Principal's Report - Kathy Canavan
Dear Parents/Carers,
THANKYOU SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION OFFICERS
Our school is so fortunate in having such capable and caring administration officers who support our parent community, staff and learners every day. Their patience is endless.
A day for School Admin Officers was marked across the state a couple of weeks ago but we had some key members out for professional development, so our school will be marking this day next week.
The team is capably led by De Hansell (Business Manager) who is supported by Sarah Reed, Linda Richardson, Rachael Williams and Kendall Cardwell. We love the work of this team and we hope they enjoy some surprises of appreciation, next week.
CYBERBULLYING
Last week I provided some resources on the topic of bullying given our school's marking of National Say No to Bullying Day." This week, my focus is on Cyberbullying. The school does on occasion spend time dealing with matters reported to us by parents/carers, where they believe their child has not been treated well online. Parents/carers play a very important role in keeping their children and the children of others safe. Therefore,
- Use guidelines from the government around whether certain apps and websites are age appropriate and follow their advice.
- Monitor carefully any "chats" in which your child is involved.
- Expect your child may have multiple accounts so you don't see what they and their friends are really chatting about.
- Trusting that your children can make decisions themselves online is a big call. Leaving primary aged children unsupervised in an online environment can be as dangerous as giving them the keys to your car.
Keeping your child safe online
The online world is constantly changing—and it can be hard to know how to keep your child safe online.
Parents who understand online safety are better prepared to guide their children in managing digital conflicts. This has been shown to reduce cyberbullying by up to 20%.
Source: eSafety Commissioner, Australia, 2023
You play a key role in helping your child stay safe and confident online. Here are some practical things you can do:
- UseParental controls External link—use tools for online monitoring.
- Walk the talk—set reasonable screen time boundaries External link and prioritise device-free moments for the whole family (even for yourself).
- Talk about it—start non-judgmental conversations (PDF, 1.76MB) External link with your child about their online activities to build trust.
- Setfamily rules External link—involve your child in setting age-appropriate rules. Display them for the family to access and stick to them consistently.
- Learn about online safety—stay informed about online trends. Teach your child about privacy, risks of sharing personal info and respectful online behaviour External link.
Visit the eSafety Commissioner's website External link for trusted, up-to-date information and resources for families.
Supporting your child when things go wrong online
Keeping children safe online can be a challenge. Even with your best efforts, negative experiences, such as cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content or unwanted contact, can still occur.
Here are some steps you can take when things go wrong online for your child:
- Listen and support External link—create a safe space for your child to share their feelings. Actively listen without judgement, providing emotional support to build trust.
- Collect evidence External link—seek professional help immediately if your child is at risk. Gather evidence such as the usernames of the accounts and URLs of the profiles used to target your child, and the times and dates the content was sent or shared. This information can be used for reporting.
- Report External link and block—use online platforms' reporting features to address inappropriate behaviour. Guide your child through reporting and blocking users involved in online bullying.
- Contact your child's school—share concerns with your child's teachers or school administrators. Schools have processes to address online issues that involve other students.
- Seek professional help for your child—consider support services like eSafety External link, headspace External link, Kids Helpline External link and Parentline External link for additional assistance.
If you need someone to talk to or are looking for advice to support your child, services like Parentline External link or the Raising Children Network External link are available to help.
My child is doing the bullying
It can be confronting and upsetting to learn your child may be involved in bullying. But staying calm and approaching the situation with curiosity rather than anger can help your child feel safe enough to open up and reflect on their behaviour.
Getting professional advice can make a big difference
Parentline External link offers support and practical guidance on how to respond, what to say, and how to work through it together.
Steps you can take to help:
- Stay calm—a calm, curious approach builds trust and helps your child feel safe.
- Ask gentle questions—use open, non-judgmental questions like, 'What was going on for you when that happened?' to better understand your child's perspective.
- Prioritise connection—how that you're there to support them. Kids are more likely to change when they feel heard.
- Avoid rushing to punish—focus on understanding the underlying reasons behind your child's actions, rather than immediately punishing.
- Encourage empathy—help your child consider how their behaviour affects others.
- Collaborate with the school—work proactively with teachers, reach out to the support staff in your child's school or connect with the Parent Navigator service.
- Model respectful behaviour—demonstrate positive interactions at home and discuss respectful ways to manage conflict.
- Seek external support—consider support services such as Parentline for additional guidance.
- Listen—listen to your child, let them share what's happened, how they feel and what help they need.
- Check in—check in with your child regularly about how things are going, and taking further action such as following up with the school again if necessary.
Support for parents and carers
Knowing what to do if your child is involved in bullying behaviours can be challenging and emotional, but you are not alone, and there are steps you can take.
You can:
- reach out to your school. There are a range of support staff in schools who can help
- call Parentline External link on 1300 30 1300 (available from 6am to midnight, 7 days) for free and confidential support.
Parentline provides free and confidential support and for a range of parenting concerns, including bullying.
As part of the Parentline service, Parent Navigator provides free service for parents seeking support in working with their child's school about bullying behaviour concerns. Find out more about Parent Navigator.
Additional resources:
- Bullying No Way External link—is a resource that can help you understand the definition of bullying and the role of parents as well as practical tips for families around working with schools.
- Raising Children Network External link—provides evidence-based resources to help parents understand, prevent, and respond to bullying at school and online.
- Managing conflict and recognising bullying in the Early Years External link—is a guide focused on young children and offers strategies to promote positive behaviour and resolve issues early.
Support for children and young people
If your child is experiencing bullying or struggling with their mental health, these services offer free and confidential support.
Kids Helpline
24/7 free, confidential counselling for young people aged 5–25.
Call 1800 55 1800
Chat online External link
Website: kidshelpline.com.au External link
Headspace
Mental health support for young people aged 12–25.
Call 1800 650 890
Chat or email online External link
Website: headspace.org.au
Where appropriate, schools can report to Queensland Police and the e-safety commission when there is evidence of children behaving unsafely online.
Have a good week,
Kathy
Kathy