National Child Safety Week

National Child Protection Week (4-10 September 2022) is an annual event starting on the first Sunday of September. This year’s theme ‘Every child, in every community, needs a fair go’ aims to spread the message that to treat all of Australia’s children fairly, we need to make sure every family and community has what kids need to grow up safe and supported. We are very proud of our students who were awarded winning designs for the DOSCEL Child Safety Competition. You can find the entries on the DOSCEL website and our School website. A great resource to share with your children.

Braveheart’s Day Friday 9th September - Wear the colour purple! All students are invited to wear the colour purple with their school uniform on Bravehearts Day Friday 9th September. Teachers will utilise the Bravehearts resources developed to teach young children personal safety skills. Bravehearts is an Australian child protection not for profit organisation, solely dedicated to the prevention and treatment of child sexual abuse. Bravehearts Day is our key awareness day. Join in the fun and wear a splash of purple- socks, ribbons, tshirts, hair ties, beanies, caps, …. Students in Years 5 & 6 due to Lightning Prem event on Friday 9/8 will participate in Bravehearts Day on Thursday 8th September.

The Daniel Morcombe Foundation is producing two editions of Australia’s Biggest Child Safety Lesson, suitable for children aged 4 to 12. It will teach children key personal safety concepts in a fun and interactive way. Two brand new video resources will be livestreamed, bringing children together to learn important safety messages in National Child Protection Week. Please refer to the email sent out via PAM email to families outlining this event, its content and the invitation for parents to visit classrooms during the livestream.

To highlight National Child Protection Week, we also draw your attention to this edition of SchoolTV – CYBERBULLYING. With the advent of the internet, smart phones and tablets, there is now a whole new digital dimension added to traditional schoolyard bullying. There was once a time when bullying victims were given some respite outside of school hours, but sadly these days, online bullying can occur 24/7.

In today’s world, teaching your child about online and cyber safety, is as important as learning to swim or cross the road! In this edition of SchoolTV, parents are provided with useful guidelines and advice on how to minimise the risks. Children have the right to feel safe, regardless of whether it is in the schoolyard or online. Here is the link to the Cyberbullying edition of SchoolTV

https://marymacnarre.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/cyber-bullying