Dear Families,
This week we had one of our students approached by a male adult unknown to them as they were leaving the school grounds via the oval gate on Cane Street. The adult did ask the student their name and did follow them briefly down Cane Street. The student went directly home and later informed their parents. Police were contacted, and the student was able to give a description of the person.
Police are continuing their investigation and keeping in constant dialogue with the school. Police will be monitoring the area.
The school has made the decision in the interest of child safety that we will be now locking the top gate that provides access to the school oval from Cane Street. Families who have previously used this as an access point will now need to use the Forest Road or Goulburn Steet entrances.
Today in an Assembly I discussed the importance of knowing each day who is collecting you, and where you are to be collected from. I emphasised that it is crucial, that if students are not collected or are unsure what is happening with collection after school, that they talk to their teacher or go directly to the office so we can phone a parent. Students are not to leave school grounds or walk home in these situations.
It is a good reminder to have a conversation with your child about personal safety and protective behaviours as we will at school. Rather than focus on ‘stranger danger’, the current advice is to talk to your kids about the ‘safe places’ and ‘safe people’ in their lives.
Some tips include teaching your kids to:
- Where possible walk with friends, in a pair or in a group.
- Walk on the right-hand side of the road to face oncoming traffic.
- Wherever possible, leave space between you and the roadway, especially if a car stops nearby.
- Stay in view. Avoid going into areas that are hidden, such as bush or behind buildings or walls.
- Be alert – earphones and headphones can reduce awareness of surroundings.
- Tell your child if they are alone and an adult approaches them, to treat the adult as a stranger.
- Do not accept gifts from, or go anywhere with, someone they do not know.
- Run from a situation if you feel at risk. A nearby shop may be your safest option.
- Report suspicious behaviour to your parents and school staff immediately.
As mentioned previously please ensure your child is fully aware of their plan for travel to and from school and if any changes are made to these plans, they will be informed either by you or the school office, not a stranger unknown to them.
Please keep an eye on all children and let us know if you see inappropriate or suspicious behaviour. If it is of a serious nature, please inform the police on 131 444.
Yours sincerely
Michael Park
Principal
