St Ita's Primary School Drouin
PDF Details

Newsletter QR Code

50 Victoria Street
Drouin VIC 3818
Subscribe: https://stidrouin.catholic.edu.au/subscribe

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

T3 W9 2020 Newsletter

Filter Content

T3 W9 2020 Newsletter

welcome_to_country.png

We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we are situated and remind you that we are gathered on Aboriginal land.

We acknowledge the Elders of this land both past and present.

matt_18.jpg

Act Like It!

Jesus teaches the line that we rattle off unthinkingly in the Our Father: “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us” and Matthew’s gospel (Matt 18:21-35) explores forgiveness and the consequences of being unforgiven.

How do we forgive those who have sinned against us? Do we forgive them when we make a comfortable arrangement and shake hands? When they stop hurting or annoying us or when they are truly penitent and we have a plan for co-existence? Or when they become worthy of our forgiveness? That’s not forgiveness as we want forgiveness! Jesus’ supreme example of forgiveness is in his last agonised words from the cross imploring forgiveness for those who have taunted, tortured and murdered him, “Father, forgive them!” There is our gold standard forgiveness!

Throughout his ministry, Jesus has encouraged us to seek merciful forgiveness. When we ask forgiveness of the Lord we don’t want justice, because justice is all about dredging up our past failures. What we are seeking is mercy; that we be forgiven as we are; in spite of our un-worthiness. Central to Jesus’ message is the Father who loves us and welcomes us with unconditional forgiveness, just as we forgive others. The Son made a scandalous habit of preferring the company of sinners, accepting them as they are and trusting to God’s mercy, yet he is clear about the consequences of being unforgiven, alluding here to the tortuous pain, sorrow, horror, regret, loneliness and emptiness awaiting anyone who chooses to reject forgiveness.

We have been forgiven so we need to act like it! As we have prayed, we accept God’s forgiveness by forgiving others from the heart, regardless of their sincerity, niceness or worthiness; but giving that gold standard forgiveness we want for ourselves.

Deacon Mark Kelly 

facebook_2_.png

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

    covid.jpg
    Thanks to all our families who have done such a great job working through and supporting us during Remote Learning. Whilst we are very aware of how challenging this time has been for all families, we really appreciate the hard yards on a terrific job implementing the Remote Learning from home. Term 3 ends next week on Friday 18th September and school holidays commence Saturday 19th September to Sunday 4th October.

    As the State Government announced yesterday, we still have a way to go. Remote Learning from home will continue up until Friday 9th October. Therefore the first week of term 4, Monday 5th October to Friday 9th October will still be remote learning.

    Full Time School will re-open for all students on Monday 12th October.

    We will continue to be vigilant at St Ita's making sure we are adhering to all Health expectations to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 within our school community. To do this properly we need the support of all families.

    This means that up until Monday 12th October, all students who can learn from home, MUST learn from home, except those:

    • Whose parents, guardians or carers are unable to work from home and no other arrangements for care can be made. (If a parent is at home, even working at home, the child / ren must learn from home.)
    • With additional needs who require learning adjustment and who also meet one of the criteria listed below;
    • Who are deemed to be vulnerable including;
    • Children in out-of-home care
    • Children deemed by Child Protection and/or Family Services to be at risk of harm
    • Children identified by the school as vulnerable (including via referral from a family violence agency, homelessness or youth justice service or mental health or other health service).

    If you meet the above criteria and require onsite supervision, please register your intentions by completing the Online Remote Supervision form each week.

    This will enable us to ensure that we have sufficient staff on duty to supervise students in attendance.

    The school will continue to ensure that the health and safety of students, staff and the wider school community remains the highest priority with physical distancing measures and hand and respiratory hygiene practises remaining in place for all staff and students in attendance. In addition, all students attending on-site Remote Schooling will have their temperature taken each morning.

    If you have any questions in relation to the on-site Remote Supervision arrangements, please contact the Admin office p: 5623 7222. 

    **URGENT IMPORTANT WARNING**

    The eSafety Commissioner yesterday confirmed distressing reports about an explicit video of a suicide circulating social media platforms. eSafety has contacted social media companies about the reports and will continue working with them to monitor the situation.

    Reports indicate that the video has been reshared on platforms including (but not limited to) Tik Tok, Snapchat Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. To increase the likelihood of children opening the link it has alarmingly also been edited and reshared to begin with general content (images of cats) before switching to the footage of a bearded man sitting in front of a computer.

    What parents should be doing immediately?

    • Increase supervision of all screen time. Strictly no devices in bedrooms. It is safest to keep devices in communal areas.
    • Open up a conversation to encourage your children to come to you if they see something “disturbing” online (see link below for ideas about what to say, particularly how to prepare kids before an issue occurs).
    • Remind your children that they always have 24/7 access to support via Kids Helpline (www.kidshelpline.com.au).
    • Don’t hesitate to seek advice from a professional (e.g. doctor, psychologist, school counsellor) should you have any concerns about your child's mental health, particularly with regard to suicide risk issues.
    • Further information: What to do when your child sees something disturbing online

    We are encouraging people who encounter this content to report it to the social media platform they’ve seen it on and to eSafety at: www.esafety.gov.au/report/illegal-harmful-content.

    Parents, please consider this current issue as further evidence as to why it is not appropriate or safe for primary school age children to be on social media.

     

    esafety.png

    • The use of computers, laptops or any internet enabled devices (iPad, phone, iPod, Xbox) should be in a common area of the house not in the bedroom!  
    • Parental monitoring is vital – walk past and see what your child is doing, who they are talking to and what sites they are on….be aware if their mood changes. This is NOT invading their privacy at all…it is parenting in the digital space.  
    • Make sure there is no response to rude or harassing emails. (Keep a record of in case of further investigation).  
    • Advise your student/child to immediately exit any site that makes them feel uncomfortable or worried. Basic protective behaviour principles apply.  
    • If the harassment continues….the current email account can be deleted and a new one started. The new email address should only be given to a selected few.  
    • If receiving harassing messages on social media – have the sender blocked & report to the site.  
    • If you have found inappropriate content about your child or one in your care on a website or are informed about this situation please contact the ISP and or Police or advise the parent to do so ASAP.  
    • Have a family internet contract and set house rules about what information your child can put onto websites or share with others.  
    • Be aware the majority of children WILL NOT tell a parent/teacher if bullied or harassed online for fear that they will lose internet access.  
    • Make sure that your children understand that they will not get in trouble if they tell you about a problem.  
    • Parents must learn about the internet with their child – get students to share their knowledge of the internet with their parents in a fun environment.  
    • Spend time online with children, just as you would with many other activities such as sport, board games and walking the dog – learn and explore together.  
    • Install filters and other monitoring/blocking software to minimise dangers. This is already done in schools but advise parents to have up to date filtering software installed at home.  
    • Know the sites they are accessing to ensure suitability. Filters CAN sometimes fail to protect and can be bypassed by a ‘tech savvy’ child.  
    • ABSOLUTELY MAKE SURE THAT NO EXCHANGE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION TAKES PLACE!  
    • Children Under 13 ARE NOT ALLOWED on Facebook, Instagram, Kik, SnapChat, iTunes, Tik Tok and many more. Don’t support your child to break the rules & they won’t be the only one without these accounts. Learn to say NO!  
    • Social Networking Profiles such as MySpace SHOULD BE SET TO PRIVATE. Use all the security settings available to make the site as safe as possible.  
    • Friends on MSN/email contacts and social networking sites should be people that your child knows in real life. This is one way to reduce possible risks. Anyone can be anyone online.  
    • Learn the lingo so that you can decipher some of the content if required. Advise parents to do the same.  
    • Teach children that information on the internet is not always reliable.  
    • Very close supervision for young children is recommended. There should be a limit to the email correspondence/msn to be a list of friends and family that has been approved.  
    • Whatever your children use, you must use as well. Set up accounts on the same sites to ensure that they are suitable and the interactions appropriate. Engage with them online. This also allows you to know how these applications work.  
    • If your child is playing online games it is YOUR responsibility to make sure that YOU know how to play the game too in case of problems. Play online games together.  
    • Do not let young children ‘google’ aimlessly with no supervision. Children need to be taught about search engines and how they work.  
    • The internet and the various applications are a lot of fun and a wonderful tool…maximize the benefits and surf safely together!  
    • Please note that this list is by no means exhaustive and that there is no guarantee that adherence to these tips will provide 100% protection or safety for those using the various applications of the internet.

    SCHOOL UNIFORM DURING ONSITE REMOTE SUPERVISION

    A reminder to all students attending On Site Supervised Learning that you are expected to be in full school uniform. No students should be attending onsite remote supervision wearing casual clothes.


    SIBLING TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS FOUNDATION 2021

    Sibling telephone interviews for Foundation 2021 are being conducted this week. If you haven't made an apointment time, please contact the Admin office to book an appointment time for this week. Please click here to email Admin


    SCHOOL FEE CONCESSION

    For any families impacted financially by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and  have concerns about your financial situation regarding school fees, please contact myself on 5623 7222 during the hours of 9am-3pm Monday to Friday, or via email: principal@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au so that we can explore confidential financial support arrangements to enable your child(ren)’s education at our school to continue. 

    HEALTH CARE CONCESSION CARD

    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. 

    2021 SCHOOL FEES

    This week the 2021 school fee schedule will be sent out to all families on Care Monkey.

    If any families would like to set up a weekly, fortnightly or monthly direct debit schedule for next year, please complete the Direct Debit Form and return to the school office at your earliest convenience or prior to 01 December. Please calculate the total fees payable by the number of weeks/payments required. For any assistance please contact the school Admin office 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.

    For any families impacted financially by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and have concerns about your financial situation regarding school fees, please contact Mr Andrew Osler on 5623 7222 during the hours of 9am-3pm Monday to Friday, or via email: principal@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au so that he can explore confidential financial support arrangements with you.



    TERM 4 UNIFORM

    The wearing of the St Ita's Summer Uniform commences in Term 4.

    Due to the unpredictable weather conditions during October & due to the shortage of some uniform supplies from Beleza, either the full Summer or full Winter uniform is permitted to be worn during Term 4. (please do not mix and match).

    Please make sure all students are wearing black school shoes daily (with no visible/colourful logos) except for your child's class PE day, when the Sport Uniform with white socks and runners are to be worn instead. 

    All students must wear a school hat with logo to/from school and during outside activities, no matter which uniform is worn, during term 4. All students with long hair must tie their hair neatly back using our school colours: red, white, blue or black.

    If your child is to be out of uniform, please send a note or dojo to the class teacher advising a reason why. 

    The school office does have some second-hand uniform items for sale. Please enquire via email. admin@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

    Girls Summer Uniform Girls Winter Uniform

    Red and white gingham dress

    Blue tartan tunic 

    (optional navy blue school pants)

    White socks - long or ankle

    (not low cut socks)

    Royal blue polo shirt with school logo

    Royal blue jumper with school logo

    Navy blue tights or navy blue long socks

    Black lace-up or buckle, leather shoes

    (no visible/colourful logos)

    Royal blue jumper with school logo

    Long hair neatly tied back using school colours: red, white, blue or black

    Black lace-up or buckle, leather shoes

    (no visible/colourful logos)

    Royal blue hat with school logo  Long hair neatly tied back using school colours: red, white, blue or black
    Grade 6 only - Navy blue bomber jacket with school logo  Grade 6 only - Navy blue bomber jacket with school logo 
    Boys Uniform Sport Uniform
    Dark grey trousers or dark grey shorts

    Red sport polo shirt with school logo

    Royal blue polo shirt with school logo

    Royal blue: shorts, skort, netball skirt or tracksuit pants

    Grey socks (not low cut)

    White ankle socks (not low cut) 

    Royal blue jumper with school logo Royal blue jumper with school logo

    Black lace-up or buckle, leather shoes or boots (no visible/colourful logos)

    Sports shoes/runners (any colour)
    Long hair neatly tied back using school colours: red, white, blue or black Long hair neatly tied back using school colours: red, white, blue or black

    Royal blue hat with school logo (Term 1 & 4)

    Royal blue hat with school logo (Term 1 & 4)

    Grade 6 only - Navy blue bomber jacket with school logo  Grade 6 only - Navy blue bomber jacket with school logo 






    NUT ALLERGY AWARENESS

    Nut_Free.jpg

    A reminder to all parents that St Ita’s is a nut free environment. We have several students in our school with a severe food allergy including anaphylaxis to nuts. This is a medical condition that causes a severe / even fatal reaction to specific foods. These reactions can be triggered by contact, ingestion or inhalation.

    We ask all parents to refrain from sending nuts or nut products in their children’s lunch and snack. This includes Nutella, peanut butter and nuts contained in cakes or snack bars. We thank you for supporting us as we look to keep all children in our school safe, healthy and well.

    BOOK CLUB - Issue 6 last week for orders

    Please click on the picture below to access issue 6 of the Scholastic Book Club catalogue on-line. Please submit your orders on-line by Friday 11 September.

    book_club_620_folder2.png

    Parents, for more details on how to order or to view previous issues visit Scholastic Book Club:



                                                                           




     

    Read Less