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.

WELCOME BACK TO THE 2022 SCHOOL YEAR

A warm welcome back to all St Ita’s families old and new. As we start another school year, I’m hopeful that it will be one of learning consistency with minimum disruptions. The last two years have thrown up many challenges however we have met these head on and come out on top each time. I'd like to extend a big thank you to all families who have supported us by following the COVID-19 guidelines that we have had to put in place for the start of this year. We are very appreciative of your efforts to make sure St Ita’s is the safest place it can be.

A big shout out to all our new students and families who have settled in really well to the routines of school. They have had an amazing start and have turned up for their first few days so excited and eager to learn.

I would like to formerly welcome all our new staﬀ members for the 2022 school year.

Miss Gabby Hopgood - Foundation
Miss Madeline Baker - Grade 1
Miss Kristy Boettcher - Grade 5/6
Mrs Robyn Leary - Art Teacher 3 days a week
Mrs Alice Thomson - ESO 5 days a week
Miss Abbey Commaduer - ESO two days a week
Mrs Mindy Atkins - ESO one day a week

I’m sure they will be well supported in their role as teachers and ESO’s and will be a great asset to our learning community.

Thanks to all our Foundation families for their patience and understanding as we begin the school year. Our Foundation kids have made a really good start and the Foundation team have put a lot of effort into supporting our Foundation students transition.

St Ita’s is first and foremost a Catholic primary school and we are about the development of the whole child; spiritually, academically, physically, emotionally and socially. We seek to prepare all of our students for a life beyond school. In an age when change is ongoing and accelerating almost out of control, our students will need to develop the skills to be life-long learners.

Could I please ask the following of all our St Ita’s parents?

SUPPORT YOUR CHILD’S FAITH JOURNEY WHILST AT ST ITA'S. Please embrace us as a Catholic School of action. Make an effort to attend Mass with your child on weekends. Make an effort to pray to God each day with your child. Make an effort to support your child in their Sacramental journey. Make an effort to use Christ as a role model to your children.

SHOW YOUR CHILD THAT YOU VALUE EDUCATION: It really helps if you show interest in your child’s learning. For example, when you see your child after school, ask them for 3 positives about their day. What they have learned today? What did they do in class? What did they do during play? Don’t be shrugged oﬀ too easily; deep down, even if they roll their eyes, they will be grateful you care enough to ask, and recalling what they learnt will help them remember it in future. Do your best to attend every school event relevant to them and most importantly please ensure that your child is at school for the beginning of each day.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER Let us know how things are for you and your child, especially through the class teacher or our Deputy Principals and Principal. It is particularly important for us to know if concerns arise, so that we can work with you to help your child. When parents, students and teachers work together, the young people beneﬁt signiﬁcantly and the learning partnership should create a wonderful year of learning and growth.

ALWAYS DRIVE SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY WHEN ENTERING OUR SCHOOL Please adhere to an 8km speed limit within our school when dropping oﬀ and picking up. We will publish the correct procedures for both our carlines in this newsletter. The top Admin carpark is for staﬀ cars only. Parents wanting to walk their children into school will need to park in the Church carpark or out the front of the school. The disabled car parks located in the Admin car park are not to be used by parents when dropping oﬀ or visiting the school. Any parent parking their car in the disabled carpark must have a disabled sticker on display.

DEVELOP A GROWTH MINDSET IN YOUR CHILD

We want our children to be resilient in the face of adversity and be able to feel confident to persevere in difficult situations. This will help them in a range of daily life situations from struggling with friendships, life changes such as moving house or school, coping with physical illness or learning new skills at school or in sport.

Common wisdom over recent decades agrees that encouraging or praising our children’s achievements will lead to confidence and resilience. While this is true, a particular style of praise and encouragement has been found to be the most helpful: that which encourages a growth mindset in children.

Carol Dweck is a professor of psychology at Stanford University who studies mindset in children and its relationship to success. She is the author of the book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” which discusses growth vs fixed mindset and how we can best set up our children to develop a growth mindset.

Dweck’s defines fixed vs growth mindset as: “In a fixed mindset, students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents, are just fixed traits. They have a certain amount and that’s that, and then their goal becomes to look smart all the time and never look dumb. In a growth mindset, students understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching and persistence. They don’t necessarily think everyone’s the same or anyone can be Einstein, but they believe everyone can get smarter if they work at it.”

While certain skills and abilities come more easily to some children than others, brain plasticity teaches us that we can always learn and develop new skills. Our brain is like a muscle and working it makes it stronger and more capable in a particular area. We might find that maths does not come easily to us, but the more we practise maths, the more skilled we become.

A fixed mindset regarding ability or intelligence is particularly unhelpful for children. If they believe that maths ability is fixed, they will easily give up when they come across a new maths problem that they cannot solve. This means they miss the opportunity to learn and grow their ability in this area as well as their confidence with maths. This can also lead to unhelpful beliefs about themselves such as “I’m just no good at maths” or worse still, “I’m not smart”. When children believe that their successes are the result of innate ability or talent, rather than attitude or effort they can give up easily when tasks are difficult or in fact not even try new tasks or tasks in areas that they do not feel confident in.

Dweck suggests that there are a few simple steps that we can take to help develop a growth mindset in our children:

Ensure children understand that our brains grow and develop through hard work and practise, just like a muscle.
Try to avoid praising children by telling them that they are ‘smart’, ‘intelligent’ or ‘talented’, as this implies that these abilities are fixed and unchangeable.
Direct your praise and encouragement instead towards effort, practice, strategy and actions, rather than results. This helps children to learn that success is more connected to what we do rather than our innate abilities.

Instead of:

“You’re such a smart cookie.”

“You’re the best soccer player I know, you never miss a shot!”

“I’m proud of you for getting an A.”

Try:

“I’m so proud of you for sticking at this even though it’s hard.”

“I can tell that you’ve been practising this.”

“I love how you tried out lots of different ways of working out this problem until you found the right one.”

“I can see how hard you worked on this project, its really payed off. Well done!”

“It was great how you stuck right on your opponent through the whole game tonight.”

Importantly, encourage children to try out new things and stretch their abilities often. Embrace and praise failures and mistakes as this is such an important part of the learning process and is growing a child’s mind, abilities and confidence. The reward for overcoming something is also much sweeter when we have struggled and worked hard to accomplish it and this is a wonderful and rewarding lesson for children to learn early in life.

For example:

“It’s so great that you’re giving this new thing a go. You haven’t quite got the hang of it yet but we know how getting it wrong helps your brain to grow and learn. Jump back in and give it another go.”

“Getting it wrong sometimes means you’re working hard and learning something new. I’m really proud of you.”

Through encouraging a growth mindset in our children, we can help them to build resilience, perseverance and confidence in their abilities to overcome difficulties: some of the best resources for a happy and successful life.

COVID DROP OFF AND PICK UP FOR ALL ST ITA’S STUDENTS AND FAMILIES

To keep all in our community safe, the following Covid-19 drop off and pick up procedures will continue for 2022.

Could all St Ita's families please follow the procedures set out below;

There is no parking in the Drouin Rec Reserve or in the St Ita’s School Admin car-park area
Please follow the car line loops for drop off and pick up of children. Teachers will be there to supervise children to enter and exit cars. Please do not exit your vehicles in car line.
Family surnames A-G can be dropped off between 8.30am and 8.50am and picked up at the front of School Admin car-line from 3.20pm - 3.45pm.
Family surnames H-Z can be dropped off between 8.30am and 8.50am and picked up at the Drouin Rec Reserve car loop from 3.20pm - 3.45pm.
If you are a Foundation parent and you wish to walk your child to the main gate at Admin, you will need to park your car along Victoria St or reverse park in the church car park and walk up to the main admin gate. (Please do not park your car at Drouin Rec Reserve or in the Admin car park and you must exit your car with your children to walk to the school entry.) Please note the no parking signs in front of the school.
Any parents wishing to enter the school to meet with your child’s class teacher or Principal must ring admin first on 5623-7222 and make an appointment, making sure that they sign in on-arrival.
Any parents entering the school are required to wear a mask when on site.

We thank you for your continued support during these challenging Covid-19 times.

COVID SAFE MEASURES FOR ST ITA’S STUDENTS PARENTS AND STAFF

WATCH FOR COVID SYMPTOMS

If your child is unwell, even with mild COVID-19 symptoms, you must keep your child at home until their symptoms resolve and get your child tested with a PCR test (nose and throat swab) or complete a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT).
If symptoms continue, your child should stay home and take another RAT or PCR test in 24 hours. If that test is also negative, your child may return to school.

VACCINATIONS

All students and their families are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated.
Children aged 5 to 11 can now get vaccinated. Parents, guardians and carers are encouraged to book their child in for a vaccination at the first available opportunity.

TESTING

RAT's will be provided to all staff and students at no charge. Schools will inform parents, guardians and carers on how these kits can be collected from the school.
For the first four (4) weeks, students and staff should take a RAT twice-weekly on the morning before attending school. Test kits will continue to be supplied by schools during this time.
Students who are a household contact of a positive case (that is, they have spent more than four hours with someone who has COVID-19 inside a house, accommodation, or care facility) must isolate for seven (7) days and not attend school during that period. Parents, guardians and carers must inform the school if their child is a household contact.

COVID-19 POSITIVE CASES

If your child has no symptoms and there is a positive COVID-19 case in their class, year level or other grouping, your child can continue to attend school in line with Victorian Department of Health advice.
Staff and students who receive a positive RAT result must register it on the COVID-19 Positive Rapid Antigen Test Self-Reporting Form available on the Coronavirus Victoria website https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/report as soon as possible.
Staff and students who receive a positive RAT or PCR test result must tell their school as soon as possible, and follow Victorian Department of Health advice.
Students who test positive to COVID-19 must isolate for seven (7) days and not attend school during that period.
Schools will regularly communicate to parents, guardians and carers about the presence and impact of COVID-19 in their school community.

VENTILATION

The Victorian Government has provided air purifiers for all schools for use from the commencement of Term 1, 2022.
Fresh air is the most effective form of ventilation to minimise the risk of transmission.
Schools are required to increase fresh air flow into indoor spaces (including shared spaces, staff areas and thoroughfares) whenever possible.
Using outdoor spaces will continue to be encouraged, where practicable.

FACE MASKS

For all school settings, school staff and students in Grades 3 and above are required to wear a face mask indoors, including Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) programs, unless a lawful exception applies.
Staff and students must wear face masks even if vaccinated.
Parents, guardians and carers are required to supply their child(ren) with an appropriate face mask that covers the nose and mouth. Appropriate face masks include single use face masks (commonly called surgical masks). Face shields, scarves or bandanas do not meet the requirements of an acceptable face mask.
All visitors must wear a face mask in all indoor spaces when attending a school, unless a lawful exception applies.

ACTIVITIES

COVID-19 will continue to be considered in all activity risk assessments. Guidance will be provided to schools on applying appropriate safeguards across a range of activities, including school camps and excursions.
Parents, guardians and carers will be made aware of the risk of exposure and will need to provide their permission for their child’s participation in extra-curricular, out of school hours or off-site activities.

VISITORS

Visitors on school site should be kept to a minimum to support essential school activities or student needs.
Visitors will be required to comply with vaccination requirements, density limits, face mask requirements and practise respiratory etiquette and good hand hygiene.
The use of Service Victoria QR codes for electronic record-keeping continues to be mandatory in all schools. All visitors working on school sites or entering school buildings are required to check in using the Service Victoria QR Code on arrival.

KEEPING SCHOOLS OPEN

Parents, guardians and carers are asked to respect the rules at their child’s school to help keep the community safe.
Schools will do everything they can to maintain continuity of face-to-face learning including the increased use of casual staff.
Schools will need to make localised staffing decisions to ensure appropriate supervision can be maintained.
Schools will not be able to guarantee particular staff for any cohort and students may not have their regular teacher for a class.

LEARNING FROM HOME

We will continue to monitor the situation and where face-to-face learning is not possible, learning from home options will be supported for short periods.
Students who are required to isolate or quarantine will be provided with learning materials to support their continued learning. Schools are not expected to provide a full remote learning program in these circumstances.

SCHOOL CAPTAINS FOR 2022

It is with great please that we announce our School Captains for the 2022 school year as Amber Hammond and Aiden Noonan. These two students will be support by two Vice School Captains in Josephine Spain and Cooper Bills.

Amber, Aiden, Josephine and Cooper were selected from a very high pool of exceptional young leaders at St Ita’s. They are looking forward to representing our student body and leading in 2022.

SCHOOL FEES & CONCESSIONS

Please contact the school office if you need to discuss your 2022 school fee payment.

If any families would like to set up a weekly, fortnightly or monthly direct debit schedule for school fees, please complete the Direct Debit Form below and return to the school office. For any assistance regarding calculations of payments, please contact us via email on: admin@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

For any families that have recently received a Government means-tested health care concession card, 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.

If your current Health Care card is due to expire this year and your card is re-issued, please send a copy of your new card details to the office as soon as possible for the concession to be checked and applied for next year's fees, if not already done so.

2022 Direct Debit Form

2022 Direct Debit Form 671.20 KB

2022 CSEF Concession Form

2022 CSEF Concession Form 309.21 KB

Library Teacher: Mrs Catherine McKenna

Email: cmckenna@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

Please ensure your child brings their library bag to school on their Library Bag Day. This ensures a smooth transition with borrowing on their library lesson day. We scan their book return prior to them coming in for their next class.

Books may be kept for 2 weeks. If your child is reading a book and they need it for longer, they can renew it during their lesson during borrowing time. They do not need to bring it in.

All students at St Ita’s require a library bag. These keep our books clean travelling between school and home. Unfortunately, your child will not be allowed to borrow a book to take home if they do not have a library bag. Library bags are available from Beleza Uniform shop; however, any library bag is acceptable.

Please refer to the school newsletter for library news and upcoming events in our library. You are welcome to email during the year if you have any questions or comments.

Monday:

2T

2SB

2M

Foundation C

Foundation H

1GR

1B

Tuesday:

1AG

Foundation F

3/4O

3/4V

3/4A

3/4K

3/4C

SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB - ISSUE 1

Book Club Issue 1 - CLICK HERE

Orders close Friday 18th February for free delivery back to school.

You also have the home delivery option with an addition fee of $7.50

PARISH NEWS

JUST AS I AM?

Simon Peter in today’s gospel (Lk 5:1-11) makes the amazing discovery that millions of Christians have made since. “Me! You want me? Now, just as I am! A sinner!”(Lk 5: 9)

Yep – that’s it Simon – he loves you now and wants you to work with him – before any conversion or confession or repentance! God’s process doesn’t end in forgiveness – it starts that way! Jesus, who you, Simon, will come to confess as the Son of the Living God, has become incarnate specifically to bring that news to all of us.

Even after 2000 years of absorbing Christian notions and teaching about equality, justice, outreach, and compassion, Jesus’ proclamation of the Creator’s kingdom still startles us. Everything is different in Gods reign, where mercy has taken the place of holiness

In spite of Peter’s sinfulness, almost because of the disreputable, dubious, shameful condition of people, that is who Jesus wants to be with. That is who he moves and chats and laughs and dines with. Rather than spending time with the devout, the holy and the respectable, that is the norm throughout Jesus ministry.

We can imagine Jesus’ message spreading excitedly through communities of ordinary, frail, sinful folk and its frequent rejection by “holier than thou” types, made of “the right stuff.” Still is. The latter are affronted by the concept that their assiduous ticking of boxes isn’t important. God loves even (maybe especially) and unconditionally the sinful unwashed.

How is that? Well the truly holy don’t know they are holy. They just do what Jesus asks them to do. Love everyone as Jesus tells them to love. And hope and trust in God. The truly holy are immersed as Jesus was, and as Simon Peter became, among all God’s people as reassuring and living examples that, yes – He loves you and wants you now – exactly as you are.

Deacon Mark Kelly

EUCHARIST

A reminder to Grade 5 parents our preparation for First Holy Communion is about to begin! We are inviting you to an information meeting and to inform you of some dates concerning our preparation for this Sacrament. An invitation letter was emailed to all Grade 5 families on January 19^th, if you didn’t receive this letter please text me on 0439 306 642 with your preferred email address.

If your child is in Grade Five, or above, is baptised, has received the Sacrament of Reconciliation and is ready to receive First Holy Communion please come along to our Information Meeting on Wednesday 9th February at St Ita’s Church (Drouin), 7pm OR Thursday 10th February at St Joseph’s Church, Marian Room (Warragul), 7pm.

Information packages with enrolment details will be given out on these nights.

Please note we will be commence preparation for the Sacrament of the Eucharist for Grade 4 students in Term 4. Dates and information will be sent home soon.

For more information please

Email: Warragul.sacraments@cdsale.org.au

For further inquiries please contact Thérèse on M: 0499 116 428