Welcome to Term 2! I trust that everyone had a good break over Easter and could spend time with loved ones and friends. It was great to see the girls return full of energy to what is shaping up as a busy term. From the stories the girls have told me, they were engaged in lots of activities and much fun and excitement were had by all! It is wonderful to have them back and eager to start the term.

This term you will see a few new faces in the Junior School. Mr Michael Day is teaching Year 6 for Ms Sandra Ching and Mr Marcus Sharp is teaching French for Monsieur Andrew Gold while they are both on long service leave for Term 2. Both gentlemen are excited to be working at Barbreck.

Ms Diana Fatouros is a new addition to our Learning Plus Department. Diana is a qualified and experienced educational assistant who will be working with small groups of girls under the guidance of Mrs Elka Gaensler, Head of Learning Plus. An additional person in this Department ensures the individual learning programs for our Barbreck girls continue to be delivered at a high standard and achieve great outcomes.

Sisters

One of the great things we see in a school such as ours is the special bond between sisters. In Barbreck, we are lucky to have so many sets of sisters who care for and look after each other. Each morning when I am at the School Gate welcoming our girls, I see sisters walking together, often holding hands, as they make their way to Barbreck. There are also big sisters from the Senior School who show they care by making sure their little sisters make it into School.  While I know they may not always be loving towards each other all of the time, the bond between them is very evident at School.

Social Media and Cyber-Safety

The Internet and mobile phone technology mean our girls have greater access to people and information than any other generation. Their skills are developing at faster rates and at earlier ages with each passing year, and for many, their skill level may surpass those of their parents.

Children are curious about what they see and read, and the accessibility to the internet means that finding out about things is only a few clicks away. Children also want to engage in activities they see other older children and teenagers doing like creating and responding to posts on social media such as TikTok, YouTube Facebook, and Twitter. However, their cognitive, social and emotional development is not at a level where they can foresee the risks, understand the consequences, or deal with the information, responses, or graphics they may access or receive in return.

“Our children are at a dynamic stage of development in which risk-taking behaviours and emerging decision-making can lead to negative outcomes” (Viner, 2005). These situations can place a child or young person’s emotional and physical wellbeing at risk.

While young and still in the development stage of their lives, it is important we protect them from accessing inappropriate content and graphics, communicating with people they do not know, engaging in activities they do not fully understand, and accessing sites that might prove costly. Our Years 5 and 6 students participate in the eSmart Digital Licence by the Alannah & Madeline Foundation. Click to learn more about eSmart.

Children posting on social networks are engaging in an adult world that is subject to adult laws. This is something that they are not mature enough to fully understand. To this point in their lives, their world has been guided, supported, and controlled by their parents and the schools that attend. If they got into difficulties it was their parents or the school that sort out the issue. They do not realise that what they might post on social media is in an adult world and subject to real-world laws.

Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube specify that users must be at least 13 years of age.

As parents, we invest much time, care, and attention into our children to make sure they are happy, healthy, attend good schools, and above all else, they are safe! Susan McLean from CyberSafety Solutions states that issues associated with cyber technology ‘are emerging as the number one issue confronting the safety and wellbeing of young people.’ As such, parents can find Practical Tips to help children use the internet at click here.

On Thursday 19 May, Susan McLean from CyberSafety Solutions will be talking to our Year 6 girls about cyber safety.

Important Term Dates

The Barbreck staff and I look forward to another happy and full term of face-to-face teaching and working in partnership with our Barbreck parents.

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Out of School Hours Care – Term 2 Week 2 Activities

Upcoming activities for Term 2 Week 2 are detailed here.

St Catherine’s School offers an Out of School Hours Care program to all ELC and Junior School families. The program is implemented by our provider ‘After the Bell’ and operates within the ELC building. Parents are reminded that if you need to use the Before School Care or After School Care service, registrations need to be made in advance with ‘After the Bell’. Please allow up to five business days for your registration to be processed before your child can begin attending the program. Registration is free. All families are encouraged to register so that they can use this service in the event that you are unable to pick up your child.

Before School Care – 7.00am to 8.45am

After School Care – 3.00pm to 6.00pm

Registrations can be completed via the ‘After the Bell’ website.

Please phone 9758 6744 for all inquiries.