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 W7 2023 Newsletter

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T1 W7 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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    CYBERSAFE WEBINAR

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    As part of our plan to support child safety and the protection of all students in our care, we have a great opportunity for St Ita’s parents to participate in a free webinar Inform and Empower- Raising Kids in a Digital World on March 23rd @ 7.30pm

    This webinar will help educate and offer support strategies to parents and carers about: Cyberbullying, current trends in child/teen online behaviour, Unsafe apps and social media, parent/child communication, managing devices in the home, managing conflict around digital devices, balancing screen time, explicit/adult content, and where to find helpful information

    To register your spot in our St Ita's Parent webinar “Raising kids in a Digital World.”

    Simply follow the link: bit.ly/23march2023

    This is a perfect platform for dialogue between school and home with the appropriate / inappropriate use of the devices our students are using.

    We thank you for working with us to make all our students at St Ita’s to feel safe and supported.

    SCHOOL REVIEW

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    I would like to extend a big thank you to all the students, teachers and parents who contributed to our school review last week. Ms. Amanda Smith and Mrs. Marianne O’Rourke conducted the process over three days, and the outcomes were really reflective of how we are operating as a school.

    The review process looks at what we are doing well, and what we could do better, as we move through the process of developing a four year strategic plan. An outline of the review process will be made available to the St Ita’s community in the coming weeks, which will outline the direction the school will be taking over the next four years.

    THE CLASSROOM TEACHER IS YOUR FIRST POINT OF CONTACT

    A gentle reminder to all of our parents community that we are working extremely hard to build positive Parent/Teacher relationships at St Ita’s, which is in line with our whole school approach to positive behaviours.

    If you have any concerns, or issues relating to your child, your first point of contact is always your child’s classroom teacher. Your child's classroom teacher will generally have a very good understanding of most issues or concerns relating to your child.  We believe that open, honest and respectful conversations between parent and staff result in the best outcomes for everyone.

     GASTRO AT SCHOOL

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    Within the last week we have had several staff, and a large amount of our students away from school with gastro like symptoms. It is becoming very clear that the gastro virus it is working it's way through all grade levels at St Ita's. If your child is showing any signs of gastro please keep them home until they have been symptom free for a minimum of 48 hours.

    NEW FLAG POLES AT THE FRONT OF OUR SCHOOL

    Our school flag poles have recently been relocated from inside the school fence, around to the front of our school on Victoria St where they sit proudly and patriotically.

    The Australian National Flag

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    The Australian National Flag has three elements on a blue background. The Union Jack in the upper left corner (or canton) acknowledges the history of British settlement. Below the Union Jack is a white Commonwealth or Federation star. It has seven points representing the unity of the six states and the territories of the Commonwealth of Australia. The Southern Cross is shown in white. This constellation of five stars can be seen only from the southern hemisphere and is a reminder of Australia’s geography.

    The Australian Aboriginal flag

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    The top half of the Australian Aboriginal flag is black to symbolise Aboriginal people. The red in the lower half represents the earth and the colour of ochre, which has ceremonial significance. The circle of yellow in the centre of the flag represents the sun. Mr Harold, a descendent of the Luritja people of Central Australia, designed the flag.

    The Torres Strait Islander flag

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    The green panels at the top and bottom of the Torres Strait Islander flag represent the land and the central blue panel represents the sea. The black lines dividing the panels represent the Torres Strait Islander people. The centre of the flag shows a white dhari (dancer’s head dress) and is a symbol for all Torres Strait Islander people. Underneath the dhari is a white five pointed star. The points of the star represent the five major island groups in the Torres Strait and the colour white symbolises peace. The star also represents navigation as a symbol of the seafaring culture of the Torres Straits.

    HELPING CHILDREN TO BUILD TEAM WORK SKILLS

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    We take a look at the importance of building team skills from a young age, and what you can do to support your child. From collaborating in a sports team to putting on a class play, teamwork is a big part of primary school life. And mastering the art of being a team player will help your child succeed not just at school, but throughout their lives.

    ‘Getting along and engaging with others is the building block of many things in life,’ says chartered clinical psychologist and parenting adviser Claire Halsey. ‘From a young age, children need to learn how to give and take, share, take turns, play to their strengths and draw in other people to fill the gaps. It’s a core social skill.’

    Ian Brember, founder of Big Hat Bushcamp, agrees. ‘It’s a vital life skill for everyone, regardless of age,’ he says. ‘Whatever a child ends up doing as a job, they have to be able to work with other people. They also need to build relationships, whether with family members, friends, neighbours, colleagues or customers.’

    Learning to work as part of a team will help your child hone many social skills, such as patience, empathy, communication, respect for others, compromise and tolerance. It also helps them develop confidence in themselves and trust in other people.

    The primary school years are packed with opportunities for them to develop those skills, and children who get to grips with teamwork from a young age will act as positive role models for other kids, too.

    Recent research from Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and Duke University found that children as young as three understand the value of teamwork, but that doesn’t mean it always comes naturally.

    ‘Children are innately selfish,’ explains Ian. ‘They’re born with the drive to have their basic needs for food and comfort met, and it’s only through the lessons they learn in childhood that they begin to move away from that viewpoint.’

    This means it’s quite normal for children to have difficulties with teamwork at first: you only need to watch a toddler snatch a toy from their playmate, or burst into tears if someone sits in their favourite chair, to see this in action.

    ‘They’re the centre of their own world, and their needs come first: it’s very hard for them to put those aside to allow someone else’s needs to be met,’ says Claire.

    But while teething problems such as pushing and shoving, tantrums and being a sore loser are to be expected, over time, children will get used to being part of a team rather than a lone wolf.

    ‘By the age of three to five, most children are able to do some give and take, share with others and show some empathy towards other children,’ Claire explains.

    The primary school years are an excellent time to cultivate the teamwork ethos your child will draw on throughout their life, and many activities inside and outside the classroom are designed to help children get used to being team players. These include:

    Problem-solving tasks, often in science or design technology, such as building the tallest possible structure using dry spaghetti and mini marshmallows as glue.

    Partner or group work, with more able children helping those who are having difficulty with a task.

    Group reading, where children take it in turns to read passages from a set book.

    Music, playing simple instruments like recorders, keyboards and percussion to put together a piece of music.

    Forest school, taking part in outdoor activities such as building shelters and lighting fires.

    Team sports such as football, hockey, rounders, netball and relay races.

    Debates, working as a team to argue for or against a particular issue.

    Putting on a school play or a class assembly.

    Circle time, where every child is given equal opportunity to speak.

    School forums, where elected child reps meet with staff members to discuss issues that are affecting their class.

    Often, children continue to collaborate outside lessons, playing team games like football basketball netball or tag at break time.

    There are many ways to give your child opportunities to practise their teamwork skills at home. You might like to try:

    • Board games and party games like Scrabble, Top Trumps, Charades, Jenga and Ludo: great for developing important social skills like taking turns, collaboration and compromise.
    • Cooking: challenge siblings to work together to follow a recipe and bake a cake or even cook dinner.
    • Putting on a play, show or music concert with siblings, friends or other family members.
    • Art projects such as making a large collage or mosaic, or construction projects like making a LEGO
    • Helping each other with homework:a great way for older children to support their younger siblings, while also developing vital skills such as communication and patience themselves.
    • Active outdoor play such as football, basketball, building dens or obstacle courses, and even building a snowman in the winter.
    • Team games like the classic passing a balloon between the legs and parachute games where children have to work together to keep a ball aloft: great if you have a group of kids to entertain.

    Just keep in mind that teamwork can be challenging for children (and especially for siblings!), and be prepared to intervene if things are getting too competitive or confrontational.

    Because teamwork doesn’t come naturally, many children struggle with it, whether that’s because they’re shy, have a tendency to be bossy, or struggle when they’re on the losing team.

    The good news is that there’s plenty we adults can do to help our children become better team players.

    • Emphasise the importance of being part of a team. Teams are more than just their strongest members: everyone has a role. ‘As parents, we can help our children find their strengths and develop them,’ says Claire. ‘Real resilience is knowing what you’re good at and playing to that.’ If, for example, your child isn’t a natural striker, they might be better suited to playing in goal for their football team.
    • Build their confidence.Children who are shy and reserved might find it difficult to be part of a team, and get walked over by more forceful characters. ‘Teachers and parents can help by giving quieter team members their own job to do,’ says Ian. ‘This shows that you believe in the child and builds their confidence.’
    • Demonstrate teamwork at home. There are dozens of opportunities to collaborate: for example, one sibling could fold the washing and the other put it away. You and your children could devise and cook a menu for a special meal, or join forces to plan a family day out, including transport, route and itinerary.
    • Enrol in an after-school club.‘Everything we do in our sessions is a team-based activity, from den-building to fire-lighting and camp fire cooking, aimed at teaching children important life skills,’ says Ian. An extra benefit of joining an extracurricular club is that children get to socialise with a different group of peers, expanding their social network.
    • Encourage fair play.Good ground rules – such as taking turns and being kind – are essential for teamwork, so set clear guidelines for team activities. ‘It’s even more effective if children come up with the rules themselves, as then they’re more invested in them,’ says Claire.
    • Keep in touch with school.If your child is finding the teamwork side of school hard, talk to their teacher. There are lots of strategies that can be used to help kids become better at being part of a team, such as picking names out of a hat for team leader positions rather than always calling on the same characters, or getting older pupils to run playground games for younger children.
    • Seek help if you’re worried. If you’re concerned that your child has social difficulties that are making teamwork hard, ask to speak to the school’s special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) for advice. But be realistic – even adults sometimes find it hard to be a team player, and most children will get better with practice.

    Andrew Osler

    St Ita's Principal

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    SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

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    The Sacrament of First Reconciliation will take place at St Ita’s Church Drouin Wednesday 22nd March @ 7:00 pm

    OR

    St Joseph’s Church Warragul Thursday 23rd March @ 7:00pm

    Please pray for our students who will participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first-time next week.

     

    MINI VINNIES FUNDRAISER

    For the earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria

    As a Catholic School and because we follow in Jesus’ footsteps to be Christ like, we are going to hold a green free dress day on Friday 17th March - St Patrick’s Day                             

    • Cost is a gold coin donation.
    • Money raised will go towards providing support for the people affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
    • The money will provide hygiene health kits which have soap, water bottles, water purification tablets, tooth paste and washing powder.
    • We also hope to provide education tents and recreational kits for children.

    As the Gospel of Mark promotes the ideal to give selflessly and serve others.

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    LAST DAY OF TERM 1

    A reminder to all families that the last day of term 1 will be Thursday 6th April, with an early finish time of 2.20pm.  On this day we will be having a whole school liturgy in the church at 11.30am to celebrate the Stations of the Cross, which will be presented by our Grade 6 students. This will be followed by a short assembly.  Parents who would like to take their children home after the assembly are welcome to do so, please ensure that you Dojo your childs teacher to let them know they will be leaving early.

    IMPORTANT DATES

    Thursday 6th April 2023 - Last day of Term 1, 2.20pm finish

    Monday 24th April 2023 - School Closure Day - no students on site

    Tuesday 16th May 2023 - RE Closure Day - no students on site

    PARENT INFORMATION PRESENTATIONS

    Please find below a QR code and website link to 2023 Parent Information Presentations. The information presentations will help to give you an understanding of what your child is learning in the class during Term 1. Please use these links to explore what your child is learning and if you have any questions, feel free to contact your childs' classroom teacher for further information. 

     

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    Here is web link if preferred- CLICK HERE

    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/ren.

    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: Applications 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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    STUDENT AWARDS

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    BOOK REVIEW

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    SPORTS NEWS

    Sports Teacher/Co-Ordinator: Hayley Roberts     

    Email:  hroberts@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au       

    TARAGO DISTRICT ATHLETICS

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    IMPORTANT DATES 2023

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    Whole school cross country (Postponed) - Friday 5th May

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    Teacher: Mrs Catherine McKenna

    Email: cmckenna@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

    LIBRARY NEWS

    Book Reviewers Wanted

    For the last two years we have been fortunate enough to be chosen to review books for the Herald Sun and now the Geelong Advertiser. The books we are given to review are mostly suitable for grade 3-6 students.

    I currently have 4 books that need to be read and reviewed. This can be in partnership as parent/student; or students may be able to work independently. It is also something that needs to be completed in a reasonable timeframe and at home. Book reviews need to be typed and 100 words. If your child would be interested in being a book reviewer this year, please email me and I will keep them in mind if a suitable book comes in.

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    Story Box Library

    Just a reminder to parents and new families that we have a subscription to Story Box Library. There is a link to the website below, or you can download the app. I encourage you to try it out.

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    Audiobooks

    If your child isn’t into reading, or if they haven’t found the genre that they love yet, get them listening to audio books. Also known as ear-reading, it’s a great way for our students to explore and develop a love of story. I use the app BorrowBox which is free through the Local Community Library-Myli.

    Scholastic Book Club

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    Book Club Issue 2 - CLICK HERE

    Orders close Thursday 23rd March for free delivery back to school. 

    You also have the home delivery option with an addition fee of $7.50

    PARISH NEWS

    We Have The Power!

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    We scoff when we read that the man in today’s gospel (John 9:1-41) must be suffering blindness as God’s punishment for his own sinfulness or that of his parents. We know better than that! Jesus’ purpose flies in the face of that. His Good News of God’s Kingdom is that God is an all loving Father who is vitally concerned for us, seeks to guide us but allows us to follow our conscience. God is not interested in zapping us for our sins or those of our parents.

    Nevertheless we ask similar questions today.  Why do bad things happen to innocent people?  Why were thousands killed recently in the big earthquake in Turkey and Syria? Why are some babies born with birth defects?  Why does cancer strike some and not others? They are age-old questions without easy answers but Jesus puts to bed the idea of God inflicting these things. (John 9:3)

    Indeed if we had such a God, who micro-managed our lives, it would be at the expense of our free-will, our freedom of conscience and action. Instead God is vitally concerned in our lives and has given us collectively and individually the tools to address anything life throws at us.

    So what tools have we been given? How might the works of God be revealed in misfortunes? Before we blame God, what has His teaching been? Oh yeah, Jesus’ consistent message is about compassion, about openness to God’s Word and truly listening. We deal with illnesses and natural disasters pro-actively, medically and scientifically, we work tirelessly for peace, we listen to our brothers and sisters without prejudice, we reach out selflessly to those in need and we humbly place ourselves in God’s hands.  And we resist any temptation to think we have answers without God.

    Deacon Mark Kelly

    2023 SACRAMENT DATES - RECONCILIATION
    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

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

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

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    CAMP AUSTRALIA

    Camp Australia Co-Ordinator: Carmelina De Cesari

    Contact Number: 1300 105 343

    Website: www.campaustralia.com.au

    PUBLIC NOTICES

    DUSTIES DISCO

    MOE/NEWBOROUGH DODGERS BASEBALL

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    IRISH DANCING LESSONS

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    PIANO & SINGING LESSONS

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