We live in interesting times! When you work in a school you see the best and the worst of our young people. Fortunately, at St Joseph’s, we see the best more often than the other.  I never cease to be amazed by the challenges that some of our young people face. Last week the media has reported on fights that have been filmed and shown online. Consider the significant lack of respect that this demonstrates for the rights of others. There are reports in the media of bullying in the workplace by adults and the effects that this has on adults. When we think about the impact bullying has on young people whose experiences during adolescence can be difficult, then we have to act to protect our young and vulnerable citizens.

The Catholic Education Office recently launched their Social Media Policy. Click here to access. This policy applies to staff, students and parents. Social media is a wonderful tool however it is one of the biggest distractors for our young people. Mr Dribbus, our Learning Technologies Coordinator, did a random sample of students and checked their screen time. One student had spent over thirty hours on Snapchat in a week, with an average of over six hours per day.  Youth is a time when learning takes place, however, I am not sure how six hours a day on Snapchat improves your learning or gives you a skill.

Could that time be put to learning a musical instrument or writing a novel, or even volunteering somewhere where we know we could make a difference? Have you discussed the way on-line time is used in your own family? Do you review what the family is doing when they have technology in their grasp? Does it reflect how you want to live your lives?  Do your actions and ideas match? Being respectful on social media is becoming even more important in today’s society.

When we look at the news, there are not many good news stories. It often portrays the worst of humanity, with bullying, arguing, fighting and fear-driven actions. Our connections with each other should bring joy not despair, no matter how we are connected.  Parents are asked to be respectful and model positive behaviours. I would ask that parents be aware that taking and posting photos of other students during school events, without the express permission of their parents, can cause issues and to be respectful of this situation.

Congratulations to our students for their participation in the Cross Country carnival and to Mrs Linsley and Mrs Garbutt for their organisation. Also congratulations to our Oz Tag students. Check out the Facebook post for all the details of the event.

We closed this week with our Easter Liturgies.  Thank you to Miss Madaschi for organising this reverent occasion.  I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of the St Joseph's community a Happy and Holy Easter.