From the Head of Junior School

ySafe - The Importance of Protecting Yourself Online

The digital world can seem like a very foreign place to some parents. Our children may look like they are playing an innocent game with their friends online but are they safe? We cannot always be aware of who they are actually playing with but we can teach them how to protect themselves online.

Jordan Foster is a psychologist and director at ySafe, a Perth based cyber safety company which aims to give skills and knowledge to parents over the dangers that the internet presents. She has visited the Junior School boys and parents over the last two years to help them learn to stay safe when they are online.

Jordan believes that children can only be empowered online if they know they need to be empowered. She spent five sessions with the Junior School students to give them some tips and tools to help stay safe when they are online.

Her key message to the boys was; how do you know who you are speaking to online if you can't see and hear them?

Her tips for being an amazing digital citizen:

Don't talk to strangers on the internet. Although there are awesome people on the internet, not everyone is safe to talk to. Don't chat to people online that Mum and Dad have not given you permission to talk to.
Never give out our personal information this includes; name, address, school, age passwords, email address and phone numbers.
Never give out false information in a chat room, getting off the game is safer than tricking or giving false information.
Before you post a picture or a comment online, think first of the four P's – Parents, Principal, Police and Perfect Strangers. If even one of these groups would not approve of the picture or post, don't post it.

Jordan will be visiting boys and parents on Wednesday 13 March next year where she will share more strategies for staying safe online. Her talk to parents will include:

Sharing the major media platforms that children/teens are using
How to manage cyber bullying
Current cyber safety risks
Strategies for safe online behaviour
How to set up a cyber safe home

Mr John Stewart
Head of Junior School