Staying Safe Online Over the Holidays

As we approach the holiday break, it’s a good time to pause and reflect on how our students engage with the online world outside of school. Here at school, our students are very accustomed to working online — but in a carefully managed environment. They are supervised, given specific tasks, and supported by secure systems that track and trace every keystroke to keep them safe.

At home, the situation can look quite different. Parents are often busy working or managing holiday commitments, and students may have a little more freedom to explore the online world. This extra freedom can sometimes lead to riskier behaviour, including visiting unsafe sites or engaging in disrespectful online conversations. We occasionally receive screenshots of concerning interactions between students that occur on social media or gaming platforms — and unfortunately, we deal with at least one serious incident of inappropriate online behaviour after almost every school holiday.

How Families Can Help

We encourage all parents and carers to take an active role in supporting safe online behaviour at home:

• Talk to your children about online safety and respectful communication.

• Set clear boundaries around when, where, and how long devices can be used.

• Monitor online activity by checking in regularly on the games, apps, and platforms your child is using.

• Model positive behaviour by demonstrating good digital habits yourself.

Being proactive now can prevent distress later — for your child, for other children, and for your family. Together, we can help students enjoy a safe, respectful, and positive online experience over the break.

Kids Diwali Celebration – Free Community Event

We are excited to share a wonderful opportunity for our families to celebrate Diwali during the upcoming Term 3 school holidays!

BAPS Swaminarayan warmly invites children and families to their Kids Diwali Celebration — a vibrant, family-friendly event filled with fun, food, and festivities.

Date: Sunday, 5 October 2025
Time: 2:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Venue: Mt Gravatt Showgrounds, 1644 Logan Road, Mt Gravatt, QLD 4122

This free-entry event will feature:

• Carnival games and activities for children

• Delicious Indian street food stalls

• Spectacular fireworks display

• Cultural exhibitions and much more to explore!

Bring your family and friends for an afternoon of celebration and connection as we mark the Festival of Lights together.

A Gift of Unity and Shared Values

This fortnight, we were honoured to receive a very special gift for our school — a beautifully crafted sign bearing the Arabic phrase "السلام عليكم" (As-salamu alaykum), which means “Peace be upon you.”

The artwork was designed by a talented local Aboriginal artist, blending cultural symbols and patterns that celebrate the diversity within our community. The piece is a powerful reminder that while we may come from different cultures and hold different perspectives, our shared values — respect, kindness, and community — bring us together.

It was a joy to welcome members of the Kuraby Mosque community and our wonderful Essof family to present this meaningful piece to our school. Our students proudly accepted the gift and reflected on what it means to create a place where everyone feels seen, respected, and included.

As principal, I could not be prouder of the way our students embrace opportunities to connect with and learn from the many cultures that make up our Warrigal Road community. This sign will be displayed in a prominent location at school as a symbol of peace, understanding, and the belief that we can walk together — side by side — despite our differences.

What a wonderful way to remind us daily that our school is not just a place of learning, but a place of shared humanity.