Newsletter 22nd February 2013 - Emerald Secondary College

1. Respect others. Make kids
aware that what they send can offend.
Discuss with kids the types of messages
and images that can cause harm to others
when sent. Teenagers often walk a fine
line with what they do and say to each
other offline, yet it’s relatively harmless.
The same type of behaviour online,
however can be a different story, as they
are very public.
2. Think before you send.
Remind kids cyberspace is a very public
and permanent form. A text message
or image sent to just one person can be
passed to a potentially unlimited number.
Once they are sent they’re almost
impossible to erase and take back.
3. Treat online passwords like
your house key. Teach kids to keep
passwords guarded at all times. Young
people can be incredibly trusting of
each other, which is to be encouraged.
However, there are some things, such as
online passwords that they don’t share,
not even with their best friend.
4. Block bullies. Teach kids to
block bullying messages. They can
filter out messages and addresses online.
Similarly, they block text messages from
bullies as well.
5. Don’t reply to harassment.
Bullies can retain proof of your response,
which can further be spread around.
Besides responding to bullying behaviour
often simply encourages the bully to
continue.
6. Save the evidence. If kids are
bullied they should keep the pictures and
offending messages. They can be used as
proof that bullying has occurred.
7. Tell someone. The insidious
part of bullying is that kids on the
receiving end often don’t seek help,
as they think there’s something wrong
with them. Talk with kids about going
to a trusted adult, when they feel their
rights or safety have been violated. They
should, with your help, report online
bullying to the appropriate service
provider.
Sticking the proverbial head in the sand
regarding kid’s use of communications
technology is no longer an option for
parents. Savvy parents need to learn as
much as they can about children’s and
young people’s online lives so they can
respond to situations appropriately.
Student Accident:
I remind parents that neither the school
nor Department have accident insurance
in case of a student being injured at
school. There are a range of companies
that provide accident insurance and
parents who are considering this option
need to check carefully to ensure that it
meets their needs.
Grounds/Yard Supervision:
Staff supervision does not officially start
until 8.20am and finishes at 3.45pm
although there is a staff member rostered
on bus duty until 4.00pm. Parents who
have students arrive at school prior to
8.20am need to be aware that there is
no one on official supervision until this
time. There are staff at school prior to
this time but they are not “on duty”.
Afternoon supervision finishes when the
final bus departs.
Wayne Burgess Principal
Junior School Report :
Yr 7:
We would like to welcome our new Yr 7 students to the
Junior School at ESC. So far, staff have been impressed
by the way these students have adapted to Secondary
School life and we are very proud of the way they have
conducted themselves.
Yr. 7 students will enjoy a day of activities at Cardinia
Lake on March 22nd. This day is designed to help
students further develop their connections with their
peers and their Home Group teachers. Excursion
paperwork was given to students earlier in the week.
Yr. 7 have also met their Peer Support Leaders and
have participated in activities organised by these Yr 10
students. We look forward to getting to know our Yr 7s
more over the year.
Year 8:
A big thanks to the Yr 8 students who helped out on our
First Day Conferences. These students were prepared
to give up their own time and they all fulfilled their role
well. Thank you to: Tyler Jarrett, Ben Tohill, Lara
Chaloner, Jacynta Howden, Kai Fallon, Hamish
Burnie, Sarah Marotta and Daniel Edwards.
Yr 9:
Our Yr 9 student are lucky enough to be the first
group to experience our new program, ‘Connect’. This
program runs on Wednesdays and throughout the year
students will be exposed to a variety of sessions that are
aimed at enriching their schooling and providing them
with valuable life-skills. Students will also be able to
experience a variety of teaching approaches.
Contacting the school:
A big thank you to all of the parents who attended the
First Day Conferences. A reminder that parents should
contact their child’s Home Group teacher if they have
any concerns that need to be discussed.
Year Level Coordinator’s for the Junior School are:
Yr 7 - Marion Donders
Yr 8 - Catherine Kirby
Yr 9 - Minna Kanoa
Junior School Leader- Laura Mitchell
We are looking forward to a great year with our Junior
School students.
Junior School Team.
CHANGED UNIFORM SHOP HOURS:
From Friday 1st March, the Uniform Shop will be open from 8.15am to 8.45am, however Sue will
not be available from Friday 22/3 until the start of term 2 when she will resume again on Fridays at
8.15am - 8.45am. If this time is not suitable please phone Sue Cambridge 5968-4515 to make alternate
arrangements.