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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.
PRINCIPAL MESSAGE
YOU ARE IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS
The St Ita’s school community continues to offer our thoughts, prayers and support to the McMahon Family. Rose was a bubbly, articulate and thoughtful member of our school community. She was a wonderful friend, classmate and student who will be fondly remembered, and sadly missed by all who knew her.
AN IMPORTANT COVID UPDATE FOR ALL ST ITA’S
PARENTS AND CARERS
With many of our students returning to school over the next month, we are continuing to make adaptations to schooling at St Ita’s that will reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread. As of last week, the Victorian Chief Health Officer has expanded the mandatory use of face masks indoors to limit the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) within the population of school settings.
As of Friday 15th October, there is a requirement for students at St Ita’s Catholic Primary School in Grades 3 to 6 to wear a face mask indoors at school, unless a lawful exception applies. There are a number of lawful reasons for not wearing a face mask, including for staff and students who are unable to wear a face mask due to the nature of their disability, medical or a mental health condition. If your child falls into one of these categories, please contact me via email, principal@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au
We ask that families supply a face mask and spare for their child which are labelled. A face mask must cover the nose and mouth. Face shields, scarves or bandanas do not meet these requirements. Face masks can be one bought from the shop or made at home. They must be breathable and comfortable for the child to wear. As we want to make this as easy as possible for families, any pattern or colour is okay.
Whilst not required, it is a family’s choice if their child in Foundation to Grade 2 wear a face mask indoors at school and while it is recommended by the Chief Health Officer, it is not compulsory.
RETURN TO SCHOOL ROAD MAP
Last week we sent out the return to school Road Map for all our St Ita’s families. Could I please ask that the map below becomes the point of reference for knowing when your child/ren should be at school and when you may need to keep them home doing remote learning or book them in for Onsite Remote Learning at school. I have attached this Road Map for families in a new format simplified. I recommend this be stuck on the fridge to avoid any confusion, especially if you have children in different grades.
The table below outlines which days our students are able to return to NORMAL school between now and Monday 25th of October, the date when all students are expected to return to school full time. We’ve done so well to get to this date and I am so proud of the students, staff and parents who have all worked so hard and displayed so much patience getting us back to school.
Foundation – Grade 2 Students
Grade 3 – 4 Students
Grade 5 – 6 Students
ONSITE REMOTE LEARNING
A reminder to parents that Onsite Remote Learning will be only available for Category A and Category B students.
CATEGORY A
Students where both parents, guardians and/or carers are considered authorised workers who cannot work from home, work for an authorised provider and where no other supervision Arrangements can be made:
- Where there are two parents/guardians/carers, both must be authorised workers, working outside the home in order for their children to be eligible for on-site provision.
- For single parents/guardians/carers, the authorised worker must be working outside the home in order for their children to be eligible for on-site provision.
- Please complete the onsite intentions form
CATEGORY B
Students experiencing vulnerability, including:
- in out-of-home care
- deemed vulnerable by a government agency, funded family or family violence service, and assessed as requiring education and care outside the family home
- identified by a school or early childhood service as vulnerable, (including via referral from a government agency, or funded family or family violence service, homeless or youth justice service or mental health or other health service)
- where a parent/carer indicates that a student with a disability is vulnerable because they cannot learn from home, and/or informs the school the student is vulnerable due to family stress, the school must provide on-site supervision for that student.
If your child is in grade 3-6 and does not fall into either of these categories, they must complete remote learning from home.
We thank you for your efforts, patience and the ongoing support and encouragement that you’ve given during these really testing times. Keep positive and roll on Monday 25th October where we get back to normal.
STUDENTS ATTENDING ONSITE REMOTE LEARNING WITH COLD OR FLU LIKE SYMPTOMS
If your child is displaying cold or flu like symptoms, please do not send them to Onsite Remote Learning. In the interest of everyone’s health and safety, if your child has cold or flu symptoms please keep them at home until their symptoms have cleared.
I have instructed all staff managing onsite remote learning to contact parents if their children have cold or flu like symptoms and they will need to be collected from school.
CAR LINE DROP OFF AND PICK UP
As outlined last week school drop off and pick up has reverted back to what we had in place before the last Covid lockdown.
Families whose surnames are A-K can use School Admin for drop off and pick up and Families with surnames L- Z can use Drouin Rec Reserve for drop off and pick up.
Children will be supervised by staff to exit vehicles however independent children can exit on their own accord.
SCHOOL CONCERT CANCELLATION
It is with much sadness that I have to announce our School Concert, “Rumble In The Jungle” will need to be cancelled due to the heavy Covid-19 restrictions in place at the West Gippsland Art Centre. We have done all that we can to wait, move and reschedule our concert dates, however the concert is not financially viable due to limited numbers that could attend on the night.
OUTDOOR LEARNING
At St Ita’s we are currently working to provide students with flexible outdoor learning spaces to help reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19. We are exploring the possibility of Government funding for new shade sails that will be utilised to establish outdoor learning spaces through spring, summer and autumn. As this learning will be outside, we assure parents that children will be wearing hats at all times.
We also ask that sunscreen be applied each morning to your child, but also provided in the student’s bag for application during the day. As all students have specific needs in regards to the sensitivity of their skin, we ask that each child bring their own sunscreen. Please ensure this sunscreen in labelled and cannot be opened or squeezed out easily, avoiding any messes in school bags.
FAMILIES CONSIDERING LEAVING
ST ITA'S IN 2022
If there are any families in our community that are considering moving in the 2022 school year could you please let us know as we have a number of families on waiting lists wanting enrolments. If we know now that families are moving it opens places up for those on a waiting list.
ONSITE RESTRICTIONS
PRIMARY SCHOOL NURSING PROGRAM
All students in Foundation will have brought home a Primary School Health Assessment Questionnaire.
The information in this questionnaire is confidential and helps the Primary School Nurse understand any concerns you may have about your child's health and development and the impact this may have on their learning. This information is important in providing support for you and your child.
Primary School Health Assessment Questionnaire's should be returned to Admin as soon as possible.
COVID-19 FINANCIAL SUPPORT
- SCHOOL FEE CONCESSIONS
SCHOOL BUSES ARE RUNNING
All Drouin school buses will run at normal times daily during Covid transition back to school.
2022 ENROLMENTS NOW OPEN
We strongly advise families to return application forms for their 2022 Foundation students to guarantee enrolment for next year, our places are filling quickly.
If you require an interview and school tour with your child, please contact our school Admin on (03) 5623 7222 as soon as possible to book a time (COVID-19 Dependent).
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.
SCHOOL FEES & FEE CONCESSION
School Fees for 2021 are all due and payable by December 2021.
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.
STARS OF REMOTE LEARNING
We all know Dusty Bills is a man of the land and last week he landed the big one out on the farm. Team Bills were learning the age old art of Cray Fishing during remote learning to fight away the Covid blues and Dusty pulled out this Monster known as “Big Pinchy.” Big Pinchy is legend in Crayfish folklore and is known to have taken a toe or two over the journey. Dusty, a big believer on tag and release took a few happy snaps and then let Big Pinchy slide back into the water.
LIBRARY NEWS
by Mrs Catherine McKenna, Library Teacher
Email: cmckenna@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au
SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB - ISSUE 7
Book Club Issue 7 - CLICK HERE
Orders close Tuesday 26th October for free delivery back to school.
You also have the home delivery option with an addition fee of $7.50
ABORIGINAL & TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITY NEWS
October 2021 Newsletter
PARISH NEWS
JESUS' DIRECTIONS
“You know that among the pagans their so-called rulers lord it over them and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you”. (Mk 10:43) But sadly it has and does happen amongst us! And so our Plenary Council in Australia strives to bring us into accord with Jesus’ teaching by addressing the insidious disorder of clericalism.
True Christian authority, Jesus teaches, is a call to service rather than an authority which lords it over others but, over time, our church has become overly top-down, hierarchical and clerical. Recognising that we have fallen short of Jesus’ instructions to us, the First Session of the Plenary Council last week explored ways in which a more humble, healing and merciful church might better form lay and ordained leaders for mission and better equip ordained ministers to be enablers of missionary discipleship: the Church becoming more a “priestly people” served by the ordained ministry.
Archbishop Mark Coleridge, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, thinks we need a less hierarchical, less monarchical kind of governance because the current mode of leadership in the church is simply unsustainable. Rather than “great men” doing the decision making, the Plenary Council is exploring how all the People of God, lay and ordained, women and men, might work together on our mission of proclaiming the Gospel. Diocesan and parish pastoral councils were almost universally endorsed while preliminary reports suggest the Plenary Council has begun discerning “the role of women in decision-making within the church with a clear appetite for inclusion, accountability, and equality” notwithstanding cultural and theological barriers. (Prof John Warhurst 4/10/21).
Church structures, ministries and laws need modification and transformation to discard or change those accumulations that distort the revelation of God in Jesus and the Spirit. (Treston, K. The Wind Blows Where It Chooses p96.)
Deacon Mark Kelly
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION 2021
If your child is in Grade 4, or above, is baptised, has received the Sacrament of Reconciliation and is ready to receive First Holy Communion please come along to our parent only information meeting on Wednesday 27th October at St Ita’s Church, Drouin 7pm OR Thursday 28th October at St Joseph’s Church, Warragul. 7pm. We are sending a letter of invitation home with more details via your school. Please keep an eye out within the next day or two. If your child is in Grade 4 and you don’t receive the invitation for some reason please email me. We are looking forward to sharing this very important next step in your child’s faith journey.
Due to the current situation, dates are subject to COVID-19 restrictions. We may need to conduct the above meetings online via Zoom, so we are asking interested parents to please send their preferred email address for receiving the Zoom link if need be. Please send your email address to the following email address.
Email: Warragul.sacraments@cdsale.org.au
For further inquiries please contact Thérèse on M: 0499 116 428
ONLINE PARENT COURSE – NO SCAREDY CATS™
Anxiety in children is at an all-time high.
Parentshop® has developed No Scaredy Cats™, a parent-led program to give parents the tools to help their anxious children to become more resilient.
At this time, when it is difficult to get support, Parentshop® are delivering an online parent version of No Scaredy Cats™, presented by the course author, Michael Hawton MAPS.
CLICK HERE for dates and to sign up for the webinar
PUBLIC NOTICES
CAMP AUSTRALIA
DRUM AND GUITAR LESSONS
COMMUNITY NEWS
