Junior School
Cybersafe Learning We are privileged to share partnerships that provide expertise to support our students, families, and staff. We aspire to be a community that supports the growth of individuals as we embrace our shared values and activate the attributes of learning, which oftentimes engages with technology. URSTRONG’s whole-school friendship strategy has improved the social climate in schools around the world, connecting over a million children, parents, and teachers with a common language of friendship. The Junior School partnership with URSTRONG has provided access to a wealth of possibilities in support of the development of our students, staff, and families. During Term 2 2021, we loved connecting with Dana Kerford from URSTRONG. Dana met with teachers and families via online workshops. We first connected with Dana and URSTRONG in 2019. Since then, all grades across the Junior School have worked with intent to import the language and skills as our students learn to make and maintain healthy friendships. Connecting with URSTRONG provides families with access to the wealth of resources available to support a shared and common foundation in partnership with school. The ubiquitous access to internet enabled devices see our children develop expertise that is in many ways intuitive. Through years of intentional planning, reflection, and implementation of digitally delivered learning tools, our Junior School teaching practice provides a safe and secure framework for student learning. Cultivating the positive culture for learning is directed by the Barker College Digital Learning team, supporting both students and staff in the practical implementation of skills to promote the evolution of practice for learning.
ySafe is a trusted eSafety provider working with schools and educators. Uniquely offering insights from clinical child and adolescent psychologists, ex-police officers and teachers. ySafe's award-winning team of cyber safety experts have provided online safety education to over 350,000 students across Australia. Yasmin London from ySafe visited the Junior School during 2020 to speak to all children from Kindergarten to Year 6. As we looked to 2021, we had planned to provide a parent CyberSafe Learning Seminar on site. Entering lockdown across NSW, required this opportunity to be moved to an online seminar with the support of the Barker Institute. Yasmin shared alongside Jon Chivers from Family Zone and Paul Harmon (Digital Learning Leader Pre-K-12), to share Junior School practice, highlight the role of parents in caring partnership with their children’s online lives and outline the support that Family Zone provides the Barker College community as a digital infrastructure to manage safe and secure life online. We are blessed to benefit from these connections with expertise that provides an important asset in caring for our students in all dimensions of their school experience. Martin Conway Junior School Director of Students
Spring 2021 • Issue 132 • The Barker • 7
