Buzz. That's the word that comes to my mind when I think of the past week at Claremont. It has been an absolute delight to hear shrieks of happiness when the bell rang for the first time on Monday morning. Lunchtimes have been buzzing with excitement, with lots of chatter and laughter. Learning spaces have been filled with motivated learners, eager to share what they have been learning with anyone who walks past. It's been lovely to see kids walk around our school, with big smiles and with a genuine desire to connect with each other. Our school has definitely had a buzz about it.
The 5 Ways to Wellbeing
We are continuing to focus on 5 Ways to Wellbeing for our students and staff. The Royal Melbourne Hospital conducted a meta-analysis of articles from 400 researchers across the world and identified five behaviours that people can undertake to stay emotionally, socially and psychologically healthy.
- Be Active
- Be Helpful
- Keep Learning
- Be Aware
- Give
We believe that by taking responsibility for our own wellbeing, we can have a positive impact on others' wellbeing too. I encourage you to praise your child when they put these 5 Way to Wellbeing into practice, and to discuss how they feel when they try these, and how it can make others feel.
We would like to thank everyone in our school community who have rallied together to help others in need. This year has not been an easy one for so many of our families, and I would like to give a big 'shout out' to those who have reached out to others. It is heartwarming to hear of the different things people have been doing for others. Our school culture is precious, it is something we need to nurture and continually work hard to protect. There is no room for complacency when it comes to people, relationships and community. Please don't hesitate to contact wellbeing@claremont.nsw.edu.au if you need some support.
Friendships
Since returning to campus, we have been having discussions with students about the natural changes that may occur in friendships as they grow and develop. Many children have returned to notice that their friendship groups have shifted or changed. We have discussed how changes in relationships are normal and have encouraged students to continue to include others in their play, to not pressure people to play with them, and to respect people's choices of friendships. Spreading rumours, name calling and leaving people out of games are behaviours that we do not accept. Please encourage your child to chat to their teacher if they need extra support and guidance, to help to navigate their way when faced with challenging friendship situations.
Acceptable Use of Technology
As you would appreciate, technology and the internet play a major role in the life of your child. In these recent weeks with Off Campus Learning, it has proven to be an essential tool to support your child’s academic development. Whilst digital literacy is an important aspect of the 21st Century curriculum, it does come with potential challenges. The misuse of technology can have unfortunate and damaging ramifications. It is imperative that technology and the internet are accessed and used safely and respectfully.
At Claremont College, we do not support the use of many social apps and online games by the students, including Tik Tok, Instagram or Fortnite. In the school’s newsletter last term, I wrote that online chat groups often begin with the best of intentions, but experience and statistics have shown us that these groups often damage the user’s wellbeing. The guidelines on many apps state that users must be over 13 years of age, and in some cases until 15 or even 18 years of age. Whilst we acknowledge that your child may be a sensible and responsible person, they still lack the social maturity to navigate the online world independently and manage the possible risks associated with engaging with these apps and games. Please monitor your child's online usage and check what apps and accounts your child might be accessing. The School requests that your child does not participate in such online groups and apps, even if the social apps are set to ‘private’ or ‘friends only’. Screenshots can be easily made, and then distributed. Online 'privacy' is never really private. Sadly, cyberbullying and being vulnerable online is more common than many of us would like to think and could happen to any child without appropriate controls and supervision in place.
With the children returning to school, unfortunately I have had to respond to and resolve a number of safety issues. I understand that children make mistakes, and as they grow older they may be curious and experiment online. However, disrespectful and inappropriate online behaviours are distressing and damaging to self and others and have negative consequences for all. Please talk with your child about the importance of online safety and the expectation of speaking up if they notice any inappropriate use of technology. We acknowledge that this has been a challenging time with parents juggling many roles and stresses. However, we request that parents take the time to reflect on your child’s use of technology and ensure there is adequate supervision when they are online.
Your child may have spoken to you about the different ways they can choose to behave that keeps each student and our school safe. Miss McKersie and I have visited the learning spaces, focussing on the importance of positive and respectful relationships, bullying and online safety. Last year we also had performances by an external provider reiterating safe and respectful online behaviour. Your child would also be familiar with the Appropriate Use of Technology Contract they signed at the beginning of the year. This was done with the aim of educating students by developing skills in translating an expectation of being safe, being respectful and being a learner to the online environment. In my role at Claremont, as I respond to cyber safety and bullying issues, there have been times when school policy and child protection legislation requires that I inform the police of the matter. In some instances our experience is that the police must take over the matter and speak directly with the children and parents. Often small issues that could have been easily avoided by the children (simply by following school rules and expectations), quickly blow out, causing considerable upset and hurt to others. An inappropriate comment, or chat, can quickly cause reputational damage to children, and again, this could have been easily avoided, if they had made wise choices online. A student may have an excellent record of manners and good behaviour, but one misdemeanor online can quickly change this. This is how serious it is. You can refer to our policy 'Bullying - Prevention and Intervention' for a clear overview of the consequences for children's negative and inappropriate behaviour at school and on-line.
On a positive note, we have seen examples of students accessing the internet to compliment the hard work of others, to maintain and deepen friendships and positively connect during this time of crisis and isolation.
Here at Claremont College, students are encouraged to seek support for their wellbeing from their teachers. Miss McKersie is also here to offer further support counselling and to promote wellbeing. Please do not hesitate to make contact if you have any concerns or wish to seek advice on this matter. We thank you in advance for your ongoing support. Together let's continue to nurture our positive, respectful and inclusive safe school culture, and strive to build confidence in each individual with kindness, patience and encouragement.
Larissa Cameron
Deputy Principal
Follow me 
