Child Protection Week

A prayer for children
Loving God, we thank you for the care and affection of Jesus, who placed children in the very centre of his community.
We pray for children, created in your own image and likeness, dwelling places of your Spirit, each one called to experience the freedom of your daughters and sons.
We pray for all children – those in our family homes, those in our community of faith, those in the wider community, those in our global village, those with plenty and those who struggle to survive.
We yearn for the day when all children may know safety and freedom and protection from violence and abuse, when they may bask in constant love, safe from any harm, where they may flourish and be all they can be.
God of all goodness, we hope in you. Inspire us to surround others with gentleness and love and empower us to build a world that no longer knows abuse and violence. Grant us courage to speak out and act when children need protection, care and shelter.
We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

One of the most important keys to safe and healthy childhoods is to ensure parents and caregivers have the support they need.  Raising children is a bit like sailing a boat.  But when we experience serious stress – e.g., due to finances, health, isolation, or other problems – raising children can feel like sailing in a storm.  Support can be the lighthouse that we all need to navigate these rough waters.

These are some of the main Helplines that you can call for guidance:

Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 (make sure your kids know this one)

Parentline Qld: 1300 30 1300

Lifeline: 13 11 14

13 YARN: 13 92 76 (24 hours/7 days - free and confidential service run by, and for, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Or: refer to the Australian parenting network - raisingchildren.net.au 

This year during Child Protection Week we have encouraged students to think of themselves as ‘upstanders’.  An upstander is a person who speaks up, or acts, when they recognise that something is wrong.  Even very young children can be taught to recognise concepts such as anger, bullying and unfairness, and to tell an adult if someone is being harmed.  Older children and young people may be capable of becoming more involved in advocacy if they are helped to practice this skill.  As adults we play an important role in modelling these behaviours when our children are watching us manage conflict that may arise in our everyday lives.

During Child Protection Week we acknowledge our students engaged in a number of activities to reinforce safety messages. Should any student be concerned about how they are being treated by an adult, or another child or young person, they are encouraged to speak up to a trusted staff member or one of our School Student Protection Contacts (SSPCs).  All students were reminded who our SSPCs are, and that they are depicted on the ‘Keeping Safe’ posters located around the school.

Child Protection really is everyone’s business, and we are committed to making our school a safe, secure, and protected place of learning for every student.

Katrina Ballantyne

School Guidance Counsellor