Dear Parents / Guardians,

The launch of our student Anti-Bullying Ambassadors’ Every Day should be a Safer Internet Day Campaign on SID 2024, February 6th got off to a flying start.

The ABAs distributed SID 2024 wristbands to our first, second and fifth years. First and second years also received School pledge bookmarks, made by the ABAs, for their journals as a reminder that kindness and respect matter, both in person and online. We were delighted to share the video clips of our celebrities – Amy Huberman, Lucy Kennedy and the boyband Next in Line - who all recorded their special good wishes to the students of Loreto College Foxrock for Safer Internet Day 2024.

There has been a fantastic response from first, second and fifth years to our SID 2024 poster competition so winners will be announced after mid-term.

Finally, six of our ABAs were invited to participate in the Webwise* Live-Streamed Webinar designed to give young people a platform to voice their online experiences and concerns. The event was hosted by Claire Brock at Microsoft Dream Space, Leopardstown on Tuesday 6th February. Second year students Alexis Ryan, Cordelia Caton, Molly Andrews, Cara Keane and Charley Veitch led by our fifth year Webwise trained SID Ambassador, Ciara Redden, all contributed to the discussions on the theme of Tech in our World.

Well done to our two SID Ambassadors, our student SID Support Team, our representatives at Tuesday’s Webwise Webinar Event and to all our student ABAs for their wonderful work.

Edel Browne

*Webwise is the Irish Internet Safety Awareness Centre which is co-funded by the Department of Education and Skills and is co-financed by the European Union’s Digital Europe programme

Huge congratulations to Elaine Zhang in 3rd year who represented our school during the weekend in the Leinster Senior School Swimming Gala and received a silver medal in the 100fly.

Dear Parents / Guardians,

Tuesday 6th February marks this year’s Safer Internet Day 2024. The impact of the rapidly changing landscape of the digital world on the lives of young is a real cause for concern. The theme for our school’s SID 2024 is Every Day should be a Safer Internet Day. The Anti-Bullying Ambassador led SID focus in our school this year is on practical steps for protecting online safety and on taking personal responsibility for our online presence and behaviour.

Two of our 5th year student ABAs, Ciara Redden and Dharini Rajkumar, were selected to train as SID Ambassadors with Webwise* as part of the Webwise National Programme. 4th year student ABA, Alannah McCarthy and 3rd Year student ABAs, Eve Byrne, Laura O’Connell and Aryana Kearns were also chosen to form a SID Support Group and participated in Webwise training in leading an online safety campaign. The Anti-Bullying Ambassadors are delighted to launch our online safety and responsibility campaign on Safer Internet Day 2024.

While our students will continue to address a broad spectrum of cyber safety issues in school, parents and guardians also face the challenge of helping our young people to manage their social media safety, privacy and behaviour. The national SID 2024** theme Tech in our World acknowledges how overwhelming it can be to keep up with new digital challenges such as AI, deepfake news, privacy issues etc.

The webwise.ie website offers loads of current information / video clips etc.to help parents / guardians support their child in this ever-changing online world, including suggestions on how to communicate with teenagers on different aspects of social media that you may feel are a specific concern.

Please find here a direct link to the parents and guardians’ section which you may find helpful. www.webwise.ie/parents/

Happy Safer Internet Day 2024.

Edel Browne

*Webwise is the Irish Internet Safety Awareness Centre which is co-funded by the Department of Education and Skills and is co-financed by the European Union’s Digital Europe programme

**SID 24 is promoted in Ireland by Oide Technology in Education and Webwise.

Last Thursday 25th January, all our Senior Cycle students attended a College Fair in the Concert Hall. Students were able to visit, engage and ask questions with lectuters from 15 institutions. Many thanks for Ms O'Malley for organising the event which was of great benefit to all our students as they navigate through their options for possible career opportunities.