eSmart

eSmart is a long-term change program designed to educate, track, monitor and prevent bullying and cyber bullying. eSmart Schools is tailor-made for schools and designed to effect change in that specific environment. https://www.esmart.org.au/for-parents

Also see: Parent and carer education programs at Westgarth.

Social media age restrictions

The Australian Government is protecting young Australians at a critical stage of their development, through world-first social media age restrictions. These restrictions are now in effect.

It is eSafety's view that Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X, YouTube, Kick and Reddit are age-restricted platforms, among others. This list may change in the future. No children under the age of 16 should be using these platforms. Find the latest details about which platforms are age-restricted.

The social media age restrictions aim to protect young Australians from pressures and risks that users can be exposed to while logged into social media accounts. These come from design features that encourage them to spend more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing.

Victoria Police at Westgarth

We have a strong connection with Victoria Police, who work with our Years 3-6 students to present information from the https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/ resource package. This covers several elements to remember to be responsible digital citizens when using online environments:

RESPECT others online
THINK before you post or send anything
STAND UP to cyber bullying that you witness
REPORT anything that scares you or makes you feel uncomfortable

Gaming

Gaming has become incredibly advanced over recent years. PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo and mobile game developers produce more realistic graphics than ever and now offer online connectivity like we have never seen before.

As a parent, it’s important to know that when your child subscribes to an online service for gaming, such as PlayStation Network (PSN) and Xbox Live, or engages in online games such as Roblox and Fortnite, then they are almost certainly going to experience some form of online interaction with other people. This can be through messaging applications preinstalled on the console or game, or via voice chats.

It is a good idea to always have gaming devices that are connected to Wi-Fi in a visible place in the home, such as a family room. Be sure to always check in on what games your child is playing!

You can check what games have been downloaded onto your child’s gaming device by checking the email that is connected to the subscription. If something doesn’t look right, be sure to question it!

The eSafety Commissioner website has information regarding specific games and applications, including Roblox and Fortnite. Please click here to view information on a complete list of popular games and applciations.

At Westgarth PS we recommend that you have open and honest conversations with your child about their use of digital technologies. This may require you to take time and play games with your child and get a feel for whether they are appropriate or not. Always remember that all devices should be used by your child in a shared area of the house in order for you to monitor the applications and games that they are using.

Computer health checks

Computer viruses are certainly not fun. They can install and wipe files onto your computer and even attempt to steal your personal information. There are a few actions that you can take if you suspect that your computer or tablet device requires a health check-up:

Disconnect from the Internet immediately (turn off your modem if you must!)
Ensure that your anti-virus software is up to date. Providing it is; run a scan using the software. If an item pops up that looks suspicious, take it straight to the computer repair shop.
Be sure not to open any spam texts or emails.
For iOS devices, ensure that any software updates are completed

Referencing and plagiarism

Using information or words from another author or AI, without making it clear where you got them from, is a form of cheating. When you use ideas from a website in your work, you should always include the web address, the date you accessed the information, and the author’s name (if possible).

Identifying credible sources online

There are stacks of useful and fun things on the web - but remember that nearly anyone can put nearly anything on a website and call it fact - so it pays to think about who’s written the information you’re reading, and why they’ve written it. Here are some useful tips for when students are researching information on the Internet:

Firstly, have a look at the domain of the website – sites that are associated with government (.gov or .gov.au) or education facilities (.edu or .edu.au) are generally reliable.
Remember to use a bit more caution with websites that are .org, .org.au, .com, or .com.au – or those that have a person’s name in the web address.
Find the clues within the site that may give you an indication as to whether you can trust the content.
It’s a good idea to look at the ‘About Us’ section of the website (if there is one). It’s usually a good indication of what interests, bias or attitudes the site’s authors have.

Generally, if the person or organisation who has written the website is credible in the real world, you can have some trust in the information they’ve put in the web. If you’re not sure it’s reliable, it’s probably best not to use it for schoolwork or rely on it too heavily.

Block explicit results on Google

You can filter explicit search results on Google using the SafeSearch setting. SafeSearch is not 100% accurate, but it helps you and your child to avoid explicit content. You can use SafeSearch as a parental control to help protect children from inappropriate search results on mobile phones, tablets and computer. Follow these three easy-to-follow steps to turn SafeSearch on your child's devices.

Guided Access for iOS Devices

Did you know that you can temporarily restrict an iPad or iPhone to a specific app? This is called Guided Access mode and is particularly useful in setting tasks for your child without the concern of them detouring onto web-based or non-educational games. Please note that it is essential that children are always supervised when using technology, even when Guided Access is activated. To learn how to set up Guided Access on your iOS device visit https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT202612