St Ita's Primary School Drouin
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50 Victoria Street
Drouin VIC 3818
Subscribe: https://stidrouin.catholic.edu.au/subscribe

Email: admin@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au
Phone: 03 5623 7222

T4 W5 2022 Newsletter

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T4 W5 2022 Newsletter

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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. 

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    CHICKENPOX OUTBREAK AT ST ITA’S

    Please find below a summary of our discussion regarding the exclusion of cases and contacts of chickenpox at school/childcare centre. I have also linked the relevant legislation and factsheets, and vaccination advise to distribute to parents and staff.

    EXCLUSION:

    • Legislated under the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 (Schedule 7) - link provided below
    • Cases of chickenpox in primary schools and children’s services centres must be excluded until all blisters have dried. This is usually at least five days after the rash appears in unimmunised children but may be less in previously immunised children. Note that some remaining scabs are not a reason for continued exclusion. Cases in secondary school are recommended to be excluded as above, but there is no statutory exclusion.
    • Child contacts with an immune deficiency (for example, leukaemia) or receiving chemotherapy should be excluded from school or children’s services centre for their own protection. Otherwise, contacts are not excluded.

    INFORMATION:

    • Provide health information regarding transmission, signs and symptom prevention and treatment, refer to Chickenpox factsheet – link provided below
    • All parents and staff should be alert to the potential for exposed (especially unimmunised) children to develop illness 2-3 weeks following exposure and to exclude them at first sign of illness.
    • Pregnant or immunocompromised staff who could have been in close contact with the cases should seek advice from their GP.

    VACCINATION:

    • Vaccination reduces the likelihood of chickenpox infection and can lessen severity of the disease. Vaccination of exposed persons during outbreaks has shown to prevent further cases and control outbreaks.
    • Identify and record details of non-immune children and staff (i.e., those who have never had chickenpox illness or are unvaccinated for chickenpox).
    • In outbreak settings (2 cases within 21 days at the school), recommend vaccination for all non-immune children and staff in the same classroom (if cases are confined to the same classroom) or same year level or entire school/childcare centre (if cases are in multiple classrooms).
    • A second dose of a varicella vaccine is recommended for children under 14 years of age who have received only one varicella vaccine. The second dose provides additional protection and minimises the risk of breakthrough varicella. However, a second dose of a varicella vaccine for children is not funded on the National Immunisation Program. Parents and careers should discuss this option with their GP.
    • Post exposure vaccination should be administered within 5 days, and preferably within 3 days, after exposure.
    • Immunosuppressed people or pregnant women should not be given the varicella vaccine, and anyone receiving the vaccine should avoid becoming pregnant for at least 28 days after vaccination.

     For further information please refer to the following links:

    • Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 school exclusion table https://www.health.vic.gov.au/infectious-diseases/school-exclusion-table
    • Chickenpox information sheet Better Health Channel https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/chickenpox
    • Chickenpox – immunisation sheet Better Health Channel https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/chickenpox-immunisation

    ST ITA’S MOBILE PHONE AND SMARTWATCH POLICY

    Last week we finalised our student Mobile Phone, Smart Watch Policy for parents and students to sign off on. We sent the policy home to parents and students via hard copy to review, discuss and sign. This is an important policy to have in place in our school due to the legal ramifications that can occur with social media devices like Mobile Phones and Smart Watches and is designed to so that all students feel safe at St Ita’s. If your child has a mobile phone or a smart watch at school could I please ask that you read the policy with your child and support them to understand why we have it in place at St Ita’s. The policy is outlined below for everyone in our learning community.

    CLASS STRUCTURES FOR 2023

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    Class structures for 2023 have now be finalised, and will be as follows;

    • 3 x Foundation
    • 3 x Grade 1
    • 3 x Grade 2
    • 5 x Grade 3-4
    • 4 x Grade 5-6

    We are currently in the planning process of allocating staff into the various grade levels, and we will inform our parent community in the coming weeks of final staff placements for 2023.

    WHOLE SCHOOL APPROACH TO POSITIVE BEHAVIORS AWARD

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    Commencing from our next assembly, we will be replacing the Student of the Week Award with the Whole School Approach to Positive Behaviours (WSAPB) Award. Children who consistently display Teamwork, Resilience, Respect, Inclusiveness and Compassion in their daily schooling will be nominated by the teachers and peers and the School Executive will select 1-2 students each assembly to be the recipient.

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    IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING ST ITA’S WHOLE SCHOOL / GRADE 6 GRADUATION PHOTO DAY

    On Wednesday, 16th November 2022, Schoolpix will be attending to capture our whole school photo and our Grade 6 graduate’s photos. It is important that all students are dressed in full summer school uniform.

    All students must also be wearing black school shoes and their jumpers. Grade 6 students will need to wear their Grade 6 Bomber Jacket.

    Please do not send your child to school dressed in sports uniform.

    Children who usually have PE classes on a Wednesday are asked to please bring their sports shoes in their schoolbag. It is most important that all students are dressed in a presentable and uniform manner.

    CALENDAR DATES

    We encourage all families to keep checking the our school calendar at the bottom of our newsletter for updates.  Term 4 will be a busy time for all of our students, especially our Grade 6 students.  A few important dates parents should be aware of are;

    18th November - Junior Athletics

    29th November - Marist Orientation Day

    5th December  - Triathlon

    6th December - Grade 6 Graduation Mass and Supper @ Drouin Golf Course

    12th December - Grade 6 Big Day Out

    13th December -  Drouin SC Orientation

    SWIMMING & WATER SAFETY PROGRAM

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    Our swimming and water safety program is set for Term 4, this year we have secured a booking with Gumbya World who will take all students through general water safety, and basic swim safety practices.  Lessons will be across two separate days as follows;

    Grade 3/4 - Monday 7th November 2022

    SCHOOL HATS

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    As a part of our Sun Smart Policy all students are required to wear a hat while playing outside during Term 1 & Term 4.

    Please ensure that all children have a St Ita's hat as a part of their school uniform, and that they are bringing their hat to school daily.  If children do not bring a hat to school they will be only be able to play outside in the shaded areas during outside play times.

    SCHOOL FEES & CONCESSIONS

    A reminder to all families that all outstanding fees must be finalised by the end of Term 4. All school fees should be finalised in the year they are billed, if you are experiencing difficulty, or feel you will not be able to finalising payment please make contact with Beck at the Admin Office as soon as possible either by phone (03) 5623 7222 or via email admin@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

    If any families would like to set up a weekly, fortnightly or monthly direct debit schedules for school fees, please complete the Direct Debit Form below and return to the school office.

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    Art Teacher: Robyn Leary     

    Email:  rleary@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

    ART ROOM NEWS

    Just a reminder that all kids need to bring in an old shirt or something for clay. The art smocks won’t last the distance if we keep using those.

    Students are enjoying the clay - teacher not so much, but it’s worth doing it for the kids to experience. 

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    PARISH NEWS

    HEAVENLY HOPES

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    Traditionally we express a hope, particularly at funerals, that eventually we will be reunited with our deceased loved ones and indeed, in some sense, we will. But, enjoy now your “marriage made in heaven,” because that is the one thing Jesus clearly tells us will not be in the afterlife. We wonder what our loving Creator has in store for us after death.

    The Sadducees, who didn’t believe in life after death anyway, niggle Jesus in this week’s gospel (Luke 20:27-38) with hypotheticals about marriage in heaven. But he isn’t going down their blind alley. He shuts down their provocation about being married in the afterlife. Yes, we’ll have bodily resurrection but marriage isn’t an issue. We’ll be way beyond even marriage and family.

    The Sadducees real question is about whether there is life after death. Jesus teaches both resurrection of the soul (which wasn’t a new concept), but also resurrection of the body! Which body? What does it mean?

    We are so engaged in our earthly lives of family, career, marriage, concerns, interests, fears, that it is hard to imagine a world where these don’t matter. Our life after death is mostly beyond human comprehension but glimpses tell us we can look forward to even deeper relationships. Marriage is about growing love through shared joys and adversities along life’s earthly road. Heaven will be all that which we cherish of marital love, extended and perfected, without pain or suffering, only joy and peace. We will be “the same as the angels.” We don’t need earthly riches or protections or even earthly relationships. Death itself is abolished and all will be changed beyond our imaginations.

    Faith assures us though that the Creator’s love, which upholds us in this life, will be there for us in the next. We really don’t need to know more.

    Deacon Mark Kelly

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    PARISH SACRAMENT ENQUIRIES

    Sacrament Enquiries:  Mrs Therese Meggetto

    Mobile: 0439 306 642 Email: Warragul.sacraments@cdsale.org.au

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    Check out our Catholic Parishes of Warragul & Drouin Facebook presence.

    PUBLIC NOTICES

    BELEZA SCHOOL UNIFORMS

    ATHLONE HALL CENTENARY

    Sunday 27th November 2022

    10 am -3pm

    History of Athlone on display along with some old machinery.

    Free Kids activities.

    BBQ food and drinks available

    Scrumptious afternoon tea.

    For more details phone 0438 876 413 - Leesa Williams

    PIANO & SINGING LESSONS

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    DRUM AND GUITAR LESSONS

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