Oh the mud

It is great to see our students playing winter sports. For many of the children this means that they are playing on the fields. We have a red flag that signals when the fields cannot be used. Our students are great at finding alternative spaces for playing outdoor games when the fields cannot be used.

At this time of year when we are on the fields there is no shortage of mud. We encourage the children to bring a spare set of clothes so they keep their uniform clean. We also expect dirty shoes to be kept out of the class. I believe that we have some students who can magnetically attract mud on to their bodies. I guess that when your child comes home with mud attached you know that they have had a good time.

ICT

To reflect the world that we live in Yaldhurst Model School is revamping its policy and procedures in respect to information and communication technologies. It is great to see students using cellphones, computers, cameras and the various applications available with all of these tools. There is no doubt that the internet is a binary forest full of wonderful information and tools for contributing to our world of knowledge. There is also no doubt that cellphones and cameras are great social networking tools.

There are three elements that work together so that we have safe and happy communication technology users.

1. Every student signs a Netsafe user agreement after discussion with parents and caregivers at home.

2. We take every reasonable step to filter and block out malicious content.

3. Through education at school we teach our students Netsafe practices. Included in these practices are the expectation that students will know what to do if they discover something inappropriate. - Report it immediately!