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Dear Parents and Guardians
Last year our students voted for the Student Leaders for 2023 and I am delighted to announce the results of the election.
School Leaders |
Jaycee Rondina Mia Abdul-Wahed |
Agnes House (Orange) |
Declan Keegel Declan Ludowyke |
Mac Killop House (Purple) |
Anoop Deol Bart Samymuthu |
Patrick House (Green) |
Aaron Dias Ava Ebzery |
Francis House (Blue) |
Andres Bagundol Gloria Relva |
The Arts (Yellow) |
Addison Bourke Olivia Mountford |
The number of students applying for these Leadership Roles was the most we have ever had and I congratulate all those who applied whether they wear a badge or not.
These students were presented with their badges at our Mass today and will have the chance to meet other student leaders at a special leadership day they will attend in Melbourne next month.
Pupil Free Days
Please note that the following days are Pupil Free days for St Clare’s Students. Wherever possible these days lead into Public Holidays.
- Thursday 6 April - Pupil Free Day
- Friday 7 April – Good Friday Public Holiday
- Monday 24 April – School Closure
- Tuesday 25 April – ANZAC Day – Public Holiday
Meet & Greet / Parent-Teacher Interviews
On Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 March staff will be available after school for Meet & Greet sessions with parents or carers. These ten minute face-to-face sessions are not compulsory but provide an opportunity for you to meet your child’s teacher(s) and vice versa. You can also discuss how your child has settled into the year.
Log in to PAM to make your bookings.
Road Safety
It’s timely to remind parents and students about Road Safety particularly as the the number of vehicles increases and St Francis Xavier College students now finishing school at 3pm. Please ensure you travel safely through the carpark and with patience as both pedestrians and cars use the area. We also ask everyone to use th designated school crossings hwne they are crossing Majestic Drive.
Whole School Approach to Positive Behaviour
This week and next week our staff and students are focussing on our first school wide expectation - RESPECT. Students will be discussing, writing, role playing scenarios where RESPECT is shown in the learning spaces - both inside and outside. They will revise what RESPECT look, sounds and feels like and model this to each other. One way we are encouraging staff and students to show RESPECT is to greet another person each morning using their name - if you are entering the school with your child please encourage him/her to say “Good Morning” to teachers and use their names. In turn, teachers are trying to learn as many student names as they can so that they can also greet students by name.
Last week teachers began the planning process for our next Religious Education Inquiry. We are focussing on the Triune God strand with the students using our curriculum - To Live in Christ Jesus.
Exploration and learning within The Triune God strand helps students to understand God the Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. By covering the content of this strand and the lenses (there are 3 or 4 lenses depending on the level of the students), students will learn about Lent and Easter for the next 5 weeks.
A reminder (and information for new families with students in Years 3, 4 or 6) of the proposed Sacrament dates for this year is below:
First Holy Communion - Year 4
Saturday 20 May |
6:00pm Mass |
Commitment Mass |
Wednesday 31 May |
7.00 pm |
Parent Workshop |
Saturday 3 June |
6:00 pm Mass |
First Holy Communion |
Saturday 17 June |
6:00 pm Mass |
First Holy Communion |
Sunday 18 June |
10:30 am Mass |
First Holy Communion |
Confirmation - Year 6
Thursday 10 August |
7:00 pm |
Parent Workshop |
Saturday 12 August |
6:00pm |
Commitment Mass |
Saturday 19 August |
4:00pm |
Confirmation |
Saturday 19 August |
6:00pm |
Confirmation |
Reconciliation - Year 3
Thursday 19 October |
7:00pm |
Parent Workshop |
Saturday 21 October |
6.00pm |
Commitment Mass |
Wednesday 25 October |
7:00pm |
Reconciliation |
Thursday 26 October |
7:00pm |
Reconciliation |
In this edition of SchoolTV - SCHOOL REFUSAL
School refusal, sometimes called school avoidance or school phobia, is not uncommon. It is different to ‘wagging’ or truancy and is often related to worry or anxiety-related issues about going to school. School refusal may start gradually or happen suddenly. Although it is normal for a child to occasionally miss a day of school, parents should only be concerned if a child regularly complains about feeling sick or often asks to stay home due to minor physical complaints.
School refusal is a complex issue as there is rarely a single cause. It affects children of all ages across primary and secondary levels. It can often occur during times of transition at school. More recently, the Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the educational experience of all students, affecting some more than others. Dealing with a school refusal child can affect the whole family, adding pressure to an already challenging time. School refusal is not considered a formal psychiatric diagnosis. It’s a name given to an emotional and/or behavioural problem.
In this edition of SchoolTV, adult carers will learn how best to approach this issue and work towards a solution.
We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.
Here is the link to the School Refusal edition of SchoolTV
https://stclaresofficer.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/school-refusal
SHROVE TUESDAY
Next Tuesday February 21st is Shrove Tuesday. This year we're excited to bring back our P&F tradition of serving pancakes to all the students.
This is a FREE initiative but requires a bit of parent support. We need helpers so please contact the P&F if you can help & update your child's dietary needs in PAM.
Helpers will need to be available from 8.50am on Tuesday morning until about 12pm (earlier if we're efficient ). Remember only those with current Working With Children Checks can volunteer.
All pancakes will be traditional with a limited choice of toppings and for dietary needs we will use OrGran Pancake Mix.
If you have concerns about dietary needs you can email the P&F on pandf@stclaresofficer.catholic.edu.au
FUN FOOD FRIDAY IS BACK!
Parents who are able to help will need a current Working With Children check and be available from 1 PM.
Secondhand Uniform Shop
The second hand uniform shop will be open the following dates and times in February:
- Friday 17th February 8:30-9:15am
- Monday 20th February 8:30-9:15am
- Wednesday 22nd February 2:30-3:10pm
If you have any uniform you’d like to sell please make sure;
- it’s been washed and saleable (no rips/major stains).
- Place it in a bag with your name and phone number.
- You can add prices you’d like to sell for or we can do this for you.
- Bring it into the uniform shop when we’re open or drop it to the office.
At the end of each term if you have sold items you will be sent a text message and money can be either ent home with your child or collected from the office.
*Please note that $1 from the sale of each item is donated to the P&F
SCHOOL FEES
Here is the 2023 Fee Schedule as provided and approved by DOSCEL
Per Family: |
|
School Fee |
$2240 |
Building Levy |
$760 |
|
|
Per Student: |
|
Education Levy |
$550 |
|
|
Swimming Levy (Foundation – Year 3) |
$85 |
Camp Fee (Year 3) |
$65 |
Camp Fee (Year 4) |
$200 |
Camp Fee (Year 5) |
$280 |
Camp Fee (Year 6) |
$450 |
Here is the link for the St Clare's Parent Access Module (PAM)
St Clare's PAM
You username is the email address that you have registered with the school. The first time you log in we ask that you use the forgotten password feature to set your own password.
ALL parents must access PAM to receive up to date information and grant necessary permissions. Students will miss out on events if permission is not granted.
REPORTING AN ABSENCE
To report your child's absence please do so via PAM, email absent@stclaresofficer.catholic.edu.au or call 5940 6777
Catalogues for the first edition for the year went home last week.
Orders will close on Monday 20 February
ALL orders must be placed online via LOOP
How to Help Kids Stay Safe Online
Adapted from: https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/blog Office of the eSafety Commissioner
- Start the chat
It’s not possible to be at your child’s side every second of the day, so it’s important to talk with them about online safety issues to help develop their critical thinking and ability to make good choices. It’s also good to let them know they can come to you for help if they have any concerns. You may feel they know more about the latest technology than you do, but you have more life experience to guide them.
- With primary school aged children use online devices in the open living spaces at home to make parent supervision part of the expectation for your child.
- Take the opportunity to set some boundaries around when and where they can use devices like tablets, smart TVs and gaming consoles, to help limit potential tech tantrums — you could even fill in an Early Years Family Tech Agreement
- Screen free time before bed is important for good sleep. Consider charging devices in a central location at a regular time each night to allow an hour screen free before bed.
- While you are all at home more, it’s a great time to co-view and co-play with your kids, so you can understand what they are doing and experiencing online.
- Learn about the games, apps, social media and platforms they are using at The eSafety Guide, including how to protect their information and report inappropriate content or conduct.
- Use parental controls and safe search options
Parental controls can help block your child from accessing specific websites, apps or functions. They can also monitor your child’s use of connected devices and set time limits. But beware! You cannot always rely on them — they should be used in combination with other online safety strategies.
- Parental controls are available on most tablets, smartphones, computers, TVs and gaming consoles.
- You can also download family safety controls or buy robust filters out of the box.
- You can set up child-friendly search engines, or select safe search settings on digital devices, to help prevent your child from stumbling across inappropriate sites and content.
- Check smart toy settings
It’s surprising how many toys or devices can connect online these days, from drones and smart teddies to tablets and wearables. While they can be both entertaining and educational, they can reveal your child’s personal details and location — and allow other people to contact them without you knowing. You can help keep them stay safe by:
- setting strong passwords
- turning off location settings
- limiting the amount of personal information shared.
The eSafety Gift Guide has advice on what to check for and how to stay safe.
- Look out for unwanted contact and grooming
Unwanted contact is any communication that makes your child feel uncomfortable or unsafe, even if they initially welcomed the contact. It can come from a stranger, an online ‘friend’ or even someone they actually know. At worst, it can involve ‘grooming’ — building a relationship with the child in order to sexually abuse them.
You can help by:
- making sure their accounts are private — including chat functions on games
- encouraging them to delete requests from strangers and any contacts they don’t know in person
- checking in with your child as they use online devices in the open living spaces at home
- reporting and blocking anyone suspicious on a website or service
- remembering that if suspicious online contacts become aggressive or threatening you should contact your local police.
- Know the signs of cyberbullying
Kids who are bored by long periods at home can pick at each other, and that happens online too. So it’s important to keep an eye out for cyberbullying. It can include mean posts, comments and messages, as well as being left out of online group activities like gaming.
- Remember, when they are away from school, kids have less access to their usual support systems, including friends, teachers and counsellors.
- eSafety research shows that girls are more likely to be affected than boys and the person doing the bullying is generally someone they know from school.
- Watch out for signs such as your child appearing upset after using their mobile, tablet or computer, being unusually secretive about their online activities or becoming withdrawn.
- Cyberbullying can make social isolation worse and the longer it continues, the more stressed kids can become, impacting on their emotional and physical wellbeing.
What to do if your child is being cyberbullied
As parents, our first instinct may be to ban our children from social media, disable the wi-fi or turn off the data access. But this can actually compound the problem, making your child feel as if they’re being punished and heightening their sense of social exclusion.
There are four simple steps that can help minimise the harm:
- report the cyberbullying to the social media service where it is occurring
- collect evidence of the cyberbullying material
- if the material is still public 48 hours later, make a report to eSafety — we work with social media platforms to have the harmful content removed.
block the offending user.