How will you be making sure my child is safe online?

The safety of participants in Virtually There sessions is paramount. Every participant must be safe, but must also contribute to the safety of other participants. This includes physical space, technology and equipment, and the creation of a fun and supportive participant experience. All facilitators have Working With Children’s Checks and have completed Child Safe training. Read more.

Can a parent/carer participate in the session if needed?

You are required to do a virtual “drop off” (where we meet and greet) and “pick up” to celebrate and say goodbye. The rest of the session is designed for your child to participate independently. Allowing your child the space to engage independently helps build their skills, confidence and self-esteem. Therefore parent/carer involvement should be minimal. You are welcome to be in the same room as your child, however we ask that you do not comment or intervene unless necessary. It would be helpful if you spoke with your child before the session about giving them the space to join in on their own. A few minutes of preparation before the session will mean they can have fun. Having said that, you know your children and what they can and can’t do, so you are best placed to know whether they will need your support.

Will my child need to be supervised while the online program is running?

Parents/Carers do not need to actively supervise their child during the sessions but we require a responsible adult to be at home while the program is running to be able to support your child if there are technical difficulties or there is an emergency.

My child has different abilities and may need extra support. Can I stay for the session?

As with any educational setting, if your child requires extra assistance in order to be able to participate fully, the support person is welcome to be present in the session and provide whatever assistance is necessary.

I have more than one child who wants to participate. Can they? How will that work?

These sessions are targeted at specific age groups but we know that each child is different, so if you think your children can ALL benefit, then by all means register them all. If you’re not sure please shoot us a message and we can chat about what’s possible.

Can my other children join the activities?

Siblings and other children can say hello when the session starts but we ask that once the program starts that only the registered child participates in the program. This helps us manage the group well and to know who is there.

My child is older or younger than the advertised age groups, can they attend?

The age ranges given are a guide. All children are unique and have different needs, interests and capabilities. If your child wants to attend a session outside their age range and you think they have the interest and capabilities, please contact us to chat. Or if you’d like to organise a bespoke session for your child/ren (and their friends) get in touch and we’ll work out what’s possible.

What is Zoom and is it safe?

Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing service you can use to virtually meet with others. This platform has been chosen by Virtually There sessions because of its ease of use, and ubiquity amongst users. Zoom has updated its privacy settings in response to early concern during COVID19. With the appropriate safeguards in place (which we do at Virtually There) it is as safe as any video-conferencing platform.

Further Zoom security information can be viewed at: https://zoom.us/security and https://zoom.us/docs/doc/Exec-Letter.pdf;

How do I set up Zoom, can my child have an account?

Children cannot have a Zoom account until they are 16 years old. Therefore you will need to log your child into the session using your account.

What do I do if I can’t connect to the Zoom session?

If you are unable to connect, please try updating your device’s version of Zoom. This is often the cause of issues. Then try the troubleshooting tips. If still unable to connect contact Fiona by phone: 0430 964 272. If, in the unfortunate event you cannot connect, a credit or a refund will be provided.

Will the program session be recorded?

The facilitator may save the “chats” and record the sessions if required, for safety and security purposes. These files may be viewed by the facilitator or other Virtually There staff, for professional development purposes. These files would only be shared if required for the purpose of resolving a dispute with session participants’ parent/carer or if legally required, as per the Terms & Conditions.

Can I get a refund if my child can’t attend?

Where participants are unable to attend the session because of technical difficulties and every effort has been made by the responsible adult to resolve the technical difficulties, a refund or credit for another session will be provided.

Where participants have to leave the session early due to unforeseen circumstances, a credit for another session MAY be provided at the discretion of Virtually There. This will be based on the length of time expired from the start of the session and/or how much of the activity the participant has completed.
No refund will be provided for non-participation due to personal choice

I live in NSW, ACT, Singapore, Canada… Can I participate?

Yes absolutely! You are welcome to join us from wherever you are. That’s the magic of Virtually There we can be “everywhere” at once! If you live in a different time zone, you will need to take that into account when you register for the sessions.