Tēnā koutou katoa, Mālō e lelei, Welcome to our second newsletter for 2019

Following last Friday’s tragic events, keeping ourselves safe is the theme I will focus on in this month's Principal’s column. Our College held a Reflections Ceremony on Monday 18th to acknowledge the events in Christchurch and the profound impact this has had on those directly involved, as well as the whole of New Zealand. Below is the address I made at the assembly.

“Things happen for inexplicable reasons and we are left to grapple with the aftermath. This is a time to acknowledge and share our disbelief, feelings of loss, grief, and sadness that something like this could possibly happen in our New Zealand. We offer our sympathies and pay tribute to those who have lost their lives and to those whose lives will forever be affected.

We vehemently reject such hateful acts of terrorism and condemn any demonstrations of racism and supremacy. We pay our respects to those directly affected and also to all those in Christchurch. The fear and isolation our Muslim community must be feeling at the moment creates waves of sorrow and sympathy. As a school principal and parent I can only imagine the challenges and emotions that staff and students at schools in lockdown must have experienced, as well as the feeling of helplessness those parents unable to access their children must have felt.

We acknowledge the resilience Cantabrians continue to demonstrate in the face of adversity and celebrate the unwavering solidarity of New Zealanders. No matter who we are, where we come from or what our culture or religion, we are here for each other at this time and we are outraged that someone could attempt to undermine and violate the very essence of what it means to be a New Zealander, what it means to be a Kiwi.

New Zealand is a place where anything is possible. We as Kiwis stand up for what we believe in and we believe in doing the right thing, placing high value on community, connections, inclusion and looking after each other. This is why we are proud to be Kiwi and this is why we will not let the actions of an extremist change the way we choose to live, laugh and love.

My final message today is that life is precious. There is no time for hate or conflict. Take every opportunity to demonstrate the smallest acts of kindness to each other, complete the simplest actions to show you care, and be good citizens. Uphold our school values and theme of kotahitanga and embrace the diversity of our community. Exploit every opportunity to be inclusive and acknowledge the precious gifts and talents each of us has to share with the world. No matter who we are, no matter where we are from, no matter what our cultures and religious beliefs, we are all important and we all deserve to live in New Zealand free of fear and prejudice."

These events have also highlighted a need for a review of the way we use digital platforms and media. You maybe aware of the mosque shooting video which was live streamed on Friday. Students may well have viewed this video. The Chief Censor has classified this video as objectionable – anyone who shares it could face up to 14 years in prison. You may have seen the NZ Herald article which refers to this. Please discuss this with your child/children. If they are caught viewing or sharing such material at the College it will be taken very seriously.

Please find below more information about digital technology and how to keep your child/ children safe in this modern technology era.

Digital Technology and our College

Digital devices are important tools to facilitate anytime, anywhere learning. Mobile learning (m-Ako) and digital literacy are crucial 21st century skills in which the College wishes to build student capabilities. However, there is no more important partnership than between home and school presently. Parents/whānau are encouraged to have high levels of participation and monitor what their child is using the device for and the content they are choosing to engage with. The risks and rewards need to be carefully managed to eliminate cyberbullying, ensure student safety and teach them to negotiate the online environment, ethically and as good citizens. A few key points to always remember:

• Face to face conversation is always best. It promotes the development of positive relationships and social skills that enable emotional intelligence.

• The use of games and some apps can be addictive (e.g. Fortnite), so limit screen time.

• The presence of a phone can consume attention and take students away from their learning.

• The increased use of smartphones by students has lead to a decline in student resilience and their ability to cope with uncertainty. This has been linked to an increase in teenage anxiety and depression.

The best place for parents/whānau to go for online safety and advice is Netsafe, New Zealand

• Screen time and setting boundaries

• What teens do online - Snapchat, Instagram

• Online Grooming - nude pictures, or similar are more common that you will ever imagine!

• Bullying and abuse

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is high on our priority list to address quickly and effectively. However, most cyberbullying behaviour is happening out of school hours. The College does that best it can to address all concerns and complaints, however this consumes a significant amount of staff time and resourcing to work through. Often the best solution in these situations is for the parent to parent! Make some hard calls and don’t be manipulated by your child.

• Take the devices off your children between the hours of 7 at night and 7 in the morning, especially if there is an ongoing pattern of this behaviour.

• Perhaps don’t let them take their device to school until they can use it responsibly.

• Take the device off them as a consequence for bad choices in behaviour or use.

• Don’t text or call your child during lesson time.

• Do not engage in similar behaviour with other parents, e.g. interactions with parents of other students via text or social media. This just makes the situation worse. Model responsible citizenship for your child. Report ongoing bullying to the police or Netsafe.

• Be the adult. The College often finds itself in a situation where it is trying to reconcile relationships between parents/ whānau and students/ rangatahi who have taken to social media or texting to address issues of perceived bullying at school. Please consider you are the adult and need to make good choices about using technology and the online environment.

Please trust our staff to have the expertise to manage and identify when a device is being used to support learning and when it is not. At Katikati College we feel strongly that the key to developing good decision makers and future citizens is to educate our students to use digital devices and technology appropriately, (including social media). This will ensure lifelong digital capabilities and competence are developed.

The technology era our children are growing up in is full of unique challenges created by technological advances and they are different from those challenges we faced as adolescents. We need to work together to set clear boundaries and establish high expectations of students about making positive choices. It is a shared responsibility of parents/whānau and the College to develop our students’/children’s/rangatahi’s understanding of how to manage their digital footprint and be positive digital citizens.

Our College Expectations - The use of mobile devices and the internet at Katikati College

Overall this is down to teacher discretion. We want to educate our students to make the right decision as to when to use digital devices, the internet and social media as opposed to prohibiting their use.

• Students may use mobile devices before school, in between classes, interval, lunchtime and after school. However, students are expected to transition quickly and quietly between classes and not stop to use their device. When devices are being inappropriately used or used at the wrong time they will be removed and passed on to the Principal.

• Students using mobile devices must adhere to the Computer and Internet Acceptable Use Agreement conditions at all time.

• Students are NOT allowed to text, make or take phone calls in class. Accepting calls during class will not be allowed. If parents need to contact students they should do this through the student office.

• Students may use mobile devices in class for appropriate learning activities. This will be determined by individual teachers. These may include:

  • Photographing work

  • Recording work

  • Timing activities

  • Researching information

  • Using learning apps

• Listening to music and/pr wearing headphones during lessons is at the teacher’s discretion. At interval and lunchtimes students may wear headphones. They must be seated while wearing headphones.

• Consequences for misuse of a mobile device may involve the student being asked to surrender their mobile device and/or usual school behavioural responses.

Please be aware that students and parents may now be held accountable for any unacceptable use of devices, including any abusive, bullying or trolling behaviour or inappropriate actions on social media in accordance with the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015.

IMPORTANT: All mobile devices are the responsibility of the student. It is not the responsibility of the College to deal with the loss of devices. If a device is stolen this can be referred to the Community Police.

Nāku noa na

Carolyn Pentecost

PRINCIPAL