Principal's Address

As a P-12 school community, our commitment to fostering a safe and supportive environment for all students remains our highest priority. For years, we've navigated the complexities of student life on campus, but a persistent challenge has been the negative online interactions that follow our children home. While we've seen great progress in teaching students to block and report harmful content, we continue to face a broader issue: the algorithms designed to manipulate their attention and expose them to misleading content. 

We've seen firsthand the positive impact of setting firm boundaries with technology. When the government first announced the in-school phone ban, I was sceptical. Phone use in secondary schools had been firmly entrenched for years. However, the results have been remarkable. Our secondary lunch areas are once again filled with face-to-face interaction, and the constant pull of the screen has dramatically lessened during school hours. This success demonstrates that with clear boundaries and consistent expectations for all young people, we can create a healthier environment for our children. 

As of 10 December 2025, a new Australian law will take effect, requiring individuals to be 16 years or older to hold an account on major social media platforms. 

This law applies to platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, and X. Under this legislation, these companies are legally required to find and remove any existing accounts held by users under 16 and prevent them from creating new ones. The purpose is to make the online world safer for our kids while they develop the critical thinking skills and self-control required to navigate online spaces.  

This law addresses a well-documented concern about the impact of unchecked technology on young people. Removing access to their smartphones during school hours was the first step.  Being glued to the screen had created a state of "continuous partial attention" in our young people.   Social media platforms then escalated this, creating systems engineered to be addictive. Their business model often rewards outrage and division to maximise user engagement, which has contributed to a rise in anxiety and depression. This new law is a crucial step in mitigating these risks. 

As former Google design ethicist Tristan Harris stated, "All of us are jacked into this system. All of our minds can be hijacked. Our choices are not as free as we think they are." 

We believe this change will bring several developmental benefits to our students by giving them more time to mature before being exposed to the pressures of social media. 

• Without the burden of maintaining an online persona, students are freed from the constant pressure to perform and compare themselves to others. Many may even feel a sense of relief. 

• The law will shield students from endless algorithm feeds that are designed to increase screen time and can expose them to harmful or inappropriate content. 

• This legislation provides a critical window for students to build digital literacy and learn how to navigate the internet safely and responsibly before they create accounts at age 16. 

I expect that this transition may cause frustration for some students. To help them understand their rights and the steps they need to take, we have attached the Student Guide provided by Ctrl+Shft (www.safeonsocial.com).  

The guide explains how they can download their data (photos, videos, messages) before the December deadline.  

Please do not hesitate to contact your child's teacher or our school's wellbeing team if you have any questions or concerns.  

PARISH PICNIC 

Please join us at the P&F shed at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, 1st November, for the Parish picnic. It promises to be a lovely evening. Fr. Anthony will lead an outdoor mass, and afterwards, we’ll enjoy a meal together in the shed. Catholic schools only began receiving government funding in 1964. Before this, from 1881, our school was solely funded by the parish. Events like the parish picnic are our opportunity to give back and support our parish, as they supported us in the early years.   

Cheers,

Mark