The upcoming ban on under 16-year-olds accessing many social media platforms has been looming large in the Junior Sub School for some time now. For many of our students this legislation will require a significant change in their online behaviour. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, TikTok and others will restrict accounts to those aged 16 and older. The school believes that delaying access to social media until young people turn 16 will give them time to develop real world social skills and the digital literacy to navigate the online environment confidently. The responsibility for implementing the age limits lie with the social media platforms. Families can access more information from the eSafety Commissioner at www.esafety.gov.au
To further support our students in the online world we have once again access the Digital Thumbprint program. This incursion event has a presenter address each of the junior school classes for a period, informing them about bullying, scams and safe online behaviour. We are indebted to Dom Phelan, our fantastic presenter for his work with Digital Thumbprint.
Our year 7 & 8 students will participate in a Water Education Day on Wednesday, 17 December. This day includes 4 periods at the Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre followed by a double period session on beach safety here in Australia. We consider that this is very timely given that summer is just around the corner and many of our students are likely to be swimming and playing in the water. All families need to provide consent via Compass.
We ask that all students and families focus on finishing the year strongly. At this time of year, we can occasionally see some challenging behaviour. The school year for Junior School runs all the way to 18 December and we will maintain our usual high standards until the final bell.
Finally on behalf of the Junior School team I would like to wish all our students and their families an enjoyable break and thank them for the support during 2025. We look forward to seeing you all in 2026.
Later in Term 4 the Junior Sub School students will receive additional information regarding safe online behaviour and the new regulatory regime for social media. Recently we have seen some concerning behaviour in this space, so additional guidance would be welcome. We ask that parents also familiarise themselves with the changes that are coming to social media regulations and work with their young people to get the best outcomes.
Mr Craig Moore – Junior Sub School Leader