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MESSAGES FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Earlier this week I had the chance to have a conversation with our senior students relating to their digital footprint. I was surprised by the number of children who admitted that they were subscribers to FaceBook, Snapchat, Twitter and Tik Tok, and also that these apps were on their personal devices or phones. It made me wonder if parents are aware of what their children are doing on social media, and if parents are aware of the risks and dangers associated with their children being subscribed to these apps.
There are several concerns with Primary age students having these types of social media apps. The first concern is children need to be 13 years of age to hold an account, so if they have signed up to these whilst underage they are technically breaking the law. The second and far greater concern, is that these social media apps are often used by unknown and undesirable adults to contact, groom and possibly track and meet students. My question to all parents of children who are using these social media apps is, do you monitor who your child/ren are communicating with? If you don’t, it’s imperative that you do.
Over the next two newsletters I will be inserting parent fact sheets for these social media apps. I would ask all parents of students who have, and use these social media apps, to read them carefully with you children, to make sure you are all are aware of the risks and dangers associate with using these apps.
PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS
Our parent teacher interviews will be able to be booked through PAM. All families have an account set up with their primary email address that they sent the school on enrolment. The password for these accounts is simply "password" and needs to be changed immediately after logging in for security reasons. If you are experiencing difficulties please contact the school office.
This is the first time St Ita's has used this Parent Teacher Interview Booking System, below is a user guide for parents to assist with this process.
Parent Teacher Interviews are an important time where parents can speak to their child's teacher about school report's or their progress this semester. It is also a time that teachers can share assessment data, goals and expectations for Semester 2.
Interviews are scheduled for Monday 20th June from 3.40pm - 7pm and Wednesday 22nd June from 3.40pm - 5.30pm.
Please note: Grade 5/6 Monckton will have phone interviews conducted in the week prior (13th June - 16th June). Phone interviews can be booked through the same platform but instead of End of Semester Parent Teacher Interviews - select the Parent Teacher Interviews 56 Monckton (phone) option.
CAR SPEED LIMIT FOR DROP OFF OR PICK UP
A reminder to all parents that the speed limit for both of our school drop off and pick up lines is 10km. We need to make sure all in our community are following speed limits to keep our kids safe, especially during these colder and wetter mornings.
CHILDREN WALKING HOME VIA DROUIN REC RESERVE
We have noted that we have a lot of students who are now walking from school via the Drouin Rec Reserve gate at the end of the day.
In the interest of student safety, we will monitor all students who walk and ask them to assemble at the end of each day under the shelter before exiting as a group.
A staff member will walk the children around to the grassed area behind the signage and parked cars so they can exit through the gate behind the goals.
For parents and carers who are parking and waiting for their child to walk to their car, these children will also meet under the shelter and parents will need to exit their cars to collect their children at the gate.
Parents must notify their child's teacher via class Dojo, a written note or email to give permission for their child/ren to walk from this point.
We thank you for supporting us to have a child safe environment at St Ita’s.
2023 FOUNDATION SIBLING ENROLMENTS
Our 2023 sibling enrolments for Foundation are currently open to St Ita’s families. To arrange an interview and school tour for your child, please contact Beck or Helen at admin@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au or 5623 7222.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION SCHOOL CLOSURE
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.
NCCD INFORMATION SHEET FOR PARENTS
COVID UPDATE
We are still getting cases of Covid-19 and Influenza at St Ita’s across all grades.
Whist we are getting our staffing back on track, it’s vitally important that we do our best to keep everyone safe at St Ita’s. Thanks to parents for supporting us by keeping kids away from school whilst displaying symptoms.
If your child is displaying any symptoms at all, please keep them at home, RAT test them and only send them back to school when all symptoms have cleared.
If children present at school with symptoms you will be contacted by the classroom teacher or admin and you will be required to collect your child.
We will continue to work together to get through this current outbreak and make sure we provide students and staff with the safest possible environment whilst at school.
SCHOOL FEES & CONCESSIONS
Term 1 & Term 2 fees are now overdue, please ensure payment is made at your earliest convenience.
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.
BELEZA SCHOOL UNIFORMS
Please note that our Head Office will also be closed for the public holiday. Should you have any enquiries on that day, we encourage you to email our team at beleza@beleza.com.au and we’ll follow up as soon as we return.
We’d like to apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause, and would like to wish everyone in your School Community a safe and enjoyable long weekend!
AUSSIE OF THE MONTH AWARD
Dillon Jagoe needs a big round of applause for her outstanding work leading into Anzac Day. Dillion has been acknowledged for her outstanding fundraising by the Drouin branch of the RSL. Each year Dillon makes Anzac cookies and sells them in the local community to raise money for this wonderful group. You’ve done an amazing job Dillon and your local community is very grateful and proud.
LIBRARY NEWS
Teacher: Mrs Catherine McKenna
Email: cmckenna@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au
AUTHOR VISIT
CONGRATULATIONS
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.
Orders close Thursday 9th June for free delivery back to school.
You also have the home delivery option with an addition fee of $7.50
SPORTS NEWS
Sports Teacher: Hayley Roberts Sports Coordinator: Joseph Black
Email: hroberts@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au jblack@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au
REGIONAL CROSS COUNTRY
Congratulations to Jack Carbonneau, Marley Nooy and Tilly Kensley who represented St Ita’s at the Regional X Country on Thursday 2nd June at Lardner Park.
STAFF PROFILE
This week's staff profile is Mrs. Caitlin Noonan of Foundation N. Mrs Noonan is a passionate teacher whose studies have been centred around inclusive and special education. She does a great job as a leader in our foundation team and is a valuable part of the school improvement team. She is very understanding of student needs, and always works towards what is best for the children.
PARISH NEWS
MORE TO THE SPIRIT
Theologians, writers and artists have sought to encapsulate the unknowable Trinity with three leafed clovers; ice, water and steam; daughter, mother and wife and many other images. The Rubliev icon of the three seated figures is a much loved and useful image of Trinity. Beautiful and evocative as it is, our religious art, both eastern and western, mostly reflects a static pyramidal structure with a male Father God at the top, perhaps alongside the other persons, and everything else beneath the clouds.
But there is more! Jesus tells the disciples in today’s gospel, “I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth.” (John 16:12-15). Opening up fully to the Holy Spirit promised to us by Jesus; embracing a fully Trinitarian thinking (what Thomas Aquinas saw as God’s art) we find a more spiral, circle and flow than pyramid. (Richard Rohr, The Divine Dance).
Pope Francis passionately writes of the Spirit fully engaged with and in us and everything: “The Spirit of God has filled the universe with possibilities and therefore, from the very heart of things, something new can always emerge” (Laudate Si 80). The Pope quotes St Thomas Aquinas, “Nature is none other than a certain kind of art, God’s art, impressed upon things, whereby those things are moved to determinate end. It is as if a shipbuilder were able to give timbers the wherewithal to move themselves to take the form of a ship.” (St Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae ). The Spirit of God is in the swirl of everything. “Throughout the vast sweep of cosmic and biological evolution, the Spirit embraces the material root of life and its endless potential, empowering the cosmic process from within.” (Daniel O’Leary, An Astonishing Secret).
Deacon Mark Kelly
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION UPDATE
Our Commitment Masses will be celebrated over the next two weekends as follows. Could all families remember to bring their enrolment form to their choice of Mass please.
Families will receive their symbol for their candidates sash at their Commitment Mass. Also we will be handing out sashes to all those families that have ordered one.
St Joseph’s Church, Warragul | St Ita’s Church, Drouin |
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We shall also be celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation for our Grade 3 students at St Ita’s Church, Drouin on Wednesday 22nd June at 7:00pm and at St Joseph’s Church, Warragul on Thursday 23rd June 7:00pm.
We ask all families to please arrive 10 minutes before our starting time of 7:00pm.
PARISH SACRAMENT ENQUIRIES
Sacrament Enquiries: Mrs Therese Meggetto
Mobile: 0439 306 642 Email: Warragul.sacraments@cdsale.org.au