Online Safety

Dear JCS Whānau

I would like to discuss a matter of great importance, online safety for our tamariki. I know that we have discussed this topic before but it is one that is constantly changing and evolving. The internet has so many advantages for modern life. There are rich learning opportunities and how to do/fix things on just about any topic. It facilitates communication and collaboration across the globe. It is however a platform for a mine field of dangerous and undesirable material which is all too easily accessible. Evidence suggests that the number of children who have seen pornography and disturbing violence by the time they are 11 years old, is staggering.

It is our responsibility at school and at home to keep our students as safe as possible by laying firm parameters and putting blocks on what they can access online. It is also important to teach our rangatahi about what is healthy and what is damaging to view and listen to online. This is as important as putting protective blocks on the internet. There will be times when they will have opportunity to see or hear objectionable material whether it be by accident, at a friend’s house or somewhere else. That is why it is so important that they learn the harm it can do to people when they see and hear things that will deeply affect them and will not easily be erased from their minds and hearts. It can affect the way they view people and future relationships, where respect is replaced with perversion and distortion and where violence and degradation towards others may seem normal. Exposure to dark material can lead to mood changes, depression, disengagement in learning and everyday life.

All staff, parents and students need to sign a Cyber Safety agreement at school before they can use their devices. Contravening this contract can result in the removal of the privilege of using a device at school. Devices at school can only be used for learning. They are tools for learning not toys. A school email address can only be used for learning and for no other purposes, not even for having a chat with a friend. The school uses N4L and PCMedia to place blocks on content and access to apps and platforms that are not suitable for students. Random checks on school email accounts will be carried out.

There have been a number of times when parents have discovered that their child has been on sites that are damaging. This often comes as a shock and happens in even the nicest and most unsuspecting families. There are some very good ways you can protect your family at home. One of the recommended apps is the Google App called Family Link.

This app can be loaded onto your child’s devices and onto your device so that you can have absolute visibility on your child’s online activity. There is some helpful material for parents on Netsafe at the following address https://netsafe.org.nz/parenttoolkit/ Your internet provider will also have good safety measures that you can use. There are options to isolate devices and have time limits on them at night. Please contact your provider about what is available for your family. Furthermore, many devices such as iPads have the option for parents to put safety blocks on them. If you are unsure of how to do this, please contact sarah.thomson@jireh.school.nz and she will assist you with this. There are also some basic home rules which can be put in place such as, no rangatahi should have devices in their rooms at night. There are certain apps which are not healthy for young people and many of them have age restrictions, one such app is TikTok. I would highly recommend that you do not allow your child, even if they are old enough, to have access to apps like this.

Please join me in doing all we can to keep our precious, vulnerable and impressionable young people safe, happy and at peace.

Yours in partnership

Sandra Bosman

Principal