faith - wisdom - knowledge - stidrouin.catholic.edu.au w9 newsletter... · concession for families...

Term 4 - Week 9 Newsletter 2017

St Ita’s Primary School

50 Victoria Street, Drouin 3818

Phone 03 5625 4222 Fax 03 5625 4330

Email : [email protected] Web site: http://www3.stidrouin.catholic.edu.au

FAITH - WISDOM - Knowledge

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

This weekend is the Second Sunday of Advent and Mark’s Gospel invites us to reflect upon the role of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus and the salvation that he would bring.

Mark’s description of John paints an image of an ascetic, living in the desert, clothed in camel hair, and eating locusts and wild honey. Mark’s states very clearly that John the Baptist’s role is only to prepare the way for another who will come, one who is greater than John himself. He declares publicly that he is not the savior and asks us to prepare the way for Jesus.

John the Baptist is presented to us as a model during Advent. We, too, are called upon to prepare a way for the Lord. Like John the Baptist, we are messengers in service to one who is greater than we are. Our Baptism commissions us to call others to life as disciples of Jesus.

The season of Advent invites us to renew our lives in preparation for the coming of Jesus. The people who heard the message of John the Baptist repented for their sins and were baptized as a sign of God’s forgiveness. In Baptism, our sins are forgiven, and we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, who helps us in our life of discipleship. Led by the Holy Spirit, we use this Advent season to renew our lives so that we, like John the Baptist, might prepare the way for Jesus. Just as John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus, our Baptism commissions us to prepare the way of the Lord. The gift of the Holy Spirit leads us to continually renew our lives so that we might lead others to Jesus.



Principal’s message:

CHRISTMAS CARD COMPETITION This year’s CEO Sale Christmas card competition was based on the scripture text…

“They saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Mt 2:11)

Congratulations to Grade 5 student, Elizabeth McKenzie who was successful in this year’s CEO Christmas card competition. Her artwork shown above was voted best entry from St Ita’s Primary School. On behalf of the Director of Catholic Education, Diocese of Sale, I would like to congratulate Elizabeth for her beautiful depiction of the Birth of Jesus.

PARENT CODE OF CONDUCT FORMS Last week we sent home Parent Codes of Conduct for all parents/ carers to sign and return to school. The Parent Codes of Conduct are an expectation in all schools as set out by the Child Safety Standards Act 2016 that all Australian schools adopted last year. The Parent Codes of Conduct clearly outlines the behaviour and expectations of all Adults who enter the St Ita’s school community. They are designed to keep every child in our school, safe in a respectful school environment. The Parent Codes of Conduct are to be signed by both parents or carers and are to be returned to school by the end of this week.

AN IMPORTANT REMINDER TO ALL PARENTS USING DROUIN REC RESERVE CAR PARK Could I please ask all parents using the Drouin Rec Reserve to make sure you are following the rules outlined below in the interest of child safety:

All parents are to reverse park into the pick-up zone (No Front on Parking).

Parents must leave their cars to collect their children from inside the school gates.

No students should be walking in front of parked vehicles.

The speed limit is strictly 10kph.

There is no parallel parking in the inside oval fence.




OUSTANDING SCHOOL FEES COLLECTION IN 2018 Starting 2018, the Catholic Education Office of Sale will be taking over the school Governance from our Parish Priests in the Sale Diocese Primary schools. With this change of governance model, the CEO Sale will take responsibility for follow up in relation to outstanding school fees and collection. With the change in governance, the Diocese of Sale School Fees Policy has recently been reviewed and updated and a number of guidelines have been developed to assist schools in implementing this policy. These guidelines relate to:

• Fee Setting.

• Fee Collection.

• Fee Concessions - the introduction of a more formal process in applying for, and the granting of, a fee concession for families experiencing financial hardship.

• Fee Debt Recovery – New procedures involving the School Fee Officer and solicitors of the Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Sale for addressing situations in which a family is not meeting their financial obligations. Below are some key points relating to the new Guidelines.

FEE COLLECTION The preferred method of school fee payment and the one we encourage families to implement is a fortnightly Direct Debit instalment of twenty-six payments. To assist families in their budgeting, Direct Debit can be organised to suit your needs on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis.

FEE CONCESSIONS for Financial Hardship Any family experiencing genuine financial hardship is encouraged to apply for a school fee concession. There are two categories under which an application for a concession may be made:

Category 1: Eligible, means-tested Centrelink Concession Card holders: A family in which the fee payer holds an eligible, means-tested Health Care Card (HCC) or Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) is automatically eligible for a school fee concession. There is a simplified application form and stream-lined approval process.

Category 2: Special Consideration: A family experiencing genuine financial hardship and not eligible under Category 1, is encouraged to apply for a fee concession. This application requires more detail to be provided to enable a fair and equitable assessment of eligi-bility for, and level of, fee concession.

Concession application forms can be obtained in either printed or electronic format by contacting the school office.

FEE DEBT RECOVERY As you are aware at the time of enrolment, you sign an agreement that you will adhere to the financial commitments of our school. Failure to do so will require the school to follow four key steps.

Step 1: Reminder Call: If payment not received on time.

Step 2: Letter of Request: If payment not received by extended due date.

Step 3: Letter of Demand: If no response from letter of request.

Step 4: Referral to the School Fee Officer and Solicitors of the Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Sale.

Please contact the school office on 5625 4222 if you require any further information in relation to outstanding school fees, school fee concession or school fee payment via direct debit.




ARE YOU AWARE OF YOUR CHILD’S SOCIAL MEDIA HABITS? Last week we took the opportunity to speak collectively to our Grade 5-6 students in relation to the appropriate use of their digital technologies when using social media and the digital footprint that they create once they hit the send button on social media. From this conversation, I was surprised at the amount of students who have access to social media apps on their mobile devices, yet they are under the legal age to have an active account? I also wondered how many parents are aware of the social media apps some children have on their devices and the vulnerable position that they (the children) can place themselves in by using these apps in public forums. Smartphones and devices will no doubt be the hot items on many children’s Christmas wish lists this year (I have been there done that.) While it seems like a harmless yet costly purchase, parents should consider every aspect of smartphone and device usage before purchasing them for their children. Tom Kersting, a psychotherapist and a public school counsellor, examines this issue in his soon-to-be-released book “Disconnected: Why We Should Rescue Our Kids from Our Electronic Devices.” In the 15 years Kersting has worked with students he has seen the negative impact of technology on their abilities to manage stress, self-esteem and anxiety. “Research shows the effects that technology is having on kids’ brains, we’re seeing more and more school students diagnosed with ‘acquired attention deficit disorder’ and anxiety disorders, as a result. I see more kids who lack coping skills and the ability to manage the bumps and bruises of everyday life. They struggle with working through the tough times and withdraw from their responsibilities” Parents often ask Kersting what is the appropriate age for a child to be given a smartphone. His answer: “When are you ready for your child to see highly inappropriate material?” While that question makes parents uncomfortable, the likelihood of children being exposed to inappropriate content is greater than some may want to believe, he said. In addition to the temptations that smartphones present, students who are “too connected” often do not develop strong emotional relationships with other members of their family or social groups, and that can then lead to other long-term emotional and social problems. “Every child I counsel with issues relating to social media via a device, shares one thing in common: They spend large amounts of time on their devices, disengaged from family,” he said. “We’re living as individuals glued to a screen and not communicating with one another.” Kersting reminds parents that owning a smartphone is a privilege and should not be taken for granted. Parents who choose to give their children smartphones should establish firm and clear guidelines around how and when the devices can be used.

His two basic rules are:

1) No phones or devices to be used during breakfast

and dinner. Keep this time sacred. 2) No phones or devices taken to the bed, they have a place

to sleep just as you do.




10 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR CHILDREN MORE RESILIENT By Robert Brooks, Ph.D. and Sam Goldstein, Ph.D.

What do most parents want for their children? High on their list are: happiness, success in school, satisfaction with their lives, and solid friendships. In order to reach these goals, our children need inner strength to deal competent-ly with the many challenges and demands they encounter. We call this capacity to cope and feel competent RESILIENCE.

Resilient children are hopeful and possess high self-worth. They feel special and appreciated. They have learned to set realistic goals and expectations. They have developed the ability to solve problems and make decisions and thus are more likely to view mistakes, hardships and obstacles as challenges to confront rather than as stressors to avoid.

Resilient children are aware of their weaknesses and vulnerabilities but they also recognize their strong point and talents. They have developed effective interpersonal skills with peers and adults and are able to seek out assistance and nurturance in appropriate ways. They focus on the aspects of their lives over which they have control rather than those over which they have little or no influence.

There is no one proved golden path to the future. Each child travels through life on a unique road that is shaped by a variety of factors, including his or her inborn temperament, educational experiences, family style, and values as well as the broader society or culture. There are however, some guideposts that provide principles and actions ap-plicable to any road a child travels. Some of them may seem like simple common sense. But even those that appear obvious require continuous thought and reflection so we don’t lose sight of what is truly important in our parenting behaviours. The following is a brief overview of 10 strategies to help parent’s foster resilience in their youngsters.

1. Being empathetic. In the parenting relationship, empathy is the capacity of parents to put themselves inside the shoes of their youngsters and to see the world through their eyes. Empathy does not imply that you agree with everything your children do, but rather that you attempt to appreciate and validate their point of view. It is easier to be empathetic when our kids do what we ask them to do, are successful in their activities and are warm and responsive. It is more difficult when we are upset, angry or disappointed in them, but that is when it matters most.

2. Communicating effectively and listening actively. Communication is not simply how we speak to others. It involves actively listening to our children, understanding and validating what they are attempting to say and responding in ways that avoid power struggles by not interrupting them, by not telling them how they should be feeling, by not putting them down and by not using absolutes such as always” and never” in a demeaning way: You never help out. You always show disrespect.”

3. Changing negative scripts.” Every parent can offer firsthand examples of when they repeatedly told or nagged a child to do or not do something with little if any positive response on the child’s part. If something we have said or done for a reasonable amount of time does not work, then we must change our script” if our children are to change theirs. This does not imply giving in to” or spoiling” children; rather it serves to teach youngsters that there are alternative ways of solving problems.

4. Loving our children in ways that help them feel special and appreciated. A basic guidepost for building resilience is the presence of at least one adult (hopefully several) who believe in the worth of the child. Such adults need not necessarily be parents. They are individuals who in their interactions with a child convey love and acceptance and help that child feel special; someone with whom a child can identify, and from whom they can draw strength.

5. Accepting our children for who they are and helping them set realistic expectations and goals. To do this, parents have to understand and accept their child’s unique temperament. Acceptance does not mean letting children do whatever they want or not setting limits on their behavior. However, when children feel accept-ed, it is easier for them to respond to requests and limits because they experience these in an atmosphere of love and support.



Principal’s message: 6. Helping our children experience success by identifying

and reinforcing their islands of competence.” True self-worth, hope and resilience are based on children experiencing success in areas of their lives that they and others deem to be important. Each child has different interests and talents that take time to develop. We need to promote our children’s strengths rather than overemphasizing their weaknesses.

7. Helping children recognize that mistakes are experiences from which to learn. Resilient children tend to view mistakes as opportunities for learning while those who are not hopeful often experience mistakes as an indi-cation that they are failures. Parents need to set and evaluate realistic expectations; emphasize that mis-takes are not only accepted, but also expected; communicate that their children are accepted and loved even when they make mistakes; and serve as models for dealing with mistakes and setbacks.

8. Developing responsibility, compassion and a social conscience by providing children with opportunities to contribute. We often try to reinforce responsibility simply by giving children chores to do at home. However, almost every child from a very young age appears motivated to help others. Children need opportunities to make a positive difference in their world. Involving them in a charitable work, such as walks for hunger or food drives, fosters self-esteem and a social conscience.

9. Teaching our children to solve problems and make decisions. Resilient children define problems, consider different solutions, attempt what they judge to be the most appropriate solutions, and learn from the out-come. To reinforce this problem-solving attitude, parents must be careful not to always tell children what to do but rather try to engage them in thinking about possible solutions. When children develop their own plans of action with the guidance of parents, their sense of ownership and control is reinforced.

10. Discipline in a way that promotes self-discipline and self-worth. This means being consistent, but not rigid; knowing your children’s capabilities and not pushing them for unrealistic expectations, relying when possible on natural, logical consequences rather than arbitrary, punitive measures; and remembering that positive feedback and encouragement are often the most powerful form of discipline.

PARENTS & FRIENDS NEW COMMITTEE REQUIRED The Parent & Friends Committee will be holding its AGM TONIGHT, Wednesday 6th December at 7pm in

the school library and we invite all parents to come along. All committee member’s positions will be open as well as general members for a new team to take on the role of fundraising for our school

community in 2018. For the P&F to continue operating, we require more parents to get involved. You don’t need to commit to a lot of time, every little bit helps. Nomination forms are available from the

office or please send your interest via email to: [email protected] or current President Liz Carroll: [email protected]

SCHOOL BOARD & P&F END OF YEAR DINNER A reminder to the members of the School Board and the Parents and Friends Committee regarding the end of year dinner at Middels tomorrow night, Thursday 7th December at 6.30pm. Please RSVP to the

school office ASAP.

CANTEEN This week is the last week for school canteen lunch orders for this term. The last day for lunch orders will

be this Friday 8th December.


IMPORTANT NOTICES

HEAD LICE Please note we have had several cases of head lice at school. If your child has lice, they may return to

school once treatment has commenced. For more information visit https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/head-lice-nits

CHROMEBOOK FOR GRADE 2 PARENTS (Grade 3 next year)

For all current Grade 2 parents (Grade 3 next year), if you did not attend the Chromebook meeting on Monday night, please collect a Chromebook Agreement form from your Grade 2 child’s teacher. Please return all signed forms by the end of Term.

HATS A reminder to all parents that Students must bring and wear their hats to school each day. There are still size small and size extra-large broadbrim hats available for sale in the office for $12 each otherwise hats must now be purchased from the Beleza uniform shop in Warragul.

WHOLE SCHOOL ORIENTATION All our grades will participate in a whole school orientation on Thursday 14th December. Students will find out their class and teacher for 2018 at this time. End of year reports will go home on Friday.

FINAL HALL ASSEMBLY The final whole school hall assembly for the year will now be held on Monday 18th December @ 12pm as some of our Grade 6 students have Orientation Day at Drouin Secondary on the Friday. At this assembly the 2018 School Captains and Leaders will be announced & the Foundation students will say farewell to their Grade 6 Buddies. Students may go home early with their parents after assembly if they wish to or at the normal finish time of 3.20 pm. Please make sure parents sign out any children leaving early.

ST ITA’S CAROLS NIGHT The St Ita’s annual Carols night will be held on Monday 18th December in the school hall from 6-7pm.

Each grade will perform as well as the school choir and music students. All families are invited to attend. Christmas in a shoe box gifts are to be brought to the school hall on this night to be presented to St

Vincent De Paul. The P&F raffle will also be drawn at the conclusion of the evening.

LAST DAY OF TERM The last day of term 4 for all students will be on Tuesday 19th December at the normal finish time of 3.20 pm. Buses will run as normal at 3.30pm. Staff will be participating in a First Aid training course on Wednesday 20th December and will be having a planning curriculum morning on Thursday 21st December.

School classes resume on Thursday 1st February 2018 however students will be required to attend a meeting on either Tuesday 30th January or Wednesday 31st January for testing with their new class teacher for 2018. Appointment times will be sent home at the end of next week for bookings to be made on-line.

CADBURY CHOCOLATE BOX MONEY Please return to the office this week.




IMPORTANT NOTICES

END OF YEAR SCHOOL MASS Our end of year whole school Mass will be held at 9.30am on Tuesday 19th December. All families are invited to attend.

2nd RITE OF RECONCILIATION BEFORE CHRISTMAS

As well as regular times there is to be a communal service for Reconciliation at St. Ita’s Church on

Tuesday December 19th at 7.30pm.

CHRISTMAS MASSES

Sunday December 24th:

7.00pm Marist Sion Hall (Carols 6.30pm)

9.00pm St. Ita’s Church Drouin.

(Bell ringing 8.30pm – 8.50pm)

Monday December 25th:

9.00am St. Ignatius Church Neerim South

9.00am St. Joseph’s Church Warragul

10.30am St. Ita’s Church Drouin


Grades 3-6 HOUSE TRIATHLON – 7th December

Tomorrow, Thursday 7th December from 12pm to 2 pm the House Triathlon Event will be conducted at the Drouin Outdoor Pool and Drouin Recreation Reserve. It is the second year the Triathlon will be run and this year the various races will form a House event. All students should wear their House colours—red, blue, green or gold.

The first event will be the Individual race, followed by the Team Triathlon. The team triathlon is where three students from the same House will complete each particular leg of the race. In other words, one person will swim, another will ride and the last student will run to complete the race. Teams can be comprised of students across the various Grades (Grade 3-6). The distance for both the individual and team triathlon is a 50 metre swim, 1.5km ride (with some sections on a difficult surface) and a 1km run.

PERMISSION SLIPS MUST BE RETURNED TO YOUR TEACHER by 9am.

Bike Drop Off: All bikes can be dropped off at the 3 bay shed behind the Art room in the morning

before school. Please ensure tyres are pumped up, front and rear brakes are functioning and the chain has some oil. The seat height should also be appropriate for the rider. To check this, the rider should be on tippy toes when they are seated in the saddle and have their feet on the ground. This should be set up in advance, prior to the day of the carnival.

JUNIOR WATER FUN & GAMES – Monday 11th December

Foundation, Grade 1 & 2 students have their 'Water Fun and Games Program' on

Monday 11th December at the Drouin outdoor pool, any children who have a

life vest/ PFD (personal flotation device) or goggles are encouraged to bring

them to the sessions. Students are to come to school as normal as sessions will

be run throughout the day. Please notify your class teacher by Class Dojo if your

child is a non-swimmer or is not confident in water. Don’t forget to name all

items and bring bathers, towel, sunscreen and a plastic bag.


SPORTS NEWS

GIPPSWIM

Will be conducting after school swimming

lessons at Drouin Secondary College

From Beginners to Squad level

Austswim Qualified and fully insured Instructors

Any parents interested for further information

please call

Jenny on 0419101491 to enroll for Term 1, 2018


Over Due Books Over-due book notices were sent home with your child. Please return library books ASAP as we are stocktaking the library. If you believe the book has been returned, please let us know and we will check the shelf.

Summer Reading Challenge Help stop the Summer Slide by encouraging your child to read every day during the school holidays. Research tells us that children who read for at least 10 minutes a day over the summer holidays have a better start to the new school year than children who spend little or no time reading. Reading over the holidays helps children maintain or improve the reading level that they developed through the school year.

To keep the reading momentum rolling all summer long I have given the grade 1-4 students a Reading

Log or a Summer Reading Challenge sheet. Please encourage them to read and fill it in. They are invited to bring it to their library class in 2018.

Scholastic also have a Summer Reading Challenge called the Power-Up with Books Reading Challenge.

You can sign up on their website if you’re interested. http://summerreadingchallenge.scholastic.com.au/

The Warragul and Drouin library are free to join and have an amazing selection of books for children. Sign up and start borrowing. https://wgrlc.vic.gov.au/client/en_AU/wgrl/ Happy reading, Catherine McKenna .


LIBRARY NEWS


IMPORTANT NOTICES

MEG DOHERTY MUSIC SPONSORSHIP

“A big congratulations to Amber Hammond of class 1A. Amber applied for the Music Sponsorship for term 1, 2018 that was

advertised in the newsletter in September. This sponsorship entitles Amber to one term of music lessons

(instruments of her choice) at no cost to Amber or her parents. Amber took the initiative to fill out the form all by herself.

As an avid music lover, Amber is very focussed in class and had some great answers to the questions on the form. She is a Taylor

Swift, Bruce Springsteen and Katy Perry fan and has in fact been to Taylor’s concert.

I am so proud that Amber had some very in-depth and interesting answers to the questions in the form. Thank you to anyone else

who applied for the sponsorship, keep applying! I encourage anyone who is wanting music lessons in term 2, 2018, to keep an eye out for the sponsorship form in the newsletter in

term 1. Well done Amber and I cant wait to teach you again in term 1

at St Ita’s".


P&F CHRISTMAS RAFFLE The P&F are selling tickets for our annual Christmas raffle with prizes drawn at the end of the School

Carols night on Monday 18th December. Tickets are $2 each and books of 10 tickets were sent home

to each family last week, for families to sell to friends and family if they wish to, otherwise books can

be returned to school if not required. Please write a name and contact number on one side of the sold

tickets and return to school with the money by the morning of Monday 18th December.

1st prize is 2 nights accommodation at the Pullman Hotel Melbourne on the Park.

2nd prize is 2 nights accommodation at The Mercure Warragul.

3rd prize is a Park Lane Holiday Park voucher valued at $300

4th prize is a Buoyant Sea Single Float voucher

5th prize is a Buoyant Sea Salt Session voucher

6th & 7th prize is a Park Lane Holiday Park voucher valued at $100

8,9,10th prize is a Luna Drive-in Theatre pack

11th prize is a Cabello haircut and blow wave voucher

12th prize is a steam cleaning voucher

13th prize is a Coles Myer voucher


ST ITA’S SCHOOL CALENDAR

TERM 4—2017

DECEMBER

Wednesday 6th P&F AGM—7 pm staff room

Thursday 7th Grade 2 excursion

Thursday 7th Grade 3-6 Triathlon.

Thursday 7th Board & P&F Dinner—6.30pm Middels

Friday 8th Last day for canteen orders for term 4.

Saturday 9th St Joseph’s Childrens Chorale –2-3pm

Monday 11th Junior Grades Foundation—2 Water program

Monday 11th No lunch orders, canteen closed.

Tuesday 12th Foundation 2018 Orientation Day—9.30am-10.45am - Hall

Wednesday 13th No lunch orders, canteen closed.

Thursday 14th Whole school orientation—12pm-12.50pm.

Thursday 14th Grade 6 Graduation Mass & Supper—6pm

Friday 15th No lunch orders, canteen closed.

Friday 15th Drouin High School orientation. Reports go home

Monday 18th No lunch orders, canteen closed. Raffle tickets due back.

Monday 18th Whole school final assembly—hall—12pm

Monday 18th School Carols night & Christmas in a shoe box—6pm - hall

Tuesday 19th End of year Mass—9.30am.

Tuesday 19th Last day of term 4 for students, school finishes at 3.20pm.

Tuesday 19th Reconciliation—St Ita’s Church—7.30pm Sunday 24th Christmas Mass—Marist Sion—6.30pm

WEEKEND MASS TIMES

Warragul : Saturday night 7:00 p.m. & Sunday morning 9:00 a.m.

Drouin : Sunday Morning 10:30 a.m. Neerim South : Saturday evening 5:30 p.m.

Parish Contact Details: St Joseph’s—Warragul Phone 5623 1642 Fax 5622 3659 Email: [email protected]

faith - wisdom - knowledge - stidrouin.catholic.edu.au w9 newsletter... · concession for families...

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