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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.
PRINCIPAL MESSAGE
5 ESSENTIAL STEPS TO HELP CHILDREN COPE WITH STRESS
Over the next 4 weeks, I will be framing a parental support piece on ways of helping your children deal with stressful situations in their lives. Last week we looked at Step 1. Reframing Stress
Recent studies and research show that children and teens are more stressed out today than ever before. The combined pressures of schoolwork, remote learning, high-stakes testing, social life, sports, or other activities, plus lots of screen time have resulted in much higher levels of anxiety and stress among young people.
We can't completely eliminate stress for our children. Plus, shielding your child from the difficulties of life won’t do them any favours. It’s far more powerful to raise a resilient child who can bounce back from hardship and challenges.
Since stress is a natural part of life, your goal is to teach your child healthy strategies for coping with stress.
This week we look at Step 2. SHIFTING FROM A FIXED TO A GROWTH MINDSET.
Reframing stress means your child will need to switch from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. Studies show even brief growth mindset training significantly reduces stress and improves grades among teens.
In stressful situations, we often feel overwhelmed and are more likely to fall into a fixed mindset thought process; there’s nothing much we can do to change the situation, our abilities are limited to what we can do, and we might as well stop trying.
For example, if your child is stressed about exams, they might think, “It doesn’t matter how much I study. I’ll never be able to pass these tests. It’s hopeless.”
Help your child look at the situation from a growth mindset perspective - it’s not fixed, it can be improved, and they do have the power to influence the situation.
If you hear your child say a fixed mindset statement like, “I can’t do this,” or, “I’m just not good at maths,” help them find a growth mindset alternative.
Encourage your child to practice growth mindset affirmations, and remind them that putting forth effort and trying different solutions will help them solve the problem and reduce their stress.
Of course, a mindset shift doesn’t happen overnight. Throughout this process, focus on and celebrate incremental improvement.
“A lot of research is showing us that we do much better when we focus on incremental change, on little bits of improvement.” - Amy Cuddy, Harvard psychologist
COVID UPDATE
Now that we are back at school and remote learning has once again been placed on the back burner, we still have to operate under specific COVID -19 guidelines as outlined by DOSCEL.
Car line drop off and pick up will continue as normal at the school admin loop and the Drouin Rec Reserve and we ask that you adhere to a 10 km speed limit.
Please do not park in these areas and walk your children onto the site. Any parents wanting to park and walk their children to the gates at the school site can park in the Church Car park and walk up the ramp to see their children through the gates.
At the moment we can not have parents on site for Whole School Assemblies due to social distance restrictions and our Grade 1 sausage sizzle is currently on hold until we can allow parents back onto our playground area within the school site. We will keep all parents posted as any changes occur.
At this stage Parent Teacher interviews will be conducted via a phone call however if anything changes we will have these on site in the Multi-Purpose hall where we can work to the correct social distance guidelines.
PARENT ACCESS MODULE (PAM)
We have developed a parent portal to access school reports, notify student absences, contain student medical history, contact details and permission notes. This portal is accessible via https://pam.stidrouin.catholic.edu.au/
To access this site parents will need to choose 'Forgot Password' and enter the email address that was used for Operoo. You will then receive an email with a change password request.
If you require any further assistance, review the user-guide on the school website or contact the school administration on admin@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au or 56237222
TERM THREE SCHOOL CLOSURE
Our Term 3 whole school closure will be on the first Monday back after the mid year break, on July 12th. On this day, all St Ita's staff will be revising our current student assessment procedures and using our student data to inform our teaching practice. Children will not be required on this first day back of Term 3.
2022 ENROLMENTS NOW OPEN
Enrolments are now open and we are now taking bookings for enrolment interviews and school tours. (COVID-19 Dependent).
If you require an interview and school tour with your child, please contact our school Admin on 5623 7222 as soon as possible to book a time.
All parents will be required to complete a student questionnaire prior to the commencement of your interview (this takes a couple of minutes and you will receive it on arrival). You will also receive an enrolment pack with an enrolment form enclosed.
We strongly advise you to book your interview and return your application form promptly to guarantee enrolment for next year.
PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS
Due to current COVID-19 restrictions we have been advised that all Parent / Teacher interviews will need to be done via phone, however, if anything changes this week we will revert back to having them onsite on Monday 21st June 3:40pm - 7:00pm and Wednesday 23rd from 3:40pm until 5:00pm.
To book, please go to https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au The code is 82rxy
OLIVIA’S PLACE FUND RAISER
On Friday 25th of June will be having a plain clothes day as a fund raiser to help support Olivia’s Place.
Olivia's Place was co-founded in 2012 by Kirsten Finger and Melissa Raymond. Initially established under a national organisation, Olivia's Place is now independently governed by a local board.
The organisation is committed to supporting families through the highs and lows of pregnancy and early parenting. As Mums and Dads, the team at Olivia's Place has a great understanding of the need for support during pregnancy and the early parenting period.
The service is staffed by a fantastic team of volunteers, led by a General Manager of Operations. All staff and volunteers have access to professional training specific to their role at Olivia's Place.
Olivia's Place has the mission of offering support during any stage of pregnancy and parenting in the first year of your child's life.
We look forward to helping this great organisation.
BUS FREE DAYS
School buses will not be operating in the Drouin network on the following days in Term 2 & Term 3. All bus travellers will need to make alternative arrangements to/from school on these days.
Term 3 - Monday 16th August 2021.
SCHOOL FEES & FEE CONCESSION
Term 1 School Fees are now overdue & Term 2 School Fees are due by Friday 14th May. BPay details are available on your school fee statement. School fees are due by the 4th week of each term and must be paid in full by the end of the school year they are due, December 2021.
If any families would like to pay off their fees either weekly, fortnightly or monthly, please set up a direct debit schedule by completing a Direct Debit Form and returning to the school office at your earliest convenience. Please calculate the total fees payable by the number of weeks/payments required for your fees to be paid by December 2021. 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 and have not already advised the school office, 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 with the student details listed on the card. A CSEF (Camp, Sport & Excursion Fund) form must also be completed. Application forms must be completed each year.
If your current Health Care Concession Card has expired, or is due to expire and your card is re-issued or any details have changed, please send a copy of your new card details to the office as soon as possible for the concession to be checked and applied to your fees.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS
GRADE FOUR CAMP
Last week our grade 4 students had the opportunity to attend school camp at Phillip Island. Although the weather was fairly nasty the kids still had a great time and had the whole camp site to themselves. They got to do a Nobbies Hike and even squeezed in a nice arvo walk along Cowes main beach.
Our Camp
By Tilly Kensley and Georgia Noonan
On the first day of camp all the grade, four were really excited on the bus and we loved our cabin groups, because the teachers tried to get us with our friends.
We did all our outdoor activities, and we were able to fit of them in even with the poor weather! We did Low Ropes, Complicated Challenges, Flying Fox, 6m High Harnessed Activity, Pedal racing, an easy course where you pedal and steer a pedal kart. And finally, the 15m High Giant Swing, which was cool and scary all the same.
We had some free time in our cabins and we searched for the words people had written on the beds e.g., “ Jessica was here, 2009”
On the second day, the weather was overcast and rainy so the activities were indoor based. Our activities were a mechanical rock-climbing wall, the crate climb that was crates with windows cut into them and you had to climb up them, archery and then we had meeting room, which was kind of like a free time zone.
Our fav parts were pedal racing, giant swing, mechanical wall and finally crate climb.
On the last day, it felt sad that we were leaving but we were happy that we had such an awesome experience: the food was great and the activities were amazing.
And finally, we would like to say a ginormous thankyou to our teachers, helpers, camp leaders and our bus driver Chris for helping us on camp. We just hope camp will be as fun next year!
PARISH NEWS
We might reflect too on the confidence Jesus reposes in his “A team” to deal with the storm and how they allowed their faith in his presence to drain away, leading to fear and panic. Unexpected and upending crises can come upon us in our lives and we can react as those fishermen disciples did – blind, unthinking panic – or as Jesus urges them (and us) to act, with faith
COVID 19 might be likened to the storm in this gospel. Like the disciples we are surprised, disoriented and filled with dread. We are “fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other.” (Pope Francis, Christ in the Storm (Ave Maria Press, 2020))
Jesus is sleeping, trusting me to look after things. What confidence he has in me! Am I going to be worthy of his confidence or am I going to give way to faithless panic as the disciples did in that storm?
We are vulnerable. Old certainties, schedules, projects, habits, priorities and ways of living have been upended in the COVID storm. How should we respond to the challenge? Our storm has revealed what is really important: family, community, relationships with our neighbours. We are called to respond courageously, patiently, resiliently, generously, and with enduring faith that Jesus has things in hand.
Deacon Mark Kelly
FIRST COMMUNION
The Parish and school community of St Itas would like to congratulate all our students who completed their Sacrament of First Communion last Sunday. Please receive our prayers, thoughts and best wishes as you continue on your Sacramental journey.
- Who want to find out more about the Catholic faith
- What Catholics believe and why
- Considering possibly becoming a Catholic
- An Adult Catholic who has not received First Communion or Confirmation.
If you know of someone that may be interested please bring them along to this session.
For more information you can contact:
Fr. Peter Slater: 56231642
Joan Robertson at St. Joseph’s Parish Office, Warragul: 56231642
Deacon Mark Kelly at Marist Sion College: 56235944 or 0427748646.
WOMEN AT THE WELL (Women’s Spirituality group)
If anyone is interested in coming along and finding out more you are invited to a Meet and Greet session on Thursday 17th June 10.30 am Marian Room at St. Joseph’s Church Warragul. In a supportive and encouraging setting we pray and reflect on the Sunday Gospel and listen to each other’s unique encounters with Christ. Mums are welcome to bring their children.
Contact: Joan Robertson at the Parish Office: 56231642 or
Michelle Blackwood: 0427 290 683 for more information or just come along.
