In line with recent changes to public health guidelines, we are looking forward to opening our school back up to parents and the public. Below are the current guidelines and expectations that parents or guardians coming onsite need to follow; 

SCHOOL TOURS

School tours must align with public gathering limits and density limits.

Visitors to school grounds must comply with vaccination requirements, density limits, face mask requirements, QR code check-ins and practise respiratory etiquette and good hand hygiene.

All eligible adult participants must be fully vaccinated, unless an exemption applies, to participate in school tours.

In areas of high community transmission or where the vaccination status of adult attendees is unknown, St Ita's will consider alternative options such as virtual tours, where practicable.

ENROLMENT APPLICATIONS

Face-to-face enrolments can resume for all St Ita's prospective students.

Visitors to St Ita's must comply with vaccination requirements, density limits, face mask requirements, QR code check-ins and practise respiratory etiquette and good hand hygiene.

All eligible adults attending face-to-face enrolment interviews must be fully vaccinated, unless an exemption applies.

In areas of high community transmission or where the vaccination status of parents, guardians or carers wishing to attend face-to-face enrolment interviews is unknown, St Ita’s will consider holding interviews via video conference.

LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS

Liturgies and other ceremonies (including events held off school premises and/or with parents, guardians, carers and other guests) can resume, however they must align with community settings. St Ita's will liase with Father Peter Slater, Parish Priest, to see what is practical and pastorally helpful. Indoor events will remain subject to the obligations such as caps and density quotients. Outdoor events can be held with up to 500 people, with a density quotient of one person per two square metres applied. All eligible adults must be fully vaccinated, unless an exemption applies.

Any visitors to St Ita's must comply with vaccination requirements, density limits, face mask requirements, QR code check-ins and practise respiratory etiquette and good hand hygiene.

KINDERGARTEN TRANSITION PROGRAMS

Prospective Foundation children, their parents, guardians and carers and/or early childhood educators are permitted to visit the school site to support the transition of children into Foundation in 2022. All eligible adults attending Transition Programs must be fully vaccinated, unless an exemption applies and must comply with density limits, face mask requirements, QR code check-ins and practise respiratory etiquette and good hand hygiene. The school has had recommendations that 2022 Foundation children should not be permitted to intermix with other children at the school as part of the visits. (Including brother and sisters)

VERIFYING VISITOR VACCINATION STATUS

Where schools are required to check the vaccination status of visitors, such as visitors attending school activities, including school tours, enrolment interviews and/or transition days, the quickest and easiest way to check vaccination status, is via the Service Victoria app when visitor’s check-in using the Victorian Government QR code.

St Ita's can check the vaccination status of visitors by viewing:

• COVID-19 digital certificate using the Service Victoria app
• COVID-19 digital certificate in a smart phone wallet
• A printed copy of COVID-19 digital certificate or immunisation history statement - together with photo ID.
• An Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) medical exemption form (IM011) from an authorised medical practitioner. Valid photo ID must be shown along with proof of a medical exemption.

St Ita's is not required to record visitor’s vaccination status – we only need to view it and confirm the proof so visitors can enter the school, where required.

A question that I am often asked by parents is “How are children grouped in grades each year when there is more than one stream of the grade?”

The sorting of children into class groupings is a complex and time consuming process where teachers are expected to exercise and make professional judgements. It’s all about identifying the particular social emotional and academic needs of all our children and making sure there is a balance across each grade level.

Our class groupings of children are based on a number of factors such as:

• Current educational philosophies held by the school
• The social, emotional, physical and academic needs of the children within the cohort
• Gender balance
• Student behaviour balance
• Children who work well together / children who don’t work well together
• Family siblings or family relations
• Court Orders or Legal Interventions

Occasionally we receive parental feedback that their child is unhappy or emotional when they find they are not in the same class as their best friend/s. Whilst we will always do our best to make sure children have good social connections within classroom, it is often the case that they will not be with their best friend. Often best friends, doesn’t always make for best learning.

The strong message across all grades at St Ita’s is that class time is for learning and recess and lunch times are for socialising. If your child was to come home disappointed that they are not the same grade as their best friends, use this as a teachable moment to give your child the skills and capacity to be resilient and work through the situation. It’s great preparation for students going into secondary school and moving into the working world with people you have never met before. It is also a great opportunity for children to develop an inclusive, resilient mindset and develop new friendships.

2021 CLASS STRUCTURES

We have finalised our class structures for 2021 school year and they will be as follows:

3 x Foundation

3 x Grade 1’s

3 X Grade 2’s

5 x Grade 3/4’s

4 x Grade 5/6’s

It is important that there is a collective understanding by both parents and children that being in the same class with their ‘best friends’ or social acquaintances outside of school is never a given.

Teachers will use their professional judgement on what they see each day within the cohort and more importantly the positive or negative impacts that friendships can have on an individual student learning.

PARENT CLASS REQUESTS FOR 2022 CLOSE

- FRIDAY 19th NOVEMBER

Parents are asked to place any class requests specific to the needs of their child/ren based on the following understandings and guidelines: 

• All requests for consideration must be directed in email to principal@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au no later than Friday 19th November. (requests received after this date will not be implemented)
• The request must be based on individual student needs and not for preferred teachers, friendships groups or social relationships that occur outside of school
• We do not offer any guarantees with parent requests. Factors for consideration will help to inform our process of grouping students – the request via a parent does not guarantee student placement
• Requests from parents will be only considered for the upcoming school year.
• I will meet with and inform all relevant staff of parent input prior to formation of classes

We appreciate parent input and will do our best to make things work for your child, so long as the request is deemed fair and in line with the guidelines above. Once groupings have been decided and announced to the school community in mid-December, there will be no changes made to classes as it creates a domino effect across the level.

 WHOLE SCHOOL ASSEMBLY

This Friday I am pleased to announce that we will be having a whole school assembly in our Multi Purpose Hall starting at 2.30pm. It will be a great opportunity to get our children together, share our successes and celebrate our class and student award winners. The parents of our Student of the Week Award will be invited to attend the assembly and will need to follow the guidelines and expectations of being on the school site listed above.

GRADE 6 GRADUATION / BIG DAY OUT

We are currently exploring options for our Grade 6 Graduation, and our Grade 6 Big Day Out. The challenge we face with Graduation is that all venues currently have density limits which restricts our options.

In the event that we can source a venue, it will most likely be a children and staff event and parents may be required do drop off and pick up. Either way we’ll do our best to get families back into our school in some capacity over the last weeks of term.