By JESSE GRAHAM
WHEN it comes to ensuring a child’s safety online, Seville Primary School’s Danielle Henderson says supervision is paramount.
“It’s about knowing what your child’s doing … but also talking to your child about exactly what they’re doing on the computer, and for what purpose,” she said.
“That communication is key as well.”
Cyber safety tips will be handed out to children and parents alike on Wednesday, 8 June, when the primary school holds a Cyber Safety Day and an evening information session for parents.
Ms Henderson said that children in Grades 4-6 would have Yarra Ranges Youth Resource Officer Leading Senior Constable Lisa Brooks teach them about how to stay safe online and about cyber-bullying.
Younger classes, meanwhile, would learn about online safety as well as safety in public.
From 7pm, Leading Sen Const Brooks will teach parents and guardians about how to identify and prevent sexting, as well as risky behaviours and responding to “red flags”.
Ms Henderson said that parents should be supervising their children when they were online and staying aware of potentially dangerous messaging apps, which she said were coming out “weekly”.
“As educators, it’s even hard for us to keep up with what’s new, what’s out, what the kids are using,” she said.
“It’s (the Cyber Safety Day) is something that our community, I feel, is crying out for as far as an information session, because it’s such a hot topic at the moment among parents.”
She said the information session was open to all parents, guardians, staff and community members.
School council president Tamna Bomford said the day would give students skills for when they might be involved in incidents, such as cyber-bullying, online.
“You hear about kids that have tried to hurt themselves … just from comments and things like that – you want to make them aware of what to do if that happens,” she said.
“A lot of the time, they’re like ‘don’t tell’ – you have to teach them that they have to tell someone.”
Ms Bomford said the school was also helping students who were having a hard time finding friends, installing a “buddy bench” and “buddy corner” – an area for students to sit when they’re lonely, and others can then come over to play with them.
The parent information session will be held at Seville Primary School on School Road, from 7pm on Wednesday, 8 June.
Entry is a gold coin donation, and tea and coffee will be provided. To book for the evening, call 5964 4557.
