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

T3 W2 2023 Newsletter

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T3 W2 2023 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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    ST ITA’S PARENTS AND FRIENDS

    Now that we have our St Ita’s school board up and running we are looking at getting our Parents and Friends Group up and about this term. The Parents and Friends is the fund-raising body of our school to help support financial growth in our school by taking on a variety of different projects that support all kids in our school.

    If you and any of your friends would like to get involved in a specific part of the school fundraising, or have some ideas, we would welcome you to be a part of this group.

    BLESSING AND OPENING

    Last week we finally had the official opening and blessing of our Admin-Foundation-Library area.  It was very well attended by members of the wider St Ita’s parish and learning community. Father Confidence lead the blessing and the Liturgy, and our new Director of Catholic Education Sale Diocese, Mr. Paul Velten attended the event and spoke about how grateful we are for the vision of our Parish Priests supporting the growth of Catholic Education in the Drouin region. After the ceremony our school leadership and liturgy teams help with the delivery of a wonderful morning tea.

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     TEACHING KIDS TO BE BRAVE: EXPLAINING WHAT COURAGE IS
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    For kids and teens, one of the most important things for them to know is that courage doesn’t always feel like courage. From the outside, courage often looks impressive and powerful and self-assured. Sometimes it might look reckless or thrilling. From the inside though, it can feel frightening and unpredictable. It can feel like anxiety, or fear, or rolling self-doubt.

    Courage can be a trickster like that – it often looks different from the outside to the way you would expect it to feel on the inside. This is because courage and fear always exist together. It can’t be any other way. If there is no fear, there is no need for courage.

    Courage isn’t about something magical that happens inside us to make us ‘not scared’. It’s about something magical that happens inside us to make us push through fear, self-doubt, anxiety, and do the things that feel hard or risky or frightening. Sometimes, courage only has to happen for seconds at a time – just long enough to be brave enough.

    There’s something else that kids need to know about courage, you don’t always see the effects of it straight away. Courage might mean being kind to the new kid in class, trying something new, speaking up for something they believe in. Often, these things don’t come with fireworks or applause. The differences they make can take time to reveal, but when actions are driven by courage, the differences those actions make will always be there, gently taking shape and changing their very important corners of the world in some way.

    How to Build Courage in Kids.

    We all want to feel safe. It’s so smooth and un-splintered and unlikely to scrape you or embarrass you or leave you with bruises. Sometimes, ‘safe and certain’ might be the perfect place for our kids to be, but so much growth and the things that will enrich them will happen when they let go of the handrail, even if just for seconds at a time. Here are some ways to nurture their brave:

    Speak of their brave as though they’re already there

    Kids and teens step up to expectations or down to them.
    Speak to the courage that is coming to life inside them, as though they are already there. ‘I know how brave you are.’ ‘I love that you make hard decisions sometimes, even when it would be easier to do the other thing.’ ‘You might not feel brave, but I know what it means to you to be doing this. Trust me – you are one of the bravest people I know.’

    Give permission for imperfection

    Failure and rejection are often a sign that you’ve done something brave. Every experience gives new information and new wisdom that wouldn’t have been there before. It’s why only the brave ones get there in the end – they have the knowledge, wisdom, and experience that can often only be found when you land badly – sometimes more than once. Give them space for imperfection – it’s a growth staple.

    You won’t always feel ready. That’s why it’s brave

    Let them know that it’s okay to hang on while they’re getting comfortable – while they’re working on a plan, fanning the brave spark inside them (and it’s always inside them), but then there will be a time to let go. When this time comes, it won’t always feel like readiness or certainty. That’s what makes it brave. And a little bit magical.

    Try something new

    Encourage them to do activities that push them to the edges of their physical or emotional selves – drama, sport, music. Anything that will help to nurture the truth to life that they are strong, powerful, that they can cope, and that they are not as fragile as they might feel sometimes will help to nurture their brave hearts.

    Be the example

    Everything you do is gold in their eyes. Talk to them about the times you feel nervous, or the times you’ve said ‘no’ or ‘yes’, when everyone else was moving in the opposite direction. Talk to them about the times you’ve pushed through fear, exhaustion, sadness, anger, to do the thing that was right for you. Talk about your risky ideas, the times you thought differently, did differently, and the times you felt small but did something big. Let them feel that the brave in you, is in them too.

    Give them space for courage of thought

    Courage isn’t only about pushing against their own edges. Sometimes it’s about pushing against the friends who might steer them off track, the limiting expectations of others, the media, the majority, the world. Too many times, creative, change-making, beautifully open minds have been shut down in the name of compliance. There is nothing wrong with questioning – it opens hearts, minds, and mouths – what’s important is that the questioning is done respectfully. One of the reasons the world is capable of great things is because young minds who are brave enough to challenge the way things are and to want something better grow into adults minds who make it happen. Ask for their opinions and let them know they can disagree with yours. Some of the world’s very ideas have often started with small ideas that made no sense at all at the time.

    And when the motive is brave but the behaviour is, let’s say, ‘unadorable’

    Sometimes brave behaviour gets shadowed by behaviour that is a little scuffed. When this happens, support the brave voice or intent, but redirect the behaviour. ‘I love that you speak up for what you feel is right. It takes guts to do that. We won’t get anywhere though if you keep shouting.’

    Give space for their intuition to flourish – and teach them how to use it

    Intuition is not magic and it’s not hocus pocus. It’s the lifetime of memories, experiences, and learnings that sit somewhere in all of us, just outside of our awareness. Gut feelings and heart whispers all come from tapping into this pool of hidden wisdom. Scientists in Switzerland have found the physical basis of ‘gut feelings’. The innate fear response, or the feeling that something isn’t right, is heavily influenced by messages sent along the vagus nerve from the stomach to the brain. The vagus nerve is the longest of twelve pairs of nerves that leave the brain. It sends messages from the belly to the brain, touching the heart along the way. When the vagus nerve is cut, the loss of signals from the belly changes the production of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. (Neurotransmitters help to transmit messages between brain cells. Everything we do depends on these messages flowing properly.) The hard part – and the part that can take a lot of courage – is acting on gut feelings or intuition and doing what feels right, regardless of the noise that tells us to do otherwise. Encourage them to take notice of when something feels right or wrong for them. Sometimes this means giving them permission to let go of needing to justify or explain the reason they feel the way they do. ‘When you are still and quiet, what does your heart tell you?’ ‘Do you have a feeling about what you should do? Sometimes those feelings come from the part of you that knows what’s best. Taking notice of them can be really valuable.’

    And then there’s self-talk. Sneaky, sidelining self-talk

    Self-talk is one of the biggest ways we stop ourselves from venturing outside of our limits. Self-talk can be automatic and barely noticeable, but so limiting. They are the ‘can’ts’, ‘shoulds’ ‘shouldn’ts‘, and ‘what-ifs’. They can be persuasive little ponies that put courage in a box for a while. Let your kiddos know that however scared they might feel, or whatever they might be telling themselves about how much they ‘can’t’, they will always be braver than they think they are. Brave can be a thought, a feeling, or an action. They can do brave even if you don’t think it or feel it. If they don’t feel brave enough or believe they are brave enough, they just have to act as though they are. Their bodies and their brains won’t know the difference. Brave is brave, however much fear and self-doubt is behind it.

    It’s never too late to change … anything

    Let them know that it’s never too late to change direction, change friends, or change their mind.

    It’s so easy for courage to turn cold when a decision or choice feels final. All experiences bring new wisdom, and if that new wisdom means the decision stops feeling right, that’s okay. There will a plan B, a back door, a way out or a way back up. But first comes the brave decision to start.

    The outcome doesn’t matter as much as the process

    When they feel the need to play it safe, they are focusing on the ending, or the need to avoid failure. Whenever you can, encourage them to shift their focus to the process – the decisions they make, the actions they take, and the courage that drives all of it. Many kids (and adults) are held back from brave behaviour because of the fear of failure, but what if the goal is courage. It’s always important to be considered when being brave – sometimes brave decisions and silly ones can look the same – but if the process has been thought about and the consequences considered, let the courage to have a go be more important than any outcome. They will always get over a disappointment, but any time they take the opportunity to be brave, they are strengthening a quality that will strengthen and lift them from the inside out.

    Encourage their sense of adventure

    And let them see yours. It is in the adventure that we learn new ways of being, thinking and doing. Whether it’s taking a different turn, trying a different food, going something they’ve never been before, it’s all part of discovering their own capacity to cope with unpredictability and their own resourcefulness – and that is the fuel of the brave.

    Let them celebrate their courage regularly

    Introduce a weekly family ritual – maybe around the dinner table – where everyone shares something brave they did this week. This is an opportunity to show them that courage comes in many different shapes and sizes and that even adults struggle with being brave sometimes. It’s a way to prime them for taking risks and doing things that they might not otherwise do – even if it’s just to be able to tell you about it.

    Brave is about doing what’s right for them

    Sometimes courage is about doing the scary thing, and sometimes it’s about doing the right thing. Let’s say a bunch of friends is going to watch a scary movie. It’s easy for kids to think the brave thing is watching the movie, but if it doesn’t feel right to be watching it, the brave thing is actually saying ‘no’. Saying ‘no’ to something that doesn’t feel right is one of the bravest things we humans can do. There are three clues that can help them wade through the noise and find the right thing to do:
    • Will it break an important rule or is it against the law?
    • Will it hurt someone?
    • Does it feel right for you?

    Deciding whether something is right or wrong is the first step. The next part – which is the tricky part – is finding a safe out. It’s not always easy saying ‘no’, which is why this is where courage happens.

    Give them some options to try. These might involve leaving, suggesting something else to do instead, blame a parent (my mum/dad said I couldn’t. There’s no way I’m getting myself into trouble today. Nup’), make a joke (‘out of all the ways to get grounded, that’s not a way that’s worth the trouble’).

    And finally …

    They might also believe that courage comes in the way of grand, big gestures, super heroic feats, or actions of dragon slayers. The truth is, our children are slaying their own dragons, every day. They’re heroes, every one of them. The key is helping them realise it so they can use it to push through their edges when they feel small, scared, confused, or unseen. Because one of the most important parts of being brave is knowing that somewhere inside of you, ‘brave’ will be there when you need it, whether you feel it or not.

    Andrew Osler

    St Ita's Principal

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    IMPORTANT DATES

    Tuesday 25th July - Zoom Session on Student Refusal - 6-8pm

    Saturday 29th July - Confirmation Commitment Mass - 7pm @ St Joseph's Warragul

    Sunday 30th July - Confirmation Commitment Mass - 9am @ St Joseph's Warragul

    Sunday 30th July - Confirmation Commitment Mass - 10.30am @ St Itas Drouin

    Thursday 3rd August - Author Visit George Ivanoff

    Sunday 6th August - Confirmation Commitment Mass - 10.30am @ St Itas Drouin

    CONFIRMATION COMMMITMENT MASSES

    Grade 6 Confirmation candidates please note the above times and dates for the Confirmation Commitment Masses.  You are welcome to attend whichever time and location that best suits.

     PARENT SESSION - SCHOOL REFUSAL

    School Refusal: Is school refusal turning your home into a battleground?

    Is your child experiencing separation anxiety?

    Would you like to understand some of the reasons for school refusal? Would you like to know what works for other parents?

    Anglicare Victoria is running sessions either at school in person or online at no cost to families.

    Tuesday 18th July onsite here at school 9:30-11:30 am (in the old library) Enter via Admin

    OR Via Zoom Tuesday 25th July 6:00- 8:00 pm

    To register CLICK HERE

    For further detail contact Heath Mills on 0499 007 031

    (Watch out for further sessions in coming weeks: Raising Resilient Kids, Parenting Anxious Kids, Dealing with Feelings) Flyers were sent home, please check your child’s school bag.

    ANGLICARE ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE ONSITE ON THURSDAY

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    Every family needs a little help from time to time. Are finances stressing you out?  Is parenting feeling a little too hard some days? Your children’s emotions difficult to manage? Is their behaviour disrupting the whole household and impacting their time at school? Anglicare Victoria Family Services are now located on site every Thursday to provide support in these areas, or even if you just need to have a chat.

    Completely confidential, non judgemental, we are here to support you and your family.  Contact Heath on 0499 007 031 or ask for Heath at the office any time on Thursday.

    Through Anglicare Victoria we are also able to provide free parenting groups to develop and strengthen parenting skills and create positive change within your family.

    In Term 3 Anglicare Victoria Parentzone will be running 4 groups – in person at school and also online.

    The 4 topics that will be covered are School Refusal, Raising Resilient Kids, Parenting Anxious Kids and Dealing with Feelings.

    Stay tuned for further information and how you can register your interest!

    The dates will be 

    School Refusal – At school Tues 18th July or Online Tues 25th July

    Raising Resilient kids – At school Tues 1st August or Online Tues 8th August

    Parenting Anxious kids – At school Tues 15th August or Online Tues 22nd August

    Dealing with feelings – At school Tues 29th August or Online Tues 5th August

    NCDD INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

    SECONDHAND UNIFORM

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    Many of our new and existing families have benefitted from our secondhand uniform cupboard this year.  We have been overwhelmed by the number of families who have taken up the offer to utilise this service.

    Unfortunately, this is a service that relies heavily on the generosity of our families and their willingness to donate what they have available, or what their children have grown out of.

    We are asking all of our families to take a look in their childrens cupboard and if you have any good quality uniform that is not being used by your family, and could be donated to assist another family we encourage you to bring it into the administration office.

    We appreciate all items that can be donated.

    DROPPING STUDENTS AT SCHOOL BEFORE 8.30AM

    Parents are reminded that students must not be dropped off at school, and left unsupervised prior to the school gate opening at 8.30am.  If you need to drop your children off prior to 8.30am, we recommend that you contact Camp Australia and access before school care.

    STUDENT ABSENCES 

    All student absences should be communicated to the office by 10am daily.  In addition to Class Dojo, student absences can be communicated via the Parent Access Module (PAM) which come directly to the Administration Office.  In addition to daily absences, PAM can be used to record family holidays, and occurances which are likely to be multiple day absences.
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    SIMON EVERYWHERE APP

    Our Parent Access Module (PAM) is now even easier to access, via the Simon Everywhere App.
    Download the Simon Everywhere App to access Reports, authorise permission slips and to record student absences.
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    PARENTS WORKING ONSITE AT ST ITAS

    A reminder to all parents who are entering the school as classroom helpers or parent support during speech and or OT sessions;

    • You must enter via the Admin Office and sign in via the IPad, where you will be required to enter your Working with Children (WWC) details.
    • Please ensure you have your WWC card with you at all times as it is a requirement of DOSCEL that you carry this card with you whilst you are onsite. 

    SCHOOL FEE STATEMENTS 

    School Fee statements have been forwarded to all families via Email, if you have not received your statement please make contact with us so that we can check your details and ensure we have your correct Email details. 

    Term 1 Fees & Term 2 fees are now overdue, please make arrangements to bring your account up to date as soon as possible.

    Direct Debit and Credit Card payments can be set up at any time, please contact School Admin to assist with putting these options in place. 

    Contact: admin@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au or (03) 5623 7222

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    STATE CROSS COUNTRY

    On Thursday 13th of July we participated in Victorian Primary School’s State Cross Country, representing St Ita’s. We ran at Yarra Glen racecourse and ran a distance of 3km for Marley and Tilly and Eli’s age group ran 2km.

    We were really proud of how we ran. Marley came 59th, Tilly came 43rd out of 84, and Eli came 35th out of 88.

    The course was very muddy and had to navigate car tracks throughout the course.  Before we ran, two people gave us a run-down of the track, and what we should expect to happen before and after the race. We were told about rules for competing in the race, like how cleats (hard plastic spikes) were not allowed in primary events, and what the procedure would be like after the race.

    We all got a State jumper and if you paid $10 extra you could get your name on the back. You could also get other merchandise like pants, shirts and socks and much more.

    Over all we are very proud of ourselves for competing in the State Cross Country and we congratulate everyone else who participated. 

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    GIRLS FOOTBALL AT ST ITAS

    Its been great to hear so many stories about our girls at St Ita’s girls getting in and having a kick of the football on the weekends. Congratulations to all our girls, great effort! If anyone has any photos of their child participating please feel free to send them into admin@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

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    This week we will be participating in the Inform and Empower Digital Safety and Wellbeing Incursions for Term 3. 

    - Usernames and Passwords

    - Keeping information private

    - Digital footprint

    - Cyberbullying

    - The power of an upstander

    - Navigating uncomfortable situations

    TIP SHEET - GRADE 1 - 2

    TIP SHEET - GRADE 3 - 4

    TIP SHEET - GRADE 5 - 6

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    Teacher: Mrs Catherine McKenna

    Email: cmckenna@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

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    Author Visit: Grade 3-6 students

    Author George Ivanoff will be visiting on Friday August 11th to present to our 3/4 and 5/6 students. George specifically writes for this audience and older. Students may order his books through the Lamont portal. They will be posted to me, and he’ll sign them on the day and then present the book at their session. Order by July 28th.

    https://lamontauthors.com.au/buy-authors-book/

    Book Reviews:

    New books have been sent to me for reviewing! If any students would like to read and review a book for the Geelong Advertiser, they can come and see me Monday-Wednesday.  If you/they have already expressed interest in this, I will have already spoken to your student!

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    Book Week

    Save the date: 25th August –

    Book Week dress up day.

    Story Box Library

    Just a reminder to parents and new families that we have a subscription to Story Box Library. There is a link to the website below, or you can download the app. I encourage you to try it out.

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    Audiobooks

    If your child isn’t into reading, or if they haven’t found the genre that they love yet, get them listening to audio books. Also known as ear-reading, it’s a great way for our students to explore and develop a love of story. I use the app BorrowBox which is free through the Local Community Library-Myli.

    Scholastic Book Club

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    Book Club Issue 5 - CLICK HERE

    Orders close Monday 31st July for free delivery back to school. 

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

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    Art Teacher: Robyn Leary     

    Email:  rleary@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

    ART EXHIBITION

    PARISH NEWS

    Too big for our boots

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    If we allow them the events and issues on our nightly news leave us dismayed and despondent, hopeless, even angry and frustrated. We might see our society degenerating as violence,  harshness and plain idiocy hold sway. Pronouncements and policies fly in the face of our understanding of how things should be.

    We know what is best, but what can we do? How can we make things right? How can we force evil people to see the way we see? How can we destroy their influence in our society? How can we exterminate them?

    This Sundays readings counsel us to settle down, chill out, to have patience, don’t stress, have confidence in God. He has it all well in hand.

    Matthew’s gospel (Matt 13:24-27) about the darnel and the weeds is a caution to us not to get too big for our boots. God is master of this universe, not us. All occurs in his time, not ours. He is arbiter of good and evil; he is judge of all. We must be wary of “playing God” ourselves. Of arrogantly assuming it is all up to us, that only we have the answers, that we are the masters.

    Wisdom (Wis 12:13,16-19) exhorts us to tolerance and respect for others. All of us are subject to God’s judgement and boundlessly loving mercy. Rather than cutting ourselves off from the human race because of the evil within it, Christians are to be a “leaven”, tolerantly immersed and involved with the world. Amid the apparent collapse of Christian society, we patiently persevere, making our world just that bit more loving, peaceful and just.

    Quietly confident and alert for little signs of God’s Kingdom we then experience, instead of despair, wonder and joy at the work of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27) through events and circumstances and people we could never anticipate.

    Deacon Mark Kelly

    SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

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    Combined Parent/Child Info Session

    Drouin: Wednesday 19th July 7pm

    Warragul: Thursday 20th July 7pm

    Commitment Masses

    Drouin: 30th July & 6th August 7pm

    Warragul 29th & 30th July 7pm & 9pm

    Child Workshop 1:

    Drouin: Wednesday 9th August 7pm

    Warragul: Thurs 10th August 4pm,7pm

    Retreat Day at Marist: To be advised

    Child Workshop 2:

    Drouin: Wednesday 23rd August 7pm

    Warragul: Thurs 24th August 4pm,7pm

    Combined Reconciliation Rite:

    Drouin: Wednesday 30th August 7pm

    Thursday 31st August 7pm

    SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

    Warragul: Marist Sion Hall

    Friday 8th September 7pm

    With Bishop Greg Bennet

    PARISH SACRAMENT ENQUIRIES

    Phone: (03) 5623 1642 Email: Warragul.sacraments@cdsale.org.au

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    These letters stand for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, the ancient Rite of welcoming people into the Church.

    The Catholic Parishes of Warragul and Drouin warmly invite anyone interested in discovering more about the Catholic faith to attend our meetings on Wednesdays, in Marian Room at St. Joseph’s Church. We start at 7.30pm and finish by 9.00pm. Our sessions will begin on Wednesday August 2nd.

    If you know anyone who is interested, please speak to Joan Robertson at St. Joseph’s Parish Office on 5623164.  

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

    PUBLIC NOTICES

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