I hope that you have had a great break and I look forward to seeing all of the children on Tuesday morning (13 October) in their summer uniform. The children who attended Team Kids have had a great time. Thanks Team Kids, especially Joe and your team for looking after the children so well - we appreciate you. 

The aim of this Pre-Term 4 Newsletter is primarily to provide you with reminders for the term ahead. 

We have all been enjoying a sense of relief with the easing of restrictions across NSW and perhaps we are seeing some ‘light at the end of the tunnel’. Unfortunately, the small spikes in community transition experienced across Sydney this week, provide the reminder of the need for careful health and safety measures at school. We must not become complacent. It is important therefore, to provide you with the following reminders regarding:

• Social distancing onsite and around the school gates
• Good hygiene practices
• Ensuring that children (and siblings) to do not attend school with cold and flu symptoms
• Communication at Claremont
• The ongoing need for updated personal contact details
• Procedures for possible campus closure

Communications at Claremont

A reminder that should you need to contact someone, our COVID-19 response plan provides the following communication channels. 

For day to day information and inquiries

Email office@claremont.nsw.edu.au or phone the school 9399 3217

Regarding your child’s learning

Contact Mrs Ford (Deputy Principal), Mrs Dalheim (Head of Learning Enrichment) or your child’s teacher by email office@claremont.nsw.edu.au

Wellbeing

We are here to help you. As a school community we must also care for each other. If you have concerns for your child, your family, your personal circumstances or another family, please let us know. All matters will be treated in the strictest of confidence. 

Contact our School Counsellor, Miss Catherine McKersie or Deputy Principal, Mrs Larissa Cameron at wellbeing@claremont.nsw.edu.au

Technology Support

If you have a problem with an iPad or accessing online learning 

Contact our IT Manager, Mr Drew Nield at technologysupport@claremont.nsw.edu.au

Personal Support

For confidential matters, to inform the Principal of a positive coronavirus diagnosis for yourself or someone living in your house, if you have recently travelled from Victoria, or for any other important matter.

Contact Mr Thomas’ PA, Mrs Kathy Clare Rochester at kc.rochester@claremont.nsw.edu.au

School Billings and Accounts

Contact the Anglican Schools Corporation directly

Phone 8567 4000 (Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 5pm)

Email accountsreceivable@sasc.nsw.edu.au

Please see the Parent Communication Guide for more information.

Possible campus closure due to COVID-19

In the event of a member of our school community testing positive with COVID-19, and should we be required to call parents to collect children during school hours, the following broad guiding principles are important for all of us to follow and be aware of:

• Maintain a sense of efficiency and calm;
• Keep people safe by minimising and mitigating risk;
• Maintain the privacy of individuals;
• Reduce anxiety for us all (especially for the children);
• Communicate with clarity and accuracy (using the regular SMS, email and website updates); and
• Carefully follow Public Health Unit and school procedures.

I would ask all parents to read the Temporary Closure of Campus Procedure (located on our website) and to be ready to carefully follow and comply with the alerts and directions provided by both the school and other authorities that might be working alongside us. I am mindful that the media love and create a fuss, plus social media heightens anxiety for us all, especially when there is the risk of false information being posted rapidly on Facebook, WhatsApp and other forums.

In the event of sending children home, we need to keep safe, avoid traffic congestion, be patient, calm and sensible. Taking a little extra time will minimise mistakes and accidents. Together, this will be a shared responsibility. Parents should follow the usual school traffic management guidelines. Essentially, we will follow our usual school pick-up procedures with the children being carefully supervised and guided calmly through the process to minimise possible anxiety. The school will communicate anything different from this via app alerts, SMS and/or email.

Please ensure that your contact details are correct

In the event of the school being required to close temporarily, and should we be required to call parents to collect children during school hours, it is very important that you have your contact details always up to date. This includes updating your permission for others to collect your children. If you are working, (at the time of a COVID-19 related closure, or for any other reason) and we need you to collect your child/ren, it may be that you will ask a friend to collect. If this person/s are NOT already listed on your Student Details and Permissions Form 2020 that you completed at the end of 2019, then the school must have your permission in writing for this to happen. You can do this by emailing office@claremont.nsw.edu.au and our Admin team will add your authorised contacts to this form.

If a person is not listed in our records, we trust that you will not complain if they are initially denied access at the time of pick-up (when a child is getting collected at the gate). The children will go to the office until we get further confirmation and clarity. 

Also ensure that your personal contact details are always up to date on your Parent Portal. Please contact our IT Manager, Mr Andrew Nield immediately via technologysupport@claremont.nsw.edu.au should you not be able to access your parent portal page.

Social Distancing, Events and Functions in Term 4

Until further notice we will continue to maintain the social distancing expectations and guidelines that were enforced across Term 3. Parents and visitors are not permitted to enter the campus without first signing in at Reception. Department of Education guidelines presently do not permit large gatherings in the school, and when students and staff gather for assembly, we can only do so for a maximum of 15 minutes. This is why our weekly Chapel service will continue to be delivered online until further notice.

Despite some easing of restrictions into Term 4, unfortunately we do not anticipate holding large school events or gatherings this term. This is because we must continue to enforce social distancing measures at events, (generally one adult per 4 square metres) which therefore prohibits large gatherings simply due to a lack of space in our hall and other spaces. This is disappointing for us all, however please be assured that my team is working hard to create meaningful opportunities for us all, in lieu of these events.

If in doubt, please have a COVID test

As we transition into Term 4, the school policy remains to request a COVID-19 test where a student or staff member displays fever or cold or flu symptoms. Siblings will not be allowed to attend school until dated COVID test results are provided to the school. 

We fully appreciate the imposition placed on busy families, especially working parents. However in the interests of keeping staff, students and our wider community safe, these measures have become necessary. To support students (and their parents) who are kept at home due to health reasons we will provide online learning.

We are pleased to make this exciting document available to our School Community. As I produced this report, I was once again reminded of what an amazing school we have. The 2019 Annual Report celebrates so many wonderful achievements in the life of our school. Click HERE for a link to the document or please ask for a hard copy at the school office.

Does this sound like Christmas to you? Despite the ongoing challenges presented by COVID-19, I am confident that we will have a wonderful Term 4. One of our goals for the term is to celebrate Christmas well. Christmas for children is a time of joy and wonder so this year we are not going to hold back. For me, Christmas is a time to reflect on peace on Earth. Our online Chapel theme for Term 4 will focus on these things and provide some reminders for us as a school community during these crazy times, to keep our perspective firmly fixed on God’s love found in Jesus. I am really excited about this.

Thank you for your prayerful support.

Be blessed and may God's perfect peace be yours.

Doug Thomas  
Principal

  Follow me @DougJThomas

The following events are scheduled for Terms 4 and will proceed depending on advice from the Australian Government, NSW Health and the Department of Education in accordance with the current COVID 19 situation.

Term 4

Term 1 2021

Year 3 - Science Incursion - Parent Portal

Year 3 - Three Big Days - Parent Portal and Medical & Dietary Requirements

Year 4 - Three Big Days - Parent Portal and Medical & Dietary Requirements

Year 5 - Three Big Days - Parent Portal and Medical & Dietary Requirements

Year 6 - Three Big Days - Parent Portal and Medical & Dietary Requirements

Sport and PE Days in Term 4

Your child/ren are to wear their sports uniform on the following days this term.

Monday:        Year 3 and Year 4
Tuesday:        Kindy and Year 2
Wednesday:   All students
Thursday:      Year 1, Year 5 and Year 6

Sport Skills Programs

All Term 4 Sports Skills sessions commence on Monday 19 October.

Monday: Year 3-6 Tennis (Eastern Suburbs Tennis Centre) and K-2 Judo (lunchtime at School)
Tuesday: Year K-2 Tennis (at School)
Wednesday: Year 3-6 Volleyball (at School)
Thursday: Year 3-6 Basketball (at School)

Joel Geering
Sports & PDHPE Coordinator

Extra curricular activities for Term 4 commence on the following dates:

Curtain Call - Wednesday 14 October

Coding - Monday 19 October

Greek - Thursday 15 October

Chess - Friday 16 October

Art Class - all classes commence Week 2 (Monday 19 October)

Welcomeasy are delivering recess and lunch orders to school.

Orders must be placed by 10:59pm the night before for delivery on the next school day.

If you are ordering a snack item, please specify in the notes area whether the snack is for Recess or Lunch.

Please note that orders are to be placed on the ‘Welcomeasy’ website and NOT Flexischools.

You must firstly create an account by following some simple steps. Go to www.welcomeasy.com.au  

‘Mind Games’ - A special program is on offer for children Monday 12 October (Staff Development Day)- Click HERE to see the program.

With the start of term just around the corner, all parents are asked to confirm their TeamKids bookings for the term so that the service can arrange to be adequately staffed each day.

If you haven’t booked yet and require a booking or would like to just confirm your arrangements, please contact TeamKids Customer Service on 1300 035 000.