It may only be week eight of term one, but there's been so many fights at the school, principal Michelle Brook has taken to social media asking for help.

Her open letter said fights are being caused by events outside the school, including comments made on social media and issues at "the marina area".

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"Students are having 'issues' and as a result are bringing this into the school where they feel the need to settle various scores (fight)," she wrote.

"I am asking you to help us to try and stop this very anti-social behaviour."

She pleaded with parents/guardians to monitor their child's social media use, and to talk to them or the school about issues "before it erupts in violence".

"Students can be proactive in taking their school back from this violent streak," she wrote.

She said students are "chasing" fights to get video footage and warned the dangerous habit could lead to suspension and was against telecommunications laws.

The Illawarra Mercury is aware of at least one brawl at the school where a Year 9 student was beaten up by other students and stomped on while on the ground. The incident was caught on CCTV and police were called in.

It is also understood a security guard is now on patrol in the school, and this week police were brought in to talk to students about the violence.

The NSW Department of Education is aware of the incident and says the school is "working with local police and other government agencies around community issues that are being brought into the school".

"We are working closely with Warilla High School to address incidents of anti-social behaviour and violence. This includes providing additional, specialised support to address student behaviour," a NSW Department of Education spokesperson said.

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"While there has been a recent increase in violent incidents by a small number of students, we want to reassure the community that schools are overwhelmingly safe places for children and young people," the spokesperson said.

"Data from 2022 from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) records that sadly people under 18 years of age are more than five times more likely to be assaulted away from school grounds than on a school site.

"Even one incident is too many and we have measures and supports in place to respond."

Ms Brook's letter also put fear into new resident, Tara Meacham, who posted to Facebook.

"I'm not going to lie, I don't love Warilla but it's where we are zoned so I feel I don't have a choice," she wrote.

While some commentators praised the school's teachers and said their children enjoyed the school, others encouraged Ms Meacham to look elsewhere.

Ms Brook said some brawling students say their parents "gave them permission to fight on".

"Such endorsements are not helping students learn how to be accepted and law-abiding members of our community," she wrote.

Ms Brook warned school breaks may be minimised until fights stops and students stop chasing brawls to film them.

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Thursday March 23, 2023

Dear parents and care givers

It is with a sense of disappointment that I write to you. I am sure you have heard from your students the number of "fights" that have occurred at school recently, these are spilling into the school from what is happening outside in the community and these have two sources 1/ social media comments and 2/ the immediate environment and specifically "the marina area". Both are areas where students are having "issues" and as a result are brining this into the school where they feel the need to settle various scores (fight).

I am asking you to help us to try and stop this very anti-social behaviour. Would you please monitor what your child is doing on social media and talk to them about their need to be honest and talk to you (and us) about their concerns. We are quick to stop fights when they occur, but it would be better to know there is an issue before it erupts in violence.

Students can be proactive in taking their school back from this violent streak. Please speak to them about not "chasing" the fights to get video footage, as this is both dangerous and against the Telecommunications Law, for which they can be suspended. We would prefer to stop an issue before it occurs rather than dealing with suspensions afterwards and would appreciate students to tell us about "things" that are about to bubble into a problem.

Obviously, what we are experiencing is a reflection of society, as it emerges from COVID lockdowns and the antisocial behaviour that some think is quite acceptable, but many of us reject!!! It is a worry when we interview some students involved in a "fight" and their care givers are saying they gave them permission to "fight on". Such endorsements are not helping students learn how to be accepted and law-abiding members of our community.

The police have also been involved in responses to student issues.

Finally, our main concern is to maintain student safety. If this means calling "breaks" to be minimised due to student dis-rest we will do so until we have a larger number of students not "chasing" and "filming" issues. Again, please help us by speaking to your child, about what is social behaviour as opposed to anti-social behaviour.

Sincerely,

Michelle Brook

Principal - Warilla High School

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