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Dear Parents and Carers
We appreciate that mornings can sometimes be a challenging time.
ON TIME, EVERY DAY
It’s a balancing act if you’re a parent as one the most important things you can do to ensure your child has a bright future is to make sure he or she goes to school every day - and gets there on time. It sounds simple, but it’s true. The correlation between school attendance and children’s achievement levels is well established. The more time kids spend at school, the more likely they are to experience school success. Of course, most people know this intuitively, yet school absenteeism is a huge problem in Australian schools.
According to a report by the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority nearly 13 per cent of Australian students are missing at least one year of schooling by the time they reach year 10. In today’s highly competitive world, this rate of absenteeism is alarming, putting our kids at a distinct disadvantage.
Current research shows that mornings for most children are the most productive time of the day, with 10.00am the peak period for productivity. When children arrive late and take time to settle as they inevitably do, valuable learning time is lost.
It’s reassuring to know that you can maximise their chances of future success just by making sure they turn up to school every day. And, of course, regular school attendance also helps kids prepare for the workforce, where it will be expected that they turn up each day work-ready. The real world is unforgiving of those who stay away with no excuse.
As a parent:
- Commit to sending children to school every day
- Make sure children arrive at school and class on time
- Inform the school when they are away, sending medical certificates and other evidence of genuine absence
- Make children who are away stay in their bedroom, which is where unwell children should be
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
This Friday is St Patrick’s Feast Day. Our parish is called St Patricks and both St Patrick’s school Pakenham and our school, St Clare’s are connected to the Parish.
St Patrick was born in Roman Britain and when he was fourteen, he was captured by Irish pirates during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. Patrick's captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped after having a dream from God in which he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast. There he found some sailors who took him back to Britain and he was reunited with his family. Patrick had a vision which prompted him to study for the priesthood. He was ordained by St. Germanus, the Bishop of Auxerre, whom he had studied under for years, and was later ordained a bishop and sent to take the Gospel to Ireland. Patrick preached in all of Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and a section of his poem “The St Patrick Breastplate prayer” is below:
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me,
I arise today Through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.
Amen.
Sporting School Cricket Clinics
Last Thursday our Year 3 and 4 students received a cricket clinic from Cricket Australia (and this will continue for another 3 weeks).
Here are some thoughts from our students:
“The cricket clinic was great because there were people who did not know how to bowl, field or bat. When we were practising I was able to do some cool catching and practise my reflexes. When we were bowling I scored the winning wicket. I loved the feeling of being able to practise bowling, batting and fielding. The people who were running it were experienced and friendly. I rate it 20/20.” KOBI 4CB
“When we arrived down at the new soccer pitch the coaches introduced themselves. We played Octopus as a warm up game. It was fun. After that, we had to get into two groups and choose a partner. One coach took one group and the other coach took the other group. We practised a routine called head, toes, kness then grab. We also practised bowling and fielding. Overall it was really fun.” ALEXI 4CB
Here are the dates for the upcoming NAPLAN assessments for Years 3 & 5
Year 3 NAPLAN Dates |
|||
Writing |
Reading |
Conventions of Language |
Numeracy |
Wednesday 15 March 9.15am |
Friday 17 March 9.15am |
Tuesday 21 March 11.35am |
Thursday 23 March 9.15am |
Year 5 NAPLAN Dates |
|||
Writing |
Reading |
Conventions of Language |
Numeracy |
Wednesday 15 March 9.15am |
Friday 17 March 11.35am |
Monday 20 March 9.15am |
Thursday 23 March 11.35am |
LOST PROPERTY
There are already items arriving in the office as lost property with no names on them. Please ensure all items are marke with your child's name.
After school care also have a box of lost property items,so if you child attends and has lost an item it may be worth checking there.
Working with Children Cards
We now have a new system to collate, record and monitor WWC cards for all volunteers. As we upgrade to the new system we may ask you to supply a copy of your card which you may feel you have already done. We apologise in advance if this occurs.
You are also reminded to ensure you have regsitered St Clare's Primary School as a location at which you volunteer.
For those who don't have a Working with Children Card now is probably a good time to apply. Go to https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/individuals/applicants/how-to-apply-1
SCHOOL FEES
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
IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE CALENDAR!!!
Don’t forget to mark these dates on the calendar (and lock the babysitter in for Trivia night!)
- Thursday 30th March – P&F Meeting
- Friday 31st March – Last Day to return Raffle Tickets & Easter Donations
- Wednesday 5th April – Easter Raffle Draw
- Monday 1st May – School Fun Run
- Friday 2nd June – Trivia Night (for the parents!!!)
FUN FOOD FRIDAY CONTINUES
Remember to pack $1 in your child’s bag to buy a lemonade icy pole this Friday for Fun Food Friday.
We are always in need of parent helpers too so if you’re available from 1-2pm and have a current Working With Children check please reach out and let us know.
EASTER RAFFLE
Just over three weeks left to get your Easter Raffle tickets sold for this year’s Easter Raffle. Tickets are just $1 each and we would love for your support in selling them. Easter treat donations can also be submitted to the Main Office to contribute towards the prize hampers.
Donations, tickets and money raised must be returned to school by Friday 31st March (remember to include your childs’ full name and learning group on the raffle ticket stubs) with the draw taking place on the last day of Term 1.
Thanks so much for your egg-cellent support and good luck!
SECOND HAND UNIFORM SHOP
The second hand uniform shop will be open the following dates and times throughout March:
- Thursday 16th March 2:30-3:10pm
- Wednesday 22nd March 8:30-9.15am
- Tuesday 28th March 8:30-9.15am
- Thursday 30th March 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 sent 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
ST CLARE’S COMMUNITY FACEBOOK GROUP
Did you know there is a St Clare’s Community Facebook Group? We encourage every parent or family member to join the group to keep up to date with what’s happening around the school and for reminders of important dates and activities. It’s also a great way to connect with other fellow parents and families that you might have met!
To join, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/1159577690721184 answer a few short questions and you’re in!
In this edition of SchoolTV - BULLYING
Bullying is an ongoing or repeated misuse of power in relationships, with the intention to cause deliberate psychological harm. Bullying behaviours can be verbal, physical or social. It can happen in person or online, via various digital platforms and devices and it can be obvious or hidden. Bullying in any form or for any reason can have immediate, medium and long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders.
Despite the efforts made to reduce bullying behaviours, the research tells us that one in four students still report being bullied every few weeks. However, not all negative behaviour should be considered bullying. The key difference is that bullying does not stop on its own. It’s important young people learn how to identify behaviours that are rude, behaviours that are mean, and behaviours that are related to bullying.
Often the reasons for bullying can be complex. Some young people do it to get approval from others, some do it to regain control, whilst others may do it because it makes them feel safe. Supporting young people as they work through their emotions will help them unpack the motivation and reason behind the behaviour.
In this edition of SchoolTV, caregivers can better understand why some young people engage in bullying behaviours and what to do to support a child experiencing it. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition, and we always welcome your feedback.
If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.
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 Bullying edition of SchoolTV
https://stclaresofficer.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/bullying
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.