Event Postponed: Online Safety Parent Information Evening

Online Safety Parent Information Evening Postponed

Orewa College’s Navigate the Digital World: Online Safety Parent Information Evening, scheduled for Thursday 30 July, has been postponed.We understand many parents, caregivers and whānau were looking forward to hearing digital safety specialist Andrew Cowie share practical guidance on supporting tamariki and rangatahi online.A new date and further event information will be shared as soon as arrangements are confirmed. Current ticket holders will also be notified directly by email.We apologise for any inconvenience and thank our community for its understanding. 

Event Information

The online world our tamariki step into each day is exciting, fast-moving and, at times, genuinely worrying for the adults who love them. If you have ever felt uncertain about what your student is doing online, or simply wished for a little more confidence in guiding them, you are not alone.

Orewa College warmly invites you to Navigate the Digital World: Online Safety Parent Information Evening, a supportive space to pause, reflect and find practical ways forward, together. New date and time TBC, Orewa Arts & Events Centre (OAEC). Tickets are just $10 per family.

About the speaker

Leading the evening is digital safety specialist Andrew Cowie. Andrew will share practical guidance for whānau on setting boundaries, understanding platforms and keeping communication open, with content tailored to families of Years 7–10 and time set aside for Q&A.

He has a knack for reframing the everyday: "We call them phones," he notes, "but if we called them supercomputers, we might think about it differently." He also likens handing a child a smartphone to learning to drive straight onto the motorway, a reminder of just how much there is to navigate.

You can get a taste of his approach on our very own OC Kōrero podcast, where Year 9 student Lane Neal and Year 10 student Ethan Heke asked Andrew about online harm, screen time and the role whānau play in it all, questioning everything from Australia's social media ban to the evidence on screen-time harm. The evening on 30 July is your chance to continue that conversation in person.

Event details

New date and time TBC. 

Orewa Arts & Events Centre (OAEC)

Q&A session on the night

Tickets are just $10 per family, available through the event link on the school website.

This kaupapa connects closely with Manaaki, supporting our young people with care, clarity and shared responsibility. We warmly encourage parents, caregivers and whānau to come along and be part of the conversation.