KEEPING MRS. PATERSON IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

Mrs. Paterson would like to thank everyone in the St Ita’s community who have offered their prayers, kind words, flowers and support as they work through this very tough and emotional time of loss for her family. We ask that you continue to keep Helen and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

CLASS STRUCTURES FOR 2023

The class structure for the 2023 school year will be as follows:

• 3 x Foundation
• 3 x Grade 1
• 3 x Grade 2
• 5 x Grade 3-4
• 4 x Grade 5-6

FAREWELL FATHER PETER

On Tuesday we had the opportunity to celebrate Mass with Fr. Peter for the final time as a school. On behalf of everyone in the St Ita’s community, I would like to say thank you and farewell to Fr. Peter Slater as he enters retirement and his new home at Pakenham.

Father has been a tremendous support to our school community, the Parish and the Sale Diocese. He is a man of immense faith who always showed wisdom and compassion and will be sadly missed by everyone within the Parish community.

On Friday afternoon, I will be attending his farewell luncheon with other Principals from the from the area, where we will present him with a farewell gift from the Parish schools.

 MONITORING YOUR CHILD'S MEDIA USE

Kids have easy access to hundreds of TV shows and millions of Internet sites. They can buy or download countless video games and apps. They can stream movies on many devices and watch YouTube, Facebook, Instagram or TikTok videos at the swipe of a finger. And they can interact socially online with friends and strangers using social media platforms. There's a lot of media out there, and some of it might not be appropriate for your kids, depending on their age and maturity level.

The best way to monitor media that kids use is to experience the media yourself. Test apps and play games before your kids use them. View and play apps and games together. And watch what they watch so you can talk about what they see on their screens. You know your kids best, so you're the best judge of what they can handle.

Some families might choose to monitor more closely and control the media their kids watch, play, and use. There are many ways to do this.

INTERNET ACTIVITY

Some parents might choose to spot-check their kids’ devices every once in a while. Others might want to filter their kids' Internet use by setting up iOS and Android profiles for them on all the online devices they use (smartphones, tablets, and computers). This lets a parent restrict apps and games that kids can download and play, and websites they can visit. Parents also can set time limits on Internet use.

Most big email providers, such as Google and Yahoo, let parents create child email accounts for younger kids. These accounts can forward all emails to a parent to monitor contacts and communications. Kids must be at least 13 before they can have Google or Yahoo account of their own.

Social media sites usually require kids to be at least 13 before they can have their own accounts. To keep an eye on a child's social media activity, parents can set up accounts of their own and check their child's pages and activity for themselves. Many parents also insist on knowing the passwords to their kids' accounts, although some parents may consider this an invasion of privacy.

Programs and apps are available that can monitor kids’ social media accounts and alert parents to any inappropriate language or photos. Some can give detailed reports of a child's browsing history and how long the child was online and on each site. Consider your child’s age and digital behaviour when deciding whether to monitor devices. Then, if you choose to monitor, talk to them about it and explain why it's important.

No amount of monitoring can protect kids from everything. And kids can often figure out how to get around parental controls. So it’s best to encourage your child to be a responsible Internet user by being a good role model and talking to your kids about online safety.

If any problems — such as cyberbullying or sexting — come up, use them as teaching moments to help kids understand the importance of protecting themselves and their reputation online.

VIDEO GAME AND APP RATINGS

Some apps and almost all video games available for purchase (through retail channels or by downloading) are rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). The ESRB has 7 rating categories:

• E (for Everyone): content is generally suitable for all ages. May contain minimal cartoon, fantasy, or mild violence; and/or infrequent use of mild language.
• E-10+ (for Everyone 10+): content is generally suitable for ages 10 and up. May contain more cartoon, fantasy, or mild violence; mild language; and/or minimal suggestive themes.
• T (for Teen): content is generally suitable for ages 13 and up. May contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humour, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language.
• M (for Mature): content is generally suitable for ages 17 and up. May contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, and/or strong language.
• AO (for Adult Only): content suitable only for adults ages 18 and up. May include prolonged scenes of intense violence, graphic sexual content, and/or gambling with real currency.
• RP (for Rating Pending): not yet assigned a final ESRB rating. This appears only in advertising, marketing, and promotional materials related to a physical (e.g., boxed) video game that is expected to carry an ESRB rating, and should be replaced by the game's rating after it is assigned.
• RP likely mature 17+: not yet assigned a final ESRB rating. Similar to RP, but anticipated to be rated Mature 17+.

The ESRB also has a long list of content descriptors to help explain why a game or app got the rating it did. Examples include things like nudity, blood, strong language, use of alcohol, and use of drugs.

Different companies that create mobile software (such as Apple, Google, or Samsung) have their own rating systems for apps that are based on age. These might differ from country to country.