Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care

New Legislation - Social Media Ban

As you may be aware, new legislation is coming into effect on December 10th.  This means young people under the age of 16 will no longer be able to lawfully access social media platforms, including Snapchat and Instagram.

The eSafety Commissioner is hosting a series of webinars to support parents and young people in navigating the new laws that will prevent young people under 16 from creating or keeping social media accounts.

Details and registration for the webinars can be accessed below:

https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/industry-regulation/social-media-age-restrictions/webinars

SJRC Mobile Phone and Electronic Devices Guidelines

From the commencement of 2026, a new Mobile Phone and Electronic Devices Guidelines will reflect this new legislation by banning social media access for students under the supervision of SJRC staff at all times.  The new guidelines will promote learning focus and foster social media free relational authenticity at school and during school events. 

Please ensure your child is equipped with cash or a debit card for canteen access. Students will be unable to access their phones to pay for canteen purchases, and there will be no exceptions to this. This also applies to senior students. Other points within the new guidelines include:

• Mobile phones must be turned off and stored by the student upon arrival at school.
• Students will not be permitted to interact with other students’ phones at any time, including on excursions and on-site after school.
• Mobile phone access on site after school will be for essential messaging purposes (ie communication with parents or carers) only.
• An access window will be introduced for senior students only; students in Years 11-12 will be permitted to use mobile phones during lunchtime in the senior area for essential messaging purposes only.

Thank you to parents and student-leaders who participated in a consultative process to inform the new guidelines, which will come into effect from the commencement of 2026. With advance notice, we are confident students will seamlessly transition to align mobile phone usage with these expectations.

Mrs Jennifer Furney
Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care