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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.
This week’s Parent Teacher Interviews have provided teachers an opportunity to share with families how their child is progressing at school. It also allowed parents a chance to share more about their child and how teachers can support them at school and the uniqueness that every child exhibits. Communication between parents and teachers is the key to being able to give every child the best learning opportunity. It is the school’s expectation that every parent is communicated with regularly whether through ClassDojo, phone calls or face-to-face meetings.
In Andrew’s absence this week I thought it would be timely to discuss teacher and parent communication through ClassDojo and how this can be a great tool to stay connected to your child’s learning. Teachers can communicate photos of student work, comments about student learning, and follow up on any social or behavioural issues occurring on the yard through an instant messaging service. This instant messaging service though doesn’t mean the school is expecting teachers to be responding immediately to any concerns raised, however, we would expect communication to be returned within 24 hours. Any immediate communication required with a teacher or student should be directed to the school office for an appointment to be made or a message to be delivered to the class.
At school, class teachers must follow specific procedures for sharing and taking photos of children. On enrolment, parents sign a consent form to allow their child's photo to be taken for school purposes. As part of our policies and procedures, staff members are not to store any photographs on their personal devices. During public events, our staff members are required to wear their school badge or the school polo to be easily identifiable. Additionally, any pictures that are uploaded to social media or public places will only be shared with the written consent of parents and/or with pictures de-identified.
During school events, such as Athletics, Swimming, Cross Country, parents are reminded that they are only permitted to take photos of their own child, and in the event that other children are in the background should not be uploaded to any social media platforms. It is important to note that we have families in our community that have a ‘No Photo Consent’ – these students must not be photographed and shared at any time, hence our strict process to ensure all student's privacies are protected. Thank you for your ongoing support with this.
Steve Pitt
Deputy Principal
DROPPING STUDENTS TO SCHOOL ON VICTORIA ST
Any parents dropping their students off on Victoria Street are encouraged to have their children exit vehicles on the footpath side. We have had a few reports of students exiting vehicles on the main road and being too close to oncoming traffic.
COLLECTION AT THE END OF THE DAY
Lately, we have had parents calling the office after 3.10 pm trying to get messages to their child's classroom regarding pick-up instructions. We will do everything we can to ensure the message reaches your child but be aware that teachers and students begin an end of day pack up process and it can be difficult to get through to classrooms. Please ensure you give your students clear instructions before dropping them off at school and where they are to be collected.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
- Monday 11th March - Labour Day
- Tuesday 12th March - pupil free day
- Wednesday 27th March - last day Term 1
- Thursday 28th March - pupil free day
- Friday 29th March - Good Friday
- Monday 15th April - pupil free day
- Tuesday 16th April - Term 2 starts all students
- Thursday 25th April - Anzac Day
- Friday 26th April - pupil free day
- Monday 10th June - Kings Birthday
- Tuesday 11th June - Pupil Free day
- Thursday 27th June - last day Term 2
- Friday 28th June - pupil free day
- Monday 15th July - pupil free day
- Tuesday 16th July - Term 3 starts all students
- Friday 20th Sept - last day Term 3
- Monday 7th Oct - Term 4 starts all students
- Monday 4th Nov - pupil free day
- Tuesday 5th Nov - Melbourne Cup
- Tuesday 17th Dec - last day term 4
- Wednesday 18th Dec - pupil free day
- Thursday 19th Dec - pupil free day
- Friday 20th Dec - pupil free day
IMPORTANT DATES
Sacrament of Reconciliation Parent/Child Workshop
A significant number of parents indicated that they would like a Parent/Child workshop, therefore we have decided to hold one on 13th March at St. Ita’s Hall at 7pm. This workshop is not compulsory. Parents, you are your child’s primary educator, we are providing this workshop as an extra support. At this workshop there will be time for faith sharing with your child, with the option to then share in a wider group, an activity to further assist your child for their first reconciliation, and time spent in the church, familiarising families with the ceremony and a mock reconciliation.
If you have any concerns, or need more information please contact Liz on 0497 278 540, Email: Warragul.sacraments@cdsale.org.au or contact the Parish office Ph: 5623 1642
ALLERGY AWARENESS
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 HERE for the link to the Conveyance Allowance Application Form, which must be printed and completed and returned to the school office by Monday 4th March, 2024. Late claims cannot be accepted.
You must complete a new application even if you have applied for this allowance previously.
SIMON EVERYWHERE
CLASS AWARDS
The winners of this weeks class awards are below.
| Foundation C | Week 1-2 | Paige Johnston | Sol Pater |
| Foundation C | Week 3-4 | Caylee Parker | Zacarias Martinez-Villalobos |
| Foundation HN | Week 1-2 | Mia Dunscombe | Xavier Fowler |
| Foundation HN | Week 3-4 | Luna Love | Matilda Hudgell |
| Foundation K | Week 1-2 | Airlie Timson | Oakley Gleeson |
| Foundation K | Week 3-4 | Oscar Proctor | Darcy Dore |
| Grade 1CW | Week 1-2 | Chase Blencowe | Harlow Minihan |
| Grade 1CW | Week 3-4 | Mahli Robley | Ben Saunders |
| Grade 1G | Week 1-2 | Ivy Bennetto | Nathan Hately |
| Grade 1G | Week 3-4 | Nathan Hateley | Ivy Bennetto |
| Grade 1G | Week 3-4 | Taleah Proctor | Hunter Karlis |
| Grade 1ST | Week 1-2 | Jake Schembri | Milla Buxton |
| Grade 1ST | Week 3-4 | Ricardo Palombieri | Hazel Ablett |
| Grade 2AK | Week 3-4 | Jasmine Lord | Elsie Drissen |
| Grade 2BC | Week 3-4 | Elias Martinez-Villalobos | Evelyn Onus |
| Grade 2MW | Week 3-4 | Charlotte Hartcher | Audrey Smythe |
| Grade 3/4D | Week 1-2 | Beau Beechey | Annabelle Lyall |
| Grade 3/4GP | Week 1-2 | Noa Welch | Kai Aitken |
| Grade 3/4GP | Week 3-4 | Hayden Nooy | Eliza Biorchi |
| Grade 3/4I | Week 1-2 | Kailey Huglin | Hunter Vann |
| Grade 3/4I | Week 3-4 | Amalia Masterson | Laken Backman |
| Grade 3/4JW | Week 1-2 | Miles Robinson | Scarlett Sedgwick |
| Grade 3/4JW | Week 3-4 | Adrian Marki | Rose Robbins |
| Grade 3/4WR | Week 1-2 | Austin Ferris | Skyla Crimmins |
| Grade 3/4WR | Week 1-2 | Nardya Hart | Lachlan Hynd |
| Grade 3/4WR | Week 3-4 | Imogen | Quinn |
| Grade 5/6 L | Week 1-2 | Tia Stoll | Nate Blaney |
| Grade 5/6 L | Week 3-4 | Jett McGibney | Theia Wells |
| Grade 5/6B | Week 1-2 | Reb Kensley | Isaac Taylor |
| Grade 5/6B | Week 3-4 | Angus Maling | Ivy Marshall |
| Grade 5/6LM | Week 3-4 | Eli Spargo | Caiden Perera |
| Grade 5/6TM | Week 1-2 | Sebastian McDonald | Grace Rushbury |
| Grade 5/6TM | Week 3-4 | Summer Veale | Ashton Smethurst |
Teacher: Mrs Catherine McKenna
Email: cmckenna@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au
LIBRARY INFORMATION
Premiers’ Reading Challenge
Congratulations to these students who completed the Premiers’ Reading Challenge in 2023. They received their certificates in assembly.
Natalie Hateley, Holly Hateley, Nathan Hateley, Izzy Simsir, Zoe Simsir, Hayden Diaz, Lou Lockett, Nardya Hart, Lilly Winterton, Jane John, Emily Melville, Audrey Byrne and Scarlett Byrne.
The reading challenge for 2024 will open in early March and runs until September. It is a challenge completed at home and supported at school.
If you would like your child to participate or your child would like to participate, please email me and I will sign them up.
All students are invited to be participants.
Here is some information about the number of books to read.
Library Bag for all students please.
It is great to see so many enthusiastic students coming into our library each week to borrow books.
Many students know exactly what they want to borrow and other students browse however they are not sure what they want to read next.
I invite you to open our St Ita’s Library Homepage. This is our online catalogue that is available to the students to borrow at school. You are welcome to browse with your child through the books at home. Search different genres, topics and themes. To assist them in remembering books they would like to borrow, jot down the title and call number too.
Students must have a library bag to borrow books for home.
CAMP AUSTRALIA
Camp Australia Co-Ordinator: Carmelina De Cesari
Contact Number: 1300 105 343
Website: www.campaustralia.com.au
PARISH NEWS
Who is this God?
Mark’s gospel gives the game away from the start – this is the beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But what does that mean?
Jesus’ A Team: Peter, James, and John, have been privileged witnesses to much of Jesus’ ministry to this point, but still, it is not clear. Their leader, not only a powerful preacher, healer and prophet is something more: “Beloved Son” of the Creator. Wow!
Even after this Transfiguration experience (Mark 9:2-10) they don’t fully understand God or God’s beloved Son or the Good News message that is the Son’s mission. Transfiguration gives a tantalising glimpse of the Creator’s loving relationship with the Son, whose example and Good News in turn is about a close, all loving, Father.
God is unimaginable for us. Anything we say about God is simply an attempt to encapsulate that which is way beyond our understanding. How preposterous for us or anyone claiming to absolutely know or to understand the mind of God!
We have outgrown childish images of God as a long-bearded old man floating on white clouds with harp playing angels. Outgrown too the notion of a distant, vengeful God hurling lightning bolts at human transgressors.
Pope Francis challenges us to expand our thinking by allowing a new wisdom to shape the understanding of our faith, our world, and our images of God.
“At the end” Pope Francis teaches us, “we will find ourselves face to face with the infinite beauty of God (1 Cor 13:12) and be able to read with admiration and happiness the mystery of the universe, which with us will share in unending plenitude.” “Eternal life will be a shared experience of awe, in which each creature, resplendently transfigured, will take its rightful place”. (Laudate Si #243)
Deacon Mark Kelly
FIRST RECONCILIATION
Parent/Child Workshop @ St Itas Hall - 13th March at 7pm
First Reconciliation Sacarament @ St Itas Church - Thursday 21st March
Email: Warragul.sacraments@cdsale.org.au
Ph: 03 5623 1642
PARISH SACRAMENT ENQUIRIES
Phone: (03) 5623 1642 Email: Warragul.sacraments@cdsale.org.au
