We will have a PUPIL FREE DAY for a Staff Professional Development Day on Monday. On this day our staff will all be participating in Day 1 of a Certificate of Gifted Education, which will be presented by staff from the School of Education at UNSW. The second day of this Certificate will be held on the staff day at the beginning of Term 3. 

TeamKids will be open for the whole day.

How lovely it was to have Chapel outside this morning, and to enjoy the children’s performances. With the disappointment of not having Grandparent’s Day, the children in Kindy, Year 1 and Year 2, treated us to some of their songs. It was a beautiful moment and one that we will share with you on our website by the end of next week.

I welcome Amber and Georgia Opie (Year 1) and their family, to Claremont College. We are excited that you have joined our school community and we look forward to getting to know you. 

Holding it together

If you are like me, this week has been one that I will not forget for quite a while. I have spoken many times recently about this era of rapid change… oh my goodness, how fast have things been changing this week! I have decided to stop my personal news feed alerts, because the constant beeping and interruptions to the task at hand, are more than annoying and distracting. The anticipation of what the next ‘update’ is, was once a curiosity but now it is becoming quite stressful. I am sure that you are feeling the same. The uncertainty of where this is all heading, the fear of the unknown, of the health of the elderly we love, our businesses and finances, managing changes to our work situations, is compounding. On top of this, we need to keep our eyes on the supermarket shelves for fear of missing out on some of life’s most basic necessities. 

So how do we all manage this as a community?

We must keep it together with patience, kindness, love and empathy for what others are going through. In the anxiety and challenge, this is where our character is tested and our true colours are usually seen. There is opportunity for our school to really shine as a strong, caring and compassionate community. We are in this together.

“Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children”
Sitting Bull

As we move forward into next week, I will take a deep breath and be guided by the following priorities:

- To provide clear two-way communication pathways within our school community. It has been helpful to hear your concerns, so that we can talk through individual situations and solve challenges together. Equally, thank you for the supportive feedback I have received in relation to cancelling our Grandparents Day and P&F Disco. Should you need to contact me, please phone or email my PA, Kathy-Clare Rochester on kc.rochester@claremont.nsw.edu.au

- To provide accurate, timely information to you. I hope you appreciate that my office is being bombarded with alerts, articles, policies and the like. I choose not to react, until I receive both clarity and assurance with all of this. There is certainly the possibility of a campus closure, and the ongoing refinement of protocols based on public gatherings. Please be assured that we will communicate information to you when we know that it is correct and applies to our school context. The event of the Department of Health placing an order on a school closing can literally happen ‘overnight’. If this is the case, please continue to check your app alerts and/or the school website for information.

- To ensure that we have solid systems in place, should we be required or directed to commence off campus learning . My staff team, led by Mrs Ford and Mrs Eu have worked tirelessly to get things ready. In all grades (K-6) the students have also been preparing and ‘practising’ with lessons using iPads, 'Zoom' teacher conferencing, Seesaw, and trouble-shooting together, with a focus on self directed and independent learning. I draw your attention to the detailed plan regarding Off Campus Learning that follows.

- To ensure for student, staff and parent wellbeing. This morning in Chapel, I spoke directly and broadly about the coronavirus with the children. Many raised their hands (perhaps 50% or more) when I asked if they were worried about the news on the television and radio.  My teaching point was ‘God keeps us safe’ and I talked about God taking care of our worries and anxiety when we hand them over to him.

For You have been my refuge, a tower of strength against the enemy. Psalm 61:3

I love you Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my saviour. My God is my rock in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.  Psalm 18:1-2

As a school we are well resourced to support your children. Do not hesitate to let us know of any concern that you might have regarding how your child might be responding to this situation, (particularly if you are aware of anxiety, regression in behaviours such as bed wetting, or simply if they are asking questions that you’re not sure how to best answer). 

I am thankful to Mrs Cameron (Deputy Principal) and Ms Catherine McKersie (School Counsellor), the Pastoral Care Team, and our teachers who continue to refine systems in place to monitor and support the children. This week, our Pastoral Care Team has been meeting with Sally Ferguson (Ben, Yr3 and Ella, K) who is the P&F Head of Community Wellbeing, to share ideas and devise some plans and actions for caring for people in our school. Ms McKersie has written an excellent article for our parents (see below), thanks Catherine!

Please take care of yourself and those you love. My prayers are with you.

Doug Thomas
Principal

  Follow me @DougJThomas

With the real possibility of schooling having to move off campus, Claremont College Staff have been preparing for this likelihood.

WHY OFF CAMPUS LEARNING?

There are a number of reasons we aim to continue the learning and these include:

• Connecting the students to their peers each day;
• Providing a classroom environment as much as possible;
• Continuing the learning momentum for all students; and
• Giving students and their families a sense of community especially if the period of time is extensive.

HOW WILL LEARNING OCCUR FROM HOME?

We have planned online learning based on discussions with colleagues (from China, Japan, Hong Kong, and Dubai) where school sites are closed and teaching and learning is in isolation. Using their advice about what is working and what is not, we have come up with the following plan, which we are practising at school:

• Each day at 8:45am Teachers will post on SeeSaw details of the activities for the day with a link to Zoom for the 9am Video Conference;
• At 9am 1 staff member from each teaching team will use Zoom Video Conferencing to say hello to the students in their grade and talk through the activities planned for the day (this will be recorded and posted on Seesaw for reference throughout the day);
• Students will work through their activities at their own pace, although teachers will give the students a guideline in regard to how long each activity might take;
• At least 1 staff member will be available online, through Zoom throughout the day from 9am to 3pm, excluding morning tea and lunch, at which time we would like the staff and students to have a break at the same time. (Morning Tea will be 10:30 to 11am, Lunch will be 12:30 to 1:30pm)
• The students will have a timetable on Seesaw of the staff who will be online throughout the day;
• Other staff will be preparing lessons, giving feedback to students behind the scenes and looking for new opportunities for teaching and learning in this format;
• Specialist Teachers will continue to take their lessons at the same time they do now, and they will be online for students during these times;
• Sport will be broken into 10 minute blocks across the 5 school days;
• Chapel will continue on Fridays;
• Some activities will be online while others will not;
• The Learning Enrichment Teachers will continue to work with the grades they currently work with;
• We will mix up the learning activities so that this is as enjoyable an experience as we can make it; and
• Virtual certificates will be given out during this period, and these will become actual certificates when we return to school. 

WHAT THE SCHOOL WILL DO

At this stage we think there will be 2 possible scenarios:

1. We will have some warning that the school campus will need to close down, and if this is the case we will send home student iPads, chargers, headphones, pencil cases, and some books.
2. The school campus will be closed overnight and we will not be able to send home these items, nor will we be allowed onsite to access them. In this case we will still continue to provide online learning, and we will need to ask parents to ensure that your child/ren can access Seesaw and Zoom from your devices at home.

WHAT WILL PARENTS NEED TO DO?

Please…

• Check your internet capability and safety.
• Check and/or stock up on essentials for your child at home (coloured pencils, lead pencils, pens, paper, glue etc).
• Help your child if they ask for help but encourage independence, problem solving and independence, prior to solving any problems for your child.
• Students will be encouraged to use Zoom to ask questions, not parents, so encourage your child to do this (we are practising this at school).
• Ensure Zoom is downloaded onto your own devices if students do not have time to take home their iPad from school.
• Provide or organise Morning Tea and Lunch (Morning Tea will be 10:30 to 11am, Lunch will be 12:30 to 1:30pm), or encourage students to organise this themselves – this could be a Home Learning Task each day for your child/ren.
• Understand that we will not be able to provide individual Parent/Teacher interviews regarding your child’s learning, their social skills and interactions with their peers, at all, during this extremely unusual time.
• Note that if you or your child need to speak to Miss McKersie about wellbeing, during the period of Off Campus Learning, you can do this by emailing wellbeing@claremont.nsw.edu.au and she will offer you a time for either a telephone call or an online session via Zoom.
• Be patient with our online programs as there are sure to be glitches in the first week or so.

WHAT WILL STUDENTS NEED TO DO?

We hope that all Claremont students enjoy the challenge of Off Campus Learning and that they will rise to this challenge by drawing on their independence, resilience, problem solving skills, and IT skills. We ask that students:

• Go into Seesaw at 8:45am to read over the activities planned for the day
• Be ready for school and logged in to greet one of your teachers every morning at 9am (the link to Zoom will be given to you with the Daily Plan which will be on Seesaw);
• Participate in all activities doing the best they can (near enough is not good enough);
• Contribute online when required, for example, log onto Zoom for Storytime and grade discussions;
• Work as independently as possible; and
• Enjoy being challenged (easy is boring challenge is interesting) and have fun while learning offsite. 

TROUBLESHOOTING FOR PARENTS

During this time, you may wish to have the support of the following. 

Email the school office for regular enquiries:
office@claremont.nsw.edu.au

For technology support please email:
technologysupport@claremont.nsw.edu.au

For support in relation to student wellbeing please email:
wellbeing@claremont.nsw.edu.au

Janelle Ford
Deputy Principal

It is understandable that with the global spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) we feel vulnerable and at times confused about how best to respond.  Parents may especially be ruminating over how they choose to protect and support their child/ren, not only from the virus itself, but from the fear, worry and at times panic, that can be associated with the virus.  The following are some suggestions that may help inform your choices:

• Open communication  - choosing to talk to your child about the disease means that you have the opportunity as their caregiver to provide your child with factual and age appropriate information about the situation and offer any reassurance if required.  It means the child has the opportunity to ask you their questions, express their fears and worries to you and for them to be addressed.  Remember, that this may need to be a conversation that needs to be revisited as the situation evolves.
• Ensure that you allocate adequate time for the conversation and that you are calm when having the conversation.  Your child will look to you and your response as a barometer to measure their own reaction.
• Start with asking your child what they know and understand about Coronavirus.  This can help guide your conversation and helps you to address any misconceptions or concerns that may have about the disease.
• Be clear and focus on the facts. Try to avoid going into detail or giving too much information. Especially with younger children.
•  Reassure them that as their parent, you and the other adults in their lives (like their teachers and Principal) are keeping informed about the disease and making decisions to safeguard everyone’s health and well-being.
• Provide your child with the opportunity to take an active role in keeping themselves (and others) safe.  This gives the child a sense of control and  promotes their resilience.  Explain to the child that by choosing the following actions, they are choosing to be safe.
  • Washing your hands with soapy water for 20 seconds (or sing the Happy Birthday song twice) after blowing their nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food; and
  • Following cough and sneeze etiquette (i.e. covering your mouth and nose every time you cough or sneeze. Using a disposable tissue to cover your mouth or nose if possible and immediately disposing of the tissue. afterwards. If no tissue is available, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve. This prevents your hands becoming contaminated with cold or flu viruses.
• Following cough and sneeze etiquette (i.e. covering your mouth and nose every time you cough or sneeze. Using a disposable tissue to cover your mouth or nose if possible and immediately disposing of the tissue. afterwards. If no tissue is available, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve. This prevents your hands becoming contaminated with cold or flu viruses.
• Try to keep your child’s daily structure as normal as possible such as mealtimes, bed times, learning times. 
• Try to minimise your child’s exposure to the news.  We know how the media can sensationalise news items.  For children, it is hard to put this into context so hearing updates or seeing images can escalate children’s fears.  Choosing to listen to the news after the children are in bed for instance is preferable.
• It is understandable that we need to connect with one another in our community, to talk through our fears and concerns with others. However, be mindful of your children overhearing your conversations regarding coronavirus.  As their parent, your child will look to you to provide that sense of safety so they need to hear consistent positive messages from you or may become worried you are ‘hiding’ things from them or ‘not being honest’.
• Practice self-compassion. Be kind to yourself so you can be kind to your children and others.

Please see the following link for advice from Dr Michael Carr-Gregg on this topic.  It is an excellent resource.

https://schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-coronavirus

Other resources -

https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/how-talk-your-child-about-coronavirus-covid-19

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-04/how-to-talk-to-children-about-coronavirus/12020324

https://childmind.org/article/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-to-talk-to-children-about-the-coronavirus-2020030719111

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/talking-with-children.html

Ms Catherine McKersie
School Counsellor

Parents of students in Years 1-6, if you are interested in your child/ren having the opportunity to participate in up to 37 fast paced courses across a 2-day program called MindQuest 2020, then please read the attached flyer. The 2-day program includes courses in Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Drama, LEGO Robotics, Art and much more. 

MindQuest - NSW Talent Enrichment Quest - Applications close today - 13 March 2020

Brenda Dalheim

Head of Learning Enrichment

During this seminar we will focus not only on the research and the policy itself, we will also focus on how you as parents can help at home. Please join us.

Please click HERE to register.

Janelle Ford
Deputy Principal

Next week we are focusing on personal hygiene. For example 

• Wash your hands with soapy water for 20 seconds
• If you cough or sneeze, use a tissue.
• If no tissue available, cough or sneeze into your elbow.

Larissa Cameron
Deputy Principal

Unfortunately due to the Coronavirus this event has been cancelled.

Claremont College
Greek National Independence Day March

Sunday 29 March 2020
1:00pm at Martin Place Cenotaph

Dear Parents

We are approaching the upcoming Annual Greek Independence Day March, and we would like to invite you to come along to represent our school.

The day will be a great opportunity to celebrate your Greek Cultural heritage on such an important day in the Greek Calendar, so please come along to represent the school with other Claremont College students and parents in marching at this event.

All students attending the march will be required to wear their full school uniform.

Please let us know if your child/ren will be attending this event via Trybooking by Friday 20 March 2020; https://www.trybooking.com/606168

There are three ANZAC events coming up and we hope that you and your families are able to join us:

Sunday 5 April, Combined Schools ANZAC March & Service

(assemble at 10:20am for a 10:30am start)

• The march begins at the corner of Carr and Dudley Streets, Coogee, as the students march a short distance to The Coogee Diggers Club, where there is a special schools’ service to commemorate ANZAC Day.
• Our Senior Choir have been asked to sing the New Zealand National Anthem, and
• Our School Captains have been asked to read the poem ‘The Ode’ this year.
• Please note: there may be a Choir practice with a band at the end of this service, to prepare for the Dawn Service.  

Saturday 25 April, Dawn Service

5:30am, Goldstein Reserve, Coogee Beach

• Our School Captains will lay a wreath on behalf of Claremont College.
• The School Choir will be singing the New Zealand National Anthem.
• All students to come in their school uniform, along with their families.
• All Claremont students invited gather on the steps adjacent to Coogee Bay Road for a group photo at the end of the service, and to enjoy the sunrise. 

Friday 1 May, Claremont College ANZAC Day Service

9am, on the School Playground

• This is always a very special service at school where our school leaders take an active role in all aspects of the service.
• Our Senior Choir will be leading the New Zealand National Anthem;
• Our Junior & Senior School Choir will be leading the Australian National Anthem.

We will be asking all of the Claremont families for numbers closer to these events, but need to know now who of you will be able to attend the two events that are not on school days, that is,

➔    The Sunday Schools March on the 5 April, and
➔    The Dawn Service on Saturday 25 April.

To help us with preparations, could you please complete the form by CLICKING HERE.

Janelle Ford
Deputy Principal

Term 2 Morning Skills Registrations - Closing date - 20 March

Year 2 - School House Museum Excursion - 23 March - Parent Portal

Parent Seminar @ 2:00pm: Home Learning Policy 2020 - 24 March - Bookings open

ANZAC Services Participation registration

Newspapers Needed

Dear Year 3 Parents

Next term in Year 3 we will be using newspapers to create sculptures in Visual Arts. We ask that you collect together any old newspapers in the coming weeks, and over the next holiday break, to contribute to our school supplies.

Regards 

Miss Roxanne Morrison, Miss Meg Duff, Mrs Michelle Parker, Miss Sinead Kelly
The Year 3 Team

Odd Socks Required

Dear Parents

As an eco-friendly way for students to rub out their whiteboards, we ask that you please send an odd sock to school for the class to use. This will prevent students from using tissues, and it will make good use of the lonely socks of the Claremont community.

Please do not buy new socks, as this will defeat our eco-friendly intentions. The socks will be placed in a box for students to share. 

Regards
Miss Roxanne Morrison, Miss Meg Duff, Mrs Michelle Parker, Miss Sinead Kelly
The Year 3 Team

Learning Festival

Dear Parents

The Year 5 Learning Festival will be taking place this term on Monday 6 April (Week 11). The students will be showcasing their incredible ‘Genius Hour’ projects that they have been creating throughout the term. Please come and join us in the school Hall from 9:00-9:40am.

We look forward to sharing the projects made by our Year 5 geniuses with you.

Miss Hannah Mackay, Mrs Adelaide Marquet, Mrs Rachel Shiels, Miss Sinead Kelly
Year 5 Team

Canberra 2020 by Joseph Acland

T’was a cold Monday morning, the rain was pouring down and the clouds looked rather grumpy. There were many excited faces ready for the journey that awaited. At 8:00am precisely, the bus left school with 41 ecstatic students. One hour and thirty minutes into the bus ride, we stopped for morning tea and a stretch. With 10 minutes of the bus ride left, the mood went from sleepy to ecstatic once more. We climbed a very high mountain in search of the top. At the top of the mountain we went into a rather tall tower named Telstra Tower. At the very top of Telstra Tower was a view that had the whole of Canberra in sight, it was quite the view. The next stop on the itinerary was the National Museum of Australia. Once we arrived at the museum, although many were hungry and tired we couldn’t hold in our excitement. We looked mainly into the Stolen Generation and other Indigenous Australians, in the “First Australian’s” gallery of the museum. We were very lucky that Wayne, our extraordinary bus driver, was able to organise an extra visit for the afternoon before our evening session, a visit to the Australian Mint! The Mint was a very interesting experience for all of us, showing us how not only normal coins were made but also some very special ones.

We headed back to Canberra Park Resort, where we would be staying the next couple nights, to get changed into casual clothes for laser tag. Everyone was full of joy and excitement, prepared for tonight’s battle. At laser tag we alternated classes, one at laser tag and the other playing in the arcade. My class was up first, it was time for battle. In the arena there were three teams, Blue, Green and Red. I chose red and was very excited. After my first round of laser tag I was so full of energy and was ready for the next round, but it was time for the arcade. The arcade was lots of fun I spent most of my time at the air hockey and the Pacman machine. After an hour or so it was time to leave, I unfortunately didn’t achieve my goal of 1st on the leaderboard in laser tag, as Mrs James and Mr Ryan were some very stiff competition. Once we arrived back at Canberra Park, it was time for bed, many tired yawns haunted me on the bus trip back and I was ready for bed.

I was woken by the passionate knocking of Mrs James at my door at around 6:45am, with breakfast at 7.15am. It was time to get ready for the day. Today would be a big day as we would be visiting both Parliament House and Old Parliament House. After a big delicious breakfast it was time to get going on the bus. First stop was the National Film and Sound Archive. Once we arrived at the NFSA we were greeted by a young man who then led us to a cinema looking room where we then met Debra. Debra worked at the NFS archive and would show us an old Ned Kelly film and old News reports, from a long time ago. We were also taught more about primary and secondary sources. After about an hour or so it was time to leave once again in search of our next stop. Next stop, Parliament House. Myself and I were both very excited, as I was very curious about what it was like inside Parliament House. Once we got inside we were greeted with morning tea and an old man who went by the name of Ian. Ian took us all around Parliament House teaching us all about the Senate and the House Of Representatives. After our tour, we were given the opportunity to role play what it was like in the House Of Representatives. This was lots of fun but soon came to an end, as we were now walking down the street towards Old Parliament House. We had another delicious lunch, this time in the gardens of Old Parliament House. It was then time to head inside and learn about the history of voting. We first watched a short film on how and when Australia decided to become a Nation and democracy. After the film we did workshops on how we vote and where we vote. We then proceeded to do another role play of voting in a secret ballot, a great experience that will definitely help us when voting in the future. All 42 of us voted on the best fruit. In the end, peach came out on top and won the show.

It was again time to hop on the bus and depart back to Canberra Park. As usual, the bus was haunted by tired yawns, but that flipped very quickly as we were about to head to Questacon just after dinner. When we arrived back at Canberra Park, the lobby was filled with excited chatter, we headed to dinner and filled our tummies with a delicious feed. At seven o’clock or so, it was time to head to Questacon. Although it was getting late and most of us were on the verge of falling asleep, no one could suppress their excitement. After what felt like an eternity on the bus, we finally arrived at Questacon. First stop was the ‘Earth’ section, where it taught you all about earthquakes, the core and crust of the Earth. Next up was the bone/element section, that had lots of extinct animal skulls on display in a rather neat cabinet, as well as a periodic table, just 10x bigger and it was filled with all the real elements (except the radio active ones of course). Up next was the robot section, where we were able to interact with robots that were surprisingly intelligent. Although we were having a blast, it was getting late and it was time to head home. The bus trip was silent, everyone was very tired and ready to go to bed.

Once again, I was woken by the passionate knocking of, this time though Mr Ryan. I was up, dressed and ready for the day, the only problem was I was half asleep. Although I had a good night's sleep, I was still exhausted. I had a lovely big breakfast, hopped on the bus and was now slightly more awake. Today we only had the Australian War Memorial on the schedule, besides from the 4 hour bus trip home. At the war memorial it was quite sad, but also made me realise how grateful and fortunate I am to live in a country that is filled with wonderful people who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice and give their own life for mine. We also looked around a World War II memorial and laid poppies down on the tomb of the unknown soldier. However, now it was time to say goodbye to Canberra and hello once again to a painfully long trip back home to Sydney.

Joseph Acland
Year 6 Student/School Captain

As detailed above Year 6 students have recently undertaken an educational tour of the nation’s capital. Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding of $20 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate will be paid directly to the school.

Sustainability Tip of the Week

Just because you’re finished with a toy doesn’t mean that another kid won’t enjoy it.  Donating your old toys is a great way to save the environment and make another child happy. Which old toys could you donate this weekend? Look online to find places to donate these items.

The Eco Warriors Team

New Fiction Titles to the Collection

In recognition of International Women’s Day on Sunday 8 March, we have added the following new titles to the collection. Claremont Students of all ages, have thoroughly enjoyed reading this particular series and we will keep adding new titles as they are published.

Little People, Big Dreams 

This series covers the lives of outstanding people from designers, authors, scientists, sports people and artists. All of the chosen people began life as a little child with a dream and went on to do incredible things. Reading nonfiction titles about real children who grow up to do amazing things, shows children that following your passions and dreams is a worthy pursuit. Each book in the series celebrates individual achievement and illustrates that it is possible to make a difference in the world. The Author Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, born in Spain, is a writer and creative director in constant search of new concepts for children’s books. This series of books went on to be one the biggest selling series of children's books in 2019. Lisa Koesterke is the illustrator, artist and designer. Her illustrations are vibrant and often inspired by everyday life, nature and strong female characters.

Mrs Susan Kesur
Library Assistant

Key Dates

Important Dates for Term 1 

Thursday 2 April    Years 3-6 Basketball Gala Day 
Saturday 4 April    IPSHA Cross Country Carnival 

Important Dates for Term 2

Friday 8 May         Sydney FC Football (Soccer) Years 5/6 Gala Day 

Term 2 Extra Curricular Sport

Term 2 Sport information is attached below. The link for registration is in the document. Please remember to register online for all morning/lunchtime activities as soon as possible to avoid disappointment as some sports have limited positions. Registration will close Friday 20 March. Programs commence from Week 2.

Sport Skills Programs

Monday: Year 3-6 Tennis (Eastern Suburbs Tennis Centre) and K-2 Judo (lunchtime - Hall)
Tuesday: Year 1-2 Tennis (School playground)
Wednesday: Year 3-6 Athletics (Grant Reserve)
Friday: Year 3-6 Football (Soccer) (Grant Reserve)

Gala Days

There are a number of upcoming gala days at the end of Term and early Term 2. These gala days are usually designed to be a fun and inclusive day that provide students with the opportunity to participate in a competitive environment, but also learn more about the sport and develop their skills and confidence throughout the day. While we like to see as many students as possible participate in these days, some events have a limit on team entries and so it is not guaranteed that all students will be able to attend. In the event that we have more students sign up for a gala day than there are places for, we will hold trials to select the team/s to send to the gala day.

Years 3-6 Basketball Gala Day - 2 April

We will be entering a boys and a girls team in the Junior (Years 3-4) division and multiple teams in the Senior (Years 5-6) division. The gala day is run by City of Sydney Basketball Association (Comets) and will take place in Alexandria.

Sydney FC Football (Soccer) Years 5/6 Gala Day - 8 May

This gala day will feature small sided 7 v 7 matches and is only open to Year 5 & 6 students. More details about location to be confirmed. 

To register interest for any of these gala days, please click HERE and complete the registration form.

Mr Joel Geering
Sport and PDHPE

Thank you to all the students who have registered for the Inter-School Chess Competition.  Teams will be finalised next week and parents and students advised.

If your child is interested in playing in this year’s Inter-School chess competition, and you are willing to provide transport assistance if your child is selected to play, could you please click here and complete the registration form, indicating your child’s level of experience, by 9:00am Monday 16 March.

Kind regards
The Chess Team

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  

The Uniform Shop is open from 9:00am-10:00am on Wednesday 18 March only.

The opening time on 1 April will be at the usual time of 8:00am-9:00am.

The Uniform Shop is situated below the School Hall with entry via the small gate next to the units. Whether you can make it at this time or not, parents are encouraged to place online orders (especially if you are purchasing accessories) via Flexischools. Please note, the Uniform Shop does not accept any second hand clothing except for Claremont school uniforms. It is very inconvenient if you leave other items. Thank you.

All new uniform items can be purchased from ‘Wylies’ at

3/17 Green St, Banksmeadow (02) 9344 5796.

Please note that all communication should be through the email address: clothingpool@claremont.nsw.edu.au

Fun in the Park is a super fun Saturday for the whole community. Last year's event drew more than 400 locals, and this year is shaping up to be another awesome day.

There’s live music, BBQ lunch and espresso coffee for sale, plus FREE activities – bungee run for teens + adults, giant inflatable obstacle course + junior jumping castle, face painting, cupcake decorating, NERF wars and kids games. Plus Clovelly’s biggest Easter egg hunt!

Saturday 28 March, 11am-2pm, Varna Park, Waverley (west end)

Hosted by St Luke’s, Clovelly – more info at clovelly.org.au

The next P&F Meeting is being held on Wednesday 18 March at 7.30pm in the school hall. All parents are welcome to attend.