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

T1 W2 2023 Newsletter

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T1 W2 2023 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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    START OF YEAR MASS

    Our first Whole School Mass will be held in the church tomorrow Thursday 9th starting at 9.30am. All are welcome to attend. At this Mass the student’s leadership badges will be blessed by Father Confidence and presented individually. We hope to see you there.

    SCHOOL START TIME / FINISH TIME

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    Just a reminder to parents that our school start time is 8.50am. School gates will be open from 8.30am and students will be supervised whilst on the yard. This allows all parents a twenty-minute window of opportunity to drop students off each morning.

    School finishes at 3.20pm and parents need to collect their children before 3.40pm. On average our school children are all picked up by 3.35pm. Children will be supervised by staff. This allows parents a 20-minute window of opportunity for pick-up of your child.

    If you are running late for collecting your child, please make the effort to contact the school to let us know as all teaching staff are required to attend Staff Meetings and Professional Learning on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3.45pm to 4.45pm as part of staff VIT requirements.

    Camp Australia run before and after school care at St Ita's Monday - Friday and parents can set up a booking account by going into their online website Parent Portal located at https://pp.campaustralia.com.au/ or you can contact them on 1300 105 343.

    We thank you for your ongoing support with school drop off and pick up.

    DISABLED PARKING AT SCHOOL

    Parents please don’t use the disabled parking for pick up unless you have a valid disabled sticker that is displayed on your car. Cars parked in this space without a sticker will be asked to move their car. Also, please make sure you are following the new parking rules in relation to our school crossing. Baw Baw Shire have been monitoring the crossing use and they will fine cars for breach of parking rules.

    DIGITAL SAFETY AND WELLBEING 2023

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    Earlier this week your child participated in their first Inform & Empower digital safety & wellbeing lesson. This means that your child/children tuned in to a live streamed incursions (with their teachers) and will have one each term that focus on healthy and safe digital habits. The incursion content is all written and delivered by qualified teachers who are endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner as a Trusted eSafety Provider.

    These sessions aim to help children better navigate the online world and become more aware, clever, brave and kind. They will focus on topics including navigating unwanted contact, cyberbullying, help-seeking strategies, unsafe content, balancing screen time with "green time" and sharing personal information. While Foundation (Kinder/Prep) students do not participate in live streamed sessions, they will be exploring the basics of the online world through guided activities.

    You, the parents and carers, will also be given resources to support conversations with your children at home. You will receive a concise “tip sheet” each term that outlines what your child learned about in class and how you might open up these important conversations.

    STUDENT SURVEYS

    In Years 3-6, students completed an Inform & Empower anonymous survey asking them about their digital habits. No identifying information, such as name or school, is collected. This survey is optional. Questions examples include: What online games do you like to play? How many hours do you spend online each day/week? What are the best/worst things about the internet? The survey data will be used by Inform and Empower to help improve their programs and may be published online.

    As a school, participation in this digital safety and wellbeing program forms part of our ongoing commitment to child safety within St Ita’s Primary School.

    USING APPROPRIATE LANGAUAGE AT SCHOOL

    One of our key focus at St Ita’s is to continually work on creating a school environment that is respectful, inclusive and safe for all. An area that we want to promote across our school is the appropriate use of language by all in our community; students, parents and teachers.

    Profanity repeatedly comes up in songs, movies, and day-to-day conversations. Even children are using swear words nowadays, no matter if they know what they mean or not.

    Go back a few decades or so in time and you’ll notice that swear words weren’t casually thrown into conversations like they are today. In fact, swear words were considered vulgar and extremely unacceptable to use. Today, swearing is used in conversation in many situations, some of which have reasonings backed by science.

    One of the most common reasons why people swear is to let off steam. In western culture, if a person, especially a male, lets out their emotions through crying, they’ve been thought of as weak. Obviously, this isn’t true, but it’s become so ingrained into people’s thinking that it’s practically a stereotype. Scientifically, the left hemisphere of your brain is in charge of language and logic while the right side is responsible for emotions; however, many studies suggest that your brain processes swearing on its right side. For these reasons, it’s believed that swearing acts as an outlet for the pent-up emotions that people are afraid of expressing differently.

    Another reason why people swear is to release their physical pain. Many people, even those who try to avoid cursing, can admit to having let out one or two curse words after stubbing their toe. Turns out, research shows that swearing in painful situations increases your heart rate and pain tolerance. One study testing how long people could hold their hands in icy water showed that those who cursed could hold their hands in the freezing water 50% longer than those who didn’t.

    But, in today’s culture, swearing has extended beyond acting as a pain outlet and has become more of a social norm. The combination of people constantly being exposed to profanity and using it themselves has caused profanity to become a part of a majority of people’s vocabulary. Swearing is used for humorous purposes, to display in-group solidarity, to express one’s attitude, and the list goes on.

    It can be quite a shock when your child starts to use inappropriate language. You might be wondering where your child learned that kind of language and whether they really understand what they are saying. How you react to your child’s swearing now will influence their future swearing behaviour.

    Swearing: Why do school-age children do it?

    Young children often swear because they’re exploring language. They might be testing a new word, perhaps to understand its meaning. When school-age children swear, it’s usually to vent some negative feelings. It’s a response to something painful, upsetting or frustrating. Children might also swear to fit in socially. They might be trying to be part of the group, or to stand out by being funny or adding shock value to their talk. Children might also be imitating others when they swear. Some children swear because it gets a strong reaction from their parents.

    What to do about swearing: Immediate action:

    Speaking to your child about their choice of words, rather than ignoring the behaviour. Your child might or might not fully understand a swear word’s meaning. But school age children do understand that words can hurt or offend others. Remember quite often your reaction can influence whether your child swears again. Stay calm and explain clearly that the word your child used is not acceptable. This will go a long way towards preventing future swearing.

    Should you explain what the word means?

    Children can get some good from a simple explanation. If you think your child might have some understanding of the meaning of the word, you can ask them what they think the word means. Then use general terms to explain why it’s not appropriate. For example, you could say, ‘That is a word for private body parts. We don’t use it like that in our family’.

    What to do about swearing: The longer term:

    It’s a good idea for adults to discuss and agree on acceptable language. For example, in some families, expressions such as ‘Oh my God’ are OK, but other words are not. Discuss your family rules about acceptable language with your child. For example, you could say, ‘Please speak politely or don’t speak at all’, or ‘There are some words we don’t use in our home’. You might also explain to your child that some words that are acceptable at home might not be acceptable at school (or other settings such as church or other children’s homes). Different places have different rules.

    If you find it difficult to stop swearing yourself, try to find alternative words to use or another way to deal with the situation. Adults often swear when they’re frustrated or angry. Instead of swearing, try to say something like, ‘I feel really frustrated or angry’. This way you’re modelling better ways of expressing feelings. If your child has heard you swearing, it can also help to explain why you were swearing.

    Praise your child when you notice them dealing more appropriately with anger or frustration. For example, if your child tells you that a playmate was using swear words to tease him, praise your child for walking away from the situation and not using those words themselves.

    Your child will hear words out in public that you’ve said are unacceptable. It’s good to be prepared for this situation. If your child asks you why somebody is using a bad word, you could talk about how people in different families have different rules.

    Andrew Osler

    St Ita's Principal

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    COMMENCEMENT MASS 9th FEBRUARY

    Comm_Mass.png All are welcomed to our Whole School Commencement Mass Thursday 9th February 9:30 in St Ita’s Church. All Grade 1-6 students will be attending. At this Mass our student school leaders will be presented with their badges.  

    WELCOME PICNIC 15TH FEBUARY 2023

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    Next Wednesday, 15th February, we will be having our Welcome Picnic. This is a chance for all established families of St Ita’s to meet the new families of St Ita’s in a relaxed atmosphere on our bottom oval. Due to Covid restrictions over the past 2 years we have been able to run such events but this year we are trying to bring a sense of community back to our school.

    We invite all families to the picnic at 5 – 6.30pm on the bottom oval. Parents are encouraged to bring a picnic rug or chair, pack dinner, buy take away or just come for a play.

    Feel free to park in the bottom Church carpark or at the Drouin Recreational ground. We look forward to seeing you there.

    SCHOOL LUNCH ORDER NEWS 

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    Hello Families & Staff,

    Welcome to a new school year and we look forward to continuing to supply your school lunch orders.

    Please see below a few important updates regarding school lunches:

    ·  Your school’s class names have now been updated on Flexischools. You will need to update your child’s new class before ordering in 2023;

    ·  Please note the cut-off time for ordering lunches is now 8.00am on the morning of lunch orders. Late orders will now also be cut-off at 9.00am;

    ·  There have been some new items added to the menu – a Sandwich Bento Box and a Sweet Chilli Chicken Tender can be an option for your sandwich/wrap/roll;

    ·  We will also be utilising a new communication tool available on Flexischools throughout the year, so please ensure you have ‘notifications’ turned on for your Flexischools account to be sure that you don’t miss any important messages/updates;

    ·  Please also note our new contact number for any lunch order enquiries: Michelle 0409 437 341;

    ·  For any new school families, please remember to create a Flexischools account and register your child. Please visit: www.flexischools.com.au or download the Flexischools app.

    Thanks,
    Alimentos Lunch Orders

    SCHOOL FEE CONCESSIONS

    2023 School Fees Concession Program Financial Hardship

    Eligible Centrelink Concession Card (CCC) Holder

    Information for Applicants

    Aim: To assist school families experiencing financial hardship in accessing a Catholic Primary education for their child/children.

    Confidentiality: At all times, the dignity and privacy of those seeking a fee concession will be respected.

    Level of Concession:  School office staff can advise applicants of the concessional fee to be charged. This concessional fee is fixed annually by Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited. Approved applicants will be charged only the concessional fee which will cover all standard school fees and levies including any charges remaining for camps, sports and excursions after the application of the Camps, Sports, Excursion Fund (CSEF) benefit.

    Eligible Concession Cards:  Centrelink issues a number of concession cards for a variety of reasons. Some cards have a generous or no income test and therefore holders of these cards are ineligible for a fee concession under Category One. Only CCC’s that are eligible for CSEF are eligible for the School Fees Concession Program. 

    The following CCC’s are the most common cards that are eligible for CSEF. The CCC type is specified as a two or three letter code printed on the concession card.

    • YA or YAL – Youth Allowance
    • PPS – Parenting Payment Single
    • PPP – Parenting Payment Partnered
    • DSP – Disability Support Pension
    • NSA – New Start Allowance
    • LI – Low Income
    • FA – Family Tax Benefit
    • SA or SKA - Sickness Allowance
    • CAR - Carer Allowance
    • ABA or ABY - Schooling Applicant
    • AGE - Age Pension
    • AUS - Austudy
    • HCC - Health Care Card
    • PTA - Partnered Allowance
    • SPL - Special Benefit
    • WID or WFD or WFA – Widow Allowance/Pension
    • The CCC must be issued in the name of the fee payer and list the students for which the concession is to be applied.
    • The expiry date of the card must be on or after 1 January of the year (2023) for which the concession is to be applied.
    • If an eligible concession card expires after the start of the year, the concessional fee rate will still be applied for the entire year.
    • If a family becomes eligible during the course of a school year, then a pro-rata concession may be granted.

    Lodgement of Application: Application for 2023 close on Friday 23rd June 2023, please lodge your application immediately for your card to be checked and a pro-rata concession to be applied if applicable.

    The following application forms must be completed and are available from the school office:

    • Complete the school’s application form & the Direct Debit Request (DDR) Service Agreement (or Centrepay application form)
    • Submit the completed forms and present a valid CCC for verifying and copying.
    • Complete and return the CSEF application form immediately after receiving it from the school.

    Important Notes:

    • The concession is automatic for a parent/guardian responsible for the school fees, who holds an eligible CCC.
    • Any offer of a concession is subject to the applicant entering into a DDR Service Agreement or CentrePay arrangement for a regular payment plan of remaining fees (either weekly or fortnightly payments preferred). Any default in payment may result in the concession being withdrawn.
    • The Direct Debit form is available from the school office or alternatively the CentrePay application form is available online at https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/forms/sa325.
    • A CSEF application must be submitted for a concession to be granted.
    • A new application must be made for each school year.
    • Where the fee account is split, the concession applies to only that portion payable by the eligible card holder.
    • All families requesting, or receiving, a fee concession must notify the school should their financial circumstances change sufficiently to affect the level of concession offered or if cards are cancelled.

    Please complete the below concession request forms and return to admin together with a copy of your valid concession card before Friday 23rd June 2023.

    CONVEYANCE ALLOWANCE

    Eligibility:

    An application on behalf of a student may be submitted if the student is:

    • a Victorian resident;
    • school aged and enrolled (3) three or more days per week at a school; and

    A student who meets the above requirements may be eligible if they:

    • attend their nearest appropriate non-government school/campus
    • reside 4.8km or more by the shortest practicable route from the school attended

    Note: Eligibility is assessed when the School completes your child’s application on the 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.

    If you are eligible and wish to apply for this allowance, please click the link to the Conveyance Allowance Application Form, which must be printed and completed and returned to the school office by Friday 10th March, 2023. Late claims cannot be accepted.

     

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    BOOK REVIEWS PUBLISHED IN GEELONG ADVERTISER

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    Teacher: Mrs Catherine McKenna

    Email: cmckenna@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

    WELCOME TO LIBRARY NEWS!

    Please refer to the newsletter each week to see what is happening in our school library.

    Due to the number of books we need to process weekly, we ask students to return their library bag and books the day before their library lesson. (Monday classes are an exception).

    If your child is reading a chapter book and may require more than a week to read it, please just return it once they have finished reading.

    All students at St Ita’s require a library bag. These keep our books clean and safe in between school and home. Library bags are available from Beleza Uniform Shop; however, any library bag is acceptable.

    LIBRARY DAY

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    MONDAY:

    Grade - 3/4M

    Grade - 1GL

    Grade - 3/4O

    Grade - 2ST

    Grade - 3/4D

    TUESDAY:

    All Foundation classes

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    WEDNESDAY:

    Grade - 3/4K

    Grade - 2KA

    Grade - 1G

    Grade - 1B

    Grade - 3/4HN

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    SPORTS NEWS

    Sports Teacher/Co-Ordinator: Hayley Roberts     

    Email:  hroberts@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au       

    RUNNING CLUB

    Well done to everyone who participated in the first running club for the year! 

    Special mention to Hayden Nooy for running 10 laps which is 3km.

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    IMPORTANT DATES 2023

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    Grade 1 and 2 will have an AFL incursion on Friday 17th March. It will run for  40mins per class on the bottom oval.

    Grade 3-6 swimming carnival will be on Monday 13th Feb at the Drouin outdoor pool. (District swimming will be the following week on the 22nd) Grade 3-6 athletics carnival - Friday 10th March

    Whole school cross country - Friday 31st March

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    CAMP AUSTRALIA

    Camp Australia Co-Ordinator: Carmelina De Cesari

    Contact Number: 1300 105 343

    Website: www.campaustralia.com.au

    PARISH NEWS

    Beyond Liberation

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    Sometimes Matthew’s gospel is interpreted as liberating us from the “old rules”. Nothing could be further from the truth! Jesus insists on the importance of “the law and the prophets.” Certainly, Jesus calls us to go to the core of the Law, rather than the technicalities and fine print beloved of the Pharisees. He calls us to the spirit rather than the letter of the Law.

    But addressing the spirit of the Law is at least as demanding as just ticking the boxes as the Pharisees were doing! Jesus calls us (Matt 5:17-37) beyond merely avoiding killing, adultery, theft and the other sins condemned in the Law of Moses. This is but the starting point for Christians. We are called to establish exactly what the commandments are asking of us, to discern and avoid what leads towards sinfulness and to be pro-actively good. 

    Just as good habits of honesty, integrity, self-control and trustworthiness in small things, enables trust in big ones, so bad choices multiplied became bad habits; and bad habits lead to bad consequences. Anger, lust, untruthfulness, disrespecting others and other seemingly ordinary and innocuous thoughts and feelings can lead to things far more serious if we don’t face, work through, and overcome them.

    Jesus does liberate us from the technicalities that the Pharisees hair-splitting understanding of  the law inflicted on the Jews. Even today we need to ask, “What is at the centre of this law? Is this building up God’s Kingdom?” But recognising that the core of the OT Law remains, we are freed not so much from as to. Freed to focus on Jesus teaching, freed to repent and remove our own failings and forgive those of others, freed to be pro-active in seeking out the poor and lost.

    Deacon Mark Kelly


    2023 SACRAMENT DATES - RECONCILIATION
    Reconciliation
    Combined Parent Information Meeting:
    Drouin: Wednesday 8th February 7pm
    Warragul: Thursday 9th February 7pm
    Parent/Child Workshop 1:
    Drouin: Wednesday 1st March 7pm
    Warragul: Thursday 2nd March 4pm & 7pm
    Parent/Child Workshop 2:
    Drouin: Wednesday 15th March 7pm
    Warragul: Thursday 16th March 4pm & 7pm
    SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION:
    Drouin: Wednesday 29th March, 7pm
    Warragul: Thursday 30th March, 7pm
    Commitment Masses:
    Drouin: 19th & 26th February 10.30am
    Warragul:18th & 19th February 7pm & 9am

    PARISH SACRAMENT ENQUIRIES

    Mobile: (03) 5623 1642 Email: Warragul.sacraments@cdsale.org.au


    POSITIONS VACANT AT THE COMBINED PARISHES OF

    ST JOSEPH'S WARRAGUL AND ST ITA'S DROUIN

    Parish Secretary: The position of Parishes Secretary has become available based at St Joseph’s Parish Office Warragul. The primary purpose of this role is to provide secretarial, administrative support to the Parish Administrator and Parish, also including bookkeeping using MYOB. Hours of work are 27.5 per week 9am-3pm.

    Applications are to be submitted by email to confidence.masvosva@cdsale.org.au by Friday 10th February 2023.  For a position description please contact Fr Confidence via email.

    Sacrament & Catechist Coordinator: The position of Sacrament & Catechist Coordinator has become available based at St Joseph’s Parish Office Warragul. The primary purpose of this role is to coordinate the Sacraments of Reconciliation, First Holy Communion and Confirmation and also run Catechist classes for our parish children who do not attend Catholic Schools. Hours of work are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 9am to 5pm.
    Applications are to be submitted by email to confidence.masvosva@cdsale.org.au by Friday 10th February 2023.  For a position description please contact Fr Confidence via email.

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

    PUBLIC NOTICES

    NET SET GO

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    IRISH DANCING LESSONS

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    WARRAGUL SHOW

    DROUIN FOOTBALL CLUB

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    HALLORA FOOTBALL CLUB

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    PIANO & SINGING LESSONS

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