awaited opportunity to reconnect with our parent community by sharing strategies and suggestions for how parents/carers can further assist their child/ren at home. 

We hope you find lots of useful information, tips and practical strategies to support your child/ ren in this new platform.

This weekend our First Eucharist candidates will be presented to the Parish community at one of the Parish Masses. We ask God's blessing on each of them and their families as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Eucharist for the first time.

All the best to our two Tournament of the Minds Team all the best on Saturday as they compete in the ACT Branch Finals. 

Wishing everyone in our community a peace-filled long weekend. 

Katie 

Please join us in talking to our students about how they use ICT in their classrooms at Holy Trinity.

Many thanks to the following students for being involved in the video:

Kinder: Tilly and Isla

Year 1: Ivy and Owen

Year 2: Emme and Joey

Year 3/4: Henry, Theo, Madeleine and Justine

Year 5: Mary and Erin

Year 6: Tom and Abby

Minecraft: Evie, Georgia and Alex

Important Documents

• Student Acceptable Use Agreement
• Student Personal Device Agreement
• Student Acceptable Use of Digital Devices Applications and Networks Policy

BYOD Program Information at Holy Trinity

In Term 4, ICT coordinator Caitlin Meany will host a parent information session with information about our BYOD program. This session is targeted at parents of students in Year 2, who will be in Year 3 in 2023.

If you have any specific questions about BYOD at Holy Trinity, that you would like answered in this session, please complete the Google Form.

https://forms.gle/7AajD5udh5ZzFAGRA

Cyber Safety

From the eSafety Commissioner

The eSafety Commissioner has an extensive library of resources for parents and children about using technology and staying safe online. We strongly encourage you to explore this website and the available resources.  https://www.esafety.gov.au/

As children start to navigate the online world and interact with others more independently, they are more likely to be exposed to risks of bullying or unwanted contact, accidentally coming across inappropriate content or racking up bills through in-app purchases.

Your guidance can help them be aware of the risks and understand what is expected of them. Let them know you are always there to support them. 

Advice for parents and carers 

• Keep the computer or device in an area of your home that can be supervised, check in regularly with your child to see what they are viewing.
• Stay engaged with their online activity. If they agree, consider setting up your own accounts with the sites they use most so you can see how they work and understand the risks. 
• Explore the online world with them to help establish that this is not just a solitary activity. Play games with them. Do a creative project together.
• Think about social media readiness. Most social media sites require users to be at least 13 years of age before they can register, although some sites are created especially for children under 13.
• Encourage respect and empathy. Teach them to avoid sharing or posting things that may upset others.
• Start building resilience. Teach your child that there are ways they can deal with material that worries or frightens them. This includes immediately telling you or another trusted adult of any concerns or uncomfortable material.
• Encourage them to learn about online safety by exploring the kids section of the eSafety Commissioner website. https://www.esafety.gov.au/kids

Review your rules as your child grows older

• Be clear about how much time they can spend online, the apps they can use, the websites they can visit and what they can share or post online. 
• Refer to the eSafety Commissioner webite advice about time onlineand online gaming if these are of concern.

Technology tips for parents of kids 5 to 12

• Ensure your own devices are protected by a password or pin, so your child cannot accidentally come across inappropriate content.
• Use parental control tools appropriate for the age and experience of your child.  Be upfront and get your child on board. Let them know that these can be reviewed and changed as they get older and they continue to demonstrate responsible behaviour. Consider installing a ‘child-friendly’ search engine that will allow them to explore a limited number of sites.
• Check out Raising Children Network’shealthy screen time and quality media choices: 6-11 years.     https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/play-media-technology/screen-time-healthy-screen-use/healthy-screen-time-6-11-years

Useful Resources

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/skills-advice/online-safety-basics

This link outlines some online safety basics, a great place to start if you have young children you are beginning to use devices more frequently, with less supervision. This link also provides advice for particular age groups.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents

This gives parents links to resources for talking about difficult topics such as cyber bullying, inappropriate online content, online gaming, and other topics which may be difficult, but are important to talk about.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-issues/esafety-guide

This is a comprehensive guide which gives factual information about the purpose of different apps and websites that their children may be using. It also outlines how to report online abuse, ask for content to be removed or block someone, and keep your information private.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/skills-and-advice/family-tech-agreement

This is a must have for all families using devices inside and outside of the home. Just as we have an acceptable use of ICT agreement at school for all students and staff, you should look into having a family tech agreement in your

Guidelines to using social media

From the Girl Wise and Wise Guys program.

This term students in Years 3 – 6 have been participating in the Girl Wise and Wise Guys programs. In the senior program there is a focus on students understanding the responsibilities and rights they have surrounding the use of the internet and social media.

See attached the info sheets our students have looked at, from the Girl Wise and Wise Guys programs.

Tips and Tricks for students using an iPad at school