MEDICINE PROTOCOLS AND PROCEDURES AT ST ITAS

Parents often ask teachers and schools to administer medication to their children while at school. It is important that such requests are managed appropriately to ensure the safety of all students and fulfil the duty of care of school staff. We aim to ensure that all medications are administered appropriately to students in our care.

IMPLEMENTATION

• First and foremost, children who are unwell should not be attending school. Children who are presenting sick will have a call made to home by school admin and the expectation is that the child will need to be collected from school.
• The Administration Officers will be the staff members responsible for administering any prescribed medications to children.
• Non-prescribed oral medications (e.g., headache tablets) will not be administered by any other school staff except Admin Staff with the parent's permission and consent.
• No medication should be sent to school via a child or in a child’s bag. The parent is responsible for delivering medication to the school administration.
• All parent requests for the Administration Officer to administer prescribed medications to their child must be in writing on the form provided (see attached below) and must be supported by specific written instruction from the medical practitioner or pharmacist, including the name of the student, dosage, and time of medication to be administered (the original medication bottle or container should provide this information).
• All verbal requests for children to be administered prescribed medications while at school must be directed to the Administration Officers, who will, in turn, seek a meeting or discussion with parents to confirm the details of the request and outline school staff responsibilities.
• Requests for prescribed medications to be administered by the school ‘as needed’ will cause the Administration Officer to seek further written clarification from the parents.
• All student medications must be in the original containers, must be labelled, must have the quantity of tablets confirmed and documented, and must be stored in either the locked first aid cabinet or staff refrigerator, whichever is most appropriate.
• Consistent with our Asthma policy, students who provide written parent permission (in the form of an asthma management plan) may carry an asthma inhaler with them or may be administered by sick bay attendants as appropriate.
• School Admin Officers will inform classroom teachers when students in their class require prescribed medications, and classroom teachers will release students at prescribed times so that they may visit the school office and receive their medications.
• All completed Medication Request Forms and details relating to students, their prescribed medication, dosage quantities and times of administering will be kept and placed in the student file.
• In addition, administration of medication will be recorded in the medication booklet.
• Students involved in school camps or excursions will be discreetly administered prescribed medications by the ‘Teacher in Charge’ in a manner consistent with the above procedures, with all details recorded. 
• Parents/carers of students who may require injections are required to meet with the principal to discuss the matter.

Could I please ask all parents/carers to ensure you read and understand our school's implementation procedures for medicines and their distribution?

If you are uncertain or unsure, please contact the school admin for clarification on (03) 5623 7222 or via email admin@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

HARMONY DAY

Harmony Day (Friday, 21 March 2025) is part of Harmony Week, which celebrates Australia’s amazing cultural diversity. This week, schools celebrate inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for all Australians, from the traditional custodians of the land to those who have come from many countries around the world.

With the motto ‘Everyone belongs’, Harmony Week encourages us to appreciate our differences and similarities, promote inclusiveness, and show mutual respect for everyone, regardless of race, colour, religion, or background.

Why we love Harmony Day

• It celebrates diversity
• You can celebrate your own way
• It unites cultures

Statistics show that diverse communities, companies and civilisations are happier, healthier and more prosperous. So, including everyone really does make the world a better place!

On Friday, March 21st, we will have a plain clothes day. Children can bring a gold coin to help support our local St Vincent De Paul. However, we want all our kids to wear at least one piece of orange clothing, as this is the harmony day colour. Start looking around and find some things to wear that are orange.

THE HISTORY OF HARMONY DAY

Harmony Day was first celebrated in Australia in 1999. People celebrate it by reflecting on the ways they can live in harmony with their neighbours. In 1998, the government commissioned a study into the nature of racism that highlighted a greater need for people to ‘live in harmony’. As a result, Harmony Day was created to encourage everyone to respect each other and appreciate the country’s vibrant multicultural background.

Here are some interesting statistics about Australia’s diversity today from the latest Census Data:

• 1% of Australia’s population were born overseas.
• 5 % of Australian residents were born overseas (first generation) or have a parent born overseas (second generation)
• We identify with over 300 ancestries in Australia
• 812,728 people identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. This is an increase of 25.2% since 2016, representing 3.2% of the population.
• 167 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages were used at home by 76,978 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The most widely reported language groups used were Arnhem Land and Daly River Region Languages (14.5%) and Torres Strait Island Languages (12.0%).
• Since 1945, more than 7.5 million people have migrated to Australia
• The top five most reported ancestries included English 33.0%, Australian 29.9%, Irish 9.5%, Scottish 8.6% and Chinese 5.5%.
• Mandarin is the most common language other than English spoken in Australia with 685,274 people using Mandarin at home.
• This is followed by Arabic (367,159 people), Vietnamese (320,758 people), and Cantonese (295,281 people).
• Punjabi had the largest increase, showing 239,033 people using Punjabi at home.
• Nepali featured in the top five languages used at home in both ACT (1.3%) and Tasmania (1.3%).
• 85% of Australians agree multiculturalism has been good for Australia

 SCHOOL CROSSING/CAR PARKING AT SCHOOL

This is a reminder to all parents who park at the front of the school for drop off and pick up. It’s been reported that some parents are parking within the “No Parking / Standing Zone” very close to the school crossing in the mornings to drop off, obstructing the view of oncoming cars. In the interest of safety for all, can I please ask all parents using the front of the school to adhere to the no parking /standing zones? Also, I’ve had several complaints from residents living in the side streets near the school. Please don’t park across housing driveways. The council has said anyone caught doing this will be spot-fined.

MARIST-SION COLLEGE ENROLMENTS FOR GRADE 5 AND GRADE 6 STUDENTS

Please find the latest enrolment updates for Marist-Sion College below:

Year 7, 2027 – Current Grade 5 Students

• Applications are open until Friday, 4 July 2025
• Apply via our website
• Applications are prioritised according to the DOSCEL Enrolment Policy

Year 7, 2026 – Current Grade 6 Students

• Applications closed on 30 August 2024, but limited places still remain
• Late applications are accepted until Friday 4 April 2025
• Apply via our school website
• Applications are prioritised according to the DOSCEL Enrolment Policy

Upcoming Enrolment Events

• Talk and Tours – Running until June

o Guided tours with student ambassadors

o Book via our website: Talk and Tours – Marist Sion College.

• Our Discovery Evening – Wednesday 2 April 2025. Is where children will hear from our Principal, staff, and students about life at Marist-Sion College.

More details will be shared on our website, social media, and the Warragul Gazette.

Kind regards, Marist-Sion College

WE HAVE A CONNECTION TO A FAMOUS AUTHOR IN OUR SCHOOL

Ms Wiedermann, our wonderful grade 5 teacher, has a very famous author mother. Sue Weiderman from Upper Beaconsfield recently had her first book published, “LET'S GO EXPLORING.”

The book is illustrated by the world-renowned graphic design artist Mr Andrew Hopgood and follows the journey of two children as they go exploring their neighbourhood, finding delight in the natural environment. Children can read this story while they use their visual perception skills, searching the illustrations for various items. It can also be used as a movement/drama/yoga activity to encourage children to explore their own. This could be in their own neighbourhood, backyard, playground or even an imaginary one inside. The scenes in the book could be recreated with life-size or small-world figures/objects, or children could use their imagination and make up their own scenes. They could even write of their own adventures in a story of their own.

Sue has over 30 years of experience as an early childhood teacher, working in mainstream kindergartens, early intervention programs, supported playgroups, parent support groups, supported swimming programs, and in TAFE mentoring children services students.

Storytelling has always been an important aspect of my teaching. If not with a storybook, then it can be orally with toys, objects, or puppets. So many pre-literacy and literacy skills are learnt through storytelling. Listening, recalling, sequencing, memorising, re-telling, for example. Stories with repetition and rhyme are a great way to support these literacy skills. It enables children to repeat and recall parts of the story even if they can’t remember all the words. The repetitive retelling of the story helps develop their language skills. Stories can also be related to and incorporated into so many aspects of the curriculum, as I’ve shown with some of my resources.

I have practised yoga for over 30 years and have recently become a yoga and meditation teacher with a special interest in yoga for children. I incorporate aspects of yoga and meditation in my sessions with children to help them develop self-awareness to support their self-regulation, moods, interactions with others and connection to the natural environment. I believe strongly that we need to support and develop children’s ecological identity alongside their own personal, family and cultural identity. Seeing that we are part of and connected to the natural world rather than superior to it may help develop future caretakers of our planet.  Many young children are not given the opportunity to play outdoors in natural environments, which is having a detrimental impact on their learning and development. I hope my stories may invite and encourage children to explore and use their imagination in the great outdoors.

With a bit of luck and a sit-down with Sue’s manager, Mr. Roderick Weidermann, we might be able to invite her to present Let’s Go Exploring during book week or at a special library session for those with a passion for reading.