21 May 2019

Our Year 10 families came together recently at a Stage 6 Information Evening to contemplate all the relevant details concerning their transition into the Senior Years for 2020-2021. The comprehensive scope of all the Senior Courses were capably showcased by a large number of teachers, representing each Faculty. The Year 10 students will now participate in a selection process via online survey, to indicate their highest preferences from the overall Course list. By the end of Term 3 the most satisfactory matrix will be presented and the students’ final choices for Year 11 will be made.

Our warm appreciation is extended to all the parents who managed the Mothers Day Stalls at both Campuses, on behalf of the P and F Association. Their great efforts enabled our RJ students to experience the important opportunity to lovingly think about the person who sacrifices so much for them.

We also warmly acknowledge the participation of many RJ families from both Campuses in the Riverstone Festival Street Parade. Thank you students, parents and staff for all marching together - it was a great sense of community!

At last Friday’s Primary Assembly the Bible story about Jesus being baptised was tremendously dramatized by Class 2J. As John the Baptist conducted this significant occasion in the Jordan River there was a most interesting conversation between him and Jesus because John was reluctant to be the one blessing the Son of God, rather than Jesus blessing him. The humble response from Jesus demonstrated His genuine desire to be one of us. In turn, Jesus' real authority was confirmed, see below:

At that moment the Spirit of God descended like a dove and a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased’. (Matthew 3: 16-17)

The amazing combined qualities of humility and authority in Jesus enables our personal trust in Him, as expressed below:

‘Though the world was made by Jesus, the world did not recognise him. Even many who saw him did not receive him. Yet to all who receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.’ (John 1: 10-12)

Mr Paul Cockrem
Principal

Primary

When submitting for a Principal’s Award, remember that only the relevant points are required in a plastic sleeve and not in a folder, please do not send any other awards. We appreciate your assistance.

COLOUR RUN – FRIDAY 14 JUNE

Our Secondary Student Forum and Year 12 Students are organising a Secondary Colour Run to raise funds for the Headspace group. Many traditional mental health services aren’t equipped to address the unique barriers that young people face to accessing mental health support. Headspace began in 2006 to address this critical gap, by providing tailored and holistic mental health support to 12-25 year olds. With a focus on early intervention, they work with young people to provide support at a crucial time in their lives – to help get them back on track and strengthen their ability to manage their mental health in the future.

Our School Captains will launch the Colour Run at Secondary Assembly this week and provide students more details on how they can participate. The day will start as a mufti dress up and will conclude with the Colour Run taking place after lunch in the afternoon at Hannah Reserve. Students can elect to give more than the $5 mufti fee, which will go to Headspace fundraising, and become eligible for fundraising prizes as incentives to do their best for this project. More details to follow.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP TRAINING DAY - PRIMARY

RJ is committed to the development of its Student Leadership teams. Yesterday, our Primary leaders took part in the TASC Primary Leadership Day and have come back buzzing with new ideas. It was a great opportunity for our Primary leaders to get to know other leaders and to share stories of what they are doing in each of their schools as well as learn how to be better leaders who serve their schools well.

ATHLETICS CARNIVALS

In a few weeks’ time, our Athletics Carnival will be upon us. Why not take your child for a jog to the local park and help them get ready for a great day of running, throwing and jumping!! And get active all at the same time! Every time your child enters an event, they will receive participation points for their House. Enjoy the preparation with them!

Mr Alan Dawson
Deputy Principal

DA VINCI DECATHLON - OAKHURST

A team of 8 Year 6 students selected from across both Campuses will be participating in the da Vinci Decathlon next Thursday 30 May. We wish these students well as they work cooperatively to solve a variety of problem-solving tasks across the learning strands.

HOME READING

We are extremely short on helpers to change Home Readers at our Oakhurst Campus. When parents are not available to change books, teachers are attempting to change them over lunch break. This is not always possible if teachers have a duty at this time. Without parent helpers to change books in the morning, Home Readers may not come home on the day they are sent to School. If you are available to change Home Readers on Monday, Wednesday and/or Friday mornings, please contact Mrs McCormick on 9677 2455.

MARSDEN PARK OPEN DAY

Our Term 2 Marsden Park Open Day will be held on Saturday 1 June. Parents with Pre-Kindergarten aged children who will be attending Kindergarten at Oakhurst or Marsden Park in 2021 are encouraged to access our Pre-Kindergarten School Readiness Program for their child in 2020. Students can enrol in this class for set 2, 3, 4 or 5-day programs.

MATHS OLYMPIAD/MATHS GAMES

Selected students will participate in the first of 5 games tests this Thursday 23 May. The Maths Olympiad and Maths Games challenge students working mathematically skills as they apply their mathematical knowledge to a range of problem-solving tasks. Competitions will be held once each month through to September.

MOTHERS’ DAY STALL

The P&F Mothers’ Day Stall was held during Week 2. Students joyfully selected from a range of lovely gifts. I trust our mums enjoyed a wonderful Mothers’ Day and the gifts purchased for them. Thank you to the P&F for providing gifts and assisting our students to purchase the perfect gift for their mum.

NAPLAN

Today was the last formal day of NAPLAN testing for students in Years 3 and 5. Catch-up sessions for students who were absent on a testing day will continue throughout the week. It has been encouraging to see the students applying themselves to the best of their ability to complete all literacy and numeracy tasks presented to them. Well done Years 3 and 5. NAPLAN provides a ‘snapshot’ of each student’s current knowledge and skills in these key learning areas. Results are available later in the year.

NATIONAL STIMULUS STORYTIME

This Thursday 23 May, Mr Cockrem will be reading the National Simultaneous Storytime book to K-6 students at both Campuses. We look forward to seeing what crazy story antics Mr Cockrem has prepared for us this year. National Stimulus Storytime aims to promote a love of reading in children. Parents are encouraged to read regularly with their children and embrace their inner craziness like Mr Cockrem to bring stories to life.

PRIMARY DISCO

The P&F Primary Disco will be held this Thursday 23 May in the Hall at the Oakhurst Campus for students who have returned their permission note. The K-2 Disco (students from both Oakhurst and Marsden Park Campuses) is from 5:00-6:15pm and the 3-6 Disco is from 6:30-8:00pm. Parents must enter the Hall to collect their children at the end of each Disco session. Please be prompt. Children will be supervised by Primary teachers throughout this very fun evening.

RIVERSTONE FESTIVAL

Thank you to families who came along and supported us at the Riverstone Festival on Saturday 11 May.We were blessed with lovely weather and were warmly greeted by the Riverstone community. Our RJ fire truck was a huge hit with boys and girls old and young.

STUDENT FORUM – MARSDEN PARK CAMPUS

Congratulations to Dua Mir (Year 4), Reina Dave (Year 4) and Sophia Byrne (Year 5) who received their Student Forum badges in Assembly last week. These students join with Isaac Guirguis (Primary Captain) and Aaliyanah Jimenez (Primary Vice-Captain) to represent Primary students at the Marsden Park Campus at Student Forum meetings with the Deputy Principal, Mr Dawson.

SCHOOL PHOTOS

School Photos for the Oakhurst Campus will be taken tomorrow, Wednesday 22 May. School Photos for the Marsden Park Campus will be taken next Wednesday 29 May. All students (Pre-K to Year 6) are to wear their Winter Uniform on this day. Girls must wear navy blue tights, not socks. Hair is to be tied up with a small navy hair tie. Earrings must be as per the Uniform Policy – plain gold or silver stud or sleeper. Pre-Kindergarten children wear their long-sleeved RJ polo shirt, tracksuit pants and joggers. Further information relating to Uniform requirements is outlined below.

UNIFORM AND PRESENTATION POLICY

Students are now wearing their Winter Uniform to School. Parents are reminded that all students need to wear their Primary Jacket to and from School each day. RJ beanies are available at Lowes. They may be worn before and after school and during recess and lunch during the Winter months - June, July and August only. No other beanies are to be worn. The beanie is an optional Uniform Item.

YEAR 6 PRIMARY LEADER’S DAY

On Monday, our Year leaders travelled to St Lukes Grammar School in Dee Why to join with other Year 6 leaders at the Corporation Year 6 Leaders Day. The students had a great day interacting with other students, developing their leadership skills and exploring ways they can extend their leadership at RJ.

Mrs Narelle Taylor
Assistant Principal/Head of Primary

Congratulations to RJAS Team C (Mrs Murray) who currently lead their group on 7.5 out of 8 points. We look forward to continued success as we compete against schools in the Blacktown area. Thank you to our parent team coordinators: Mrs Holland, Mrs Reed and Mrs Murray for their assistance in transporting our chess teams to away games.

Primary Chess Club runs every Monday lunchtime for students in Years 3-6.

Mr Michael Reed
Primary Chess Coordinator 

Some Year 6 students explore coding following on from their STEM lessons, just as others help out behind the desk. Saanjh from 1J and Austin from 1R enjoy the challenge of jigsaw puzzles.

Mrs Kerrie Peterson
Primary Librarian

Our top 3 classes at the Oakhurst Campus for Term 1 are 3R, 5J and 2R. The top class at the Marsden Park Campus is 4-6M. It has been encouraging to see growth in student’s achievement and in the time spent completing tasks. Encouragement Awards to the top students in each class will be presented by class teachers later this week.

There are a range of ways Mathletics can be used by students to develop their mathematical skills. Students can:

• Reattempt a task – look for tasks that have a red or orange bar next to them. This indicates a result of less than 85% for the task. To reattempt a task click on the learn button, click on the topic and click on the activity.
• Participate in Mathletics Live – Students compete against other students in a timed quiz that rewards speed and accuracy. Teachers will be challenging students to compete at higher levels as their ability increases.
• Maths Apps and Games – Students can select from a range of apps and games that encourage development of mathematical skills and problem solving.

Mathletics can be accessed at home by going to www.mathletics.com or by using the free Mathletics app available from iTunes or Google Play. Students will need their login details which will be provided by their class teacher this week.

Mr Michael Reed
Primary Coordinator

They'll enjoy the experience of camp, with the chance to participate in exciting outdoor activities and explore a Christian worldview, whilst still going home to sleep in the comfort of their own bed. Another exciting aspect of CRU Blast is that the Primary students will have the opportunity to get to know some of our fantastic Secondary students who are helping as Assistant Leaders on the Camp.

The dates for CRU Blast are: Monday July 22 – Friday July 26, 2019 ( the 3^rd week of the July School Holidays)

The registrations have commenced and students will receive a brochure this week. The link to register for the camp is: https://crudaycamps.com.au/cru-blast#cru-blast-introduction

We’d love to see your child/ children at CRU Blast this year. If you have any questions, please contact Stewart Rowe by email – [email protected]

Mr Stewart Rowe
Director of Ministry/ Service Learning (7-12)

There were four different stations for us to explore. In Construction World we played with Lego, blocks and a marble run. In Out and About World we had lots of fun bowling and practising our throwing and catching skills with the frisbee and grip balls. We loved the dress ups and puppets in Imagination World and tested our skills with the Rubix cube and Kendama at Skill World.

We really enjoyed looking at toys that we had not seen before. The Etch-A-Sketch and Jack-In-The-Box were both big hits! It was very interesting to be able to compare our toys with those that children played with in the past.

Miss Ross and Mrs Knight
Year 2 Teachers

Year 12 Reports were uploaded to Edumate on Friday and are available for parents to view. Details regarding Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews and booking times will be sent out by Mrs Scrimshaw this week. These Interviews will occur on Wednesday 29 May from 3:45-7:30pm. Year 11 Interviews will occur on the same evening, and their Reports will be uploaded by 28 May.

We had a great evening with Year 10 at the Year 11 2020 Information Night, and students have been busily asking questions of teachers and older students, regarding their choice of subjects, in an effort to find out as much as they can. It is hard making final choices, but this is the beginning of a new stage in students’ lives, and there is great excitement in the process. Please make sure you have your selections in this week, and return your signed forms to Mrs Scrimshaw.

Students are also busily rehearsing items for the Heritage Festival at the end of term, the Oz-Tag competition will start shortly and planning for Food Stalls is also well underway. In between times we have Photos (remember – hair tied back and stockings for the girls), the Da Vinci Competition, the Athletics Carnival, several Year 12 Study Days, the Winter Sleepout, Year 12 Fundraiser Colour Run and the Choral Festival…plus more! All a very normal Term!

Mrs Jenny Clay
Assistant Principal/Head of Secondary

The cost of the evening is $10 per student, which will be donated to Father Chris Riley’s Youth Off the Streets Program. Cardboard boxes are the go for the evening, so start collecting your bed for the night! Permission notes are now available from Mr Rowe or Student Reception. If you have any questions, please email Mr Rowe - [email protected]

Mr Stewart Rowe
Director of Ministry/ Service Learning (7-12)

As we tallied up the different areas where the money was raised – students who were actively involved in raising sponsorship as they ran in the Cross Country, other students who kindly sponsored them, the delicious Sausage Sizzle run by members of the Service Learning Team and the money raised by Home Groups, the final amount raised was just over $1,950, which is a wonderful effort. This will provide 278 Bibles for the students in South Africa. By donating we have made a wonderful difference in the lives of so many students who will now have the opportunity to read the Bible for themselves and learn about the love that God has for them. Thank you to everyone who participated in the Run4Bibles Project.

Mr Stewart Rowe
Director of Ministry/ Service Learning (7-12)

It was an amazing and tiring experience for all involved! Within each team every student chose a role: there was a Caterer, Navigator, Treasurer, Welfare Officer and Journo to name a few. Challenges ranging from dragon boating, solving riddles and finding clues, a dance off, catching ferries, trains and light rail to making lunch for the team made up part of each day of camp. In the quest for points, students pushed on, with little time to rest, working as a team and trying to keep up with the surprise challenges from the Game Master.

During camp, students spent time with those meeting the needs of Sydney’s homeless, learning about their challenges and how we can help. Every student helped prepare meals at “Our Big Kitchen” in Bondi, which was donated to those in need. The teams also managed their own budgets and we are waiting to see the final amount of money we were able to donate to charities that work with the homeless people of Sydney.

Thank you to all the students of Year 10 and the teaching staff that made the camp a great experience. It is hoped that every student will still be thinking through how they can continue to help those in need in our community. The winning team of the 2019 RJ Urban Challenge will be announced next week…Watch this space.

Mr Brad Maxwell
Director of Welfare 7-12

Like budding archaeologists, our morning began with a tour of the whole museum. Our students had the opportunity to get up and personal with the museum mummy looking at how science has made a large impact on how we view history today. We then moved across to the Greeks and Romans, where the students listened to important stories about warfare and leisure activities, and even had the amazing opportunity to explore the Lego model of Pompeii and paint a picture of what life was like for the Pompeiians before the eruption occurred. To top off our day, our students were given the chance to hold, analyse, measure and draw real ancient artefacts. We all worked together to come up with some very interesting hypothesis about each of our chosen objects.

Overall, our Year 11 and 12 Ancient History classes had a wonderful day exploring the secret lives of the ancient people.

Miss Voula Simos
HSIE Teacher

This excursion immersed students in historical evidence related to the stories and journeys of migrants to Australia from primary and secondary sources. Students used this information to develop ideas to enable them to create their own narrative based on the journey of a migrant. This story will become part of their HSC Writing Portfolio Assessment Task later in the year.

This excursion complimented a number of units of study, including reflecting on the 'Texts and Human Experience' Unit which focused on the text Go Back to Where You Came From. This text explored the human experiences and challenges of migrants and refugees.

The current unit of study 'English and the experience of Travel' was also integrated into the excursion as students created a travel journal entry to record their experiences as a tourist.

Mrs Annette Sicard 
Secondary Teacher 

After a lunch at Circular Quay, students were guided through the Justice and Police Museum. They saw exhibits of Sydney’s criminal history and even put their safe cracking skills to the test. Students also participated in a mock ‘drink driving’ trial taking roles of prosecutor, defence lawyer, accused and court officer, giving them an insight into the operation of courts and the trial process. It was a great day and the students were a credit to the School with their interest, maturity and behaviour.

Mr Michael Sukkarieh 
Curriculum Co-ordinator (HSIE)

It was a good learning experience for all students.

Mrs Dhiraj Babbar 
Science Teacher

At the information evening on May 8, our Year 10 students were given the opportunity to explore the vast array of subjects being offered for their futures in Year’s 11 and 12. For many of our students in Year 10, this time of year can be quite difficult as they begin to consider their future career paths and their subjects. Throughout the evening, I had some wonderful discussions with parents and students regarding potential careers, degree choices and HSC subjects. It was an absolute pleasure to speak about the importance of universities and what will need to be considered when students are selecting HSC subjects that connect well with their future degrees. Thank you to all the parents and students who attended this evening and asked for careers guidance. Just a reminder to Year 10 about Miss Simos’ top tips for subject selection - “consider, explore and decide.”

This week, our Year 12’s also finally received their important UAC guides. These UAC guides will offer our RJ students with a wonderful range of courses and tertiary institutions that they may like to select for their future once they depart school. It is such a privilege to see our students learn about what the future holds for them in one tiny book, but the experiences and opportunities are endless. If students are curious about learning more about the course and institutions, they are reminded to type up the course code onto the UAC website for further details https://www.uac.edu.au/course-search/undergraduate/find-a-course.html.

With this we have some new opportunities on offer for all of our RJ students:

• Years 9-11: KFC Plumpton are offering casual working positions for any student wanting to be a part of the workforce. They are especially looking for hard working, enthusiastic and dedicated RJ students.
• Year 12: A number of engineering and technology cadetship have become available for Year 12, who would like to pursue this career path further.

If you are interested in any of these opportunities and would like to see me in the careers office please make an appointment on Monday, Tuesday and Friday.

Voula Simos 
Careers Advisor

STATE CROSS COUNTRY

We look forward to the upcoming State Cross Country on the 31 May at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre. We will be taking the top 4 competitors from the School Cross Country, from each age division, for the race.

CIS TRIALS

Trials for Touch Rugby League (girls and boys), Softball (boys) and Golf (girls and boys) are closing soon. Please notify Mr Mitchell by the end of this week if you are interested in having your child trial for one of these events.

Please note that these events require your child to be playing at a representative level or Division 1, if representative levels haven’t commenced at Primary ages.

CSSA GYMNASTICS

If your child is interested in competing in the CSSA gymnastics competition, please inform Mr Mitchell by the end of this week.

Girls – minimum WAG level 3 (not acro)

Boys – all MAG levels accepted

PAUL KELLY CUP

The next round of the Paul Kelly Cup will be held on the 28 May. The event will be held at Blacktown International Sportspark. Notes will be distributed this week.

SOCCER GALA DAY

Well done to the primary team who competed at a recent girls’ soccer gala day. The team won all of their matches except for their first match and were unlucky not to qualify for the semi-finals.

Mr Gavin Mitchell 
Primary Sports Coordinator 

To begin, we are on our second last week of the Stage 5 School Sport at Hanna Reserve. Students have been participating in Soccer or Softball. The House competition will end next Tuesday. Stage 4 will be participating in this School Sports program from Week 6 to the end of Term. Stage 5 will make their selections for the recreational sport options later this week.

STUDENTS REPRESENTING RJ

Chelsea Barton left for the Gold Coast this week to compete in the National Christian Schools Games. She will be playing Soccer for NSW CSSA against Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. When she returns, both Chelsea and her sister Tiana will be attending the CIS Opens Girls Soccer Trials.

Pavlee Butros has been selected to represent CIS in the upcoming Tri-Series event against the Combined High Schools (CHS) and Combined Catholic Colleges (CCC) at Homebush next month.

Also, RJ has 5 students who have been selected for the AICES Rugby teams that will compete at the NSWSRU trials next month: Sione Pula, William Manu and Mikaele Soseu made the 16’s team; Corey Nicholson and John Wesley Vunga were selected in the Opens Team.

REPRESENTATIVE SPORT

We have 3 teams playing in the Western Sydney Sports Competition at the moment. We play Round 3 today, and our teams have been competing well. Our Netball and Soccer teams play at Jamison Park from 1:30pm – 2:30pm.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Next Friday will be the CSSA State Cross Country. It will be held at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre. We have a number of students competing in this event and I look forward to hearing about their participation. Permission Notes will be sent home this week.

Mr David Hyde
Sports Co-ordinator

What is your favourite food?

Italian food.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Gardening and reading.

When and why did you come to work at this School?

2019. To be part of a team in caring and keeping students safe as well as being respectful of others.

What have you enjoyed about your role in the School?

Meeting different people, challenges with my role as a Bus Driver and delivering a quality service.

Describe a wonderful experience you’ve had which you’ll never forget.

Travelling to Sicily, Italy – stepping back in time.

What is something you want to achieve?

Completing my driving test for LR. Licence.

If you could meet any person in the world at the moment who would it be?

Barack Obama – Humble and inspirational.

What is your favourite food?

I love chicken, eggs and spinach – I could live on just these for months! I’m also a fan of donuts and cakes.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I love singing and listening to music. Cooking is also therapeutic for me. When all my work is done, I binge-watch action-thriller films.

When and why did you come to work at this School?

I have been a voice and performance coach in RJ since 2017. It’s amazing to be a part of a School community that has a passion for God and people.

What have you enjoyed about your role in the School?

Definitely working with students and staff, discovering hidden talents around the School; and just being able to contribute to the learning community using my personal strengths.

Describe a wonderful experience you’ve had which you’ll never forget.

Writing the music, lyrics and arrangement for a Lenten stage play called, “Road to Calvary” in under two weeks. This experience has proven to me that with God, nothing is impossible.

Why did you become a Christian?

Christ gives me my identity and purpose in life. He is my source of hope and drive, and my reason for living.

What is your favourite Bible verse?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

What is something you want to achieve?

One of my wildest dreams is to one day compose/arrange/direct for Broadway and West End musicals; and inspire and uplift people with the songs I write.

If you could meet any person in the world at the moment who would it be?

I would love to meet the brilliant power duo, Justin Paul and Benji Pasek – their musical works for stage and screen have inspired me tremendously.

NEW STARTING TIME FOR BEFORE SCHOOL MUSIC ENSEMBLES/BANDS

As reflected in the Term 2 Master ‘Day by Day’ Timetable, it has been necessary to bring the starting time of all of our ‘Before School’ 45 minute Ensembles forward from 8:00am to a 7:45am start. With this new earlier starting time, all before-school Tutorials and Rehearsals will be finished by the start of Period 1 for Secondary students. The most positive aspect of this is that from now on, no student should miss out on any class time, due to a before-school Tutorial or Ensemble. This new starting time of 7.45am is effective immediately.

Please note that this only applies to 45-minute Ensemble Rehearsals, not the 30-minute Group tutorials. There is no change to the Group Tutorial starting times. Please consult the Term 2 Master Timetable ‘Day by Day’ for more details: Master Timetable Term 2 2019

PRIVATE LESSONS

Private Music Tuition lessons for Term 2 are well underway. There are, at the moment, a number of vacancies on all instruments. For your reference, the Private Tuition letter is included here: Private Music Tuition Information Letter 2019 (Oakhurst Campus). Please return the permission form (to Student Reception) if you would like your child to have private music tuition lessons.

AUSACA

A couple of weeks ago, two of our talented groups of singers: RJ Voces and Pacific-ACA Boyz, auditioned for the 2019 Schools Division of the AUSACA National A Capella Awards. It will be a nervous wait to see if we have been successful in qualifying for the finals, which are to be held in Melbourne in early September. Check out their audition videos here: 

RJ VOCES 

PACIFI-ACA BOYZ 

SECONDARY VOCAL ENSEMBLE: VOX

Our Secondary Vocal Ensemble, VOX, along with Year 9 and 10 Music Elective, and Year 11 Music 1 students will participate in this year’s TASC Choral Festival, to be held at Oran Park Anglican College on Friday 21 June. An information letter will be sent home shortly with more details.

If you would like to enquire further about our extensive Co-Curricular Music Program or Private Tuition lessons for your child, please email me at: [email protected]

Mrs Narelle Robertson
Music Curriculum Co-ordinator

Bullying. NO WAY!

https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/Resources/FactSheets/Documents/bnw-info-sheet-cybersafety.pdf

Guard against your child spending money unwisely online

Be aware that many video games contain “loot boxes.” Loot boxes enable small transactions, using real money, to unlock extra items for use within video games (examples of items are characters’ clothing, new characters and weapons). Some games even contain “pay to win” options that assist players to gain an advantage over other players.

Also, be aware that children have spent hundreds, and even thousands of dollars of their parents’ money on in-app purchases and within “free game apps.”

Tips to guard against this happening to you: Restrict in-app purchases with a password/pin, protect your passwords using parental controls, and unlink your credit card from your account (from Joanne Orlando, Senior Lecturer, Educational Technology, Western Sydney University).

See more at:

https://theconversation.com/the-app-trap-how-children-spend-thousands-online-21652

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-17/kids-racking-up-huge-bills-on-mobile-games/4266632

Keep e-media devices out of the bedrooms of children and adolescents

It is widely recommended by psychologists and governments across many countries that e-media devices should only be located and used by children and adolescents in a shared part of the home. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psy-curious/201702/should-bedrooms-be-no-phone-zones-teens

Online predators

"We need to be talking to our children early and often about stranger danger online, just as you would for the offline world. We need to ingrain in them that it's easy to pretend to be someone you're not online, so not to trust strangers trying to befriend them, even if they say they are the same age as them" - Julie Inman Grant, Children’s eSafety Commissioner.

See more at:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/03/10/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-predators-on-the-internet-and-bei_a_21878984/

Privacy Australia - eSafety guide designed for parents regarding children’s online safety

https://privacyaustralia.net/kids-online-safety/

Sexting

https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/sexting-and-impacts-young-people

Strong passwords

https://www.connectsafely.org/tips-to-create-and-manage-strong-passwords/

Videos on a wide range of e-safety issues for use with various age groups:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cyber+safet

NOTE - if young people are distressed about things they have encountered online, they can talk to a counsellor via:

• Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (Open 24/7, 365 days a year. Free-call – even from mobiles)
• Kids Helpline email counselling https://kidshelpline.com.au/get-help/email-counselling/ (inbox is checked from 8am -10pm daily)
• Kids Helpline webchat counselling https://kidshelpline.com.au/get-help/webchat-counselling/ (Open 24/7, 365 days a year).

RESPECTFUL AND ETHICAL USE OF E-MEDIA:

Being a good digital citizen

Teach your child that they have an online reputation. Employers sometimes do online checks when considering people for employment. The recent resignations and dis-endorsement of several Federal election candidates because of their offensive social media posts has illustrated the importance of taking care of what you say and do online.

• https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/entertainment-technology/digital-life/digital-citizenship

Guidelines from the eSafety Commissioner

When you are online:

• Respect the rights of others to participate and have an opinion
• Ask before tagging other people or posting photos
• Report offensive or illegal content
• Stand up and speak out about cyberbullying — protect your friends
• Don't respond to hurtful or nasty comments — block and report cyberbullying
• Speak to your parents or trusted adult about upsetting online experiences
• Report threats of violence to the police (collect the evidence to show them) from: https://www.esafety.gov.au/education-resources/classroom-resources/digital-citizenship/engage

From Wednesday 1 May 2019 to Tuesday 25 June 2019 or while stock lasts, we are collecting Woolworths Earn & Learn Stickers. Place the Woolworths Earn & Learn Sticker onto a Woolworths Earn & Learn Sticker Sheet and when it’s complete, the Sticker Sheet can be dropped into the Collection Box located at (Oakhurst) Primary Reception or Marsden Park Reception and there will be collection boxes at the Plumpton Woolworths and Greenway Woolworths.

At the end of the promotion, the School will receive some great new equipment. If you’d like to know more visit woolworths.com.au/earnandlearn.

Thank you