Welcome back to all our St Ita’s families, I hope you have all had a restful break and feel rejuvenated, relaxed and recharged. Term 2 was again a very different term, as we navigated our way through a whole term without any long-term closures or shutdowns. I would like to thank all our families for the patience and support you afforded the staff and students of our great school.

St Ita’s staff did an amazing job working with your children last term and remain prepared for the possibility of any changes that arise due to Covid-19 shutdown. If, or when this happens, please remember your children are at the core of everything we do. We will make our focus their well-being and they will be kept as safe and secure as possible whilst under our care.

This term, the main focus will be on our annual school concert held at the West Gippsland Arts Centre. We have been blessed that Mrs. Jenny Adrichem has stayed on with us to create and present the 2022 school concert. Without giving away too much of the content of our play, it will include some amazing animal props with a “Rumble in the Jungle” kind of feel.

Information about ticketing and what each individual class requires will be sent out via Class Dojo and advertised in this newsletter. Stay tuned and we’ll send out more information to each classroom via Class DoJo.

ROSE’S FRIENDSHIP SEAT

I am please to announce that during the holidays, Rose McMahon’s friendship seat was set up below the old oak tree overlooking the playground. This beautiful seat is the legacy of a beautiful student who will always live on in our hearts. The friendship seat is inclusive of all and is located in the area that Rose and all her friends used to frequent at recess and lunch.

WHOLE SCHOOL ASSEMBLY THIS FRIDAY

This Friday we will conduct our whole school assembly in the school hall starting at 2.45pm. We would ask any parents attending to please wear a mask, unless of course you have an exemption. At this assembly our school leaders will present the Welcome to Country, a selected Grade will present School Prayer and a selected grade will deliver class news. Our Aussie of the Month Award will be announced as well as class awards which includes the Holy Spirit Award. We hope to see you there on Friday.

COVID UPDATE

As part of our responsibility to keep all of the St Ita’s learning community safe during Covid-19 times, we will continue to make sure all relevant Covid-19 routines and safety measures are still in place at our school.

We will continue to promote:

• Students keeping healthy and clean;
• Correct hand washing and sanitizing procedures whilst at school;
• Practicing correct social distancing to the best of our ability whilst parents and carers are at school; and
• Safe pick up and drop off procedures at St Ita’s

If your child is showing any signs of illness, please do not send them to school. If your child is displaying any flu like symptoms, our advice would be to RAT test your child, and keep them at home until a doctor gives a certificate for your child to return to school.

If we can keep Covid-19 cases low within our community, I am hopeful that we will be able to initiate the following changes in our school this term; 

• Run whole school assemblies every second Friday, inviting parents of children presenting class news and school prayer, and those who are award winners.
• Run group school tours for all our new enrolments.
• Introduce the class sausage sizzle on the school site for parents to meet their children’s teachers from 11.45- 12.45pm on Fridays. The next BBQ (Date to be advised) will be for our Grade 1 students, parents and siblings
• Allow parents the opportunity to participate in Parent Helper Induction and work in a support/helper role in the classroom
• Our car line drop-off and pick-up will continue as normal at the school admin loop and the Drouin Rec Reserve.
• If parents are parking out on the Rec Reserve they must exit their car to collect their children. No children are to walk to a parked car unsupervised by a parent.
• Parents of students who walk to Civic Park must alert your child’s teacher via a class dojo or email giving your child written permission to exit the school via the Rec Reserve Gate.
• We ask that all parents adhere to a 10 km speed limit at the car loop and on the Rec Reserve.

FACE MASKS IN SCHOOLS

The Victorian Government has supplied schools with a stock of N95 masks suitable for adults and older children; surgical masks for staff and students in secondary schools; and child-size surgical masks for students in primary schools to ensure that all staff and students have access to a range of appropriate face mask options. St Ita's will ensure staff and students have ready access to these face masks.

Wearing a face mask can help protect you and those around you. Face masks stop droplets spreading when you talk, cough, sneeze and laugh, which lowers your chance of spreading or catching COVID-19.

Suggestions for Staff Students and Parents

• It is strongly recommended that face masks are worn indoors (noting that exceptions to the recommendation apply to teaching circumstances when clear enunciation or visibility of the mouth is essential).
• Any students or staff members who wish to wear a face mask may do so, including those who are medically at-risk.
• Everyone aged eight (8) years or over must wear a face mask when travelling on public transport, taxis or ride share vehicles, unless a lawful exemption applies. This includes when travelling to and from school, school activities, school camps and excursions on school buses or via public transport.

Household Contacts or Household-Like Contacts

All staff and students aged eight (8) years or older who are household or household-like close contacts attending a school will be required to wear a face mask indoors while at the school and while travelling to and from the school, unless an exemption applies.

Transport of Children to School by Positive COVID-19 Cases

Parents, guardians or carers who are COVID-19 positive who leave self-isolation to transport their child (ren) to or from school via a private vehicle must wear a face mask at all times and must adhere to other additional safety requirements.