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Dear Parents and Carers
Next Monday 12 August we will celebrate St Clare's Feast Day. On this day the students will be participating in a range of activities which commence with a short prayer service on the Green at 9am (weather permitting), parents and familes are invited to attend the prayer service.
From 11.30am we have Kaboom Sports joining us for Olympic Style novelty events which include an opening ceremony just like the real Olympics. Students will be placed in multi-age group and will travel from activity to activity. Students are to wear their school sports uniform.
Parents and families are welcome to join us for the Kaboom activities from 11.30am to 1.15pm. Please enter through the admin building to sign in.
St Clare’s Feast Day 2024 - Monday 12 August
On Monday 12 August, all students will participate in St Clare’s Feast Day activities. They will wear their Sport Uniform on this day.
If the weather is good we will gather at 9am on the Green for a short prayer service. If the weather is poor, parents/carers are welcome to join the students for prayer in the Learning group space.
Following the Prayer service students will be completing a cross-age activity between 9.30am & 10.30am.
From 11.30am we have Kaboom visiting us and they are running Olympic style novelty events - we will be having an Opening ceremony just like the real Olympics. Students will be in multi-age groups and will travel from activity to activity. This will conclude at 1.15pm.
Parents and Carers are welcome to join us for the Kaboom activities from 11.30am until 1.15pm.
Students will be in their own Learning Groups for the afternoon after lunch.
Mary McKillop
This week we remember Mary MacKillop - our very own first Australian Saint. Her feast day is August 8. The content below is taken from information provided by the Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre in Melbourne.
Mary MacKillop co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart in 1866, alongside Father Julian Tenison Woods. This order focused on providing free education to poor children in rural and remote areas of Australia, which was groundbreaking at the time. Their contribution made education accessible to many who would otherwise have been deprived.
Under her leadership, the Sisters of St Joseph established 117 schools, 12 Homes for children, and charitable institutions across Australia and New Zealand.
Mary MacKillop faced significant opposition from both within and outside the Church, including excommunication in 1871 (later lifted). Her resilience in the face of adversity demonstrated her unwavering commitment to her mission and inspired many.
In 2010, Mary MacKillop was canonised as Australia's first saint by Pope Benedict XVI. This recognition highlighted her extraordinary contributions to society and the Church.
Excursion: Old Gippstown
Last week on Thursday the 25th of July, the year 5’s went to Old Gippstown on a excursion for our history unit. At 9:00 am we left and it took about 1 hour. We got there by bus. It was located in Moe, Victoria. Once we got there we had some snacks and a volunteer told us the activities we were doing.
All the volunteers were dressed in old styled clothes from the 1900s - 1800s. The ladies were dressed in hoop skirts and the men wore suits and top hats. In the town there were lots of old buildings. One of them was a big orange house and we were allowed to explore it but it felt haunted. The house was really dark because there were no windows and that made it feel abandoned and even more haunted!
At Old Gippstown, the Year 5s did 4 activities where we would all rotate after each one. The first activity was the old classroom. The first class would make their way to an old classroom and meet a strict teacher who would explain how school life was like back in the 18-1900s. We had to call him Sir and he showed us what women had to wear back then. Women were only allowed to show their hands and face.
The next activity was the Blacksmith. He used a hammer he made 6 years ago to make a small horseshoe with glitter on it. He called it a Unicorn shoe and once he was done, he gave the unicorn shoe to the teacher. He also taught us that iron was called the Black Metal and that salt melts at 800 degrees.
The 3rd activity was the Movie theatre. We sat down and watched 5-8 minute short films which had characters we know today like Mickey Mouse and Donald duck.
The final activity was old school games. Since it had been raining all day, we had to do the games inside a big wooden shed. The games we played were Old school bowling, ring toss, and horseshoe toss. These games were really fun, and most people’s favourite activity was the old classroom.
Overall, everyone had a great time and this excursion helped us learn more about our history unit in inquiry. We think the excursion was really fun and educational. I'm sure everyone will want to go again if they can!
By Scarlett Rob and Mairead Cuckson
Athletics Day
On Monday the 22nd of July 2024, the students from grade 3-6 went to SFX to compete in athletics. We had certain age groups and Kieran and I were in the 11s age group. There was a certain amount of activities such as, the 800 metre run, 200 and 100 metre sprint. We also did shot put and discus. We also did fun activities. They were throwing the Vortexes,Ds sports activities like dodgeball,archery and basketball,soccer and relays.
My favourite activity was dodgeball. We got into two teams and started. The rules were, if you get hit above the shoulder then you are not out, if you catch then the other person is out and your teammate comes in and finally, if the teacher calls jailbreak, then everyone is in. On my team I had Miss T, and she did so well. I also had Kieran on my team, and together we won one game, and the other team one another. This was my favourite activity because it taught us teamwork.
My favourite activity was the 200 hundred metre sprint. It wasn't too difficult and was easier if you were on the purple cone lane. I had come first because I was in the purple lane which had an easy turn to get to the finish line. Sadly I didn't make it to the finals and was just only allowed to run for house points.
Athletics day was a huge success, and I think I speak for the whole school when I say it was a tonne of fun. We would definitely do it again. We think it would be better if there was a larger variety of activities.
By Tadhg Maskiell and Kieran Kosanam
HOUSE ATHLETICS
It was great to see all of our students participating so well in our house athletics earlier in the term. House points have now been collated and the final results are as follows:
1st – St. Agnes – 904
2nd – St. Patrick – 833
3rd – St. Francis – 789
4th – Mackillop – 707
Congratulations to all of our students on a fantastic day of fun and competition.
YEAR 6 INTER-SCHOOL SPORT
FOOTBALL
Our Football Grey team had their first win of the campaign thanks to a 3.4.22 to 2.4.16 win over St.James. It was a super team effort from all involved and we can’t wait for our next game.
NETBALL
Netball Grey played St. James at home. As a team they played well, communicating with each other and playing as a team. Even though they lost no dropped their heads. The final score was 18 St. James to 7 St.Clare's.
Netball Maroon travelled to St. Catherine's to play. They played an awesome team game. As a team, there was plenty of encouragement and talk. Many intercepts were taken, but sadly they couldn't convert these into a score. The final score was St. Catherine's 13 to St. Clare's 2.
NEWCOMB
Newcomb Maroon travelled to St. Catherine's Primary school. Game 1 St Catherine's won 25 to St. Clare's 5, Game 2 St Clare's won 25 to 14 and game 3 St. Clare's won 18 to St. Catherine's 9.
Newcomb Grey played their home game against St James. They really tried their best with St James winning 3 games. Game 1 St James won 25 to St. Clare's 17, Game 2 St James won 25 to St. Clare's 11 and Game 3 St. James 27 to St. Clare's 25.
Mindfulness! What is it and how could this benefit my child?
This week, the teachers at St Clare’s have started to have the conversation about how we can help our students manage their own wellbeing and mental health. Research has proven that Mindfulness, which is the practice of being in the moment, being present and being open to what you are focussing on, has been proven to have endless benefits for children.
The benefits of Mindfulness include:
- Increased self- awareness, social awareness and self-confidence
- Increased ability to self regulate their emotions, especially difficult emotions such as fear and anger, through breathing and other grounding techniques
- Building resilience by giving children skills to help them cope better with stress, as well as engage more fully with themselves and the world
If Mindfulness is something that you might like to try at home, have a look at the following links to help with getting started.
Be You/ Beyond Blue https://beyou.edu.au/
Smiling Minds https://www.smilingmind.com.au/
In this edition of SchoolTV - Mindfulness
Over the last decade, mindfulness has been slowly rising in popularity with many individuals practising it on a regular basis. Evidence based research has found that there are many benefits to mindfulness which has prompted schools across the nation to implement this practice into their daily routines.
Mindfulness can be described as attention training for your brain, enabling you to focus on something without judgement and to stimulate curiosity. Mindfulness can be practised in a number of ways and is something that can be done by everyone - no matter what your age! It has been practised by many cultures around the world, but it is not exclusively affiliated to any particular philosophy or religion.
Mindfulness helps improve memory, engagement and performance. Its positive effect on the brain can improve immunity, mental wellbeing, learning ability, emotional health and even, time management. It is especially important in this era of information overload as our attention is constantly being pulled in many directions making us more distracted.
In this edition of SchoolTV, parents can learn the best way to introduce this mindfulness to their children, implementing into their daily lives to have an overall positive impact on family relationships.
We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback.
Here is the link to the Mindfulness edition of SchoolTV
https://stclaresofficer.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/mindfulness
Liz Hunt
Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader
SCHOOL FEES
LATE ARRIVAL AND EARLY DEPARTURE
Students arriving after 9am must be sigend in at the school office so should be accompanied by an adult/carers who can do so.
Likewise students being collected early must be signed out via PAM or at the school office prior to be collected by a parent. Only parents are able to collect students early - please provide the school with details if someone other than a parent will be collecting them during the school day.
Collection during the lunch break - 1.30pm to 2.10pm can be difficult. Therefore if necessay to collect students early we ask they you do so either before 1.30pm or after 2.10pm.
We remind you that every minute absent from class adds up and does impact learning time.
REPORTING AN ABSENCE
To report your child's absence please do so via PAM, email absent@stclaresofficer.catholic.edu.au or call 5940 6777
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.
Here is the link to access PAM
Your usernsame is the email address you have registerd with the school. If you have forgotten your password please use the "forgotten password" feature to set a new one.
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.