DO NOT WAIT! Act now and reserve your seat today as this topic is too big for us not to pay attention.

Dear Parents and Caregivers

We want our school and our community to be a safe place for all children. Our tamariki are growing up in rapidly changing times, and the risk, frequency and severity of online harm are increasing. We need to tackle this as a community.

As such, we have organised Filmmaker, Author 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 bullies can reach our kids 24/7
Social media - How social media is affecting the mental health in 3 out of 5 children. FOMO, depression, anxiety
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
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 Waikato Dio on 14 July from 18.30 - 20.00. Please note this talk is for adults only and is not suitable for children or teens to attend.

We request that at least one representative from each family attend, and hope you are able to prioritise this within your busy lives. This topic is too big for us not to pay attention.

"We have now reached the point where it is irresponsible of us as parents, teachers, health professionals, and policymakers to continue to put these devices, which are designed to elicit addictive-like qualities, in our kids’ hands and then expect them to be accountable for their own wellbeing." Dr Samantha Marsh - University of Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, July 2023

Included in your ticket is a one-year complimentary subscription to "Parenting in an Online World 101" from Rob and team at Our Kids Online. This is a cybersafety parenting course, designed specifically for NZ families. It usually costs $99 per family. So show up and get it for free! Course details can be found here Parenting in an Online World 101

"We need to tackle this as a community so that all of our kids are safe. When I protected my kids online, I also protected yours, so please, please protect your kids online so that you are also protecting mine." Rob Cope

Please encourage others to attend so that we might be able to make a positive impact on the lives of young people.

Warm regards

Sonja Maree

Acting Principal, Waikato Diocesan School for Girls