Principal's Address
One of my most important responsibilities is ensuring that every child in our school feels safe, respected, and valued. While much of our work focuses on building this culture within the school, we know that the world our students inhabit stretches far beyond the classroom. It extends into their homes, their devices, and the digital spaces they navigate daily.
Last week, I spoke at a whole school assembly to address an issue quietly affecting students in Years 5 to 12: cyberbullying and online harassment.
The reality is that some of our students are facing online abuse, often late at night, in what should be their safest spaces. And while these messages and posts may occur outside school hours, the emotional toll they take does not stop.
I spoke plainly to students: some of the language we’ve seen in group chats is deeply concerning and completely unacceptable. In generations past, if you had a difficult day, home was a refuge. Now, with smartphones and social media, that refuge is too often invaded by persistent messages, cruel comments, and exclusionary tactics. Students can be targeted around the clock. It is heartbreaking.
As I told our students, every message, every post, every comment is a choice. And those choices matter.
- Would you say it to their face? If not, don’t type it.
- Can’t see the harm? Trust me, it’s still there.
- Think no one will find out? One screenshot and it can go anywhere.
We discussed how nothing online ever truly disappears. That snide comment or offensive post might seem like a throwaway joke in the moment, but it can follow someone for years. And not just the person it targets—the person who sent it can face serious consequences too.
As part of our ongoing efforts to educate students about the seriousness of their digital choices, this term we welcomed guest speaker Adair Donaldson to speak with students in Years 8 to 12. Adair has spent nearly three decades working with organisations like the National Rugby League and Universities Australia, tackling issues around misconduct, discrimination, and online behaviour. His presentation, Career Killers, was a powerful reminder that a moment’s poor decision, especially online, can jeopardise future careers, reputations, and relationships.
Adair spoke candidly about how mobile phones, social media, and online conduct are now routinely scrutinised in job interviews, university admissions, and professional vetting processes. Employers check. Universities check. Sporting organisations check. Before I hire a teacher at this school, their digital history is reviewed. If something is found that does not align with our school’s values, I cannot employ them. Our students need to understand that the same rules will apply to them one day as well.
Cyberbullying is a community issue. Tackling it requires all of us: students, staff, and families.
- Please talk to your children about their online lives. Keep lines of communication open.
- Monitor their online activity—not to invade their privacy, but to protect their wellbeing.
- Stay informed about the platforms your children use.
- Remind them, often, that kindness is strength, and that silence in the face of cruelty is not.
Our vision for St John’s School is clear: to be a place where students grow not only in knowledge, but in character. A place where they are challenged to become better. Where they learn to lift others up, not push them down. The devices in our students’ hands hold enormous power. Let’s work together to ensure they use that power to connect, to create, and to care—not to harm.
Cheers,
Mark