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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.
MESSAGES FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Well, we have certainly felt the pinch of the COVID-19 Coronavirus at St Ita’s this week with numerous staff and students absent for 7 days. The rapid spread rate and the impact it had on those who contracted it was seriously frightening in how quickly it took hold of both kids and adults.
For this reason, it is vitally important that parents understand we are obligated to provide a safe work environment for all our students and staff onsite. My main role is to make sure we manage the situation here on site, so that we maintain staff health for our teachers to keep our school operational.
It is vitally important that children are kept home if they are displaying any symptoms at all of CoVID-19 or influenza. We are getting a few children returning to school after being absent due to illness, still presenting symptoms of the illness which cannot happen. In this situation, the school will be in contact with parents to come and collect their child.
We will continue to work our way through this situation with a strong focus on making sure both children and staff safety are at the core of all we do. Please keep those who have contracted COVID-19 in our prayers and we hope that they get through their illness safely.
I’d also like to thank all the staff and students at St Ita’s who have been so flexible dealing with role changes, late changes, adjusted learning and going the hard yards. We are truly blessed to have such a cohesive group of teachers in our learning community.
Regards
Andrew Osler
KIDS WALKING TO AND HOME VIA THE REC RESERVE GATE
We have noticed an increased number of children exiting our school each day via the Drouin Rec Reserve gates and walking down through Civic Park. If your child is a walker, please ensure you have informed your child’s teacher in writing either via a class dojo, an email or written note. Any student walking needs exit the school behind the signage making sure they hug the fence line and stay of the roads to avoid carline pick up and drop off traffic.
ST ITA’S DAY CANCELLATION
Unfortunately, our Whole School Approach to Positive Behaviours (WSAPB) celebrations on Thursday as part of St Ita's day will need to be postponed for a week when we have more staff onsite and where doing a mixed-age group activity is more practical. Students will wear their normal school uniform this Thursday and we will have our WSAPB colours day and activity on another date which we will inform you of once decided.
CROSS COUNTRY CANCELLATION
There will be no cross-country trials tomorrow due to the ongoing Covid affected absences across the school. Instead we will plan to trial any keen children on Monday to decide on Cross Country Team that will represent St Ita's at Chairo. This event is just for the grade 3 - 6 students.
SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY TUESDAY
District Cross Country Team will represent St Ita's at Chario on Tuesday 24th May. There will be a quick turn around for permission notes so please keep an eye on your emails if you child is selected!
ANDREW CHINN WORKSHOP
Our Andrew Chinn workshops will proceed as planned on Thursday and we will have our concert in the afternoon in our hall. Sadly we won't be able to have parents onsite due to the current Covid situation.
RE SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY
A reminder to all parents that our whole school Religious Education Planning day is on Friday 10th June. There will be no school for students on this day as all teachers will be in team planning on this day.
MARIST-SION COLLEGE PRODUCTION
This year Marist-Sion College students present…
SCHOOL FEES & CONCESSIONS
Term 1 & Term 2 fees are now due and payable.
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.
COVID UPDATE
With the arrival of colder weather, cases of influenza (the flu) are increasing throughout Victoria. Our community is at risk of higher rates of students and staff affected by the flu or COVID-19 this season.
What to do if your child(ren) gets sick
To help keep your child(ren) and our school community safe, please take the following steps if your child(ren) has any cold or flu-like symptoms:
- take a COVID-19 test and follow the current Department of Health isolation requirements if a positive result is shown
- keep your child(ren) at home until their symptoms pass
- encourage your child(ren) to wash their hands regularly and ask them to cover their nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing.
Common flu-like symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose, loss of appetite, body aches and feeling extremely weak and tired. Diagnosis of the flu can only be confirmed by a doctor after a nose or throat swab.
COVID-19 vaccination
COVID-19 vaccines are available free of charge to everyone aged five (5) years and over in Australia.
It is important that children and young people have the best possible protection against the flu and COVID-19 by getting vaccinated.
Ensuring your children are protected against serious illness helps to protect everyone in our community, including older family members who may be at higher risk, along with younger children who can’t receive vaccinations yet.
You can book COVID-19 vaccinations through the COVID-19 hotline on 1800 675 398 or at a participating GP, pharmacy, or community health service.
FLU VACCINATION
Flu vaccination is recommended for everyone aged six (6) months and over.
Some people are more at risk of complications from the flu and are eligible for free vaccination under the National Immunisation Program including:
- anyone aged 65 years and older
- pregnant women (at any stage of pregnancy)
- all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged from six (6) months and over
- people six (6) months or older with:
- heart disease
- chronic lung disease (including people with severe asthma who require frequent hospital visits)
- chronic neurological conditions
- impaired immunity
- haemoglobinopathies (blood disorders caused by genetic changes)
- diabetes
- kidney disease
- children on long-term aspirin therapy from six (6) months to 10 years
- children aged from six (6) months to under five (5) years.
Flu vaccinations can be booked through General Practitioners (GPs) and pharmacies, many of which can also provide COVID-19 vaccinations. If you would like more information about the flu vaccination, visit the Better Health Channel.
CONGRATULATIONS
Well done to all our grade 3 and grade 5 students who have been working their way through NAPLAN national testing week. They have done an amazing job as have the teachers managing test times with so many staff and students away. The kids have had a real crack and went in with a positive attitude. Any children who have been away over the past week can still make up their assessments up before Friday’s conclusion date.
ST ITA’S STAFF STAR
Congratulations to our Star Staff member Mrs. Cath Mckenna who ran in the Great Ocean Road Marathon over the weekend. Mrs. McKenna is an avid runner and likes to pound the pavement as a great way of keeping fit. The Marathon was 44 kms of up and down hills along one of Australia’s most picturesque drives. Mrs. McKenna completed her run in the excellent time of 4 hours 41 minutes.
CLASSROOM TEACHER
This week’s Staff profile is Mrs Robyn Lewry. Robyn has been the Deputy Principal of St Ita's since 2016 and our Religious Education Leader.
PARISH NEWS
If You Were Accused
A colleague of mine years ago had a poster above her desk which read, “If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” Good question!
For many “new Catholics” or “neophytes” across our diocese and the world, our recent Easter Vigil was the culmination of a lengthy period of discernment about joining the Catholic community. Quite counter-culturally, these people have put their hands up and proclaimed, “I want to be a Catholic!” “Wow!” is my response, “Come on in!” Many (including neophytes in our local parishes) report that they have been inspired by Catholic Christians they have encountered in their daily lives. And we welcome them, celebrating too our separated Christian brothers and sisters, longing for the day when we will all be completely one. That is what this gospel is all about! (John 17: 20-26)
John’s gospel depicts Jesus asking the Father that his followers “may become completely one so that the world may know that you have sent me …” (Jn 17:23) This is a sobering thought for Christians – that our behaviour, our example of unity or disunity, reflects directly on howthe world sees Jesus.
If those we work and school and play with don’t see the face of Christ in us, then we have to question our Christianity. If we are harping and carping and divisive within ourselves and in our relationship with other Christians we are a poor example. There are very real differences and divisions amongst us, but if we allow these to mask the many and much greater things that unite us we do a disservice to Christianity.
Hopefully for each of us individually and for all of us collectively there is enough evidence to convict us of being Christians.
Deacon Mark Kelly
PARISH SACRAMENT
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PREPARATION FOR RECEIVING THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION REMINDER
 Our Grade 3 Reconciliation Parent/Child Workshop will be held on Wednesday night, the 25th May at 7pm in St Ita’s Church Drouin and repeated on Thursday night, the 26th May at 4pm or 7pm in St Joseph’s Church, Warragul.
We ask our Reconciliation families to please attend one of the above workshops. Being aware of our young candidates attending school the next day, we will be starting promptly on time so families won’t be home too late. Please arrive 10 minutes early so everyone is seated on time.
We are looking forward to seeing you at your family’s chosen sessions.
Parishes of Warragul & Drouin Sacrament Team. For any enquiries please contact Thérèse on mobile 0439 306 642 |
PARISH SACRAMENT ENQUIRIES
Sacrament Enquiries: Mrs Therese Meggetto
Mobile: 0439 306 642 Email: Warragul.sacraments@cdsale.org.au
PARISH RENEWAL PROGRAM
LIBRARY NEWS
Teacher: Mrs Catherine McKenna
Email: cmckenna@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au
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National Simultaneous Storytime St Ita’s Will be participating in NSS on Wednesday the 25th of May. We are excited about this year’s selected book, Family Tree, written by Australian singer and songwriter Josh Pyke and beautifully illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh. To learn more about the book, click here. |
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| Now in its 22nd year in Australia, National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is an opportunity to promote the value of reading and literacy in primary schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes and bookshops. |
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AUTHOR VISIT - TIM HARRIS
LIBRARY CLUB
Every Tuesday first half of lunch.
BOOK CLUB
Book Club: Thanks to the families who support our Book Club. Commission assists in purchasing new books for the library. The most recent issue will be delivered soon.
PUBLIC NOTICES
CAMP AUSTRALIA
CECV INCLUSIVE EDUCATION RESOURCES
PARENTZONE NEWSLETTER
PIANO & SINGING LESSONS
DRUM AND GUITAR LESSONS
