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 W9 2021 Newsletter

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T4 W9 2021 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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    One of the important pillars in our WSAPB (Whole School Approach To Positive Behaviour) is Teamwork. One of the greatest skills a child can learn is the value of team work and the building team skills from a young age.

    From collaborating in a sports team, organising a school event, working on class group projects to putting on the annual school play, teamwork is a big part of primary school life. And mastering the art of being a team player will help your child succeed not just at school, but throughout their lives.

    SO HOW CAN WE HELP OUR CHILDREN DEVELOP TEAMWORK?

    ‘Getting along and engaging with others is the building block of many things in life,’ says chartered clinical psychologist and parenting adviser Claire Halsey. ‘From a young age, children need to learn how to give and take, share, take turns, play to their strengths and draw in other people to fill the gaps. It’s a core social skill.’

    Ian Brember, founder of Big Hat Bushcamp, agrees. ‘It’s a vital life skill for everyone, regardless of age,’ he says. ‘Whatever a child ends up doing as a job, they have to be able to work with other people. They also need to build relationships, whether with family members, friends, neighbours, colleagues or customers.”

    Learning to work as part of a team will help your child hone many social skills, such as patience, empathy, communication, respect for others, compromise and tolerance. It also helps them develop confidence in themselves and trust in other people.

    The primary school years are packed with opportunities for them to develop those skills, and children who get to grips with teamwork from a young age will act as positive role models for other kids, too.

    Children as young as three understand the value of teamwork, but that doesn’t mean it always comes naturally.

    ‘Children are innately selfish. They’re born with the drive to have their basic needs for food and comfort met, and it’s only through the lessons they learn in childhood that they begin to move away from that viewpoint.’

    This means it’s quite normal for children to have difficulties with teamwork at first: you only need to watch a toddler snatch a toy from their playmate, or burst into tears if someone sits in their favourite chair, to see this in action.

    ‘They’re the centre of their own world, and their needs come first: it’s very hard for them to put those aside to allow someone else’s needs to be met,’

    But while teething problems such as pushing and shoving, tantrums and being a sore loser are to be expected, over time, children will get used to being part of a team rather than a lone wolf.

    ‘By the age of three to five, most children are able to do some give and take, share with others and show some empathy towards other children,’

    The primary school years are an excellent time to cultivate the teamwork ethos your child will draw on throughout their life, and many activities inside and outside the classroom are designed to help children get used to being team players. These include: 

    • Problem-solving tasks, often in science or design technology, such as building the tallest possible structure using dry spaghetti and mini marshmallows as glue.
    • Partner or group work, with more able children helping those who are having difficulty with a task.
    • Group reading, where children take it in turns to read passages from a set book.
    • Music, playing simple instruments like recorders, keyboards and percussion to put together a piece of music.
    • Forest school, taking part in outdoor activities such as building shelters and lighting fires.
    • Team sports such as football, hockey, rounders, netball and relay races.
    • Debates, working as a team to argue for or against a particular issue.
    • Putting on a school play or a class assembly.
    • Circle time, where every child is given equal opportunity to speak.
    • School forums, where elected child reps meet with staff members to discuss issues that are affecting their class.

    Just keep in mind that teamwork can be challenging for children (and especially for siblings!), and be prepared to intervene if things are getting too competitive or confrontational.

    Because teamwork doesn’t come naturally, many children struggle with it, whether that’s because they’re shy, have a tendency to be bossy, or struggle when they’re on the losing team. The good news is that there’s plenty we adults can do to help our children become better team players.

    Emphasise the importance of being part of a team. Teams are more than just their strongest members: everyone has a role. ‘As parents, we can help our children find their strengths and develop them,’ says Claire. ‘Real resilience is knowing what you’re good at and playing to that.’ If, for example, your child isn’t a natural striker, they might be better suited to playing in goal for their football team.

    Build their confidence. Children who are shy and reserved might find it difficult to be part of a team, and get walked over by more forceful characters. ‘Teachers and parents can help by giving quieter team members their own job to do,’ says Ian. ‘This shows that you believe in the child and builds their confidence.’

    Demonstrate teamwork at home. There are dozens of opportunities to collaborate: for example, one sibling could fold the washing and the other put it away. You and your children could devise and cook a menu for a special meal, or join forces to plan a family day out, including transport, route and itinerary.

    Enrol in an after-school club. ‘Everything we do in our sessions is a team-based activity, from den-building to fire-lighting and campfire cooking, aimed at teaching children important life skills,’ says Ian. An extra benefit of joining an extracurricular club is that children get to socialise with a different group of peers, expanding their social network.

    Encourage fair play. Good ground rules – such as taking turns and being kind – are essential for teamwork, so set clear guidelines for team activities. ‘It’s even more effective if children come up with the rules themselves, as then they’re more invested in them,’ says Claire.

    Keep in touch with school. If your child is finding the teamwork side of school hard, talk to their teacher. There are lots of strategies that can be used to help kids become better at being part of a team, such as picking names out of a hat for team leader positions rather than always calling on the same characters, or getting older pupils to run playground games for younger children.

    Seek help if you’re worried. If you’re concerned that your child has social difficulties that are making teamwork hard, ask to speak to the school’s special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) for advice. But be realistic – even adults sometimes find it hard to be a team player, and most children will get better with practice.

    COVID-19 QUARANTINE AND ISOLATION REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS AT ST ITA'S

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    If you have any worries or concerns relating to COVID-19 isolation and quarantine requirements for your child please read the following carefully;

    POSITIVE FOR COVID

    Despite your vaccination status - quarantine for 10 days from date of positive test.

    HOUSEHOLD CONTACT - FULLY VACCINATED AND CHILDREN 0 - 11

    Quarantine for 7 days from diagnosis of first case in household. Get a PCR test on Day 0 and Day 6.

    HOUSEHOLD CONTACT - NON-VACCINATED

    Quarantine for 14 days from diagnosis of first case in household. Get a PCR test on Day 0 and Day 13.

    WORKPLACE CONTACT

    Despite your vaccination status - get a PCR test and exit quarantine on a negative test result.

    A Rapid Antigen Test will / should be provided. It is recommended you use this if attending sensitive settings for 7 days following exposure.

    SCHOOL / EDUCATION CONTACT

    Despite your vaccination status - get a PCR test and only exit quarantine on a negative test result.

    A Rapid Antigen Test will/ should be provided. It is strongly recommended you use this for attendance for 7 days following exposure.

    SOCIAL CONTACT

    Despite your vaccination status - get a PCR test and exit quarantine on a negative test result. Rapid Antigen Test is not provided.

    SYMPTOMATIC

    Despite your vaccination status - get a PCR test and exit quarantine on a negative test result. Rapid Antigen Test is not provided.

    GRADE 6 GRADUATION

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    A reminder that our Grade 6 graduation mass is on at 5.30pm on this Thursday 2nd December, a celebration aftwwards at the Drouin Golf Club starting at 7.0pm.  The Drouin Golf Club have asked us to remind all parents attending that the following Covid-19 protocols are in place;

    • Parents must be able to provide vaccination status
    • Parents must sign in via QR Code (This is easily done via mobile phone.)
    • Siblings will not be able to attend the graduation.

    FINAL DAY FOR STUDENTS

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    School finishes for students at 3.20pm on Tuesday the 14th of December. School staff will be onsite until Friday 17th December completing professional development and First Aid training requirements.

    END OF YEAR LITURGY CANCELLATION

    Due to the recent COVID-19 cases in our school, our end of year Liturgy has been cancelled to ensure the community and our children can remain safe. It would be irresponsible to conduct a large, indoor liturgy for our community with the possibility of spreading the COVID-19 virus. 

    END OF YEAR ASSEMBLY

    Our end of year assembly will be held on Monday 13th December in our school hall, we will need to keep this strictly school children and staff only. We apologise to our families who had expressed interest in attending, we hope we to have you all back in attendance next year. 

    RESPECTFUL DRIVING

    Please do not park in the BUS ZONE in front of school admin for drop off or pick up. Today the bus was forced to pull up in front of the exit zone for car line causing a major traffic blockage.

    Please also exit the Drouin Rec Reserve onto Grant/Sinclair St with caution. We have had numerous reports of careless driving and near misses. 

    CHRISTMAS JOY CONCERT

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    We are still planning to invite all double vaccinated parents and their students into our school for an outside Christmas Joy Concert. The concert will be held on the bottom oval at 6.30pm. We will be having parents and students sit on the hill and the top concreted area so that children can perform on the oval. We encourage you to bring a chair or rug to sit on. In the event of poor weather, the event will be cancelled.

    ORIENTATION DAY ST ITA’S

    On Tuesday the 7th December between 11.30am and 12.30pm we will have our whole school orientation. On this day your child will find out who their new teacher and classmates will be for the 2022 school year. It is really important that if your child comes home disappointed that they don’t have their best friend or favourite teacher, parents use this opportunity to build resilience. Teachers have spent numerous hours discussing every child in the school and what is best for their learning and the school will not be making changes to any classes as it creates a ripple effect across the other classrooms.

    GRADE 6 - BIG DAY OUT

    Our Grade 6 students will be attending Inflatable World in Moe, and returning for a swim at the Drouin outdoor pool and BBQ lunch on the 9th December.  Our school will have exclusively access to these booked venues to reduce the possible exposure and transmission of COVID-19. This is a school event and further information can be obtained from classroom teachers.

    SCHOOL CAPTAINS FOR 2022

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    It is with great please that we announce our school captains for the 2022 school year as Amber Hammond and Aiden Noonan. These two students will be support by two vice school captains in Josephine Spain and Cooper Bills.

    Amber, Aiden, Josephine and Cooper were selected from a very high pool of exceptional young leaders at St Ita’s and a big congratulations to their teachers for the preparation and organisation.

    LOST & FOUND UNIFORM

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    There will be a table outside of the Admin Building over the next week (29th Nov - 3rd Dec), that will have lost and found items that are unlabelled, and we have been unable to return to students.  If you have lost any uniform items we encourage you to have a look and see if we have anything that belongs to you.

    CANTEEN CLOSURE

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    Please note that the School Canteen will be closing for the year on Friday 3rd December, this will also be the last day for lunch orders.

    YEAR 7 TRANSITION DATES

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    The below dates have been scheduled for Grade 6 students who are transitioning into Secondary School in 2022;

    Drouin Secondary College

    Transition Day 1 - Tuesday 7th December

    Transition Day 2 - Friday 10th December

    FAMILIES LEAVING THE ST ITA'S COMMUNITY IN 2022

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    If there are any families that know they will be moving on from St Ita’s in the 2022 school year, it is important that we are informed of your intentions so places can be offered to those families who are currently on waiting lists. Please contact our School Admin if you are moving on 03 5623 7222 or admin@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

    CHRISTMAS IN A SHOE BOX - 2 WEEKS LEFT

    The St Ita's & St Vinnies Drouin “Christmas in a Shoe Box” gift exchange, in conjunction with Toyworld Warragul closes on Friday 3rd December.

    Please visit Toyworld Warragul in the next week, advise you are from St Ita's and are choosing a gift or are donating money to our wonderful local St Vinnies for those in need this Christmas.

    It is preferred where possible for you and your children to select the gift, to give children the important lesson of the joy of giving to others. Please leave your gift with Toyworld Warragul as they are storing and delivering to St Vinnies to assist in keeping everyone COVID safe.

    Thank you for your continued support.

    COVID-19 FINANCIAL SUPPORT - SCHOOL FEE CONCESSIONS

    Many in our school community continue to face financial impacts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to supporting families experiencing financial challenges through our School Fee Concession programs, and encourage any parent/carer/guardian experiencing difficulties to contact us regarding fee assistance.
    Please contact our Administration Officer - Beck Bradley on (03) 5623 7222 or admin@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au to explore confidential financial support arrangements or to obtain further information.

    SCHOOL FEES & FEE CONCESSION

    School Fees for 2021 are now due and payable  

    BPay details are available on your school fee statement. All school fees are now due and payable and all accounts must be finalised by the end of the school year they are due, December 2021.

    Direct Debits can be implemented at any time, if any families would like to pay their fees by instalment weekly, fortnightly or monthly, please complete the below 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. 

    GRADE 6 CAPTAINS FOR 2022

    The following students have been awarded captains for 2022

     

    School Captain

     

    Liturgy Captain

     

    Maintenance Captain

    Amber Hammond

     

    Ebony Seabrook

     

    Cooper Clarke

    Aidan Noonan

     

    Liam Kennedy

     

    Lex Voumard

    Vice School Captain

     

    Evie Piner

     

    Madi Shaw

    Cooper Bills

     

    Zara Hick

     

    Harry Sheehan

    Josie Spain

     

    Ryan Schembri

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Ada Marshall

    House Captain

     

    Admin Captain

     

    Emilia Trapnell

    Gold House Captain

     

    Sophie Gooley

     

    Harry Eden

    Keelie Carbonneau

     

    Maygan Stoll

     

    Matisse Elton

    Jack Carbonneau

     

    Ava Upston

     

     

     

     

    Holly Dignan

     

    Environmental Captain (4)

    Red House Captain

     

     

     

    Dillon Jagoe

    Taylah Wassenberg

     

    I.C.T Captain

     

    Isabella Vouden

    Jake Jolly

     

    Sophia Phillips

     

    Audrey Clough-Allen

     

     

    Sebastian Trowbridge

     

    Ebony Seabrook

    Blue House Captain

     

     

     

     

    Makaylah Monckton

     

    Library Captain (4)

     

     

    Riley Davidson

     

    Isabella Robinson-Kaltoi

     

     

     

     

    Holly Perry

     

     

    Green House Captain

     

    Jessinta Jackson

     

     

    Alisha Jamieson

     

    Rylee Piner

     

     

    Will Nooy

     

     

     

     

    JUNIOR ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

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    LIBRARY NEWS

    by Mrs Catherine McKenna, Library Teacher

    Email: cmckenna@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

    BORROWING/RETURNS

    Please return all library books by Friday. Our stocktake will commence on Monday.

    Overdue notices will be sent out today. Please email me if your child’s book is missing or your child remembers returning it already.

    While borrowing is not available, there are many other options for your students to read. We have a subscription with Storybox Library. See the details below.

    The local libraries are also a fantastic free service.

    STORYBOX LIBRARY

    St Ita’s has a subscription to Story Box library. You are welcome to use this at home. 

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    THANK YOU

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    Thank you to our amazing group of mums who have assisted with covering books this year. There has been a lot of new books!

    Cristina Brown, Rachel-Lee Seabrook, Steph French, Ella Gardner and Nga Vete.

    A special mention to Cristina and Rachel-Lee who have covered an extraordinary amount for our students. Thanks.

    BOOK REVIEWERS

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    Look out for their book reviews at the Drouin Library and we’ll share their work that is published in the Geelong Advertiser next year.

    See last week’s newsletter if your student would like to be involved or email mbutner@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

    SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB - ISSUE 8

    Thanks to everyone who has supported Book Club this year. Scholastic have had so many great books available to buy and the commission earned has gone towards purchasing new books for our library.

    The last issue for the year is currently open.

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    Book Club Issue 8 - CLICK HERE

    Orders close Friday 3rd December for free delivery back to school. 

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

    PARISH NEWS

    Christmas These Days!

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    Preparations for Christmas these days are typically less focussed on Luke and Matthew’s nativity stories and some folk have only a jumbled notion of the feast we celebrate. And certainly much is written about the commercialisation of Christmas. But still much can be learnt about preparation, consideration of others and reflection on values and circumstances beyond ourselves.

    St Francis of Assisi might be said to have invented Christmas in the thirteenth century. His special devotion to Jesus, in what he considered the “feast of feasts”, highlights the incarnate Creator born to Mary in poor, simple, awkward, humble circumstances. Francis celebrated this earthy humanity, encouraging anticipation of the feast and introducing some of the symbolism remaining today. The world is a better place for Christmas preparations.

    All three of our readings for this second Sunday of Advent are about preparedness, yearning and eager anticipation. That’s what Advent is about – preparation.

    Baruch, a lesser known Old Testament prophet, expresses the yearning of his people during times of sorrow and distress for a joyful future with God’s glorious coming (Bar 5:1-9), while the gospel (Lk 3:1-6) outlines John the Baptist foretelling the imminent coming of the Lord, his cousin Jesus, Son of God. St Paul in his letter to the Philippians (Phil 1:3-6, 8-11), a few decades after Jesus life, death and resurrection is about preparation for the anticipated second coming of Jesus at some unknown time in the future. 

    All in all, the message is clear. Prepare with joy for Jesus’ first coming as a child in Bethlehem. We are familiar with the story, but that doesn’t make it any less exquisite. And whilst we anticipate the secular pleasures of Christmas, let us eagerly celebrate the Good News as well as prayerfully preparing ourselves too for the second coming of Christ.

    Deacon Mark Kelly

    CONFIRMATION

    Last Friday night at St Ita’s Drouin, and Saturday night at St Joseph’s Warragul, a number of our Gr 6 students were Confirmed by Fr Peter Slater. We were thankful and lucky, that restrictions on numbers meant sponsors and family members were able to attend. We thank Fr Peter, Therese Meggetto and staff for assisting the students in their preparation for this Sacrament.

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    Email: Warragul.sacraments@cdsale.org.au

    For further inquiries please contact Thérèse on M: 0499 116 428

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

    PUBLIC NOTICES

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    GIPPSLAND REGIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH UNIT

    CAMP AUSTRALIA

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    PIANO & SINGING LESSONS

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    DRUM AND GUITAR LESSONS

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