We want our school to be a safe place. 

Because of the rapidly changing times, our tamariki are growing up in and, the mounting challenges and harms they are facing online we need to start talking about and tackling this as a community.

As such, Dunstan High School and our PTA  have organised Author, Filmmaker and Speaker Rob Cope, producer of the documentary "Our Kids Online" to come and give what promises to be a humorous and eye-opening evening talk to our parent community.

His talk will cover:

• Cyberbullying - How cyberbullies can reach our kids 24/7
• Social media - The pressure for kids to build an online brand that is often far removed from their authentic selves. FOMO, Highlight Reels 
• Gaming and the developing brain – An oversupply of dopamine leading to dopamine deficiency, synaptic pruning, and the underdevelopment of social skills and empathy
• Naked Selfies - The pressure to send nudes from intermediate up through high school 
• Online predators - The methods they use, how to spot them, and how to get out from under their control if your child has been trapped
• Online porn vs healthy sexuality - How consuming online pornography as a child or teen can create a sexual template where violence, aggression, and dominance are seen as normal and consent can become very blurry

Solutions

• Filters - Which filters are best and how to install them
• Smartphones - How to lock down a smartphone to make it a safe phone
• Boundaries - How to put good boundaries in place around device use 
• 3 golden rules - The 3 golden rules that will keep your kids safe
• Talking to your kids - How to have difficult conversations with your kids
• Challenging our own phone and device usage - Reconnecting as a family.

Here is a promotional video for you to watch Our Kids Online Parent Evening.

The talk will be held at the Alexandra Bowling Club, 145 Centennial Avenue, Molyneux Park on Wednesday 13th September from

 7-9pm. 

We request that at least one adult from each family attend, this topic is too big for you not to pay attention to. This is a free community event for anyone that cares for young people. As there is limited seating and tickets are shared between all the Primary Schools in Alexandra, we request that you collect your free tickets from the school office. 

Supper will be provided as well as a range of resources for navigating the tween and teenage years. 

If you are unable to make it on this night, we will have a video recording available to be viewed in the school library the following week. (date to be confirmed).

Rob's mantra - "We need to tackle this as a community so that all of our kids are safe. When you protect your kids online, you are also protecting mine and when I protect my kids online, I am also protecting yours."

Julie Williamson

Guidance Counsellor