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.

PRINCIPAL MESSAGE

CREATING A POSITIVE MINDSET IN TOUGH TIMES

Welcome back to another week of Remote Learning. I have been taking the opportunity this week to catch up with children in their daily Google Meetings, and I have been so impressed with the quality of the learning-taking place, the independence being displayed by the students and the resilience being shown by all in our learning community.

Also in answer to a question I was asked by Jaxson Young (Grade 3) when I dropped into their Google Meeting. No mate, I am not growing a mullet. My hair has just gone a little haywire of late. You try getting a haircut during COVID Lockdowns LOL!

The St Ita’s staff have done an amazing job preparing and supporting children learning from home. They have done such a great job sowing a really positive vibe and keeping our students motivated.

To all parents, stick at it. I know it is a tough situation and I know how some parents are struggling. The important thing is that you have all done an outstanding job and at some point, we will get through this tough time. Remember, if you have any questions or concerns for your child’s learning, the first port of call is the classroom teacher. They will support and assist you with anything that you need. We are here for you.

The COVID-19 pandemic which has permeated our lives over the last two years brings with it a saturation of doom and gloom. If we let it, this doom and gloom can have a severe negative impact on our mental health and well-being.

Getting ourselves in the right mindset, shifting to a more positive outlook on life can help get us through these tough times. This, of course, is not always easy to do; we need to have the skills and capacity to develop a strong, healthy and positive mindset.

Below is a list of positive behaviours that we can employ to help us through tough times, adversity and personal strain and pain. These are some simple strategies that I try to employ during COVID Lockdowns.

Take breaks from social media. Sometimes social platforms can easily turn contentious. For me personally, I try to avoid social media, as I just find it far too negative and toxic.
Take a walk with the dog, go for a hike, ride a skateboard /scooter, get on the bike and go for a ride. Perform some sort of daily movement that you enjoy, especially outside. Whilst you are out and about try to pay attention to nature and what is going on around you.
Keep a journal. Writing things down can be a great outlet for emotions and a great way to reveal and record all the things to be grateful for in this life. When I travelled overseas with mates a few years back, I wrote a comprehensive journal of the trip. There is so many good memories in what I wrote and they are a great read to revisit when things are a little gloomy.
Have a pot of tea – meaning slow down and take a moment. Make time for yourself each day, even if it is only 15 minutes. Check in with yourself and do something for you.
Set limits on how much news you are consuming. The modern-day news programs are designed to hook viewers and keep them coming back for more. Get what you need to stay informed and then shut it down. Most importantly consider the sources of your news and make sure they are reputable.
Surround yourself with positive people. When you are presented with negativity, take a deep breath, listen. Try not to engage in the negative.
Focus on your four walls. Things can sometimes seem so out of control so work hard to focus on what you can control. Take care of yourself and your immediate family first, and then everything outside your four walls will become so much easier to handle.
Seek out “Your Squad, Your Posse” those people who lift you up and listen to you when you need to vent. Then leave it there. Get it out and let it go.
The eyes are the window to the soul. Smile. Even behind your mask ?
Cook and eat food that is healthy and nutritious. It will make you feel good that you are taking steps to take care of yourself and your family.
Say hello. Reach out to others, whether greeting them during your walk, making a call or text, or sending a note in the mail. Stay connected.
Avoid engaging. While we cannot control the actions of others, we can control our own reactions.
Practice gratitude. Consider starting each day, recognising/writing three things you are grateful for.
Get proper sleep. This one is a no-brainer. It just makes day-to-day life so much easier to handle with a proper night’s sleep.
Try to take it moment by moment. Something I learned a long time ago is to focus on your current situation. You cannot do anything about the past and you can only do your best in the moment for whatever may come.
Give yourself licence to escape. Make time for the things that bring you joy, whether it’s getting outside, reading a novel, building projects, cooking something new. Self-care is a crucial component to good health and more important than ever during COVID lockdowns.

I would love to hear from any parents who would be keen to share the things you do to build a positive mindset during COVID lockdowns. I will create a page for next week’s newsletter devoted to sharing all the positive ways our community copes with the challenges of COVID lockdowns. Please send your Positive Mindset Tasks to; principal@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

DAILY GOOGLE MEETINGS FOR STUDENTS

Just a reminder to parents that all students Grades 3-6 students are expected to attend their grade’s daily Google Meeting which outlines the work for the day. These meetings usually take place between 9.00am and 10.00am and children receive an email invite to log in from their teacher.

Children need to be out of bed, dressed appropriately, with their cameras turned on, operating in a space that can be monitored by the parent. The expectation is that all children attend these meetings daily. I’ve asked teachers to contact parents if children are not participating in these sessions. We thank you for your ongoing support with the google meetings.

A SPECIAL TREAT FOR ALL ST ITA'S FAMILIES

To help you find a positive during COVID Lockdown, the lovely staff at SGO Candles & Co. are giving all families the opportunity to win one of three beautiful 220gram scented candles.

This month’s candle flavour is "Fruit Loops" it smells absolutely amazing, almost edible.

Mr. Pitt has kindly shown me how to create a random spinning wheel that includes every family in our school. Each Wednesday, for the next three weeks, we will spin the wheel and the winner will be announced in our newsletter. We have three candles to give away and we hope you are one of the lucky winners.

RANDOM SPINNING WHEEL

Click the link below to see our prize winners

1st Prize - SGO Candles & Co Candle (Fragrance - Fruit Loops)

2nd Prize - Chocolates

Random Spinning Wheel (Video)

GROWING UP ONLINE WEBINAR FOR PARENTS

The digital world is arguably the greatest source of risk for children’s wellbeing, yet our children are afforded so many freedoms on devices that go unchecked by parents.

All St Ita’s parents are invited to attend a webinar, entitled "Growing up Online", conducted by world renowned Cyber Cop, Susan McLean. Susan a widely recognised authority on all matters cyber safety will be presenting her webinar to highlight the dangers, trolls and traps that exist for children in the cyber sphere.

Susan presented to our school parents some years ago, and those that attended raved about the value of the information she provided on the night. Many parents spoke about how much better informed they were, and how they felt much more capable to help their children safely manage the complexities of digital technology.

I urge all parents to attend this session, from the comfort of your home. I am confident that Susan will enable you to better understand and help your child navigate the dangerous waters of their online world.

Personally, I think this could be the best $5 investment you ever make!

https://www.trybooking.com/BTUQN

Susan McLean Webinar Event Primary

Susan McLean Webinar Event Primary 502.33 KB

ASTHMA WEEK IS ON 1-7 SEPTEMBER – SO GET INVOLVED

Hey Australia, it’s time to think differently about what we’re breathing in.

2.7 million of us are living with asthma (1 in 9). With air pollution being a regular thing we breathe in, the risks and impacts for people with asthma are getting harder. But it’s not just people with asthma who are impacted. Air pollution, from traffic exhaust to your gas cook-top, can be damaging our lungs and your general health. When we breathe in certain air pollutants, the risk of developing conditions like asthma, heart or lung disease and cancer can increase. Didn’t know? That’s okay.

This Asthma Week (1-7 September) Asthma Australia has joined forces with key respiratory, health and climate organisations to encourage Aussies like you, to care as much about the air you breathe as the food you eat.

The Asthma Week Collaborative is launching – ‘Air Nutrition – you are what you breathe – to educate Australians to think differently about the air we’re breathing in and to take simple steps to reduce our intake for a healthier life.

PARENT ACCESS MODULE (PAM)

Thank you to all our families who have signed in and verified their children/s information. This will improve our communications moving forward including seeking permission for excursions, trips to the sick bay (which can be communicated to parents via email notifications in real time), and monitoring any students with medical conditions.

We continue to encourage any parents who are yet to access the portal to do so via the link below and ensure all students details, including medical details are up to date. Please contact the school if you still have not been able to do this or please follow the instructions on the school website.

This portal is accessible via https://pam.stidrouin.catholic.edu.au/

2022 ENROLMENTS NOW OPEN

Enrolments are now open and we are now taking bookings for enrolment interviews and school tours. (COVID-19 Dependent).

If you require an interview and school tour with your child, please contact our school Admin on 5623 7222 as soon as possible to book a time.

All parents will be required to complete a student questionnaire prior to the commencement of your interview (this takes a couple of minutes and you will receive it on arrival). You will also receive an enrolment pack with an enrolment form enclosed.

We strongly advise you to book your interview and return your application form promptly to guarantee enrolment for next year.

SCHOOL FEES & FEE CONCESSION

Term 1, 2 & 3 School Fees are now overdue. BPay details are available on your school fee statement. School fees are due by the 4th week of each term and must be paid in full by the end of the school year they are due, December 2021.

If any families would like to pay off their fees either weekly, fortnightly or monthly, please set up a direct debit schedule by completing a Direct Debit Form and returning to the school office at your earliest convenience. Please calculate the total fees payable by the number of weeks/payments required for your fees to be paid by December 2021. For any assistance please contact the school Admin office via email on: admin@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

For any families that have recently received a Government means-tested Health Care Concession Card and have not already advised the school office, please forward a copy of your card to the office to check your eligibility, as a fee concession may apply. The card must be in the name of the parent/fee payer for a fee concession to apply with the student details listed on the card. A CSEF (Camp, Sport & Excursion Fund) form must also be completed. Application forms must be completed each year.

If your current Health Care Concession Card has expired, or is due to expire and your card is re-issued or any details have changed, please send a copy of your new card details to the office as soon as possible for the concession to be checked and applied to your fees.

Direct debit form

Direct debit form 188.64 KB

2021_CSEF_application_form.pdf

2021_CSEF_application_form _pdf 214.27 KB

LIBRARY NEWS

by Mrs Catherine McKenna, Library Teacher

Email: cmckenna@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

We will celebrate Book Week on Monday September 13^th! Whether we are at school or at home we will dress up and have a fun day.

We also have a virtual-livestream show by Perform Education on this day called Bigger, Brighter, Better. Celebrating the CBCA Book Week 2021 theme: OLD WORLDS, NEW WORLDS, OTHER WORLDS, this interactive and educational musical adventure is a fun filled and energetic celebration of CBCA Book Week 2021, and brings together all the elements of great storytelling - a hero, a mystery, a quest, and an exploration!

More reviews have been published in the Herald Sun by our students.

It’s a delight to see your child’s work. Thanks to these students who shared their library tasks recently: Bethany, Lexi, Hope, Charlie, Shae and Annabelle.

GRADE 1

People, Places & Connections

As part of the Grade 1 Integrated Topic - People, Places and Connections, students were asked to draw, design and make/build a home using for example cardboard, cards, play dough, blocks, Lego etc. We had many creative and wonderful builds. Below is one example of Bethany’s house in progress using recycled materials

Bethany wrote: My house is made with cardboard and coloured paper and recycled shoebox. My house has lots of rooms, a pretty door and a roof. My house is big and tall

REMOTE LEARNING 7.0

September Newsletter

September Newsletter 458.53 KB

PARISH NEWS

DON'T TALK AT - LISTEN!

Audiologists will tell you that among unexpected consequences of COVID-19 is the difficulty hearing impaired folk have lip reading speech in the masked world. Another, with which I and many others can relate, is wearing of hearing aids being incompatible with mask-wearing. Who would have thought! We take our senses and abilities for granted until, like this deaf mute man cured by Jesus in the Gospel (Mk 7:31-37), we lose them, or they are impaired.

Jesus’ cure of hearing and speech is itself wonderful, as those present exclaim, but, in responding compassionately to immediate needs, Jesus’ words and actions always have deeper layers of meaning for those present and for us. Isaiah’s beautiful message (Is 35:4-7) in the First Reading prefigures such healing as the sign of salvation, of the messianic age and of the kingdom. Through Jesus all people are invited to hear and proclaim the Good News!

Most of us don’t suffer physical hearing impairments but many unfortunately spend lives deaf to the real meaning and joy of life and deaf to what Jesus is saying to us. He is speaking to the deepest needs in our hearts, but are we too busy to listen? For example, James’ Second Reading (James 2:1-5) corrects those incongruously discriminating against others while claiming faith in Jesus. Listen to Jesus! Our deafness is often being too tangled up with doing rather than listening. And so, not having heard properly, we are unable to proclaim the Good News.

So the very first healing we need to ask of Jesus is to be cured of any spiritual hearing impairment caused by our busy lives. Ask him to help us find some space in the day to just listen to him, rather than talk at or over him.

Deacon Mark Kelly