Principal's Messages
WELCOME BACK TO THE 2021 SCHOOL YEAR
Could I offer a warm welcome into the St Ita’s Teaching and Learning Community to all our new and old students and their families as we begin the 2021 school year.
I hope and pray that we will enjoy a year with minimum disruptions caused via Covid-19.
I'd like to extend a big thankyou to all our families who have supported us by following the Covid -19 guidelines that we have had to put in place for the start of this year. We are very appreciative of your efforts to make sure St Ita’s is the safest place it can be.
A big shout out to all our new foundation students who have settled in really well to the routines of school. They have had an amazing start and have turned up for their first few days so excited and eager to learn. They do get very tired during the course of the day and the Wednesday off each week up until the long weekend will give them all a chance to recharge their batteries.
I would formerly like to welcome our new staff members for the 2021 school year. Miss Gabby Hopgood will be taking Visual Arts and Mrs. Jess Winterton who will be teaching Digital Technology. I’m sure they will be well supported in their role as teachers and will be a great asset to our learning community.
St Ita’s is first and foremost a Catholic primary school and we are about the development of the whole child; spiritually, academically, physically, emotionally and socially. We seek to prepare all of our students for the life that lays ahead. In an age when change is ongoing and accelerating almost out of control, our students will need to develop the skills to be life-long learners.
Could I please ask the following of all our St Ita’s parents?
- SUPPORT YOUR CHILD’S FAITH JOURNEY WHILST AT ST ITA’S. Please embrace us as a Catholic School of action. Make an effort to attend Mass with your child on weekends. Make an effort to pray to God each day with your child. Make an effort to support your child in their Sacramental journey. Make an effort to use Christ as a role model to your children.
- SHOW YOUR CHILD THAT YOU VALUE EDUCATION. It really helps if you show interest in your child’s learning. For example, when you see your child after school, ask what they have learned today? What did they do in class? What did they do during play? Don’t be shrugged off too easily; deep down, even if they roll their eyes, they will be grateful you care enough to ask, and recalling what they learnt will help them remember it in the future. Do your best to attend every school event relevant to them and most importantly please ensure that your child is at school for the beginning of each day as this is when the teacher will explain and settle them into the day.
- KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER. Let us know how things are for you and your child, especially through the class teacher or our Deputy Principals and Principal. It is particularly important for us to know if concerns arise, so that we can work with you to help your child. When parents, students and teachers work together, the young people benefit significantly and the learning partnership should create a wonderful year of learning and growth.
- ALWAYS DRIVE SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY WHEN ENTERING OUR SCHOOL. Please adhere to an 8km speed limit within our school when dropping off and picking up. We will publish the correct procedures for both our carlines in this newsletter. The top Admin carpark is parking for staff cars only except for the disabled bays. Parents wanting to walk their children into school will need to reverse park in the Church carpark or along Victoria St in front of the school. Please note the no-parking areas at the start and end of the school day. The disabled car parks located in the Admin car park are only to be used by parents or visitors to the school that are displaying a disabled sticker. Please do not use these if you are just dropping off or visiting the school and do not have a disabled sticker.
COVID DROP OFF AND PICK UP FOR ALL ST ITA’S STUDENTS AND FAMILIES
Could all St Ita's families please follow the procedures set out below.
• There is no parking in the Drouin Rec Reserve or in the St Ita’s School Admin car-park areas
• Please follow the car line loops for drop off and pick up of children. Teachers will be there to assist children to enter and exit cars. Please do not exit your vehicles in car line.
• Family surnames A-G can be dropped off between 8.30am and 8.50am and picked up at the front of School Admin car-line from 3.20pm -3.45pm.
• Family surnames H-Z can be dropped off between 8.30am and 8.50am and picked up at the Drouin Rec Reserve car loop from 3.20pm -3.45pm.
• If you are a Foundation parent and you wish to walk your child to the main gate at Admin, you will need to park your car along Victoria St or reverse park in the church car park and walk up to the main admin gate. (Please do not park your car at Drouin Rec Reserve or in the Admin car park and you must exit your car with your children to walk to the school entry.) Please note the no-parking signs in front of the school.
• Any parents wishing to enter the school to meet with your child’s class teacher or Principal must ring admin first on 5623-7222 and make an appointment, making sure that they sign in on-arrival.
• Any parents entering the school are required to wear a mask when on site.
We thank you for your continued support during these challenging times.
Andrew Osler
Principal
MARIST SION DUX 2020
Congratulations to past St Ita’s student Daniel Schellekens who was recently awarded Dux of Marist Sion for the 2020 school year. Daniel received the outstanding Atar score of 98.8 and will commence studying at RMIT in Computer Science. Congratulations and well done Daniel!
SCHOOL FEES & FEE CONCESSION
The school fee statements will be emailed to families at the end of next week.
Fees are payable annually by the end of March or per term by the 4th week of each term. BPAY details are available on the school fee statement. School fees must be paid in full by the end of the school year they are due, December 2021.
If any families would like to pay off their fees either weekly, fortnightly or monthly, please set up a direct debit schedule by completing a Direct Debit Form and returning to the school office at your earliest convenience. Please calculate the total fees payable by the number of weeks/payments required for your fees to be paid by December 2021. For any assistance please contact the school Admin office via email on: admin@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au
For any families that have recently received a Government means-tested health care concession card, please forward a copy of your card to the office to check your eligibility, as a fee concession may apply. The card must be in the name of the parent/fee payer for a fee concession to apply with the student details listed on the card.
If your current Health Care concession card has expired, or is due to expire and your card is re-issued, please send a copy of your new card details to the office as soon as possible for the concession to be checked and applied to your fees.
CONVEYANCE ALLOWANCE
The Conveyance Allowance application is now open for term 1 for any families that qualify for the travel allowance as per the criteria below.
You may apply to claim this Government Allowance if:
- You live more than 4.8 kilometres by the shortest practical route from our school and we are the closest Catholic school to your place of residence.
- You live more than 4.8 kilometres from our school and you cannot access a bus.
- You access a bus and live more than 4.8 kilometres from the bus stop.
You must lodge a new application each year.
Eligibility is assessed when the School completes your child’s application on the Government Student Conveyance Allowance System (SCAS). If approved, the allowance payable is based on the one way distance to make the journey to and from school. No private car allowance is payable if the journey to and from school could be made using a public transport service or contract school bus.
Please complete the Conveyance Allowance application form and return to the school office by Friday 19th February 2021. Late claims cannot be accepted.
THE KARATE KIDS
Congratulations to “Clan” Driscoll on receiving their Black Belts in Muay Thai (Thai Karate). They have been studying every week for 7 years! Austin is in Grade 6 & Heath is in Grade 4. Heath received his Purple Belt and still has 2 years to go until he reaches black belt.
