Register for the free webinar, eSafety’s guide to parental controls, for parents and carers from the eSafety Commissioner.

The webinar will look at how parents and carers can set up devices and apps to help kids and young people stay safe online.

It will cover:

• the benefits and limitations of parental controls
• how to set up iOS and Android devices for safety
• how to set up popular games and apps like YouTube and Roblox for safety
• using family tech agreements and other parenting strategies to manage online risks
• how eSafety can help when things go wrong.

This webinar will include practical tips, demonstrations and advice.

To register, visit: esafety.gov.au/parents.

I have written previously about social media usage amongst Middle School students. If you read only newspaper headlines, one could be forgiven for thinking that social media is only ever used for bullying or inappropriate images; of course this is far from the truth. Every day there would be many thousands of social media interactions between our students that are benign or actually positive and affirming. Despite this, there is no denying, that they also can be used as a tool for a wide range of anti-social behaviours.

One of the more recent additions to the plethora of apps available is YOLO, which is an anonymous messaging add-on to Snapchat. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to work out how a service such as this can be used harmfully. It is worth noting that this app, along with virtually all social media apps has minimum age recommendation of 13+. Below, I have provided a link to some information about YOLO from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner, which may be helpful for parents. I have also included a link to Apple support, which provides advice to parents about how to use parental controls on your daughter’s/son’s device.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-issues/esafety-guide/yolo

https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT201304

Dr Robert Jacob

Head of Middle School

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) are warning parents not to post photos of their children on their first day of school without locking down their privacy settings.

Images with children in school uniform, their name or indicators of their location in the background can be used by offenders to build a profile and groom parents and children.

“The first day of school is one of those milestones for parents. Children in their uniform on their first day of school are treasured photos in many family albums,” Command Sirec said.

“There’s no reason why parents and carers cannot continue to take those wonderful happy snaps and post them online. However, we are urging parents and carers who are sharing those images to make sure they’re using secure privacy settings and only sharing images with people they know and trust.”

Photos posted online of their child’s first day at school can reveal a lot of personal information and travel more widely than intended.

Read the full article.

The lists of apps required by students using iPads has been updated for 2021. Teachers have identified the apps that best fit the curriculum and best support the students in their learning. These lists can be found at this link.

I remind parents that every app in the list is required, not only the free ones, and it is best to check the lists before school starts next year and load the missing ones. If you wait until the app is needed, your child may miss out on important lessons. 

Our Campion Booklists for next year are now available. Parents can purchase learning resources on-line by following the links for Berwick and Pakenham.

The Campion website has recently undergone an update whereby everyone needs to create an account before they can access the booklists. Creating an account simply involves entering an email address and selecting a password. They do not ask for any other information.

Booklist orders are to be completed online by Friday 18 December.

We have partnered with JB Education to provide Beaconhills families with easy access to great prices on a range of computer devices. This includes iPads, MacBooks and laptops by Lenovo and Microsoft.

Parents can login, using the school code BEACONHILLS2021, at https://www.jbeducation.com.au/byod/.

Also available are a range of insurance options and various covers and bags.

Parents are alerted by email when the purchases are ready for collection from their nominated JB HiFi store or during the COVID-19 pandemic, contactless delivery is available.

Brochure available: byod-parent-flyer

JB HiFI also provides a toolkit for BYOD available here addressing issues such as:

• choosing the right device
• how to use JB HiFi BYOD online
• delivery options
• warranty and insurance claims

From the office of eSafety Commissioner:

Lockdown is hard. It hurts our kids and it’s a drain on parents. The first time was tricky. There were challenges. For some, it was horrible. But most of us managed ok and got through it.

This time it’s different. The pressure is higher. The demands are greater. The children are more oppositional. The home learning stretch will be longer. There’s work stress, family stress, and stress about being stressed!

While we can’t click our fingers and make it magically disappear, there are real strategies that parents and children can rely on to not just survive, but thrive – even in a far-too-long lockdown. They’re simple ideas that you can start on right away.

Join Dr Justin Coulson, one of Australia’s most trusted parenting specialists, as he shares 4 secrets to make it through the pain of the winter COVID-19 Victorian lockdown. By the end of this FREE webinar, you’ll:

• Feel reassured, with less stress and pressure around your kids, their schooling, and life
• Have concrete strategies you can start on immediately to make your family happier
• Know how to be on the same page as your partner
• Be able to develop habits and practices that will ensure your children – and YOU – can get your daily work done, even while everyone is stuck at home

Please click on this link to register for this free webinar.

Scamwatch has seen a 55 per cent increase in reports involving loss of personal information this year compared with the same period in 2019, totalling more than 24 000 reports and over $22 million in losses.

This Scams Awareness Week, listen to our new podcast series to find out how scammers use new technology to trick you into giving away information they can use to steal your identity for their own gain and ways you can protect yourself.

See more at ACCC ScamWatch.

Apple has announced that it will close all its education portals on September 30, so the Apple Family Funded Program will no longer be available.

You have until this date to access:

• in-store, telesales and a custom on-line store with special Beaconhills College pricing.
• special prices on iPads and MacBooks as well as AppleCare+ and accessories
• special engraving on the devices.

Use this link to access the Beaconhills Apple Store.