MARIST CATHOLIC COLLEGE · of public speaking. Our four students – Sophie Bulmer (Year 7), Maya Reynolds (Year 8), Charlotte Bulmer (Year 9) and Adam Burridge (Year 9) – represented

MARIST CATHOLIC COLLEGE PENSHURST

Friday 4 September - Number 14

one school • one family • one communityTelephone: 9579 6188 Fax: 9579 6668 www.maristpenshurst.catholic.edu.au

FROM THE PRINCIPALThe Archbishop of Sydney Awards for Student ExcellenceEstablished in 1999 by Edward Bede Cardinal Clancy, the Archbishop’s awards are an annual recognition of some of the outstanding young men and women in Catholic schools. They have been an important way of highlighting the very positive contribution that young people make to their local communities. Specifically, these awards recognize those young people who give witness to their Christian values and who actively contribute to the faith life of their school. Recipients of the award are practicing Catholics who show responsible participation in the life, mission, and work of the Catholic faith community.

This award is presented to a Year 12 student from each Catholic Secondary School in the Archdiocese. Our previous award winners were James Pelosi in 2016 and Elroy D’Souza in 2017. We are pleased to announce the Archbishop of Sydney Award for Student Excellence 2018 has been awarded to Andrew Tang. Below is Andrew’s citation when presented to Archbishop Fisher:

‘Andrew is a gentle and considerate young man who wholeheartedly lives out his faith. He demonstrates the true sense of servant leadership and has a strong sense of community both at school and in his parish. As a Year 12 Leader in Liturgy, Andrew is deeply involved in all dimensions of religious life at the College, and he participates in and leads school liturgies and prayers with passion. He also serves as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at all College Masses. Andrew is an active member of Regina Coeli Parish where he is an Altar Server.’

Andrew received a medallion and certificate of recognition. The medallion is emblazed with the Archbishop’s Coat of Arms and motto.

Archbishop Anthony’s coat of arms contains three principal sections. The shield superimposed in front (an inescutcheon) bears the arms of the Archdiocese of Sydney. The four eight-pointed red stars (gules) on a silver-white cross represent the constellation of the Southern Cross and derive from the badge of the then colony and now State of New South Wales. The azure blue field represents Our Lady who, under the title of Help of Christians, is Patron of St Mary’s Cathedral, of the Archdiocese of Sydney and of Australia. On the viewer’s right (heraldic sinister) of the main shield are the Archbishop’s personal arms of a gold fish or dolphin on an azure blue field, taken from the arms of St John Fisher, the great English scholar; bishop and martyr; and recalling that the apostles and their successors are called by Christ to be ‘fishers of men’. The fish is also an ancient symbol of Christ and may be seen as rising out of the waters of baptism and of death to new life. Reigning above it is a crowned monogram of Mary Queen of Heaven to whose protection and intercession the Archbishop has entrusted himself and his ministry.

On the viewer’s left (heraldic dexter) is the Dominican shield, indicating the bishop’s membership of the Order of Friars Preachers – the black and white truth of Christ’s Gospel flowers from the cross.

Behind the shield is a processional cross that signifies the authority of an Archbishop. Surmounting the arms is the Roman hat (galero) in green which is the traditional colour of Bishops with the twenty tassels (fiocchi) proper to an Archbishop.

The scroll records Archbishop Anthony’s personal motto ‘Veritatem facientes in caritate’ from St Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians (4:15) which is read at the Mass of Installation of a Bishop and translates as “Speaking the truth in love” (RSV).

Mr Ray Martin - Principal

2one school • one family • one community

Agnoscere Et Diligere - To Know and To Love

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FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPALDealing with Video Game Crazes - FortniteIf you have a son/daughter in the junior years then you will most likely have heard them talking about the latest video gaming craze called Fortnite. Your son/daughter may be obsessed with it, just starting to play it or begging you to let them play it because all their friends are.

As with any new game, social network or fad, it is crucial that we familiarise ourselves with it. Have a game with your son/daughter, play around with the app or read about what the possible dangers may be so that you can have the right conversations and put the right boundaries in place. Remember that every child is different and so the effects that gaming has on each child will be different. As parents we have our own values and beliefs about what is important to us so be sure these are not compromised. The key to enjoying a positive experience with whatever game or craze comes along is to ensure your son/daughter maintains control over their play, that they are playing safely and that they continue to have balance to engage in other activities in their lives.

Included at the end of the newsletter is a Parent Fact Sheet about Fortnite.

Child Safe Schools ResourcesTo celebrate National Child Protection Week (2-8 September), Sydney Catholic Schools have shared this fact sheet, the first in a series, to assist parents to help identify and respond to inappropriate, harmful and/or illegal online content or activity experienced by children: ‘How to assist your child when they are experiencing online bullying’.

End of Term & Summer UniformPlease be advised that Friday 28 September will be a Staff Development Day. This will be a pupil free day. Lessons will commence for Term 4 on Monday 15 October.

Students will be required to wear their summer uniform from the beginning of Term 4. With the holidays fast approaching it is a good time to check your son / daughter’s summer uniform so that all necessary purchases or adjustments to skirt hems can take place prior to the beginning of next term.

A reminder that boys have two caps. The College Cap (navy with crest) should be worn with the formal uniform only. The Sports Cap (red and green) should only be worn with the Sport uniform.

Please assist us by ensuring that your son / daughter complies with our College uniform code.

Mrs Connie Frino - Assistant Principal

College Uniform The uniform of Marist Catholic College Penshurst reflects the positive image and values that we as a school want to demonstrate to the wider community. The College uniform that is worn as intended presents an exemplary image of the school and fosters a sense of connection and belonging for all students. It is the collective responsibility of students, parents and staff to ensure that the College uniform guidelines are followed. Frequent checks in Pastoral Care classes, Sports and Year assemblies will ensure our high standards are maintained over the course of the year.

SUMMER UNIFORM (Terms 1 & 4) BOYS UNIFORM (Years 7-9) GIRLS UNIFORM (Years 7-9)

Short s leeved shirt (white with logo) Navy Trousers Col lege belt (black with silver buckle) Col lege short socks (navy with cardinal red stripe) Col lege neck tie (navy) School Shoes (Black, leather, lace up, polished at all times) Col lege Cap (navy with crest) Col lege wool knit jumper (cardinal red) Col lege Blazer (only on request for College events)

Dress - Navy and white check (knee length) Col lege short socks (navy with cardinal red stripe) Col lege striped hair ribbon School Shoes (Black, leather, lace up, polished at all times) Col lege brimmed hat Col lege wool knit cardigan (cardinal red) Col lege Blazer (only on request for College events)

BOYS UNIFORM (Years 10-12) GIRLS UNIFORM (Years 10-12) Short s leeved shirt (blue on white s tripe with logo) Navy Trousers Col lege belt (black with silver buckle) Col lege short socks (navy with cardinal red stripe) Col lege neck tie (Cardinal Red) School Shoes (Black, leather, lace up, polished at all times) Col lege Cap (navy with crest) Col lege wool knit jumper (cardinal red) Col lege Blazer (only on request for College events)

Navy ski rt (knee length) Short s leeved blouse (blue on white stripe) Col lege short socks (navy with cardinal red stripe) Col lege striped hair ribbon School Shoes (Black, leather, lace up, polished at all times) Col lege brimmed hat Col lege wool knit cardigan (cardinal red) Col lege Blazer (only on request for College events)

WINTER UNIFORM (Term 2 & 3) Note: Col lege Blazer must be worn while travelling to and from school in Terms 2 & 3. The jumper (i f required) is to be worn under the blazer.

BOYS UNIFORM (7-9) GIRLS UNIFORM (7-9)

Col lege Blazer Long s leeved shirt (white with logo) Navy Trousers Col lege belt (black with silver buckle) Col lege short socks (navy with cardinal red stripe) Col lege neck tie (navy) School Shoes (Black, leather, lace up, polished at all times) Col lege Cap (navy with crest) Col lege wool knit jumper (cardinal red)

Col lege Blazer Dress – Navy tunic (knee length) Col lege long sleeve white blouse Col lege long pull up socks (navy with cardinal red s tripe) or

70 denier navy tights Col lege neck tie (navy) Col lege striped hair ribbon School Shoes (Black, leather, lace up, polished at all times) Col lege brimmed hat Col lege wool knit cardigan (cardinal red)

BOYS UNIFORM (10-12) GIRLS UNIFORM (10-12)

Col lege Blazer Long s leeved shirt (blue on white s tripe with logo) Navy Trousers Col lege belt (black with silver buckle) Col lege short socks (navy with cardinal red stripe) Col lege neck tie (cardinal red) School Shoes (Black, leather, lace up, polished at all times) Col lege Cap (navy with crest) Col lege wool knit jumper (cardinal red)

Col lege Blazer Dress – Navy tunic (knee length) Col lege long sleeve blouse (blue on white stripe) Col lege long pull up socks (navy with cardinal red s tripe) or

70 denier navy tights Col lege neck tie (cardinal red) Col lege striped hair ribbon School Shoes (Black, leather, lace up, polished at all times) Col lege brimmed hat Col lege wool knit cardigan (cardinal red)

SPORT UNIFORM COMPULSORY ACCESSORIES Sport polo shirt Sport short Col lege sport sock Track pant Track jacket Col lege sports cap Predominantly white conservative and supportive sport shoe

(unacceptable: converses, court shoes or skate shoes etc)

Col lege 'Chiropac’ bag Sports kit bag (Years 7-9)

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

Col lege wool knit scarf (cardinal red) Col lege wool vest (cardinal red) Col lege Rugby Jersey (s triped) Sport ki t bag (Years 10-12)

Note: Al l uniform items are available for purchase through Ranier Des ign Group only. Their uni form shop on Col lege premises i s ope n Monday 1pm – 3.30pm, Thursday 8am – 11.30am and 1st Saturday of the month 9am-12pm.

Orders can be placed onl ine www.ranier.com.au Phone: 95796188 EXT: 542

SCHOOL FEESTerm 3 College fees are now overdue for payment. Payments can be made by cash, cheque, eftpos or BPay. Thank you to those families who have already settled their accounts. Year 12 families please note that failure to finalise your College account may result in your son not attending Year 12 Graduation events.

Mrs Joy O’Sullivan - College Bursar

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ks2sQH6nZLhgYL0P9JzxITUpzcLez89K/view



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MARIST ORATORYThe 28th annual Marist Oratory Competition was held last Wednesday night at St Gregory’s Campbelltown. This prestigious competition saw our students competing against fifteen other Marist schools from all over New South Wales, in the thought-provoking and entertaining, yet for most people, the terrifying artform of public speaking. Our four students – Sophie Bulmer (Year 7), Maya Reynolds (Year 8), Charlotte Bulmer (Year 9) and Adam Burridge (Year 9) – represented the College proudly with their charismatic, relatable and personal speeches that challenged larger societal values and beliefs.

Adam Burridge, from Year 9, won the Year 10 division engaging in the topic “Straight to the pool room.” This is a huge accomplishment for Adam who spoke in the year above. All students who participated on the night spoke confidently, engaging their audiences and were commended by other parents and adjudicators.

I would like to thank Mr Skofflic, Miss Emmerick, Ms Eljed and Mr Varma for mentoring the students and attending on the night.

Miss Lisa Farrelly - Assistant English Coordinator

The exciting and educational WORLD OF MATHS will be at Marist College Penshurst on Tuesday 18th September. This is an excellent opportunity for Year 8 students to participate in solving a variety of problems from large, hands-on displays and puzzles. Problem solving is an important part of all topics throughout the Mathematics curriculum. All students benefit from this experience as it caters for all ability levels. The displays show some applications of mathematics to real-life situations. The program also shows how maths can be a lot of fun!

Students will be involved in the activities for one period of the day. The cost has been included in the term school fees.

Ms Debbie Wand - Mathematics Teacher

YEAR 8 MATHEMATICS INCURSION

The Southern Sydney Business Education Network (SSBEN) recognised the achievements of two members of our College community at their annual VET Excellence Awards held today at Doltone House, Sylvania.

Daniel Paladino is a Year 12 student who has completed both a Business Services and a Construction Pathways course at the College this year. He has approached every activity with focus and determination. He has proven himself to be highly competent in all areas of his practical work and received outstanding feedback on each and every workplacement. He has all the qualities that will make him a success in each of these areas and many more. I would like to congratulate Daniel on his efforts this year and the example he has set for the students who will follow him in the future.

Mrs Peggy Chandler is our Business Services teacher and was recognised by the SSBEN with a VET Excellence Teacher Award. She has received this award for her dedication, support, preparation of students and coordination of the VET workplacement process for Business Services over her time with the College. It is wonderful to see Mrs Chandler recognised for her hard work. The award highlights the quality of the teachers we have supporting all our students who undertake a VET pathway here at the College. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our VET staff, Mrs Chandler and Mr Lloyd, for providing our students with such valuable industry experiences.

Mr Michael Dooner - Director of Curriculum

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING



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SCIENCE WEEKWeek 6 saw the return of Science Week and the staff and students of MCCP celebrated it in style. The week started with the ever popular, Periodic Table Bingo, with students playing a riveting round of bingo using the symbols of elements instead of numbers. Numerous prizes were awarded for lines, crosses and boxes along the way, pleasing the many students who participated!

Our Tuesday competition was the Egg Drop Challenge in which students were to construct a crash suit for a raw egg that allowed it to survive a 3-storey drop unscathed. There was an egg-cellent turnout of students entering the competition, however many found their designs were flawed, with some spectacular cracking of eggs witnessed. The winners were Mark Czajka (Year 11) and William Spiropoulos (Year 7).

Wednesday saw the return of the Marshmallow Tower Building Challenge, in which a record breaking number of teams demonstrated their engineering skills by building a tower made out of marshmallows and spaghetti. The tallest tower, reaching an impressive 93 cm, was constructed by Jovan Welly, Kenrick Theodore, Harry Obcemane from Year 7.

As always, the grand finale to Science Week was the Science Show in which Mrs Walker, Mr Forrest, Miss Khalaf and Ms Kapsimallis performed flash-bang science demonstrations. These included dry ice bubbles filled with smoke, elephant’s toothpaste and a flaming whoosh bottle. Mr Forrest, once again, allowed Mrs Walker to light his hands on fire, proving that science teachers are flame retardant!!

The rest of the staff also got involved by participating in their own Marshmallow Tower Building Challenge, however they were no match for the Science teachers, who built a tower of 95 cm, taking home the coveted trophy!

Thank you to all staff and students who participated in the activities and to the Science staff who definitely raised the bar for Science Week 2018.

Ms Rachel Thompson - Science Coordinator

SCIENCE WEEK BINGO WINNERS



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LITERACY AND NUMERACY WEEKLiteracyIn Week 7 the College celebrated National Literacy and Numeracy Week with a variety of activities throughout the week to engage our students’ literacy and numeracy skills in creative ways. Our Year 7 students participated in the ‘Find Your Treasure’ activity in English classes, where they created impressive visual representations of their favourite novels as maps, which are on display in the Library. At recess and lunch, students of all years engaged in Letters and Numbers in the style of the famed SBS television show and a Boogle competition. On Wednesday, the annual Staff vs Student Debate took place at lunch time, with our Staff All Stars (Mrs Pelosi, Mr Reilly, Ms Farrelly and Ms Collins) going head to head with our champion Year 12 team (Frankie Trimboli, Zac Pitkethley, Chris Kesoglou and Nicholas Condylios). The topic of the debate was ‘studying literature is irrelevant today’, and with much hilarity and sledging both ways, the staff were again victorious in the affirmative. Finally, on Friday the annual Spelling Bee Grand Final took place, with many enthusiastic finalists and spectators filling the La Valla Hub. We had a range of super spellers from Year 7-12 competing, but the competition came down to Nicholas Stathakis of Year 10 and Brendan O’Connor of Year 7. With a fantastic effort and the final word ‘rambunctious’, Brendan was crowned MCCP’s Spelling Bee Champion for 2018. Thanks to some of our favourite literary characters for their special guest appearances, and particular thanks to Mrs Rebecca Nolan for her organisation and coordination of the literacy activities throughout the week.

Miss Analise Emmerick - English Teacher

NumeracyNumeracy week was an exciting time for all those involved. It was wonderful to see the drive and passion of our students to engage in ‘letters and numbers’ at recess. Many would make great contestants for the TV show! Year 7 participated in the ‘DO MORE Maths Challenge’ where we celebrated Numeracy week and worked hard together as reflected in our vision for learning. This was a house group challenge to think critically and creatively in solving challenging mathematical problems, a very important STEM skill, helping us to LEARN more. Many thanks to the volunteer students from Years 9 and 10 who were our judges. Year 7’s not only solved many of these difficult problems but also had fun navigating an obstacle course in order to reach the judges. They could also add to their house points by answering maths trivia questions.

The House point totals awarded were:Dunstan – 158, Leopold – 212, More – 106, Salvius – 77

On Friday we had our Pi recitation competition and First Prize (medal) went to Victoria Kolmac in Year 9, who recited pi to 460 decimal places, she was followed closely by Daniel Fuller who also won a medal and great performances were given by first timers Evani Kumar and Luca Moras.

It is great to see that love of things mathematical is alive and well at MCCP.

Mrs Angela D’Angelo Mathematics Teacher



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R U OK DAYThe MCCP community came together on Thursday the 13th of September to action a day towards connecting with each other and asking R U OK? R U OK Day is a national day of action dedicated to reminding everyone that we’ve all got what it takes to ask, “are you ok?” and support those struggling with the various aspects of life as it is proven that one conversation could change a life.

The day is about inspiring people to start these conversations every day of the year. Year 12 led year assemblies and gave the message that:

• We can all make a difference to anyone who’s struggling by having regular, meaningful conversations about life up’s and down’s• If your gut says something’s up with someone you know, take the time to ask them how they’re going• You don’t have to be an expert to have a caring, meaningful conversation• Once you ask them “Are you ok?” without judgement, encourage action and make sure you check in with them again soon• You don’t have to fix their problem or take away their pain, you just need to help them feel supported and show you really care by carefully listening to them

As a Catholic and Marist community we want to be there for one another and the SRC hope that this message continues on.

Ms Louise BeardFATHER’S DAY LITURGY AND BREAKFASTOn Friday 31 August, we celebrated Father’s Day at MCCP with a Liturgy and breakfast. This event has become a tradition at our College as we celebrate family and community. Thank you to all the fathers and father figures who attended with their son(s) and/or daughter(s).

It was indeed a moving liturgy as the community recognised the role that male figures play in family life. Our SRC played a pivotal role in the preparation of this event, greeting parents upon arrival, serving tea and coffee, preparing bacon and egg rolls and cleaning up afterwards. We also had a lot of additional students who volunteered on the day. In fact, we had to turn away many offers of help from our students. The Marist tradition of community spirit is well and truly alive.

I would like to thank all the fathers and father figures for celebrating your special day with us, all the students who willingly arrived early and worked as part of our Father’s Day team to make the morning successful. Finally, I’d like to thank Ms Joslin Elhage who organised the liturgy and all the wonderful staff who generously donated their time.

Ms Anne Collins - SRC Coordinator



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STEM - MICROSCOPE WORKSHOPOn Tuesday 11 September, Year 9 & 10 students travelled to the International Convention Centre Sydney where we underwent an ‘Under the microscope’ workshop. Here, we had the opportunity to use high tech micrological equipment that gave us a hands-on insight into what technologies can do to further our scientific knowledge. We were taught about and used different types of microscopes, including stereo microscopes, compound microscopes, and electron microscopes, and carefully examined cockroaches, mosquito larvae, and eucalyptus leaves in minute detail. These microscopes linked with our phones over WiFi, enabling us to capture pictures that were being displayed on the microscope. Students were then separated into groups, where we were taken around a mini exhibition, showing off different pieces of new scientific technologies that are benefiting the world of biology, including 3D printing and a trial of a Virtual Reality simulator on the cellular form of cancer. The VR simulation that had been created was increasingly realistic and provided us with an insight into the surface texture, appearance, and action of cancer cells. Overall, the day was extremely beneficial and highly enjoyable, giving students a little taste of what the professional world of science has to offer.

Damian Scalone - 10A Science

GIRLS NIGHT IN‘The Marist Penshurst Girls Night’ is back again for 2018. The Pink Ribbon event was a huge success last year and we are looking forward to this year’s fundraising event. The goal of the evening is to raise money to fund research into Women’s cancers, prevention programs and support services to help those already affected.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and the ‘Girls Night In’ is a pink ribbon event supported by the foundation. Our fundraising event will be held on Friday 26 October and all girls in Years 7 - 10 are invited to attend. The evening will consist of games, karaoke, an abundance of ‘pink’ treats as well as a mega raffle with loads of fantastic prizes.

Local businesses within our community have made significant contributions and donations to assist with our raffle.Once again we will be dedicating the evening to Ms Beretov, a former staff member who lost her battle with breast cancer in 2016. We will be honouring her memory on the night.

We would love as many girls to attend as possible to support this special event so stay tuned for further updates in the daily notices.

If any family would like to donate prizes or vouchers please email [email protected]

Mrs Nicole Katrib - PDHPE Department

Fri 28 Sept Staff Development Day - No students to attend school End of Term 3

Fri 28 Sept Year 12 Formal

Mon 15 Oct Term 4 Commences - Full summer uniform

Thur 18 Oct - HSC ExaminationsFri 9 Nov

UPCOMING DATES

Wed 12 Sept - Year 11 ExaminationsFri 21 Sept

Tues 25 Sept Year 12 Picnic Day - Jamberoo Action Park

Wed 26 Sept Year 12 Breakfast & Final Assembly Year 12 Graduation Mass Year 12 Graduation Dinner



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SCC

BASKETBALL RND OPPOSITION WIN / LOSS SCORE COACH

Junior 7 Bethany College Loss 16 - 30 Miss Chloe Nasr8 All Saints Liverpool Loss 13 - 25

Intermediate 7 Bethany College Win 19 - 16 Ms Anna Le8 All Saints Liverpool Win 29 - 14

Senior 7 All Saints Liverpool Win 49 - 9 Ms Rachel Thompson8 Bye

SOCCER RND OPPOSITION WIN/LOSS SCORE COACH

Junior 7 Bethany College Loss 0 - 2 Mr Jon Cullerton8 All Saints Liverpool Win 4 - 0

Intermediate 7 Bethany College Win 3 - 2 Mr Michael Falzon8 All Saints Liverpool Win 10 - 0

CBSA

AFL RND OPPOSITION WIN/LOSS SCORE COACH

Junior 7 Holy Spirit Win 75 - 0 Mr George KarpouzosSemi St Mary’s Cathedral Win 31 - 6

Intermediate 7 Holy Spirit Win 53 - 6 Mr Matthew SmithSemi St Mary’s Cathedral Loss 3 - 31

FUTSAL RND OPPOSITION WIN/LOSS SCORE COACH

Senior 7 Bye Mr Michael WaySemi St Charbels Loss 4 - 6

COUNSELLOR’S CORNER - RESILIENCEHopeful kids are happy kids by Dr Justin CoulsonThink of two children who you have regular contact with, one who is resilient and happy, and one who is struggling and languishing. Imagine you are interviewing each of them and you ask them to rate their response to these six questions:

I think I am doing pretty well. I can think of many ways to get the things in life that are important to me. I am doing just as well as other kids my age. When I have a problem I can come up with lots of ways to solve it. I think the things I have done in the past will help me in the future. Even when others want to quit, I can find ways to solve the problem.

Chances are the child who is resilient will respond affirmatively to these items. The child who is struggling is more likely to say ‘no’ than ‘yes’. These items form the basis of the internationally recognised Children’s Hope Scale that is used to assess the hopefulness of children and teens. Hope is a critically important predictor of their wellbeing and resilience. Psychologists say a person has hope when they believe that they can find ways to achieve their goals and to motivate themselves to try and follow those ways and meet those goals.

Hope theory suggests we need three things to actually have ‘hope’: Goals – something we are aiming to achieve in the future. Pathways – at least one way (and hopefully more than one) that we might follow to achieve those goals. Agency (sometimes called efficacy); the belief that we can actually make things happen along those pathways in order to meet the goals.

https://www.parentingideas.com.au/blog/hopeful-kids-are-happy-kids

Mrs Carmel Coleman - College Counsellor (Mon/Tues)



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© The Key Support Services Ltd. www.thekeysupport.com 1

Fortnite is an online video game where players compete to be the last person standing in a post-apocalyptic world. The most popular version is Fortnite: Battle Royale, which sees up to 100 players pitted against each other to stay alive on an island. Players can build and demolish structures, and collect weapons, supplies and armour to help them along the way.

Players shoot each other using a range of lethal weapons, but the brightly-coloured, cartoon-style graphics and lack of bloodshed mean it doesn’t feel too gory or graphic.

To play, the age recommendation is 12 and above due to ‘mild violence’, although you don’t have to provide your age when creating an account, so younger children can still log on easily.

Fortnite: Battle Royale is free to download on PC/Mac, Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo Switch and iOS devices (Apple phones and tablets). It’s coming to Android soon.

It has about 45 million monthly users worldwide including the England football team, who reportedly played it in their World Cup downtime.

What are the concerns?

You may have seen news reports or heard concerns raised about the:

Communication between players: a chat function allows players to talk to each other either over a headset and microphone, or using messaging. Children could use it to speak to strangers, or it could put them at risk of cyberbullying

In-app purchases: players can build up large bills on their parents’ accounts by buying cosmetic items like outfits for your character and better-looking weapons (otherwise known as ‘skins’)

Addictive nature of the game: anecdotal stories tell of children staying up all night to play, or falling asleep in lessons after playing for too long. Some commentators attribute this to the communal feel of the game – you can play with your friends – and the game is different every time you play, keeping it fresh

What safety options are available to parents? Use the parental controls on the gaming device Most devices allow you to set time limits on game play, set age limits for content, and restrict in-app purchases. Visit the website ‘ask about games’ for links to detailed instructions on the device your child uses – the site covers Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Apple and Android phones, and Nintendo Switch. Ask About Games www.askaboutgames.com/advice/parental-controls The battles in Fortnite last around 20 minutes. When trying to limit your child’s screen time, make the most of this natural stopping point. Set a limit in terms of matches rather than hours and minutes, or set time limits in 20 minute increments. Turn off the voice chat feature Speak to your child to make sure they know this feature exists, and encourage them to use the options below if they encounter someone who is offensive or inappropriate.

Child safety on Fortnite: parent factsheet



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© The Key Support Services Ltd. www.thekeysupport.com 1

Fortnite is an online video game where players compete to be the last person standing in a post-apocalyptic world. The most popular version is Fortnite: Battle Royale, which sees up to 100 players pitted against each other to stay alive on an island. Players can build and demolish structures, and collect weapons, supplies and armour to help them along the way.

Players shoot each other using a range of lethal weapons, but the brightly-coloured, cartoon-style graphics and lack of bloodshed mean it doesn’t feel too gory or graphic.

To play, the age recommendation is 12 and above due to ‘mild violence’, although you don’t have to provide your age when creating an account, so younger children can still log on easily.

Fortnite: Battle Royale is free to download on PC/Mac, Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo Switch and iOS devices (Apple phones and tablets). It’s coming to Android soon.

It has about 45 million monthly users worldwide including the England football team, who reportedly played it in their World Cup downtime.

What are the concerns?

You may have seen news reports or heard concerns raised about the:

Communication between players: a chat function allows players to talk to each other either over a headset and microphone, or using messaging. Children could use it to speak to strangers, or it could put them at risk of cyberbullying

In-app purchases: players can build up large bills on their parents’ accounts by buying cosmetic items like outfits for your character and better-looking weapons (otherwise known as ‘skins’)

Addictive nature of the game: anecdotal stories tell of children staying up all night to play, or falling asleep in lessons after playing for too long. Some commentators attribute this to the communal feel of the game – you can play with your friends – and the game is different every time you play, keeping it fresh

What safety options are available to parents? Use the parental controls on the gaming device Most devices allow you to set time limits on game play, set age limits for content, and restrict in-app purchases. Visit the website ‘ask about games’ for links to detailed instructions on the device your child uses – the site covers Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Apple and Android phones, and Nintendo Switch. Ask About Games www.askaboutgames.com/advice/parental-controls The battles in Fortnite last around 20 minutes. When trying to limit your child’s screen time, make the most of this natural stopping point. Set a limit in terms of matches rather than hours and minutes, or set time limits in 20 minute increments. Turn off the voice chat feature Speak to your child to make sure they know this feature exists, and encourage them to use the options below if they encounter someone who is offensive or inappropriate.

Child safety on Fortnite: parent factsheet

Documents

MARIST CATHOLIC COLLEGE · of public speaking. Our four students – Sophie Bulmer (Year 7), Maya Reynolds (Year 8), Charlotte Bulmer (Year 9) and Adam Burridge (Year 9) – represented