Year 7

Important Dates

Term 3 finishes – Thursday 24 September
Term 4 commences – Monday 12 October
Term 4, Week 3 – Examination Block

It has been an exceptionally busy term, and we thank all families for their support and encouragement throughout. We wish you a wonderful break and hope that there can be some well-earned relaxation and time with family.

Best wishes and we look forward to the start of Term 4.

Inappropriate Content Online

A message from Brett Lee, Co-founder of InternetSafeEducation.com

Inappropriate content can reach young people through many different platforms. We need to remain active and vigilant in monitoring what young people are exposed to in their online world, which is very much their real world. Inappropriate content can reach students on any platform, including but not limited to websites, social media sites or video content sharing sites.  Common sites used by children include: Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and YouTube for Kids. It is especially important that parents and carers now need to be especially vigilant. If you do come across any inappropriate content, report and flag immediately. Advice is to report to the platform (eg TikTok) and to the eSafety Commission. Consider using monitoring software to manage time online, apps being accessed and to also filter inappropriate websites. Finally – and most importantly – make sure to talk to the children in your care about the things they are doing online. Communication is by far the best defence against these modern trends of inappropriate content sharing. Create an environment of openness about technology and discuss it regularly.

The eSafety commission has developed a series of tips for parents to help limit young people’s exposure to harmful content online:

  • Engage in your child’s online activities – ask what apps, sites and games they’re using and make sure they’re age appropriate
  • Use parental controls on devices to help limit what your child is exposed to
  • Help them report and block upsetting content they see on social media sites or apps
  • Let them know they can come to you about anything upsetting they see online

Head to esafety.gov.au to find out the latest advice on apps, social media and online safety issues

Lastly, you have a right to manage technology at home, which includes temporarily removing access – ‘Your house, your rules’.

Parental resources on the eSafety Commissioner website:
https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-issues
https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents

Netflix Documentary – The Social Dilemma

With students in Secondary School being more infatuated than ever with social media and peer approval on a much larger scale than in years past, it is not a surprise that we might have come to be in this situation due to the very platforms used daily in society. While these platforms may have had extremely positive intent from the outset in the early 2000s and 2010s, we are finding the various impacts of these platforms and devices to be quite confronting more each day. 

Netflix has put out a new documentary titled, The Social Dilemma, with fascinating interviews from the creators and top executives themselves speaking about their various creations, the research that was conducted to build these companies and the moral debate around whether these platforms are doing more harm than good.  

This documentary was brought to my attention by a parent in our community. While it is rated PG-13, it may not be appropriate for students at this age as the topics are quite heavy. I am, however, including it in Note Day as a suggestion for all parents and carers to watch over this term break as it is educational, thought-provoking, confronting and empowering. It brings to light many areas of concern around social media.

Pastoral Program

With the end of term fast approaching, students should take the time these holidays to reflect on what is ahead in the last term.

  • Do you have exams?
  • Should you be making some study notes?
  • Are there areas of difficulty you should address?
  • What do you want to achieve both academically and personally?

Set some goals!

The focus of our program for the remainder of this term and into Term 4 will be on the Prue Salter Study Skills, namely, how to study for tests and examinations.

www.studyskillshandbook.com.au, Username: redlands, password: 68results

Parental resource: https://headspace.org.au/young-people/how-to-reduce-stress-and-prepare-for-exams/

Ms Lisa Vale
Yr 7 Advisor
9968 9837
lvale@redlands.nsw.edu.au