Technology is all around us. Our girls engage with technology in their classrooms, at home and on their devices. While technology is a sign of the modern and fast paced world in which we live, it is often hard for educators and parents to keep abreast of how our girls are engaging with it. 

Of particular concern is children accessing social media and networking platforms well before they have a good understanding of how they really work. 

While our girls are bright and may be technically savvy setting up smart devices, they are certainly not cyber savvy. They are also kind and trusting of people. They do not understand that they are now engaging with, and communicating in, an adult world – one that can be fraught with pitfalls and dangers.  

For our girls, rules are set at home, at School and at the sporting clubs they attend. In most cases, if they get into some sort of trouble, usually a parent, teacher or coach can control the situation, assist in correcting it, and help in educating and guiding them through it, hopefully without any long-term consequences.  

This is the protective bubble they have been brought up in and are living in. The cyber world they are accessing is very different and has more serious consequences. To use many of these platforms, the legal age is 13 years. However, the law will look at and charge children misusing these platforms from the age of 10. 

The home-school partnership is important in guiding and educating our girls on how to safely engage in the cyber world.  

For our part, each year we educate our Years 5 and 6 girls through a range of programs and sessions with specialists in the field of cyber safety. These programs are designed to be covered in the years prior to girls having legal access to many of the social and networking platforms. We endeavour to inform and equip them to navigate digital platforms safely. 

In Term 2, our Year 5 girls will complete a comprehensive program to get their eSmart Digital Licence. This licence is obtained through the Alannah & Madeline Foundation.  

About eSmart Digital Licence+      

The Alannah & Madeline Foundation has developed a new and innovative online learning experience that builds digital intelligence in students aged 10 to 14. The program gives students the knowledge and skills they need to harness the opportunities and deal with the challenges of the digital world.  

Aligned to leading international frameworks for digital intelligence and future readiness, the Digital Licence+ offers cutting edge, evidence-based learning materials that educators can use in remote and blended learning environments. 

Susan McLean – CyberSafety Solutions 

Susan McLean, CyberSafety Solutions

Our Years 5 and 6 girls will also participate in a session with Susan McLean, from CyberSafety Solutions on 10 May.  

Susan is Australia’s foremost expert in cyber safety and was a member of Victoria Police for 27 years. Widely known as ‘cyber cop’ she was the first Victorian Police Officer appointed to a position involving cyber safety and young people.  

St Catherine’s School has a very high level of protection and restrictions on devices the girls use on campus, however this may not be the case for devices used outside of School.  

An analogy that resonates with me is that we often have tight security around our homes to control who has access to our premises, but we do not do the same for the devices our girls use. Do they really know who they are talking to when they accept a friend request? The security they have on their devices and the knowledge they should have when interacting in the cyber world needs to have the same level of safeguards to protect them. 

iT and Coffee Parent Webinar – 25 May   

For our Barbreck parents from Years 3 to 6 we have engaged Lynette Coulson from iT and Coffee for an online webinar. Her webinar looks at keeping our girls safe while on devices and helping to use device functions to control screen time, content and privacy, guided access, password control, and setting up iCloud Family. 

I recommend this to parents of girls who have phones/home devices or are thinking of purchasing one for their daughters.  

Let’s work together to ensure our girls are knowledgeable, cybersafe and skilled when using digital devices.  

Important dates