Kindergarten IT Program
107 practical updates and guides from the Kindergarten IT Program.
27 July 2026
Dear Kindergarten staff and educators, Over the coming weeks, The Kindergarten IT Program team will begin introducing Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) for Microsoft 365 accounts, including …
Read update13 July 2026
If you have not received your login information, please contact the Insight Assessment Platform helpdesk which provides IT helpdesk support for the Online TLDS. You can contact Insight Asses…
Read update16 Mar 2026
We are pleased to let you know about an upcoming improvement to your email service. From April 2026, your current email system provided through the Kindergarten IT Program will be moving to …
Read update2 Oct 2025
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month 2025. The theme for this month is Building our cyber safe culture. Department of Home Affairs encourages these 3 key actions: Install software updat…
Read update25 Sept 2025
During October and November we are offering Digital Security sessions to assist kindergarten staff and volunteers to keep informed of Cyber Security and technology concerns. Our latest webin…
Read update22 Sept 2025
As of 1 September, all approved providers must have ensured their services have updated policies and procedures for the safe use of digital technologies and online environments. Kindergarten…
Read update1 Sept 2025
2025 Building Blocks Improvement Grants have been announced as now open. Information Technology is included as a category of grant available for investment in IT equipment for not-for-profit…
Read update27 June 2025
Important information for kindergartens using ADP for payroll in relation to the VECTEA Pay Rate Increase Update. Double Pay Run – Key Dates & Instructions for ADP Payroll Customers To suppo…
Read update18 June 2025
The Kindergarten IT Program relies on clusters and kindergartens to notify us of who can request our services on their behalf. We are currently reaching out to both group employers and indep…
Read update5 June 2025
The eSafety Commissioner’s site, www.esafety.gov.au, has eSafety Early Years professional learning modules specifically for early childhood. Additionally, to expand on important security top…
Read update15 May 2025
The most common way to sign into your Mircosoft account is to enter a password. However sign-in can require additional identification methods to keep your account safe. Learn how to add sign…
Read update28 Mar 2025
On a Windows computer, it is best to install applications from the Microsoft Store. This way you can update all your installed apps at once from your Microsoft Store library. Click here to r…
Read update26 Mar 2025
Two-factor authentication is now a requirement for many web accounts and services, such as receiving a confirmation code via text or email when online banking. Authenticator Apps can do the …
Read update4 Mar 2025
Now available for enrolment We are offering shorter format Digital Safety webinars to support key priorities of the National Plan to Combat Cybercrime. The webinars offered: Digital Safety –…
Read update16 Dec 2024
With children looking forward to transitioning to technology focused schools, now is a great time to introduce families to the concept of family tech agreements. Help your parents set the ri…
Read update6 Dec 2024
You do not need a subscription to an antivirus product to scan your Windows computer for malicious files. Windows 10 and Windows 11 both have an antivirus scanner built into Windows Security…
Read update20 Nov 2024
Young Children in Digital Society is a new online hub, bringing together evidence-based resources and information for early-childhood educators. Developed in collaboration with children, fam…
Read update4 Nov 2024
Now available for enrolment We are offering shorter format Digital Safety webinars to support key priorities of the National Plan to Combat Cybercrime. The webinars: Digital Safety – Passwor…
Read update2 Sept 2024
Thank you to all the participants of the Technology Survey for 2024 We received 189 submissions. We will be following up with many of you and responding to your requests. Congratulations to …
Read update5 Aug 2024
Complete this 5 minute survey to have your say and give your service the chance to win an iPad! https://surveys.kindergarten.vic.gov.au/ The Kindergarten IT Program would like to find out …
Read update16 July 2024
Please be alert to phishing emails targeting you in your workplace with accurate personal and staff information. Be on the alert for unexpected email claiming to be from your boss or workmat…
Read update28 June 2024
Cybercriminals attempt to gain access to an email account (highjack) so that they can use it to send spam or phishing emails, steal information and use the account to attempt further attacks…
Read update14 May 2024
Now available for enrolment We are offering shorter format Digital Safety webinars to support key priorities of the National Plan to Combat Cybercrime. The webinars offered: Digital Safety –…
Read update6 May 2024
This week is Privacy Awareness Week. As well as running talks and workshops during this week, the OVIC – Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner provides privacy resources for organ…
Read update22 Mar 2024
Among the most dangerous types of malicious mail are the ones with viruses, malware, ransomware or trojans attached. Browse to our Tips page to find out more or follow this direct link: Tip …
Read update21 Mar 2024
Create a passphrase by generating three or more random words. A simple 4-word passphrase will take centuries to crack where a 13-character password can take considerably less. Browse to our …
Read update6 Feb 2024
We are proud to support @eSafetyOffice Safer Internet Day on 6 February 2024. #ConnectReflectProtect. Sign up to support #SID2024 at eSafety.gov.au/sid
Read update8 Aug 2023
Thank you to all the participants of the Technology Survey for 2023 We received 176 submissions, up 24 from last year. Many staff found the time to complete the survey with great insights an…
Read update17 July 2023
Complete this 5 minute survey to have your say and give your service the chance to win an iPad! https://surveys.kindergarten.vic.gov.au/ The Kindergarten IT Program would like to find out …
Read update20 June 2023
A new round of Building Blocks Grants – Improvement is now open for applications. Increased funding is available in categories of Information Technology and Minor Infrastructure. All the equ…
Read update15 June 2023
Free webinars from the eSafety Commissioner The office of the eSafety Commissioner’s safety.gov.au website has great resources that you can introduce to your families to help them navigate o…
Read update8 June 2023
Department of Education and Training has released the June 2023 edition of the Early Childhood Update e-newsletter. This edition focuses on Free Kinder 2024, the 2023 Victorian Premier’s Rea…
Read update9 May 2023
Now available for enrolment We are offering webinars of our courses on basic troubleshooting, website development, poster design and Excel. The courses offered: Practical IT Skills – 602 Wor…
Read update9 May 2023
Access a series of free online professional learning modules from the eSafety Early Years program. Developed by the e-Safety Commissioner and Early Childhood Australia the modules are availa…
Read update8 May 2023
Department of Education and Training has released the May 2023 edition of the Early Childhood Update e-newsletter. This edition focuses on celebrating and supporting the sector with articles…
Read update2 May 2023
We have been alerted to a scam targeting payroll and administration staff. This is how the scam happens: After capturing the name of a legitimate staff member, the scammer sends an email in …
Read update6 Mar 2023
Now available for enrolment We are offering webinars of our courses on basic troubleshooting, website development, poster design and Excel. The courses offered: Practical IT Skills – 602 Wor…
Read update3 Mar 2023
Department of Education and Training has released the March 2023 edition of the Early Childhood Update e-newsletter. Kim Little, Deputy Secretary of Early Childhood Education, highlights Cul…
Read update10 Feb 2023
Have you ever heard the expression Explain it to me like I am 5? It is a popular phrase because we often need guidance that is immediate and accessible, just like five years olds. Increasing…
Read update3 Feb 2023
The Victorian Government has introduced the Kinder Tick logo to help families find funded and approved kindergarten programs. Funded services are encouraged to display the Kinder Tick on ema…
Read update2 Feb 2023
Department of Education and Training has released the February 2023 edition of the Early Childhood Update e-newsletter. With a message from Kim Little, Deputy Secretary of Early Childhood Ed…
Read update15 Dec 2022
Department of Education and Training has released the December 2022 edition of the Early Childhood Update. With a message from Kim Little, Deputy Secretary of Early Childhood Education, arti…
Read update6 Dec 2022
This guide demonstrates how to password protect a PDF created in Microsoft Word or Publisher. Browse to it on our Tips page or from this direct link: Tip – Password protect PDFs exported fro…
Read update6 Dec 2022
If your service shares a computer, network drive or cloud storage between staff, committee and volunteers, you might find it useful to restrict some Office documents from modification with a…
Read update5 Dec 2022
Excel documents are often ‘living’ documents that are intended to be viewed and updated collaboratively. To avoid users introducing errors to your documents, Excel’s protection options can l…
Read update28 Nov 2022
Each year, many kindergarten staff need to transfer the contact details of enrolled families from an Excel spreadsheet into Outlook. Within Outlook, staff often also want the family emails g…
Read update18 Nov 2022
This tip covers how to compose your content for web and how to gather the media resources for your new WordPress website. You can view the tip here: Tip – Website content creation and gather…
Read update17 Nov 2022
If you are using a WordPress theme, widget or block pattern with place-holder logos you might need make custom or unique icons to replace them. This technique will work for making larger log…
Read update11 Nov 2022
Staff often need to maintain a spreadsheet of families and enrolments. Common tasks like adjusting or reorganizing such lists can be repetitive. Here are the first of some time-saving method…
Read update4 Nov 2022
Put your WordPress website to work collecting feedback, a wait list for enrolments or survey your families. This tip will show you how to create simple contact forms for your WordPress site.…
Read update28 Oct 2022
If you are making changes to your WordPress site you will often hear the advice to take a manual backup. But how do you do one? Learn how to perform this backup: Tip – Making a WordPress fil…
Read update10 Oct 2022
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month 2022 . Each week this month the Australian Cyber Security Centre has resources, posters, quizzes and tools around the themes “Have you been hacked?”…
Read update29 Sept 2022
Reported widely in the press this week, both state and national agencies are providing an evolving response to the Optus data breach. Optus customers and former customers who received notifi…
Read update1 Sept 2022
Targeted phishing emails are currently being sent to registered services. Below is an example: ACECQA have responded and instructed recipients: This is NOT an official email from ACECQA. It …
Read update1 Sept 2022
Just before you leave for the school break, it is helpful to: Shut down your computer Switch off the modem Switch off the power and unplug at the wall socket Add a post it note reminder to y…
Read update12 Aug 2022
Thank you to all the participants of the Technology Survey for 2022 Our survey is completed for 2022 with over twice the number of submissions from last year. Many staff found the time to co…
Read update18 July 2022
Complete this 5 minute survey to have your say and give your service the chance to win an iPad! https://surveys.kindergarten.vic.gov.au/index.php/221566?lang=en The Kindergarten IT Progra…
Read update12 July 2022
We have had reports of the ‘Deadbolt’ ransomware affecting kindergartens. The Deadbolt ransomware targets computers and networked attached storage (NAS). Just like your computer, NAS devices…
Read update27 May 2022
Smart phone users are vulnerable to a growing range of scam text messages. Scammers use tricks appear alongside legitimate services and contacts contacts . This tip provides advice and links…
Read update20 May 2022
If you have a land-line phone number, you will likely have encountered these. But increasingly mobile numbers are being targeted as well. This tip provides advice and links to help you stay …
Read update6 May 2022
Now available for enrolment We are offering webinars of our courses on basic troubleshooting, website development, poster design and basic Excel spreadsheets. The courses offered: Practical …
Read update31 Mar 2022
We have added a recording of our webinar course Website Development – 101 to our Tips section. You can view the video online here: WordPress webinar recording
Read update25 Mar 2022
We have added a recording of our webinar course Beginners Excel Spreadsheets – 401 to our Tips section. You can view the video online here: Excel webinar recording
Read update31 Jan 2022
Now available for enrolment We are offering webinars of our courses on basic troubleshooting, website development, poster design and basic Excel spreadsheets. The courses offered: Practical …
Read update18 Oct 2021
This tip was requested by attendees of Making Creative Posters – 903. We use Adobe Spark in the session which is great for images and graphic titles but sometimes you want to add more dense …
Read update11 Oct 2021
Looking for guidance on creating a new website for your service? Or want to do a make-over of the current one? Our new tip talks about identifying your users, site structure and building a s…
Read update4 Oct 2021
Now available for enrolment We are offering webinars of our courses on basic troubleshooting, website development, poster design and basic Excel spreadsheets. The courses offered: Practical …
Read update1 Oct 2021
Best practice for any important online account is to use a unique complex random password and to update it periodically. This can be an inconvenient demand if you have many passwords memoris…
Read update16 Sept 2021
Please note that the IT support will be closed on Friday 24th September 2021. IT Support service will resume on Monday 27th September 2021 from 9AM.
Read update22 June 2021
Just before you leave for the school break, it is helpful to: Shut down your computer Switch off the modem Switch off the power and unplug at the wall socket Add a post it note reminder to y…
Read update10 June 2021
We would like to find out what our service member’s most pressing IT needs are and how we can improve the program. There are six question sections covering technology needs, connectivity, tr…
Read update12 May 2021
Now available for enrolment Throughout the final term we are offering webinars of our courses on basic troubleshooting, website development and poster design in the free Adobe Spark web app.…
Read update29 Mar 2021
The issue is now resolved. Please contact the help desk if you continue to experience any issues. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
Read update29 Mar 2021
We are investigating an issue where users are unable to send emails to yahoo email addresses. We apologize for any inconvenience. Our team is currently working to restore the service.
Read update10 Mar 2021
Training webinars Practical IT Skills – 602 training webinars are now available for March 2021 Practical IT Skills – 602 is a basic introduction to troubleshooting a computer and performing …
Read update12 Feb 2021
After a while everyone gets gets used to using either Microsoft Windows or Apple Mac. But what if you need to switch? Our new Tip – Switching between Windows & Mac covers the basic differenc…
Read update20 Nov 2020
Read about phishing attacks in our new Tip – Phishing email attacks and socially engineered messages. These attacks are a common method used by scammers to fool you into giving out private i…
Read update18 Nov 2020
Happening all through the week of 16th to 20th of November is an international online conference hosted by Charles Sturt University’s Early Childhood Research Group. It is FREE to register t…
Read update22 Oct 2020
As a follow up to Tip – How to take precautions against ransomware, we explain what first actions you can take in response to ransomware in the Tip – First steps in response to ransomware. C…
Read update20 Oct 2020
Ransomware is a constantly growing threat for organisations and individuals. We explain what ransomware is and the precautions you should take with our new Tip – How to take precautions agai…
Read update16 Oct 2020
When you are composing text directly into a web application such as Online TLDS, you will need to rely on the spell check built into your browser. To improve your experience, you can set the…
Read update26 Aug 2020
State Library Victoria has an online Storytime session today at 9.30 am which you can view by clicking the following link: https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/whats-on/storytime
Read update1 July 2020
State Library Victoria has an online Storytime session today which you can view by clicking the following link: https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/whats-on/storytime
Read update30 June 2020
Our technicians are performing a scheduled server upgrade on Wednesday 1st July, starting at 8am. While we do not anticipate any interruption in services, there may be brief delays to emails…
Read update19 June 2020
KITP team is aware of a large scale spear phishing attack that is currently being targeted at various Government sectors and organisations in Australia. Spear phishing is a scam that uses em…
Read update29 May 2020
The eagle eyed among you may of noticed our website looks a little different. We gave it a little bit of a face lift. We’re keen to hear your feedback, feel free to start a chat with us in t…
Read update6 Apr 2020
Please note that the Storytime Live Streaming event for 15 May 2020 and 19 June 2020 will be cancelled.
Read update30 Mar 2020
Please note that the Storytime Live Streaming event for 17/04/2020 will be cancelled.
Read update20 Mar 2020
The Kindergarten IT Program service desk is open Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm to provide IT support. Despite the temporary closure of State Library Victoria, our services are still available. F…
Read update20 Mar 2020
Due to the rapidly changing coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and the requirement for social distancing, we are postponing the upcoming KIM face to face training scheduled for next week. This…
Read update16 Mar 2020
Please note that the Storytime Live Streaming event for 20/03/2020 will be cancelled.
Read update10 Mar 2020
Tune into our Storytime page to view a regular LIVE VIDEO of State Library Victoria’s storytellers & volunteers running Storytime. We know that not every child can get to their library to pa…
Read update3 Mar 2020
Please note that the IT support will be closed on Monday 9th March 2020. IT Support service will resume on Tuesday 10th March 2020 from 9AM.
Read update24 Feb 2020
Network maintenance works on Monday 24th February 10pm – 6am affecting: kindergarten.vic.gov.au email kindergarten websites hosted by the program If you have any further questions, please co…
Read update13 Feb 2020
In support of the KIM census requirements for kindergartens we are offering our introductory course throughout March. Kindergarten Information Management System (KIM) Introduction – 801 The …
Read update12 Feb 2020
When creating a new post or page on a WordPress site, comments are enabled automatically. Recently, we have noticed that spam bots are targeting comment boxes with inappropriate language. Th…
Read update20 Jan 2020
Microsoft has announced that Windows 7 support ended on January 14, 2020 For more information, please visit https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/4057281/windows-7-support-ended-on-januar…
Read update14 Jan 2020
The Kindergarten IT Program welcomes kindergarten teachers, staff and children back for the new year. We are already receiving enquiries about training offerings. A new round of IT training …
Read update1 Nov 2019
Developed by the Victorian government, the recently launched Bushfire Education Website is a new resource for educators. All teaching and learning activities have been aligned to either the …
Read update3 Oct 2019
Updates to the May 2019 Update (version 1903) This tip is for people using Windows 10. It explains what the recent updates fix and how to run updates. This is primarily a security update, al…
Read update2 Oct 2019
How do I reduce/change video quality in YouTube? Click here to view the tip.
Read update25 Sept 2019
Scammers are targeting kindergartens with fake messages with malicious attachments. Please treat all email received from addresses claiming to be kindergartens with the same level of caution…
Read update25 Sept 2019
Please note that the IT support will be closed on Friday 27th September 2019. IT Support service will resume on Monday 30th September 2019 from 9AM.
Read update18 June 2019
What is Bluekeep? Microsoft has advised users that there is a vulnerability within its Remote Desktop Services. Remote Desktop Services allow others to access your computer without physicall…
Read update29 May 2019
What is a Phishing Scam? Phishing scams are attempts by scammers to trick you into giving out personal information such as your bank account numbers, passwords and credit card numbers. This …
Read update17 May 2019
Complete the Kindergarten IT Program Survey by June 30th 2019 & your kindergarten could win a Cubetto wooden robot! Survey online: https://surveys.kindergarten.vic.gov.au/index.php/335524?la…
Read update28 Dec 2018
Before your kindergarten closes for the Christmas holidays, we have a few IT tips to ensure business continuity. Click here to view the tip.
Read update