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.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Here we are in the final week of Term 1 and it’s a great feeling to know that we have not had to shut down and resort back to remote learning from home. We have completed a full term of school whilst managing the rigours of COVID-19 and as a learning community, I couldn’t be happier.

I want to thank all our kids for their efforts this year reconnecting and building on their emotional and social skill sets. The last two years have been very challenging for all our kids. There have been many times when they have had to miss out on different events and things happening at school. The one positive that we can take away from all this, is that it has supported our kids to build resilience and a positive mindset when faced with tough or difficult situations.

The teaching staff of St Ita’s continue to go above and beyond to support our students learning by adapting and targeting their teaching to the specific needs of their students. They have worked really hard to keep things as normal as possible in a landscape where the goal posts are being constantly moved.

And to you the parents, I say a heart-felt thank you. I know through the many conversations we have had over the journey, the challenges, the frustrations and the setbacks you have had to face over the last two years. It has been anything but easy and the way you have stayed positive and supportive of the school is to be commended.

Please take the next two weeks to have a safe, happy and holy Easter break and use this time to reset, relax and spend time quality time with your family and loved ones.

SCHOOL BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEE

As we slowly get back to normal I’d like to get the wheels in motion to get our school board and our Parents and Friends back up and running.

The School Advisory Committee operates as the principal consultative and advisory body in the school. The School Advisory Committee is advisory to the principal. This body acts as an adviser on strategic planning, support to the principal, school improvement and development, policy and general leadership, the sole purpose ultimately being to serve and work toward the mission and vision of the school

The purposes of the School Advisory Committee are to:

act as an advisory body to the principal on matters concerning education in the school
act as a forum for discussion on matters concerning education in the school
provide a link between the parish priest, principal, teachers and parishioners in relation to the provision of Catholic education in the parish community
promote community development by fostering a strong inter-relationship between the parish, the primary school and Catholic secondary colleges.

School Advisory Committee Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the School Advisory Committee are to:

promote the Catholic ethos of the school
provide feedback on and review of school policies
plan for the future of the school and its ability to accommodate future enrolments
provide advice on budget planning and finance-related matters
contribute to the selection process for the school principal
provide advice on the appropriate provision of faith development and Religious Education programs
promote child safety in the school

Membership

The School Advisory Committee shall be composed of at least eight (8) members who appreciate, value and share the educational mission and ethos of the Catholic Church. It shall consist of:

the school principal (acts as chair, unless the Principal nominates a chair)
the parish priest/priests (if they wish to be on this committee)
four (4) parents of children attending the school elected by the parents of the school, including a nominee of the parent and friend’s association
up to three (3) parishioner representatives nominated by the parish priest
other persons co-opted by the principal for a period of time to serve a particular need on the School Advisory Committee

Membership Requirement

All members of the School Advisory Committee must hold a current Working with Children Check or current Victorian Institute of Teaching registration and under the Vaccination Mandate Orders have recieved 3 doses of a COVID-19 Vaccine.

Ordinary Meeting

The School Advisory Committee should meet at least five times per year and at least once in every two months.

A quorum comprises a majority plus one of School Advisory Committee members at the time of the meeting and members must be present at all times during a meeting.

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the School Advisory Committee shall be held once a year.

A school annual report is to be presented at the AGM and communicated to DOSCEL.

Office Bearers

The chair of the School Advisory Committee is the principal, unless nominated otherwise by the Principal.

School Advisory Committee Executive Committee

The School Advisory Committee shall form an Executive Committee which may comprise:

a) Principal
b) chair (if this is not the principal)
c) deputy chair
d) parish priest (if on the committee)
e) non-ex-officio member of the Committee

The School Advisory Executive Committee provides support to the principal and the School Advisory Committee.

If you or someone you know would like to nominate to be a part of the St Ita’s school board we would love to hear from you. Please contact me via principal@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au or via admin on 5623 7222.

END OF TERM ASSEMBLY AND EASTER RAFFLE

Thanks to all our students who participated in our plain clothes day Easter Raffle. We have made many hampers through your generosity and we look forward to the big draw at this Friday’s whole school assembly on the top basketball court.

The Assembly will start at 1.45pm. Parents please feel free to come and join us, you will be asked to sign in at the gate and you will need to show staff your current vaccination status (two shots, of an approved COVID-19 vaccine or have a valid exemption). BYO deck chair if you please and remember to socially distance whilst onsite.

KINECT2DANCE PERFORMANCE

Kinect2Dance have been choreographing and teaching student’s new dances and songs to share with families at our end of term concert.

The performance will take place this Friday 8th August at 12.30 outside on the top basketball with parents invited to come along to watch, you will be asked to sign in at the gate and you will need to show staff your current vaccination status (two shots, of an approved COVID-19 vaccine or have a valid exemption).

CHURCH CARPARK ON MASS TIMES TUESDAY AND THURSDAYS

Could I please ask all parents and teachers to limit parking in the top tier of the Church Carpark on Tuesdays and Thursdays when Mass is on between 9.30am and 10.30am. Please park on the bottom tier carpark on these days.

NAPLAN ONLINE

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) will take place on line this year between Tuesday 11th May and Friday 21st May 2021.

Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in the annual NAPLAN tests in reading, writing, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

The assessment provides parents and schools with an understanding of how individual students are performing at the time of the tests.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process – it does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance.

NAPLAN also provides schools, education authorities and governments with information about how education programs are working and whether young Australians are achieving important educational outcomes in literacy and numeracy.

NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through their regular school curriculum. All government and non-government education authorities have contributed to the development of NAPLAN materials. Students are assessed on the same literacy and numeracy curriculum content, regardless of whether they complete the tests online or on paper. Results for both formats can be reported on the same NAPLAN assessment scale.

All students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are expected to participate in the annual NAPLAN assessment. Students with disability may qualify for adjustments that reflect the support normally provided for classroom assessments. You should discuss the use of any adjustments for your child with your child’s teacher.

A student with a disability that severely limits their capacity to participate in the assessment, or a student who has recently arrived in Australia and has a non-English speaking background, may be granted a formal exemption. Your school principal and your local test administration authority can give you more information on special provisions or the process required to gain a formal exemption.

If a child is absent, schools may arrange for individual students to complete missed tests at another time during the school’s test schedule but not outside of it.

NAPLAN TIMETABLE

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

We have had a sharp increase in the number of students and staff contracting Covid-19 this week. Could all families please do their best to RAT test twice weekly, and in an effort to keep all in our community safe by following the procedures below.

If your child presents at home with any cold or flu like symptoms please keep them at home and RAT test them, sending them back to school when all symptoms have gone.
If your child presents at school with cold or flu like symptoms parents will be contacted and the expectation is that you come and collect your child, RAT test them and return them once all symptoms have gone.
Students in Grades 3-6 should, where possible, wear a mask whilst indoor and unable to comfortably social distance, with the exception where an exemption applies.

CANTEEN CLOSED - FRIDAY 8TH APRIL

An important reminder to all families there will be no lunch orders available on the final day of Term 1, Friday 8th April. Please ensure your child has a packed snack and lunch on this day.

GIANT EASTER RAFFLE IS BACK ON IN 2022

Please make sure all tickets are back to the office by this Friday 8th April to be eligible to win one of the many hampers. A big thank you to Mrs Claire Garner and Mrs Cristina Brown for organising and putting together the hampers. Good luck to all families.

SCHOOL PHOTOS

School photos will be on tomorrow, Thursday 7th April. (All students are required to be in correct summer uniform). Grade 6 students can wear their new grade 6 jackets, and all others students are required to wear their jumper in the photo.

We currently have several children in our community with COVID-19 or they are in Covid Isolation and will be absent for the school photo date due to isolation requirements.

With regards to student absences School Pix studio will be open in Hallam over the school holidays for absent student/sibling portraits. Parents will need to contact the customer service number 1300 766 055 and book a time. The dates offered are as follows:

Wednesday - 13th April

Thursday - 14th April

Thursday - 21st April

Friday - 22nd April

With regard to Year 6 Graduation and Whole School Group photo this has been listed for later in the year, (term 3 or 4) and the School Pix account manager will contact school admin closer to this time to arrange and finalize a date.

If any of this information differs from your arrangements, please contact me at your earliest convenience so we can update your photo day requirements.

ANZAC DAY

Commencing Wednesday 29th March till Friday 8th April (last day of term), Mrs Buttner will be organising the sale of Anzac Day merchandise on behalf of Warragul RSL.

The following items will be available to buy;

$2 badge

$3 wrist band

$4 key ring

$5 bronze badge

$5 Rosemary badge

SCHOOL FEES & CONCESSIONS

If any families would like to set up a weekly, fortnightly or monthly direct debit schedule for school fees, please complete the Direct Debit Form below and return to the school office. For any assistance regarding calculations of payments, please contact us 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, if not already done so.

2022 Direct Debit Form

2022 Direct Debit Form 671.20 KB

2022 CSEF Concession Form

2022 CSEF Concession Form 309.21 KB

FOOTY COLOURS

It’s great to see our kids turning up on Monday with their winning team colours on their back to celebrate a victory. If your football, netball, cricket, basketball or soccer team have a win, students are allowed to wear their team jumper on the Monday to celebrate. Please wear your jumper over the top of your school uniform.

St Kilda supporters Jaylah, Keon and Isla Hepner were a very happy bunch of St Kilda fans on Monday. Their favourite player Max King turned on a match winning performance, kicking 5 goals in the last quarter against a very tired looking Richmond. They were very happy to make sure I was aware of the result. As the old saying goes kids, “Winners are Grinners!”

Local footy also started on the weekend and many of our kids enjoyed getting out on the paddock, chasing the leather around. If you have any great stories or photos please shoot them through to admin@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

RUNNING CLUB

This Term students have had the option of joining the St Ita's running club on Wednesday mornings from 8.30-8.50 on the school bottom oval. The students have completed a total of 2,291 laps this Term! Well done to everyone who has joined in.

Special mention to Marley and Summer for running every week and completing 10 or more laps each week! Well done girls.

Congratulations to Blue house for winning the most laps this Term.

TEACHERS VS. STUDENTS BASKETBALL MATCH

Today the house captains took on the teachers in a staff Vs students basketball match. It was a lot of fun and the teachers were lucky they had the height advantage! Well done to everyone that played and thanks to the teachers for playing. Congratulations to the students on winning by 3 points.

LIBRARY NEWS

Teacher: Mrs Catherine McKenna

Email: cmckenna@stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

STORY BOX LIBRARY

St Ita’s has a subscription to Story Box library. You are welcome to use this at home, especially during the school holidays. New books are added regularly.

EDUCATION SUPPORT

This week’s staff profile is Mrs. Rosie Van Den Broek from Grade 3-4 level. Mrs. V as she is affectionately known, is the Curriculum and Collectives leader in our school. She has a deep passion for learning and has been a great advocate of collaborative planning and practices in our school.

PARISH NEWS

The Reason for the Season

Palm Sunday is the start of Holy Week, the most sacred time of the Christian calendar, when we pause to reflect on the awesome nature of our God and his Son’s willing self-sacrifice. We narrate and read in parts Luke’s long, hauntingly familiar gospel (Luke 23:1-49) beginning with the trial of Jesus before Pilate, Pilate’s angst about Jesus’ innocence and his cowardice when confronted by the crowds, Jesus carrying his cross, his crucifixion, death and burial. This is the core of our faith, but there is more! Whilst we live with him his passion and death, we do so in the knowledge of his glorious Easter resurrection.

Without His passion, death and resurrection, the Good News is just a nice idea, like so many nice ideas before and since. His Passion teaches us the depth of God’s absolute love and concern for us. As we enter Holy Week, the world around us is frantically building up the hot cross bun, Easter egg and alcohol supplies and prepping the boat for a long weekend.

We Christians feel free to do those things too, but first and more importantly, starting today we remember the “reason for the season” during Holy Week with the Chrism Mass on Tuesday, the Passion at Holy Thursday Mass, the stark Good Friday service, commemorating the crucifixion and the celebration of His glorious resurrection, at Easter Masses. As well, there are Stations of the Cross and inter-church services.

Friends and family members who have drifted away from church need encouragement and support to re-engage. If this isn’t the time for re-charging our Catholicity, when is? See you and the family at services during Holy Week!

Deacon Mark Kelly