“Let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works.” Hebrews 10:24-25
Dear families and friends of St Edmund’s College,
Last week was one of those rare occasions where all of us were witnesses to a significant moment in history with the passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and the transition to King Charles III. Regardless of how we feel about the monarchy and its relationship to Australia, most of us could not help but be saddened at this event and look back with astonishment and admiration at the Queen’s life of great service. I would like to share with you this statement from Archbishop Timothy Costelloe Sdb, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.
“The death of Queen Elizabeth II, after a long reign marked by extraordinary constancy, fidelity, courage, and service, will bring great sadness to many people in Australia, including members of the Catholic community. As the Queen enters into the great mystery of eternal life with the Lord, we will pray for the repose of her soul and the support and comfort of her family, her nation, and the wider community of the Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth was never reticent about acknowledging her Christian faith. Her annual Christmas message invariably focused on Jesus Christ as a model of humble and generous service. It was a model she strived to emulate throughout her long life. May she rest in peace.”
Mobile phones
In an article in the Sydney Morning Herald (dated 14 August), journalist Lucy Carroll quotes child psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg who says restricting phones in secondary schools is critical to cut distraction, deal with rising cyberbullying and help students catch up academically after months of isolation.
In the article, Finnish education expert Pasi Sahlberg has urged caution, however, in implementing outright restrictions. “I am sceptical about a system-wide ban because it undermines the benefits that technology brings to learning, health, and safety, and more importantly, it reduces the necessity in schools to learn, safe, responsible, and healthy use, living with digital media and technologies.”
At St Edmund’s College, we are aware that parents and carers have given their children mobile phones to protect them from everyday risks involving personal safety and security. Our guidelines aim to educate our young men about how to monitor and manage their phone use, to ensure they are fully engaged in their learning in the classroom and maintaining good social connections during break times.
For students in Years 7-12, mobile phones are allowed before and after school, at recess and lunch. Mobile phones are not permitted to be used or seen during class time or in any meetings or gatherings. At times mobile phones will be used in class for an educational purpose, but this will be at the explicit and direct instruction of the class teacher.
In Junior School, mobile phones are not to be used at all during the school day, including recess and lunch.
Learning how to manage the use of phones is an opportunity for our students to develop self-discipline and self-control. We often use our pastoral / formation sessions and house meetings to explore the consequences of misuse of technologies and help our young people understand that phones can be both a powerful tool and how their misuse can cause harm to themselves and others.
At home, we encourage families to have a charging station where phones and other technologies are docked each evening. This has the benefit of allowing adolescents and young adults the opportunity for uninterrupted sleep, which we know is essential and eliminates the chance of distraction.
Police warning about technology
In recognition of Safeguarding Sunday, which was celebrated last week, I bring to your attention the warning from the Australian Federal Police and police forces across all Australian jurisdictions about a worrying online sextortion trend targeting young Australians.
Investigators are warning that overseas offenders are increasingly preying on Australian children, particularly teenage males, coercing them into producing explicit images and then extorting them for money. Sextortion is a crime that can involve child victims being manipulated by online offenders into sending sexualised images, often through the offender pretending to be another young person. An offender will then threaten to share the content with others unless their demands are met. These demands include more images, sexual favours, and money.
Authorities globally are seeing a significant increase in offshore criminal syndicates targeting teenagers. Investigators hope highlighting the trend will encourage children who have become victims to seek help and report the crime to the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child
Some of the AFP’s tips to keep children safe include having the privacy settings of their social media accounts set to ‘friends only’ or ‘private’ and turning off any location settings that could show where they go to school or where they live. Parents should also encourage children not to share any personal information with ‘friends’ they meet online. There are further details at this link.
Acknowledgements
- Congratulations to the First XI Football team and their coach old boy Ben Nicoletti (Class of 2020) for their grand final victory last Saturday.
- Congratulations to Seth Marsden (Year 7, Treacy) for winning his class at the 2022 Victorian State Junior Motocross Titles. The titles are a four-round series held throughout the year.
- Congratulations to the following basketball teams for their grand final wins last weekend: U14s Div 2, U16s Div 2, U16s Div 3, U19s Div 3, U19s Div 4B, U19s Div 6. Many thanks to the coaches of all our basketball teams and the Head of Basketball, Mr Joel Richardson, for their work this year.
- The musical, Little Shop of Horrors, had got off to a tremendous start with a great deal of positive feedback and compliments. I will write more about the musical next week as I am seeing it this week.
Prayer for Safeguarding Sunday
(www.catholic.org.au/safeguarding-Sunday)
Gracious God,
You love and care for all your children,
especially the smallest and most vulnerable.
We entrust to you the lives of children and adults at risk
who have been sexually abused
and whose trust and innocent have been destroyed.
Help us to hear their cries of pain
and to take responsibility for those whose lives have been broken.
Help us to recognise the hurt felt by those wounded by abuse,
and the failure to be heard.
We pray that with the help of your grace,
communities and families will find understanding and support,
so that now and in the future
their wounds may be healed
and they may find lasting peace
Let your grace and love fall gently now upon children and adults at risk,
giving then the inner strength, peace, and resilience
To seek out assistance when required.
We ask this through Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever,
Amen.
Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.
Joe Zavone
Principal
Christus Lux Mea