Newsletter 104 - August 10th 2023

Most teens and many preteens use some form of social media and have a profile on a social networking site. Many visit these sites every day.

There are plenty of good things about social media — but also many risks and things children and teens should avoid. They don't always make good choices when they post something to a site, and this can lead to problems.

To help them find the balance, it's important to talk with your children about how to use social media wisely.

What's Positive About Social Media Use?

Social media can help children:

• stay connected with friends and family
• interact with a more diverse group of children than they may be used to
• volunteer or get involved with a campaign, nonprofit, or charity
• enhance their creativity by sharing ideas, music, and art
• meet other people who have similar interests
• communicate with educators and fellow students
• find health information
• learn about current events
• get support when they feel sad or anxious

What Are the Downsides of Social Media Use?

The flipside is that social media can be a hub for potentially harmful or questionable activities.

Cyberbullying

Through cyberbullying, children can be teased or harassed online. In fact, cyberbullying is considered the most common online risk for teens, and is linked to depression, loneliness, and even suicide in both the victims and the bullies.

Privacy & Safety

Children also should know about privacy and safety. Without meaning to, they can share more online than they should. Many children post photos of themselves online or use their real names on their profiles. They also might reveal their birthdates and interests, or post their school name and the town where they live.

Sharing this type of information can make them easy targets for online predators and others who might mean them harm. In fact, many children say they have been contacted online by someone they didn't know in a way that made them feel scared or uncomfortable.

There's also the risk of a physical encounter with the wrong person. Some apps can automatically reveal a user's location, telling anyone exactly where to find the person.

Risks to Their Reputation

Photos, videos, and comments made online usually can't be taken back after they're sent or posted. Even when a child thinks something has been deleted, it can be impossible to completely erase it from the Internet. Posting an inappropriate photo can damage a reputation and cause problems years later — such as when a potential employer or college admissions officer does a background check.

Mental Health

Studies show that spending a lot of time on social media can be related to mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety. It’s not just how much time childrenspend on social media, but also how they use it that matters. For example, seeing how many "friends" others have or looking at pictures of them having fun can make children feel left out, bad about themselves, or like they don't measure up to their peers. Also, children who lurk passively in the background of a chat are often unhappier than those who actively post and send messages to friends.

Experts are studying the relationship between social media and mental health conditions. It's not clear whether unhealthy social media use leads to mental health problems, or whether people with mental health problems tend to use social media too much or in unhealthy ways.

Inappropriate or Harmful Content

Children may see online content or ads that aren't appropriate for their age. This is especially true for children who lie about their age to get access to certain social media sites. They may also see risky or dangerous content that can include violence, self-harm, eating disorders, or discrimination toward some groups of people. There's a lot of false and inaccurate information online that can mislead kids, with potentially harmful consequences.

Time Drain

Children sometimes spend so much time on social media that they don’t have enough hours in the day to do homework, read, exercise, sleep, spend time with loved ones, or enjoy the outdoors. "Problematic social media use" refers to use that affects how children function or do routine tasks, or that interferes with their relationships.

What Can Parents Do?

It's important to be aware of what your children do online. But snooping can alienate them and damage the trust you've built together. The key is to stay involved in a way that makes your children understand that you respect their privacy but want to make sure they're safe.

Tell your children that it's important to:

• Be nice. Mean behavior is not OK. Make it clear that you expect your kids to treat others with respect, and to never post hurtful or embarrassing messages. And ask them to always tell you about any harassing or bullying messages that others post.
• Think twice before hitting "enter." Remind kids that what they post can be used against them. For example, letting the world know that you're on vacation or posting your home address gives would-be robbers a chance to strike. Kids also should avoid posting specific locations of parties or events, as well as phone numbers.
• Follow the "WWGS?" (What Would Grandma Say?) rule. Teach kids not to share anything on social media that they wouldn't want their teachers, college admissions officers, future bosses — and yes, grandma — to see.
• Use privacy settings. Privacy settings are important. Go through them together to make sure your kids understand each one. Also, explain that passwords are there to protect them against things like identity theft. They should never share them with anyone, even a boyfriend, girlfriend, or best friend.
• Don't "friend" strangers. "If you don't know them, don't friend them." This is a plain, simple — and safe — rule of thumb. Let them know that kids who follow friends are generally happier than those who follow strangers.

Make a Household Plan for Social Media Use

Consider using the AAP's family media plan tool, which lets parents set household rules around social media use. How children use social media and what they see there, can be more important than how many hours a day they spend on it. Set rules you all can agree on — for example, you might keep computers and devices in public areas in the house and turn them off before bedtime and during meals. Post the rules in a visible area (like on the refrigerator) so that everyone knows about them.

Different children use social media in different ways. Their experiences will differ based on things like their maturity level, mental health, and personality. Keep this in mind as you create your family’s plan and adapt it to your individual children.

If cyberbullying, harassment, or other problems happen, you or your child can report it to school staff, the social media platform, or local law enforcement. If you're worried about your child’s mental health, talk to their doctor.

Know how your children use social media and encourage them to focus on its positive effects. And don't forget: Setting a good example through your own virtual behavior can go a long way toward helping your children use social media safely.

Medically reviewed by:  Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD         Date reviewed: May 2023

School Assemblies:  Our assemblies are led by a different class each week and will happen on Friday afternoons starting at 2:50pm in the school hall.  Students are dismissed from the hall at 3:15pm.  We invite all our community to come along.  

Week 5:  Foundation

Week 6: Senior M

Week 7: Book Week

Week 8: Junior R

Week 9: Middle C

Week 10: Whole School Assembly 1:50pm

Professional Development:

At St Patrick’s Primary School we are committed to Professional Development of our team.  At various times staff members will be working off site which may result in classroom teachers being out of the classroom.

Week 6:

Friday 18/8/23 - Mr Leon Moloney 

Book week this year runs from August 19th 2023, to August 25th, 2023. During this time all classes spend time each day celebrating books and Australian children's authors and illustrators. The theme is read.grow, inspire.

The highlight of book week is on Friday 25th August where students are invited to dress as their favourite book character with a whole school parade at 9am where our community/grandparents day are able to attend. 

Great Book Swap - happening at St Patrick’s Primary School  21st & 22nd August, 2023. Literacy is a major issue facing remote Indigenous communities. 

This term Social Justice will begin working on The Great Book Swap in support for Indigenous Literacy. The idea is that our school would donate any quality unwanted children’s books, and Social justice will then conduct a Book swap where students are able to purchase any of these donated books for a gold coin donation.  All money raised will be donated to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.  *Please send any donated books (in great condition) into school, thanks to those who have already donated.

Avaya Hollis - For being a resilient and collaborative learner. We value your opinions and ideas Avaya, keep up the great work.

Valeria Di Pietro - For the sensational work you’ve been doing in all learning areas. Keep being a curious learner Valeria.

Evie Field - For your fabulous work with your tri-orama, your stories and drawings were amazing.

Mason Scott -For your resilience with coming back to school and completing all your learning.     

Mason Whitfield - For being a self-motivated learner and having such a growth mindset, keep up the great work.

Edwina Crouch - For your resilience and self-motivation you have been showing with your maths. Super work Edwina

Peter Aird - For accepting feedback from others to improve your explanation writing on the Frog Lifecycle. Keep it up!

Tamieka Austin - For your excellent response as to why we give feedback to others. Well done!

Archie Coxon - For the excellent information you have included in your explanation. Keep up the great work Archie!

Texas Davenport - For being a resilient learner and taking on feedback while writing your explanation. Great work Texas!

Maddison Prydderch - For being self-motivated by using great initiative when working out mathematical problems! Keep it up Maddy!

Charlie Sullivan - For being such a self-motivated and curious learner. Thanks for adding so much knowledge to our classroom discussions! Well done Charlie!

Hamish Campbell - For being a self-motivated learner across all subject areas but especially in Maths. Keep it up Hamish!

Jobe Allen - For the amazing comprehension strategies you show when responding to our class novel each week.

Annual Fathers day/special persons Celebrations:  Our annual Fathers day/special persons celebrations will take place on Friday 1st September, 2023. While Fathers Day is a celebration of fatherhood, it's a time for us to honour, celebrate and to be thankful for all of the men, father figures and male role models in our lives.  We recognise the very important role you have in the lives of children. 

*We will have an evening bbq and games where we invite all fathers and special male figures in our children's lives to come and celebrate as a community.  More details to follow.  

Congratulations to this  student who is celebrating  their birthday  this week:        Harrison S  

Re: Flyer above - Don’t forget our upcoming FREE  artist workshop at Horsham Regional Art Gallery, August 15 & 16.   We are offering Horsham and regional schools the opportunity for groups of students to work with international artist, Gustavo Morales on engaging art and design posters. Ideally suited to upper primary (Yr 5+) secondary students, Art and Vis Comm, school leadership groups etc.    Immerse your students in the world of creative design with a purpose, giving voice to young people and social issues including: environment, mental health, diversity and social connectedness.

Find out more about Gustavo Morales graphic design studio Kattattack : www.behance.net/kattattak These 90 minute workshops are on: Tuesday August 15 and Wednesday August 16^th 2023.Book online here:https://www.horshamtownhall.com.au/hthevent/social-change-poster-workshops-gustavomorales/

The next Funky Friday event on the 18^th of August from 4-7pm for ages 12-18yrs.

There will be snacks available.

Any questions I am contactable on 0491 173 938 Monday – Thursday.

Kindest regards

Amy Sinclair.