Each week this year, I have been updating our families with information about our school’s behaviour expectations. Our school Positive Behaviour for Learning plan is on the school website should you wish to peruse it. Our school invests most of our time towards teaching and rewarding the positive behaviours that our community wants.

Topics covered

• Newsletter 1 – Swearing and inappropriate / offensive language and gestures
• Newsletter 2 – Managing conflict
• Newsletter 3 - Aggression
• Newsletter 4 – Violence (including threats to others)
• Newsletter 5 – Bullying
  
• Newsletter 6 - Cyber-bullying
• Newsletter 7 - Respect for property 

Cyber-bullying

Last year, the Premier of Queensland established a taskforce to investigate cyber-bullying and what we as a community can do prevent it.  The taskforce included Member for Coomera - Michael Crandon MP.  The taskforce developed 29 recommendations that the government will adopt.  While each of these 29 recommendations will have some indirect impact on schools and institutions, five of them apply to specifically to schools.  These include:

Recommendation 11:  The Taskforce recommends the Queensland Government require all schools to deliver evidence- based whole school programs that:

• Promote social and emotional competencies among students
• Include evaluation of the programs impact
• Include professional development for teachers.

Recommendation 12:  The Taskforce recommends the Queensland Government in collaboration with an independent body such as the proposed national education evidence institute, commission a rigorous evaluation of relevant anti-bullying programs and resources in order to assist school leaders and school communities to reduce the prevalence of cyber-bullying.

Recommendation 13:  The Taskforce recommends schools continue to have autonomy to determine student access to mobile phones and other personal devices at school, and ensure their policies on the use of mobile phones and other personal devices are:

• Developed in consultation with the whole school community Regularly reviewed in light of rapidly changing technology
• Give consideration to technology-free spaces and times.

Recommendation 15:  The Taskforce recommends the Queensland Government provide clear guidance for all schools on the scope of their responsibilities in relation to cyber-bullying, including the circumstances when the principal is and is not responsible.

Recommendation 17: The Taskforce recommends the Queensland Government expect all schools to have clear, transparent, readily accessible and easily understood policies and procedures to address cyber-bullying, that:

• Include a flowchart clearly outlining the school response to incidents and reports of cyber-bullying and provide indicative time frames for school responses
• Provide contact details of relevant school staff
• Identify when parents and carers will be contacted by the school
• State the possible consequences for the student who has bullied
• Identify the support available for the student who has been bullied and the student who has engaged in bullying behaviour.

Our families will see evidence of our school's efforts towards achieving these recommendations from Term 2 this year.  The expectations around school policy requirements and school and community consultation are yet to be sent to Principals but they are expected soon.  I will most certainly keep our community updated with all that is happening in this space.  

You will remember from last week's Be respectful section that I explained the school's current position on bullying and how we respond - very similar to the requirements of recommendation 17.  This is currently in place and will be part of the future consultation process.  Cyber-bullying is just one form of bullying and although the steps we use to address the problem may vary (due to Federal law) it will be assessed as bullying.  Please continue to discuss with your children, the standards that are expected by our community.

Remember - next Friday is the national day of action against bullying and violence and Coomera Rivers is committed to it.  You will see further details about this in another section of this newsletter.