St Ita's Primary School Drouin
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50 Victoria Street
Drouin VIC 3818
Subscribe: https://stitaspsdrouin.schoolzineplus.com/subscribe

Email: admin@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au
Phone: 03 5623 7222

T3 W10 2022 Newsletter

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T3 W10 2022 Newsletter

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St Ita’s Catholic Primary School acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

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    CHILDREN DISPLAYING AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORS

    One of the things that schools are noticing coming out of Covid lockdowns and remote learning is an increase of aggressive behaviours displayed by students within schools. There are a number of theories surrounding the increase of such behaviours and as a school we’ll always take a restorative, respectful and dignified approach to dealing with them under the Child Safety Guidelines.

    Whether at school or at home, responding to a child who displays aggressive behaviour is no easy task. Reducing challenging behaviour takes time, energy and teamwork between the child, educators and the family. There is no quick fix, but the rewards of supporting children to overcome their impulses are long lasting and can ease the transition to primary school to secondary school and beyond.

    Research into aggressive behaviours in early education services has found the most frequent actions were pushing and shoving, arguing, fighting over objects, taking an item from someone else, hitting, kicking or throwing things. Around 75% of the aggressive behaviour occurs during out of class activities (recess and lunch.)

    Aggressive behaviour can be a symptom of an underlying issue and by seeking to understand the causes of the behaviour, educators can learn what is driving the reaction and how to respond. Children may lash out due to frustration or because they haven’t yet learnt how to control their impulses or resolve conflicts.

    Other causes may include stressful life events through to behavioural issues like ADHD, ODD, autism or a learning difficulty that challenges the child’s ability to manage and express their feelings effectively and appropriately.

    Also important is the child’s environment and the relationships that inhabit it. Relationships built on warmth and mutual respect can teach children pro-social behaviour. As prevention is better than cure, creating an environment that supports children to feel valued and safe will mean negative behaviours are less likely to arise.

    For children to learn to behave well at school, they need to know what ‘behaving well’ looks like. Communicating this clearly allows children to learn why certain behaviours are welcome and why others aren’t.

    When teachers assess and manage aggressive behaviour in young children there are four key steps that we follow:

    IDENTIFY BEHAVIOURS CAUSING CONCERN

    If a child is displaying difficult behaviour teachers will usually stop and record their observations. They will note details such as when the behaviour happened, who else was involved and what happened before and after the incident. By carefully monitoring and addressing these situations, educators can begin to identify why they may be happening. This can help target strategies to manage the child’s behaviour more effectively.

    UNDERSTAND REASONS BEHIND THE BEHAVIOUR

    These types of behaviours happen for a reason. Educators need to look at what might lie beneath. The reasons why behaviours occur are many and varied. Social changes, frustration, attention seeking, poor role modelling, and learning difficulties are just a few. The way to identify these reasons will involve careful observation and documentation, and discussion with the family and colleagues.

    TEACH APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOURS

    After identifying the behaviours causing concern, it is then important to identify the positive behaviours that need to be developed in the child. Taking an instructional approach to behaviour gives children the chance to learn and practice how to behave in a learning environment. Educators can support children by identifying a small number of behavioural expectations and defining specific examples or rules of what those expectations look like across common settings or routines – such as during circle time, during learning time or out playground at recess and lunch – and by directly teaching children how to put those expectations into practice.

    USE BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

    Behaviour management strategies need to be moulded to the individual child and are often a case of trial and adaptation. The important thing is to try one or two strategies for an extended period of time to allow the child to respond, and to most importantly to have consistent measures and practices in place with other teaching staff and carers.

    When faced with challenging behaviour at school, here are some key strategies that we use to help build the understanding of children and improve the partnership of learning;

    Create a predictable environment

    The classroom environment plays a central role in encouraging positive behaviour. Create a predictable, orderly learning environment to maximize structure and predictability.

    Minimise and plan transitions

    Transitions can be a particular concern related to young children’s behaviour and frequently impact how orderly the classroom environment is. Teachers can support positive behaviour throughout transitions by planning for them ahead of time, alerting children before transitions occur, and providing a clear signal at the beginning of each transition.

    Model the behaviour you expect

    Be a positive role model. A controlled tone of voice and a calm attitude should be adopted by the educator in all situations. Children learn from observing adults working together and collaborating and modelling positive behaviours. This encourages children to move towards considerate actions that support an understanding of inter-dependence.

    Recognise good behaviour and achievements

    Providing children with specific, positive feedback helps them learn what appropriate behaviour looks like. Verbally commending appropriate behaviour as it occurs is an essential tool for classroom management. Educators can create opportunities for more formal recognition of positive behaviour such as sending home a certificate or messaging a parent when they see children demonstrating positive social behaviour.

    Give specific and timely feedback on negative behaviour.

    Explain to children what they are doing wrong and offer them options to change and lay out the consequences of such behaviour.

    Use positive language

    Empathetic or reflective language is a subtle way of providing positive messages to a child. It conveys to the child that you are seeing them, trying to understand them and acknowledging any feelings they may be experiencing. For example, using words such as ‘Perhaps’, ‘Maybe’ and ‘Sometimes’ in interactions enables children to agree or disagree if they want to, rather than the adult deciding how the child may be feeling and why they are behaving negatively.

    Provide emotional outlets

    Children get stressed and frustrated so plenty of opportunities to express this in a safe and appropriate way will decrease the chance of these emotions bubbling over. Put on some music, paint, draw, play, construct. Stomp around like angry monsters or go for a run outside. Soothing music or a quiet space can help reduce tense or anxious feelings, also play is important to teach emotional regulation, problem-solving and social skills.

    Talk about feelings

    Encourage emotional articulacy in your class by discussing feelings. Use ‘social stories’ to help children understand expected behaviours, work through interpersonal issues, practice conflict resolution skills and help them understand new perspectives. Say how you would feel too. This will give children confidence and a structure to talk about how they feel.

    Be firm when needed, help organise feelings

    Children need the security that comes with knowing there are limits and that when they need help with their behaviour they will get it. Children need adults to set reasonable boundaries and help them to organise their feelings and responses. Educators can support children to focus on the outcomes of being considerate to others while searching for a fair and equitable resolution, that supports learning.

    Involve families

    We will always keep open the channels of communication with parents and keep them in the loop when their child has misbehaved or is struggling in the classroom. Educators play an important role in helping families support and guide their child’s behaviour in positive and effective ways.

    The most important thing to remember is that the emotional social physical and academic and spiritual development of all children at St Ita’s is a partnership between teacher, student and parent. If you have any concerns relating to your child and aggressive behaviours that they may be showing at home, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher as a first point of call. We are here to help and support all our children.

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    KEEPING MRS. PATERSON IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

    Thanks to all those who have offered their prayers and kind words of support to Mrs. Paterson as she works through a very tough and emotional time with her family. Mrs. Paterson will be taking some leave over the coming weeks and I will keep our community posted on any changes that may occur.

    SCHOOL CALENDAR

    Please scroll to the bottom of the newsletter to see the school calendar that has been updated with future dates in term 4.

    2022 CLASS STRUCTURES

    Each year when we begin the process of setting class lists for the following year we invite parents to let us know if there are particular educational needs their child has which might impact class placement. Over the past few years the majority of requests we receive are regarding the child's social group or a parent preference for a particular teacher.

    School is the formative place for young people to begin to explore a world beyond the home. They begin to discover the differences between being friends and being friendly, how to work with people that might have different views and skills, how to develop positive, respectful relationships with a broader range of people and how to deal with change.

    The hope for all parents and educators is that we can best equip our young people for a world where they can be effective and affective, can work to bring change in the world and demonstrate a respect and care for all. They will move into a variety of working lives and research shows that each is likely to have a much larger number of jobs and job types than their parents.

    For a child changing classes at the end of the year brings uncertainty, a little reluctance, a little excitement, a little nervousness and a little anxiety. It also brings opportunity to practice the skills they will need to enter a new workplace and form effective working relationships with co-workers.

    As adults we are aware that a change of workplace means leaving those friendships we have developed in our work life. Some friendships are strong and continue outside of our work life and are nurtured and maintained in our social life. Others are replaced by new working friendships which support and engage us in our new workplace but may or may not last beyond that placement.

    This is exactly what children have an opportunity to learn as they change class. Being kept with only the same group, or the same teacher robs them of the learning about how to experience change, to grow relationships, to become more quickly comfortable in new situations and to take control of what is possible in their environment.

    We hope that our parents trust that we know our students well; both individually and collectively. We plan classes with great care and discussion balancing the wellbeing, learning and social aspects of each child and class. We consider teacher skills and styles, support requirements and opportunities as well as the requests of the children as to their preferences for peers in their new class.

    When the conversations in your house turn to next year please look at the opportunity given to you to discuss how changing workplaces is a reality and how we grow as people each time we form new working relationships with peers and bosses. Talk to them about your experiences, about the things that worked well and please avoid tales of woe!

     2022 CLASS REQUESTS

    Class requests for the 2023 can be completed on the following google form. Please do not make assumptions that previous years requests will be honoured. It is best to put everything in writing again. Please understand that these requests are not guaranteed. 

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    FOOTBALL COLOURS DAY

    This Friday, the last day of term we will be having a footy colours day. On this day students can come dressed in their favourite football team colours. If they don't follow footy please encourage them to wear an alternate sporting team clothes (Soccer, Netball, Polo, etc). The money raised by the school will go towards cancer support.

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    END OF TERM ASSEMBLY

    We will have an end of term assembly starting at 12.00pm in the school hall this Friday. Please feel free to attend, we just ask that you wear a mask or social distance where required. If you intend to take your child home after the assembly please ensure you let your child's teacher know via ClassDojo or in person before leaving the school. (Signing out at the office is not required after the assembly)

    School concludes at 2.20pm

    ST ITA’S VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

    We are seeking 15 volunteers to waitress at the Baw Baw Big Blokes BBQ on Friday, 14 October held at Lardner Park. Two sessions available 11am to 2pm or 12noon to 3pm. The committee has kindly agreed to donate money to the school in return for the waitressing. No waitressing experience is required. If you can assist, then please contact the school either via email admin@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au or phone the school on 03 5623 7222.

    The Grade 1 students travelled to Myuna Farm in Doveton on Tuesday 6th September for their annual class excursion, these are some of the recounts of their experiences.

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    We didn't have the picture last week but this week we would still like to acknowledge the hard work of these two future cheerleading stars. 

    CONGRATULATIONS TAYLAH & INDIE

    Congratulations Taylah Wassenberg and Indie Joiner on being selected for the Storm Elite Hawaii All Star Team for 2023. Both girls will travel to Hawaii in May next year and compete in the Global Games in a 2 day event with girls from all over the world. Amazing effort young ladies! 
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    PARISH NEWS

    God wants to save everyone

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    How we have indulged over the years in creating complexity out of simplicity! We get tangled up in the very myriad of rules and regulations Jesus came to untangle for us. He brought us the best of Good News in his proclamation of the Kingdom. 1 Timothy reinforces the Good News that God wants everyone saved (1 Tim 2:1-8). And if that is what almighty God wants then surely we are saved! Any sense that the Creator’s will is a barrier or hindrance to our salvation is turned on its head. But the final decision remains ours! Only we ourselves can be the obstruction. God wants everyone saved but, in our free will, we need to accept the offer of salvation.

    How then do we accept? What are the rules? Jesus teaches that the rules are pretty simple. “Jesus is so simplistic and naïve as to reduce 613 clear Biblical commandments down to two: Love of God and love of neighbour“(Luke 10:27) (Rohr, R. What do we do with the Bible? p57).

    So often our love of God is reflected in our love of the poor and vice versa. We turn to our Creator, “praising the Lord who lifts up the poor” as our responsorial psalm urges us (Ps 112) and “lifting up our hands reverently in prayer (1 Timothy 2: 8) without anger or argument”.

    Jesus himself tells us in this week’s gospel, “You cannot be the slave of both God and of money” (Luke 16:13) and the prophet Amos (Amos 8:4-7) starkly warns us against trampling on, swindling and tampering and suppressing the poor. As long as our actions set us apart from the Lord who lifts up the poor, we exclude ourselves from salvation but, if we turn to God, loving him/her and actively loving his children (our neighbours), we have every reason to hope for salvation.

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    2022 Migrants and Refugees Sunday

    What?: Mass and after Mass gathering

    When?: Sunday, 25th September 2022

    Why?: Urged by Pope Francis and Bishop Greg to celebrate our cultural diversity

    Where?: St Ita’s Church and St Ita’s Hall

    • A special 10.30 Mass at St Ita’s Church followed by music, colour, food and story telling at St Ita’s Hall.
    • Celebration of the diverse cultures and stories that make up our parishes. Parishioners are invited to wear national dress for the occasion.
    • (regular Masses will be celebrated in the parish but all are urged to make our special gathering their Mass for the weekend).

    If you can bring a national food dish to share please contact:

    Barbara 0414 965 079 or Joan 0434 647 816

    FIRST HOLY COMMUNION  GRADE 4 2022

    IMPORTANT DATES TO MARK IN YOUR DIARY

    Please note there an invitation letter was sent home to all Grade 4 families last week with details of next term’s First Holy Communion preparation.

    We are looking forward to sharing this very special time in your child’s faith journey.

    Please remember to check your children’s bags for this letter. Many thanks.

    For more enquires please contact Thérèse on 0439 306 642

    INFORMATION MEETING

    Wednesday 19th October at St Ita’s Church (Drouin) at 7pm OR Thursday 20th October at St Joseph’s Church, in the Marian Room (Warragul) at 7pm.

    COMMITMENT MASSES

    St Joseph’s Church, Warragul

    Saturday 22nd October, 7pm or Sunday 23rd October, 9am

    St Ita’s Church, Drouin

    Sunday 23rd October, 10:30am or Sunday 30th October, 10.30am

    Parent & Child Workshop 1

    (Liturgy of The Word)

    Drouin: (St Ita’s Church): Wednesday 2nd November, 7pm

    Warragul: Marian Room (St Joseph’s Church): Thursday 3rd November, 4pm

    OR 7pm

    SPECIAL TEACHING MASSES INVOLVING THE CHILDREN

    Teaching Mass 1:

    (Liturgy of The Word)

    St Joseph’s Church, Warragul

    Saturday 12th November, 7pm 

                         or

    Sunday 13th November, 9am

    St Ita’s Church, Drouin

    Sunday 13th November, 10:30am

    Parent & Child Workshop 2

    (Liturgy of The Eucharist)

    Drouin: (St Ita’s Church): Wednesday 16th November, 7pm

    Warragul: Marian Room (St Joseph’s Church): Thursday 17th  November, 4pm OR 7pm

    Teaching Mass 2

    (Liturgy of The Eucharist)

    St Joseph’s Church, Warragul

    Saturday 19th November, 7pm 

                         Or

    Sunday  20th November, 9am

    St Ita’s Church, Drouin

    Sunday 20th November, 10:30am

    2nd Rite of Reconciliation:

    (Preparation for First Communion)

    St Ita’s Church, Drouin  

    Wednesday 30th November, at 7pm

    St Joseph’s Church, Warragul  

    Thursday 1st December, at 7pm

    FIRST HOLY COMMUNION MASSES

    • Saturday 3rd December at 7pm, St Joseph’s – Warragul
    • Sunday 4th December at 9am, St Joseph’s – Warragul
    • Sunday 4th December at 10:30am, St Ita’s – Drouin
    •  Sunday 11th December at 10:30am, St Ita’s - Drouin

     

    PARISH SACRAMENT ENQUIRIES

    Sacrament Enquiries:  Mrs Therese Meggetto

    Mobile: 0439 306 642 Email: Warragul.sacraments@cdsale.org.au

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    Check out our Catholic Parishes of Warragul & Drouin Facebook presence.

    PUBLIC NOTICES

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    PIANO & SINGING LESSONS

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    DRUM AND GUITAR LESSONS

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