Today marks the annual Safer Internet Day for 2022. This year the focus is firmly placed on Respect and Relationships online, specifically how to act when online. In all classes today we will have assembly and activities based on this theme and we will work the rest of the week on the topic. From class discussions we have found out that some children are very aware of the dangers faced online. We hope to instill in the children a solid foundation, which enables them to know how to act online to protect themselves and others. Sometimes children do need a reminder that anything that is written or posted online leaves a little digital footprint behind.
Included also are some parent guides that we really do encourage you to read carefully and to make educated decisions on whether or not your child(ren) should actually be using these applications / websites unsupervised, or if at all. In school we are aware that some children are playing games that are not age appropriate. It is important to remember that age limits are there for a reason. If your child is constantly subjected to aggression, inappropriate material etc it becomes normalised in their developing brains. All parents want the best for their children and it is important that games are monitored, they may look like cartoons but have you actually watched the missions that children are asked to do and looked behind the advertising to the messages that are being highlighted to young impressionable children. Do stick within the age guidance and explain to your child the reasons why. These guides are provided by the National Online Safety forum and many more of these guides are available, for free, for parents and educators. (These images can be saved and then zoomed to read more.)
