Published on: 6 September 2017


This week, boys at Christ Church have been celebrating eSmart Week as part of our quest to develop responsible and safe digital citizens. The week has included a range of interactive activities for all boys focusing on the concepts of cultivating a positive reputation and creating kinder and safer online communities.

National eSmart Week, held between 4 to 8 September, is a week where communities come together to encourage everyone to be smart, safe and responsible when using digital technology. During the week we aim to create awareness, solutions and ideas for community education on issues of cyber safety, bullying and wellbeing online, and offline.

The themes of ‘digital tattoos’ and ‘online reputation’ have been key discussion points for boys in our Senior School, while our Preparatory School has focused on being kind online and making good choices.

Activities throughout the week have included:

– weekly challenges in the Prep School
– workshops to review and improve social media privacy settings
– tutor groups exploring the 50 ‘ClassAct’ digital citizenship activities from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner
– library activities such as a decisions trail where students collaborate and learn to make good decisions in online situations
– a reading and discussion of the wonderful Digiduck story about being kind online
– the launch of a Cyber Super Heroes and Digital Tattoo design competition for students

Digital Learning Coordinator Robert Dodds says “eSmart Week is an important component of our ongoing work to equip our students as effective digital citizens, making them safer and more productive online. As technology is so deeply woven into our society, becoming a responsible and safe user has never been more important.”

“eSmart Week is a perfect opportunity to dive into important conversations about how the boys use technology and how they can enjoy the huge benefits which come from being online while minimising the potential negatives. It is also a valuable opportunity to engage with parents and the broader community to share strategies and skills which are every bit as valuable at home.”

National eSmart Week is an initiative developed by the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, in partnership with the Telstra Foundation. Parents wanting to know more on cyber safety can access related materials found here.