Kia ora e te whānau,
There has been a lot of discussion among the children this morning about the viral Tik Tok video that has been in circulation online and that Sandy alluded to in her email to you this morning. Sandy came in and talked to all of the children after morning tea and reminded them of the importance of keeping safe online. We reiterated to them that talking to their peers about this isn't a healthy thing, and that talking to their parents is important. We encouraged them to talk to you if they have any concerns about anything they may have seen, or heard other children talking about.
We are always monitoring the searches and material that the children are accessing using their school accounts, and will continue to do so. If your child is bringing a phone to school, please remind them to drop it at the office before school starts, and to collect it again at the end of the day.
This is a timely reminder to us all that the minimum age for most of these platforms is at least 13 years old.
We know there are a number of you who have said to your children that they are too young for a phone and / or any of these online social media accounts. Please do not think that you are alone in taking a firm stand on this, many parents in the Pōhutukawa Hub have told us that their children do not have a phone or social media accounts, even though your child may tell you otherwise!
As always, please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any concerns or would like to discuss anything further.
Ngā mihi,
Sandy and Anne