You may have noticed upon approaching our Coogee Bay Road entrance that we have a new sign which simply says 'Racism Not Welcome'. I first noticed this sign up when walking down a street in the Inner West. I remember being impressed by such a powerful sign. It got me thinking deeply about racism, and I also found it was the catalyst for challenging conversations with others who also saw the sign. It just so happened that at the same time, Mr Thomas came across the same sign on social media, and discovered that the former Socceroos captain and human rights campaigner, Craig Foster, was leading the 'Racism Not Welcome' campaign. Fast forward a few weeks - now Claremont College has its own ‘Racism Not Welcome’ sign. We proudly seek to actively and intentionally send the message to our students, staff, parents and our wider community, a message that we have prioritised to communicate for a number of years now, that we are an inclusive school, we would like everyone to feel empowered to stand up against racism, and that we aspire to celebrate, honour and respect all races. As Foster argues, 'The path ahead for every Australian... is to proclaim loudly, publicly and visibly that we're united together as people against division, against discrimination... in this context, race.' 

Our school embraces diversity, tolerance and acceptance of all, and rejects all forms of racism, prejudice and discrimination. Racist behaviour occurs when someone is belittled, mocked, intimidated or shamed because of their physical appearance, ethnic background, religious or cultural practices or for the way they speak. Racism can range from casual but hurtful remarks, to deliberate physical and verbal attacks. Racism has damaging effects on individuals, school communities and society. The American Academy of Pediatrics released its first ever policy statement on how racism affects the health and development of children. It states that racism is a core social determinant of health that has a profound impact on the health status of children and their families. We acknowledge that our school plays a critical role in developing understandings of racism, responding to incidents of racism and preparing students for responsible and effective citizenship in Australian society. If you or your child experiences or witnesses racism at school, please inform your child's teacher, or our Acting Deputy Principal, Mrs James. Together we can help create a positive, inclusive culture - one that values diversity and does not tolerate racism.

One of our 3 school rules is 'Be Respectful' and we actively teach our students about the importance of diversity, tolerance and acceptance of all. We value leadership and ethics, selflessness, working towards a higher purpose and building a school and a country where we all belong, with a spirit of generosity. We seek opportunities to attend excursions and incursions, and to study literature and artworks from a range of cultural backgrounds. We are also looking forward to celebrating International Day in Term 3 this year. This will be a wonderful day where our students will spend the day learning about the different cultures within their grades, and for them to perform a cultural dance for our parent community. Keep your eye out in future newsletters for more details in regards to this special event on Thursday 9 September 2021. Please let us know when you will be celebrating your national day of importance (should you or another family member come from another country) so that we can promote this within our school community.

For more information:

racismnoway.com.au 
'Democracy in Colour' campaign
'Our Race' Campaign
Human Rights Commission's 'Racism, It Stops with Me' campaign
NSW Anti-Racism Working Group

Online Safety - Is Your Home Safe?

When thinking back to my childhood, I recall my parents and teachers teaching me about the importance of 'stranger danger' when I was walking home from school. These days children need to be taught this, but we are now living in a time when they also need to be taught how to keep themselves safe from strangers when using technology within their home. Using technology can be such a wonderful experience, but sadly there is a risk that our children may get caught up in difficult, troubling and perhaps even frightening situations that can have an enormous impact on their future mental wellbeing. Many parents think it won't happen to their child, but unfortunately it can so easily happen. We must be vigilant and be aware of our children's online safety.

So how do we keep our kids as safe as possible? The following checklist of useful tips and advice may help you... 

Set Expectations

Talk to your child about the types of behaviours required when using technology. For example, what apps are safe to use and what is appropriate content to view. This will be different depending upon the age of your child, and what you feel comfortable with. For example, at Claremont, we do not condone the use of ‘Fortnite Battle Royale’, as it portrays behaviours associated with violence, is a platform for potential cyber-bullying and promotes obsessive behaviours. Technological options like parental controls can help, but it needs to be teamed with online safety education, and being aware of the impact certain games may have on your child’s behaviour and safety. As far as parent controls, check out www.familyzone.com. Dr Kristy Goodwin recommended this to our parent community too.  If you are unsure of age restrictions for different apps and games, I recommend you refer to eSafety Commissioner at www.esafety.gov.au

Understanding What Your Child Does Online

Talk to your child about the function of the internet. Why are they using it? Who is in their network? What information do they share? Are they using the internet to learn, to communicate and create friendships with others, to create music or videos? Really listen to what they have to say – what might seem like ‘just a game’ to you, could in fact be a way for them to connect with people who have similar interests. Keep in mind that while connecting with friends online is a good thing, there is always an inherent risk of harm. Monitor and talk to your child about their ‘friends’. Showing an interest in the things they do helps build your understanding of what their online world looks like to them and creates a relationship between you that makes it easier to have more difficult conversations in the future.

If You Don’t Understand It, Try It

As parents, you need to understand the technology your child uses to better understand the challenges that they may face online. Explore the websites and apps your child uses to improve your online knowledge, and take the time to read terms and conditions. You could even ask your child to show you how it works, as a way to start conversation around online safety.

Set A Good Example

How often do you use your laptop or smartphone at the dinner table? Keep meal-times for family conversations and make this time one that is device free. Reflect on your own use of social media. How many ‘angry’ posts have you published? Take a look at the way you use technology while your child is around. If you notice something that doesn’t sit right with you – change it.

Teach Them The Basics

Once your knowledge of the types of websites and apps your child uses is up to scratch, teach them the basics of online safety – here are four ideas to start with:

1. Strong passwords
A strong password helps protect the information on your online profiles or accounts. Teach your child how to choose strong passwords, by reading how to choose a good password.

2. Information to protect online.
Have a conversation about the importance of not sharing personal information online such as:

Login details and passwords;
Bank account details;
Home address;
Phone numbers;
Birthdate; or
Personal information that could be used to guess security questions for online accounts. You should also talk about personal details your child may be asked to share online, such as location and the school they attend. Some apps allow you to share your current location with friends, or publicly. Please spend time explaining to your child that they must not share their personal details or location with anyone.

3. Not Everything Is As It Seems

It can seem like common sense to adults, but sometimes kids do not understand that people are not always who they say they are online. Talk to them about friending or communicating with people they don’t know offline. They should never friend someone online that they don’t know personally offline. 

4. Digital Footprint

Teach your child that they need to think about what they post online, and that what they post online leaves a ‘digital footprint’ about them. Whilst many of these things may seem like issues that teenagers may deal with, don’t underestimate how young children may be faced with these challenges.

Social Media

Do you know how old children should be before they get social media accounts? The minimum sign up age for Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and YouTube is 13 years of age. No child at Claremont College has reached that age. Be mindful that the majority of cyberbullying incidents happen though such social media sites. I have been informed by teachers that some students here at Claremont have their own accounts, and they are not set to ‘private’ or ‘friends only’. Please be familiar with the safety centres that most social media organisations have for staying safe online. Start with how to block people, how to report content and how to use the privacy settings. We encourage parents to hold off social media as long as possible but definitely not until your child starts high school.

We have had a great start to the changes to our Recess and Lunchtimes this term. At the end of Term 1, staff evaluated the effectiveness of our Recess and Lunchtime structure and in response, we have made some slight changes to further strengthen the safety for our students, and to support students' wellbeing. For Term 2, the following will occur: 

• Recess will run for 30 minutes. Once your child finishes eating their Recess snack, they can participate in active play. (In the past, Recess ran for 20 minutes and students were expected to remain seated for the entire duration.)
• Infants and Primary lunchtimes are staggered to allow for more space on the playground. Primary students play outside first, then Infants students follow. This staggered approach is particularly beneficial for students who enjoy being active. - Lunchtimes will remain 1 hour in duration. 15 minutes will be devoted to eating time only, with the following 15 minutes spent reading (your child will be given additional time to eat if this is required). Your child will engage in free play outside for 30 minutes. This outside play time has not been reduced, in fact, it has been 30 minutes for over 20 years!
• Extra-curricular clubs are continuing during lunchtime. For this term, this includes Lego Club, Choir, IT Club, Mindfulness Club, Eco Warriors Farmyard, Cooking, Compassion Club, Wellbeing Club, Chapel, Balcony Games, Colouring-in Club and CRU. Clubs were introduced to lunchtimes a couple of years ago, to help provide active children more space, to provide students other options, and to assist with students’ wellbeing. Recently we had a parent request to bus students down to Grant Reserve for lunchtime, however, with our current NESA curriculum mandated times, and the restrictions we face in regards to the number of available staff, we are unable to provide this as an option.

We will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of the Recess and Lunchtime structure and if staff numbers increase over time, we will be able to consider additional options. We are grateful to our dedicated staff for their contribution and care when on duty and for leading clubs for our students to enjoy.

Thank you to Mrs Tara Barr who has made such a valuable contribution to our Senior Leadership Team as Acting Deputy Principal for Term 1. Mrs Barr has spent the past 2 weeks ‘handing over’ and working alongside Mrs Alanna James, who has stepped into the role of Acting Deputy Principal for Term 2. Mrs Barr, thank you very much for your passion, commitment, wisdom and tenacity. We wish you and your family a very special time ahead, as you welcome your newest little addition to the world.

This is Chloe and Taylor.
They are generous and caring.
For their 7th and 9th birthdays they raised money so kids in India receive an education.
Chloe and Taylor are compassionate.
Be like Chloe and Taylor.

As we come to the end of another week, we would like to thank all parents, staff and students for the commitment and care they have shown to our school community. We really do have a special and remarkable school, and we are grateful to everyone for the contribution they make to our culture. We wish you all a wonderful and safe weekend. 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." John 13:34

Larissa Cameron
Co-Principal

Follow us

Website: www.claremont.nsw.edu.au
Instagram: @claremontcollege
Twitter: @claremont2031

Wow, what a day of colour and fun! It was such a pleasure to see the beaming smiles, laughter and pure happiness on the faces of our Claremont students today. The Colour Fun Run was an event organised by our P&F to raise funds for STEM resources throughout our school. The afternoon was a huge success with an exciting course of colour, bubbles and inflatables for the children (and teachers) to enjoy. We would like to say a big thank you to Morgan Ryan for leading this event and making it all happen, and also to the many parent volunteers who supported today. An event like this reminds us of the incredible Claremont community we have; all coming together to support our school. Thank you to our students, staff and parents for your collaborative approach, enthusiasm and smiles. It truly was such a FUN afternoon!

For more photos and videos follow us on Instagram: @claremontcollege

Mrs Tara Barr and Mrs Alanna James
Acting Deputy Principals

Thank you for your continued interest and support with our quest to expand Claremont. I count it a privilege to be exploring how we can expand and improve our educational provision within our community.

I had a most productive Term One. To date, I have appreciated the opportunity to work with many Claremont parents, hearing your thoughts, opinions, ideas and suggestions as we collaborate together in various ways.

The main progress has been around;

• forming a collective vision for what a future Claremont campus might be like
• broadly exploring the secondary education opportunities
• clarifying risks and determining strategies to respond to these risks
• determining various masterplan scenarios
• engaging with key stakeholders external to our school community
• exploring ways to finance the project
• determining a draft educational and functional brief that outlines the broad requirements for a potential future secondary campus
• getting a better understanding of what is important to the many people who love our school 

As I move into Term 2, I will continue to explore ways to synthesis our schools’ vision of providing an affordable, innovative, faith based Christian education. This will lead to focusing in on much of the above, however my efforts will become more specific, as we search for or development opportunities and possible sites within the Randwick precinct. It is clear that a future Claremont College expansion will be innovative, research based and modelled on examples of educational excellence from around the world.

I would like to connect further with the parents (and grandparents) who participated in the Term 1 parent Think Tanks, as well as the P&F. I'll contact you soon to set up a time to reconnect in the coming weeks. There's a lot to talk about, and there are a lot of reasons why we need to succeed. Although nothing concrete is on the horizon, I am feeling confident and optimistic, despite the fact that there is still a lot of work to be done. 

It's also important to me that I keep you and others informed about my work and progress. I will be providing our neighbours with updates as well. So, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any thoughts, suggestions, or questions. 

I am most thankful for the help and support of the Claremont College School Council, Mrs Cameron, Mrs Ford, and Leadership Team. Everyone is working incredibly hard within their respective roles and responsibilities.

Today’s Colour Fun Run was a great distraction. It was so much fun! Thank you to the P&F and our school community for your inspiring generosity and support of the school, particularly as we raise money for STEM resources to improve student learning. Our kids are most blessed! 

A huge shout out to Mrs James for bringing this together so magnificently.

Doug Thomas
Co-Principal

Be Safe!

When playing ball games, keep the balls below waist height.

When walking around the school, offer for someone to walk through the doorway before yourself and don’t overcrowd or ‘barge in’ through the doorway.

When in the learning spaces, keep calm and walk sensibly.

Let’s keep our school safe. :)

Larissa Cameron
Co-Principal

Congratulations to the following students who received their Gold Certificates or Pennants on Monday. 

Gold Certificates

Lucas S, Charlotte B, Jacob L, Cooper S, Christian J, Isabel C, Sabrina A, Finn T, Isabella H 

Pennants

Stella L, Zachary S, Riley T, Matilda N

Sydney Academy of Chess Awards

Angus B, Tabitha A

Term 2 2021

Term 3 2021

Term 4 2021

Year 2 - Excursion to NSW Schoolhouse 

Year 3 - Excursion to Sydney Writers Festival

Year 4 - Excursion to Botany Bay Kamay National Park 

Year 6 - Excursion to Sydney Writers Festival

School Bus Term 2 Registration

“There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world, love of books is the best of all.” Jacqueline Kennedy 

This week in ‘Across the Grades’ our focus is on the various aspects of reading, whereas in Term 1 we focussed on just guided reading.

Broadly speaking there are three types of reading lessons at school and within these there are many strategies and formats used to create reading lessons that engage, inspire, teach, and support students’ understanding of reading. 

The three types of reading are:

• Shared Reading
• Guided Reading
• Independent Reading

Shared reading is an interactive reading experience in which all the learners can see and interact with a text without having to read it alone. It is a whole group reading experience. You might use a song or poem on a chart, a big book, a printed article, the morning messages, language experience stories, a narrative, a play, or even a catalogue. Shared reading is just that – it is shared. Shared reading is important because it is a time when the teacher can model reading so that students can hear something being read with accuracy, fluency and expression.

Shared reading can be a highly scaffolded type of reading with a high level of teacher support, where students can learn through teacher demonstration and scaffolding. Often there is a lot of communication during shared reading.

Shared reading can also be less scaffolded and a wonderful way to share a daily story with students or a chapter book across a week or a number of weeks. For students this is often a time for them to relax and enjoy listening to someone else to read.

At home shared reading can be one of the greatest ways to connect with your child/ren, and it can encourage a love of lifetime reading, especially when your child/ren sees that you love reading too. Choosing texts for shared reading will depend on the interests and engagement of your child. It is good to let your child choose a text they want to hear and it doesn’t matter whether the text matches the child’s reading level… the same text can be used for multiple children of different ages and reading levels.

Guided reading (as discussed in Term 1) is an instructional approach that involves a teacher working with a small group of students who demonstrate similar reading behaviours and can read similar levels of texts. The texts chosen are easy enough for students to read with a teacher’s skilful support; they offer challenges and opportunities for problem solving, but are easy enough for students to read with some fluency. We choose instructional texts that help students expand their strategies. This means that a child should read the text with around 90-95% accuracy, so there is room for them to be challenged and to learn, without the text being too hard or too easy. At this level, students should understand and enjoy the story because it's accessible to them, while supported by the teachers. Students are expected to focus on meaning but also use problem-solving strategies to figure out words they don't know, deal with difficult sentence structures, and understand concepts or ideas they have never before encountered in print.

Guided reading is best left for teachers who are trained to challenge students, to know how to put them in ‘the pit’ and when to help them out of ‘the pit’. Another reason we would not recommend that parents try to teach their child/ren to read at this level, is because your child will want to show you what they can do and what they are proud of. They do not want to be in ‘the pit’ and show you what they can’t do yet.

Expected levels of instructional/guided reading for each grade are illustrated in the chart below.

A main difference between shared and guided reading is that during shared reading, interactions are maximised. During guided reading, thinking is maximised. Within guided reading sessions, students actively participate in the group reading process, by listening or reading and making their own conclusions about the text.

Independent reading is when children read any text on their own, such as books, magazines, online books, toy catalogues and even newspapers, with minimal to no assistance from adults. It can be in or out of school, including purely voluntary reading for enjoyment or assigned reading for Home Learning. Optimal books for independent reading are those where the reader can read and understand close to 100% of the words.

The goal of independent reading from a teaching and learning point of view, is to build habitual readers with conscious reading identities. Independent reading leads to an increased volume of reading. The more one reads, the better one reads. The more one reads, the more knowledge of words and language one acquires.

Ultimately Primary educators aim to encourage independent reading, where students read for knowledge, to satisfy their curiosity and just for fun. 

“The more you read the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Dr Suess 

We hope you enjoy reading about reading across the grades.

Janelle Ford
Co-Principal

READING IN KINDERGARTEN

Reading Skills

Research indicates that skilled reading is underpinned by two broad skill areas, Decoding and Language Comprehension. To develop both of these areas, it is important that five essential skills are explicitly taught. These include:

Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

• Phonological awareness includes recognising phonological patterns such as rhyme, alliteration and an awareness of syllables.
• Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to focus on individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words, and may include blending, segmenting and manipulating phonemes.

Phonics

• Phonics refers to the ability to decode words using knowledge of phoneme-grapheme (letter-sound) relationships.
• Research indicates a synthetic phonics approach, including blending and segmenting phonemes, is the most effective way to teach phonics.
• Phonics lessons support both reading (decoding) and spelling (encoding), and these are taught alongside each other.

Fluency

• Fluency includes reading with speed, accuracy and natural phrasing and intonation.
• Fluency in decoding text supports students to focus greater attention on the meaning.

Vocabulary

• Vocabulary refers to the knowledge of words, their meaning and the structure of language.

Comprehension

• Comprehension is understanding and building meaning from written text.
• Comprehension is related to background knowledge and vocabulary.

What it looks like in the Kindergarten learning space

The different aspects of Reading are explicitly taught during;

• Daily Phonics lessons, which focus on Phonemic Awareness and Phonics
• Guided Reading lessons, which focus on Fluency,
• Shared Reading lessons each week which focus on Comprehension and link to the content focus in History and Science while simultaneously developing oral language, and
• Daily Vocabulary lessons, which focus on Vocabulary and link to Shared Reading as well as the content focus in History and Science.

Phonics lessons

Students participate in small group phonics lessons each day, which explicitly focus on developing the skill areas of Phonemic Awareness and Phonics in a systematic and structured manner. Student progress is monitored and these groups are flexible so that they can be adjusted to best meet student needs. Phonics lessons are adapted to target the specific set of skills students are working on at that point in time. Phonics lessons typically include the following components:

Phonemic Awareness - Students participate in a short series of oral activities where students segment, blend and manipulate phonemes (sounds).

Review - Students briefly review their prior Phonics learning.

New - Students are introduced to the next set of phonemes according to our Phonics sequence. This will include;

• Identifying new phonemes when they see the grapheme (letter),
• Learning and practising the correct letter formation,
• Decoding short words made up of the target phonemes by identifying the phonemes and blending them together
• Encoding short words made up of the target phonemes by saying the word, finger spelling the phonemes and then writing the graphemes (letters).

Camera Words - Students learn how to read and spell ‘camera words’, e.g. was, said, are, the. These words have been selected because they occur frequently in your child’s reading and writing but are not easily decoded at this stage of their reading. These words are different to the high frequency words that are sent home each week, due to their increased difficulty. These words are taught explicitly, by identifying the decodable parts of the word, and learning about the irregular or ‘tricky’ part/s.

Sentences - Students read sentences made up of decodable words and camera words that they have been learning e.g. The cat is up on top. Students also write short sentences verbally dictated by the teacher e.g. He has a big dog.

For your reference, the Phonics sequence for Kindergarten is:

●      Unit 1 - s m a t c o g p
●      Unit 2 - r b l d h f i u
●      Unit 3 - j n e k w x y z
●      Unit 4 - ll ff ss zz
●      Unit 5 - sh ch th wh
●      Unit 6 - ng ck x qu

*You can find your child’s phonics unit by referring to the number stuck on the top right hand corner of their home readers, the level written on their Reading feedback sheet, or by looking at the bottom of the Phonics Reading and Spelling sheets that are sent home throughout the term.

Guided Reading

Students also have daily opportunities to apply their Phonics knowledge and develop fluency during small group Guided Reading sessions. These lessons utilise decodable texts so that students can apply what they have been learning in phonics lessons to read whole sentences, and when they are ready, larger passages of text. Students engage in repeated practice of reading aloud, working toward reading with speed, accuracy and natural phrasing. Fluent reading is modelled by the teacher and timely verbal feedback is given to students. Students also engage in comprehension discussions including answering questions about what they have read and giving a simple retell of what happened in the story. 

Shared Reading

Each week, Kindergarten students engage in Shared Reading lessons. These sessions focus on developing the skill area of Comprehension and utilise quality literature including well-loved picture books and non-fiction texts. Each week, a new Book of the Week is introduced. Sometimes there are two books! The chosen book links to our learning in History or Science, with the purpose of both contributing to and drawing on background knowledge developed in these content areas.

In Term 2, Kindergarten is learning about plants and animals. Therefore, we are engaging with multiple non-fiction texts to gather information. Having previously learnt about fact and fiction texts, we are now learning to discuss the purpose and audience of imaginative and informative texts. In Weeks 1-4, students will compare the purpose and audience of fiction and non-fiction books about farm animals. In Weeks 5-9, students will explore the features of informative texts.

Vocabulary Lessons

Each week, three new target words are chosen as the Vocabulary Words of the Week. We explore the meaning of each word and practise using it in a spoken sentence. The teachers model using these words in different contexts throughout the week and highlight when students use the words when speaking or writing. The target words are words that occur across contexts and are more common in writing than in everyday speech, e.g. whispered instead of said. These words often include verbs that we use to talk about our learning, or link to our Shared Reading text or content focus. Some of our previous Vocabulary Words of the Week are:

• Fact
• Faction
• Imaginative
• Informative
• Identify
• Represent
• Different
• Similar
• Compare 

We hope this provides insight into Reading in Kindergarten. We are dedicated to developing the necessary knowledge and skills to ensure your child not only develops as a proficient reader but also develops a life-long love of literature. 

Thank you for your continued support, 

Miss Abby Carter, Mr Julian Ko, Miss Jessica King, Mrs Sally Durek and Mrs Jesse Hitchen
Kindergarten Teaching Team

Kindy News

Speaking and Listening Note

Year 1 - Reading 

There are two aspects we focus on when teaching children to read – correctly identifying words (decoding) and understanding their meaning (comprehension). Our aim in Year 1 is to provide a high quality literacy program that includes these essential components. 

Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

• Phonological awareness includes recognising patterns such as rhyme, alliteration and an awareness of syllables.
• Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to focus on individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.

Phonics

• Phonics refers to the ability to decode words using knowledge of letter-sound relationships.
• Phonics lessons support both reading and spelling, and these are taught alongside each other. 

Fluency

• Fluency includes reading with speed, accuracy and natural phrasing.
• Fluency in decoding text supports students to focus greater attention on the meaning. 

Vocabulary

• Vocabulary refers to the knowledge of words, their meaning and the structure of language.

Comprehension

• Comprehension is understanding and building meaning from written text.
• Comprehension is related to background knowledge and vocabulary. 

Shared Reading

Shared reading is an interactive experience where the teacher and students read a large version of an engaging book or other text while guided and supported by a teacher. The teacher explicitly models the skills of a skilled reader, including reading with fluency and expression. During these lessons, specific vocabulary and grammatical features of the text are discussed.

Guided Reading

Guided reading is when students are working in smaller groups, where the teacher supports students to learn to read more independently. The texts that are chosen are aligned with the students’ instructional Fountas and Pinnell reading level. 

Independent reading

Something new this term is ‘DEAR’ which stands for ‘Drop Everything and Read’. Every day the students spend 15 minutes reading a book of their own interest. This is an excellent opportunity for students to develop and practice their reading skills. Students have often reported learning something new each day during DEAR time. The more they read, the more words they have gained exposure to. We hope these words will make their way into their everyday vocabulary.

During all reading lessons including Shared Reading, Guided Reading and Independent Reading lessons, students are taught in ability groups. They learn to use their letter-sound knowledge to read words according to the specific sounds and syllables that their group is focusing on. Students are taught how to decode words so that they are able to read more fluently. This means they can recognise words automatically and group words together quickly to help them to gain meaning from what they read. Our aim is to help students to read with fluency, as if they are speaking. We do this by modelling fluent reading, choral reading (reading together in small groups), cueing students to focus on pace and meaning as they read, as well as repeated reading of a text over multiple reading lessons.

Year 1 students are learning to read and view a variety of imaginative, informative and persuasive texts from a variety of different cultures, including digital and multimodal forms so they can begin to understand how the media can shape their world. They are exploring and identifying ways in which texts differ according to purpose, audience and content. Students enjoy making connections between different texts and how they relate to their own experiences. 

Most importantly, we want to instill a love of reading in all students so that they can expand their vocabulary, as well as build their self confidence. It is a joy to watch them learn to make sense not only of the world around them, but also people, build social-emotional skills and of course, imagination through reading. 

Mrs Vula, Mrs Stewart, Mr Smith, Mrs Breakspear, Mrs Giles & Mrs Nunn
Year 1 Teaching Team

We Are Learning To: explore how reading in Year 2 looks like. 

Success Criteria:

• Identify the different types of reading activities.
• Make comparisons between reading independently and reading as a group. 

Guided Reading

In the Year 2 jungle, our guided reading rotations occur three times a week. Each fortnight, we focus on a skill to help equip our students to be better readers. This term in Year 2, we are focusing on enhancing our vocabulary, searching for meaning and using information, making connections and developing our inferential comprehension skills.

A teacher is assigned to two groups that are differentiated to suit the ability level of each group. We have a variety of eight different rotational literacy activities that students will complete throughout the week. Planning engaging and student-centred activities allows our Year 2 learners to feel like they are a part of the learning process! There are a combination of teacher guided and instructed activities, independent tasks, and literacy resources on the iPad. These include:

Reading with the teacher

Reading Eggs

Spelling word work

Sound check phonics

Comprehension sheet

Vocabulary development

Independent reading

Shared Reading

Once a week, we gather as a grade to read and explore a text together. A teacher reads the text to model the skills that the students cover during our guided reading rotations. This term, Year 2 is learning all about information reports. The texts that we are looking at are rich and informative texts filled with beautiful illustrations. Students are able to make comparisons between fiction and non-fiction texts by unpacking the features and structure of an information report.

DEAR Time

This term, we have introduced DEAR time which stands for Drop Everything and Read! We want the love for reading to start from a young age and for students to have the opportunity to spend 15 minutes at the start of lunch everyday reading a book of their choice. Here is what some of our Year 2 readers have to say about DEAR time:

‘Because I get a lot of time now to read the books I want to read!’ - Isabel R
‘I have more time to read interesting books. Once I finish a book, you can just move on to another.’ Marcus
‘I like it because you get to sit at your desk and if you really like the book that you are reading, you can get hooked onto a book!’ Alexis L
‘We get some quiet time to focus on reading.’ Esra V
‘I get to read funny books!’ Juliette F
‘I always get to read my favourite books.’ Sabrina
‘You get to spend your time reading and your brain becomes more active when you read. You can then use your active brain to play during lunch after!’ Oliver

Miss Tan, Mrs Monaghan, Mrs Nicolaides and Mrs Durek
Year 2 Teaching Team

If you can read this, it’s because someone, somewhere in your life, gave you the invaluable gift of literacy. 

In Year 3, students make the transition from ‘learning to read’ to ‘reading to learn’. Just because a student is ‘reading’ the words accurately from a page, does not mean they are truly comprehending what is being read. As the words in books get more difficult and themes in texts become abstract, it is vital that students are equipped with the skills to make meaning from what they read. We would like to take this opportunity to share how the teaching of reading is structured and embedded in the Year 3 learning environment.

Guided Reading

During the week, the students participate in two Guided Reading sessions. In the first session, students learn and apply specific reading comprehension strategies. In this lesson, students receive teacher led and explicit modelling of the strategy in question. They are then provided with an opportunity to practice the strategy with a differentiated text. This term in our comprehension lessons, we are explicitly focusing on three strategies:

Searching for and using information

How to orientate yourself with where you can expect to find certain pieces of information. We teach students how to use text features to efficiently identify information (ie. How to use glossaries, index, contents page, chapter headings...)

Analysing

Understand and describe characteristics of fiction genres ( including realistic fiction, historical fiction, traditional literature (folktale, fairytale, fable, myth) and what can be expected of them.

Inferring

How to take the clues provided in a text, combine it with what you already know about the typic, and then enjoy a more informed understanding of what is happening in a text.

When practicing these strategies in these lessons, students work in 4 differentiated Guided Reading Groups based on their Fountas and Pinell reading level. Our aim is to expose the students to quality examples of these comprehension strategies whilst simultaneously maintaining their interest in the topic being explored. For this reason, we use a range of literature sources such as KIdsNews, Reading A-Z, picture books, nonfiction informational books etc.

In the second Guided Reading session, the students focus on developing their reading fluency. They choose a differentiated text from our reading fluency box (this is also based on their Fountas and Pinell reading level). With a partner, they practice reading the same text aloud a number of times with fluency, accuracy and expression. They use a ‘Reading Aloud Checklist’ to access their own progress each week and a teacher will also listen to them reading, in order to provide verbal feedback in the moment. This term, we are explicitly focusing on monitoring and self correctly during fluency lessons. 

Shared Reading

This term in English, Year 3 has started to explore the narrative as a text type. Each week, students enjoy listening to a piece of quality literature being read aloud by an enthusiastic teacher. As well as delighting in the storyline, students have become narrative detectives - deconstructing what exactly it is that makes a text powerful. In particular, we have been interested in identifying the following features in the well written stories we read together:

Presence of a ‘Story Pit’ (orientation, complication and resolution)

During Shared Reading lessons, students and teachers cut up a photocopied version of a short story and plot it against the ‘story pit’ diagram. Where is the orientation of the story? What is the complication? Is the resolution satisfying?

Rich vocabulary

As we read texts, we pause to add pieces of rich vocabulary to our own word banks (sorted into their parts of speech - ie. ‘propelled’ is in the verb category).

The use of ‘showing, not telling’

We explain the inferences the audience can make even though the author hasn’t directly told us what is happening - ie. ‘Her lungs screamed for air as she clawed toward the water’s surface’ - we can tell the character is drowning, even though the author hasn’t said it. 

We hope that the dissection of quality short stories will make explicit the features of great writing, and that this knowledge will transfer to students’ narrative writing.

DEAR and Independent Reading at Home

Something new this term is ‘DEAR’ which stands for ‘Drop Everything and Read’. Every day towards the end of lunch, the students spend 15 minutes reading a book of their own interest. This is an excellent opportunity for students to develop and practice their reading skills, whilst simultaneously helping to focus their attention after lunchtime. 

To support your child at home, you can encourage them to practise their strategies and skills by reading each night. We love to acknowledge students with their effort by rewarding them with a prize at the end of the term. Students are encouraged to fill in their ‘Home Reading Challenge’ booklets each night for 40 nights. We look forward to continuing to develop our students’ confidence and love of reading! 

Mr Oen, Mrs Marquet, Mrs Parker and Miss Kelly
Year 3 Teaching Team

“Books are the plane. And the train. And the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.” - Anna Quindlen 

The students in Year 4 are provided with opportunities to explore a range of quality literature and text types. Each week, the students are engaged in a shared reading lesson, guided reading lessons and independent reading activities. Our English unit is based on the topic of Sustainability which links with our Science and Technology unit for Term 2 ‘Sustainable World’. Students read and analyse a range of texts that are interrelated with our Science content.

We regularly review students reading progress using the Fountas and Pinnell benchmarking system, which provides teachers, students and parents with an understanding of your child’s reading strengths and key areas for further development. A yellow feedback form is sent home in the diary for your reference. 

In shared reading lessons, students are engaged in thought provoking discussions and activities using texts such as ‘The Last Tree in the City’ and ‘The Windy Farm’. These books provide students with stories that encourage them to reflect on how we can make our world a better place and tell tales that represent the beauty of our natural environment.

During guided reading sessions this term, we cover a range of reading strategies including skimming, scanning, analysing texts and inferring. The students are explicitly taught the reading strategies before being provided with opportunities to put this skill into practice. We engage with a variety of rich differentiated texts in order to master these important strategies.

DEAR stands for Drop Everything And Read! Each day the students spend 15 minutes reading a book of their choice or using a reading app on their iPads such as EPIC or SORA. This scheduled activity encourages students to pursue their love of reading and find texts suited to their own level to enjoy each day. 

We encourage all students in Year 4 to read for at least 20 minutes each night as part of their home learning tasks. The students are to write about what they have read in their diary. Some possible responses to their reading could be: write a summary of what you are reading, tell us how much you read each night, what is happening in the story so far, any new words learnt, or predictions about what is going to happen next in the story. We love reading their diary entries and following along the journey with them! 

---oOo---

We welcome Miss Jordan Mountney to Claremont College this term. Jordan is a student from Swinburne University of Technology and will be teaching with Year 4 for four weeks. We value the contribution student teachers make to the school and we look forward to supporting Jordan during her final primary school placement. 

Mrs Herborn, Miss Mackay, Miss Campbell and Miss Kelly
Year 4 Teaching Team

Excursion note for Two Cultures Excursion to Botany Bay Kamay National Park

The Joy of Reading in Year 5

That feeling of being drawn into the vortex of an engaging book, transported to a place far away from your present, of having your views challenged, your horizons broadened, of hanging on every word until the very end... the goal of the Year 5 team this year is for students to discover (or rediscover) the pure joy of reading.

Students participate in a great variety of English reading experiences in Year 5. This term through our English unit ‘Neighbours’ we are investigating Australia’s neighbouring countries.  In Guided Reading groups, we are travelling to Vietnam with Ahn Do as he recounts his journey to Australia and life as a poor Vietnamese boy in the 70’s in his memoir, ‘The Happiest Refugee’. We are also investigating life as a young Chinese boy, who’s hopes and dreams differ from his mothers in the novel ‘Con-Nerd’.  

In Shared Reading, we are being transported to Imperial China in the novel ‘The Dragon Keeper’, ‘The Peasant Prince’ by current Queensland Ballet Artistic Director, Cunxin, and to Japan in ‘My Hiroshima’. 

Students are engaging in rich discussions deciphering the fantastical elements of the stories and those which are historically accurate. 

Drop Everything And Read (DEAR) time happens daily, with students being encouraged to read widely from a range of texts that both challenge and engage them. The teachers also relish the opportunity to model this practise, displaying to the students the value that we place on reading. Nightly home reading also promotes the joy of reading. Each day students thoughtfully respond to something they have read by writing a reflection in their diaries.

All students are enjoying our ‘book wall’ where they are recording each novel they have completed.  It has been exciting to see students give and receive recommendations for novels both in class and during our library lessons with Mrs Kesur. Reading crosses all areas of the curriculum and in both History and Science non-fiction texts, articles and audio-books are engaged with by students. 

We regularly review students reading progress using the Fountas & Pinnell benchmarking system, which provides both teachers and students with an understanding of their reading strengths and key areas for development. 

We encourage you to read at home with and to your children.

Modelling reading, whether that be the daily news, a work related paper or the latest magazine subscription. Year 5 students could be encouraged to read to their younger siblings or cousins. Students could write their own stories with both text and images to read to their families.  

Ms Shiels, Ms Ireland, Mrs Speranza and Mrs Breakspear
Year 5 Teaching Team

Reading in Year 6

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss

This quote certainly rings true in the Year 6 classroom. Reading is embedded into all KLAs as well as Home Learning and we encourage students to use a range of quality texts when reading for enjoyment, reading for research purposes and learning. Here is an overview of how reading is structured in the Year 6 classroom. 

Guided Reading

Every week, the students participate in two Guided Reading sessions. In the first session, students learn and apply specific reading comprehension strategies. These strategies are important building blocks for their learning as they transition to high school next year. The strategies that we are focusing on this term are searching for and using information, analysing and inferring. The students receive modelling of the focus strategy and are provided with an opportunity to put this strategy into action under teacher guidance. A range of differentiated texts are used to model and practice the strategies being explored.

In the second guided reading session, students work in three differentiated Guided Reading Groups based on their Fountas and Pinell reading levels. In these groups students will be reading a novel related to WW1 which links to the theme of Sacrifice and Service, which we are exploring throughout our English and Drama lessons. This novel study will also give students additional opportunities to practice the focus comprehension skill from earlier in the week as well as a range of other strategies. The novels we are reading in our Guided Reading groups this term include: 

• Darling Mercy Dog of World War 1 by Alison Hart
• The Donkey who Carried the Wounded by Jackie French
• The Horses Didn’t Come Home by Pamela Rushby 

Shared Reading

To further support students' understanding of WW1 and the theme of Service and Sacrifice, Year 6 will also be reading a number of shorter texts together as a class. Not only will these texts help support students as they research for their factual narrative, but they also help students understand WW1 from different perspectives. It will also be an opportunity to explore how it affected different groups of people in different ways. Some of the books we will be reading include: 

• Meet the ANZAC’s by Claire Saxby
• My Mother’s Eyes: The story of a Boy Soldier by Mark Wilson
• Simpson and His Donkey by Mark Greenwood and Frane Lessac
• The Fair Dinkum War by David Cox
• Meet the Weary Dunlop by Claire Saxby 

DEAR Time

This term, we have introduced DEAR time into the timetable each day. DEAR stands for ‘Drop Everything and Read’. Every day, students have 15 minutes to read any book or online text of their choice. As part of this, we have also introduced EPIC, which is a digital library offering kids unlimited access to 40,000+ popular, high quality children’s books. So far this term, the students have read over 100 books on EPIC!

Reading and the power of stories is something that as educators, we can’t take for granted. Books can provide students with an escape, an experience where they can immerse themselves in a different world and gain perspective from a wide variety of different people in different places. We can never underestimate the importance of reading and the power of books. We encourage Year 6 students to explore different texts, pick up a genre they wouldn’t usually read and branch outside of their comfort zone. As we quoted earlier from the famous Dr. Seuss, reading provides you with an infinite amount of places to visit and things to learn. 

Mr Ryan, Miss Valdeck, Mrs Nunn and Mrs Breakspear
Year 6 Teaching Team

Excursion Note for Sydney Writers Festival

Reading in Indonesian@Claremont 

Key Understandings

• The development of early literacy is the foundation of all learning. 
• Literacy can be developed in more than one language at the same time.
• Literacy development in one language can reinforce literacy development in a second or subsequent language.
• Aspects of Indonesian and English are the same, such as the alphabet and some sounds.

Australian and international research highlights the benefits of developing literacy in more than one language. Recent Australian research argues that monolingual English speakers learning a second language improves word attack and word recognition skills. It is apparent that ‘far from impeding the acquisition of literacy in English… engagement with a second or additional language may provide learners with concrete cognitive and metalinguistic benefits’. Exposure to as little as one hour per week of a second language in the earliest years of primary school advances the age of reading readiness in English.

As well as enhancing the development of specific literacy skills, learning another language provides access to the expression of underlying literacy or literacies, and allows students to more easily decode language, make comparisons between languages, and draw conclusions about how language works. 

“For many years it has been acknowledged that learning another language enhances the learner’s understanding their own language. It has been shown that a child’s understanding of his (sic) native language is enhanced by learning a foreign one. The child becomes more conscious and deliberate in using words as tools of his thought and expressive means for his ideas… The child’s approach to language becomes more abstract and generalised… The acquisition of foreign language − in its own peculiar way − liberates him from the dependence on concrete linguistic forms and expressions” (Les Vygotsky, 1986 p. 160). 

A number of studies from the 1970s onwards have provided empirical evidence for this phenomenon from a range of educational contexts, beginning to identify and ‘unpack’ the component skills which are enhanced through the language learning process. Studies have shown, for example, that children need certain preparatory skills in order to learn to read. These include metalinguistic awareness, which, loosely defined, includes the ability to think about and reflect upon language, its nature and functions, and to use knowledge about language as distinct from the capacity to use the language itself.

Learning a second language has been shown to enhance children’s metalinguistic awareness, and thereby their reading readiness. A study by Yelland, Pollard and Mercuri (1993), which took place in two primary schools in Melbourne, found that children who participated in a one hour per week Italian program demonstrated higher levels of ‘word awareness’, a metalinguistic skill linked to reading readiness, than those who did not participate in a LOTE (Language other than English) program. Similarly, a number of studies in the USA have reported that students who study a language in an immersion program tended to outperform their peers who have not had exposure to language learning (for a brief overview, see Curtain & Dahlberg 2004, p. 397; Webb n.d.).

While there may be differences in the vocabulary, grammar and writing systems of languages, with all languages with writing systems, the reader must learn to make meaning from the text. 

Concepts and strategies involved transfer easily from one language to another, for example, ‘scanning, skimming, contextual guessing of words, skipping unknown words, tolerating ambiguity, reading for meaning, making inferences, monitoring, recognizing the structure of text, using previous learning, using background knowledge about the text’ (Baker 2006, p. 330) are strategies used by readers whether the text is in English, German, French or Spanish. Therefore, while the sounds of letters and decoding of words have a separation in learning to read in each language, the higher cognitive abilities and strategies required in making meaning from text are common. Overall, reading competence in two languages does not operate separately. 

At Claremont College, children work in mixed-ability groups, which include students with some background in Indonesian. The children who have some background are extended through additional listening activities, including various types of comprehension and writing activities, true/false activities, text sequencing and story-strip activities. Information technology is used as part of a strategy to ensure that students are provided with a range of modes of learning. They are also provided with reading materials of varying degrees of complexity. Each classroom has a small library of suitable Indonesian books available to interested students. Recently we have had discussions about an offer by the Indonesian Government to donate a range of Indonesian language reading material for our children, and look forward to this eventuating in the near future.

A typical Indonesian lesson for all students at Claremont K-6 involves modelled reading, writing and speaking in Indonesian, and finishes with a student-centred activity or a game. These activities include interactive games with a partner or in small groups where students are required to draw on their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.

Sampai jumpa!
Bu Jill

The value of reading for pleasure 

With just so many other activities and distractions built into our lives (and the lives of our kids), it’s no surprise that reading for pleasure has taken a bit of a step back. We need to be reminded through of the huge benefits, both personally and academically. Reading for fun has the subtle ability to strengthen imagination, provide good insight into different cultures, and give children a sense of connection to others.

Even with the known benefits however, the 2019 Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report found that while 57% of 8 year olds report reading five to seven nights per week, only 35% of 9 year olds can say the same. Similarly, while 40% of 8 year olds say they love reading, only 28% of 9 year olds say they do. 

So how can both parents and teachers support students as they approach the ‘decline by nine’? Here are a few practical tips that you can take on at home that can hopefully this curve can be changed:

1. Let Them Read What They Want

Reading, especially when at home, should be a fun and joyful experience. Reading is reading, and it doesn’t matter what the topic is or how many pictures are in the book. There are a number of texts like graphic novels and non-fiction texts that we often dismiss because they seem ‘easier’, however according to the report, students collectively agree that their favorite books are the ones they’ve chosen for themselves.

Try not to force your child to finish a book they've chosen to read for fun. At some point or another, all readers start books that they end up disliking. Some will persevere and read all the way to the end, while others will make the decision to put the book aside in favour of another title (which is better than not reading at all!).

2. Embrace Popular Book Trends

Whether it’s Aaron Blabey’s ‘The Bad Guys’ series or the school hallway drama in Rachel Renee Russell’s ‘Dork Diaries’, find out what is currently popular with your child’s peers. Don’t be afraid to read these books yourself too, or read them with your child so that you can have further conversations about the texts. 

3. Is your house a reading house?

Surround your children with books, representing a diverse range of genres and authors. Don’t discount comic books and magazines that align with your child’s interests. When the topic of a book or magazine relates to a subject your child already has background knowledge they can draw on. You are the biggest model for your children. Do they see reading happening around the house? 

4. Keep Reading With Them 

Reading aloud to (or with) your child, even as they are able to read independently, continues the tradition of reading as an interesting, enjoyable, and relaxing way to connect. This makes diving into books more fun for the whole family!

HOLIDAY READING CHALLENGE

Congratulations to the following winners of our Holiday reading challenge:

Infants winner: Ethan K (Kindy)

Primary winner: Maya MZ (Y4)

Stephanie Affleck
Teacher Librarian

New to the Collection

We have just added the New York Times bestselling Land of Stories series to the Library collection. All six stories are centred around a set of twins, Alex and Conner Bailey, who magically travel through a book of stories and come face-to-face with fairy tale characters. These adventure books combine our modern day world with classic fairy tales. 

The author Chris Colfer was an actor on the television series Glee- a role that won him a Golden Globe in 2011, and two Emmy nominations. Colfer has been writing since he was very young, first when he spent three months in hospital, and then as a way to escape the bullying that forced him to be home-schooled in years seven and eight. 

Recommended for ages 9 years and older.

This graphic novel is the second book in the Emmie & Friends series. It is about school, drama club, homework, friendship and self-discovery. This story is centred around a school talent show. The American author Terri Libenson is a New York Times bestselling children’s book author and award-winning cartoonist of a daily comic strip. The illustrations are bright, interesting and with plenty of detail to capture the reader's interest.

Recommended for ages 10 years and older.

Mrs Susan Kesur
Librarian Assistant

Key Dates

Important Dates for Sport 

K- 6 Sport 
Wednesday 21 April - 16 June

NSWCIS Cross Country 
Thursday 10 June 

Claremont Athletics Carnival
Wednesday 28 July

Wednesday Sport

Kindy and Year 1 have been having a great time in their sessions with Kick it Kindies soccer at Grant Reserve this term. Below are a few snaps of the Kindies in action this week.

Claremont Champions

Congratulations to Sofia J (Year 6) who captained her premiership winning cricket team at the end of last term. Sofia has been playing cricket for 18 months with the Randwick Junior Cricket Club (RJCC) and is absolutely loving the game and the friendships she is making with her teammates. It was an historic occasion for RJCC as this was their first female cricket team to win a Grand Final. Well done to Sofia and her teammates. 

Congratulations to Caitlyn L (Year 6) who represented Claremont at the recent NSW Combined Independent Schools (NSWCIS) Hockey trials at North Pennant Hills. She was unsuccessful in making the final team, however thoroughly enjoyed the experience of trialing against some of the best from around the state. Well done, Caitlyn!

Gala Days

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for information about a couple of upcoming gala days (netball and futsal) on the horizon for later in the term.

Mr Joel Geering Head of Sport and PDHPE

We wish to gauge the interest in a third bus route, focussing on Alexandria, Beaconsfield, Green Square, Mascot, Waterloo and Zetland areas.

If you would be interested in utilising this service in these areas, could you please complete the survey by clicking HERE.

The Mother’s Day stall for 2021 is fast approaching! The Year 4 reps have been busy planning and buying some wonderful gifts for students to purchase for their mums, grandmas and special friends on the 6th of May. Please jump on to Flexischools to make your purchases before Monday 3rd May so that your child can go shopping to choose their special gifts. Don’t forget to update your child’s year group on Flexischools before you purchase if you haven’t already.

Thank you

Sylvia Tziortzis and Natasha Peric
Year 4 Class representatives

Claremont P&F warmly welcome Kindergarten, Year 6 and any NEW parents in 2021 to our annual "Bubbles & Bites" welcome event. This event would normally have been held at the beginning of the school year, but could not due to COVID restrictions. Fortunately restrictions have now eased and we are pleased to be able to now hold this event on Friday 14 May. This is a wonderful opportunity for fellow Kindergarten parents to meet each other, for Year 6 and Kindergarten 6 buddy parents to meet and for any new parents to also start to get to know others in our wonderful school community. 

Finger food and beverages will be served. Please book your tickets by Wednesday 5 May using the following link
https://www.trybooking.com/BQUWH

PLEASE UPDATE YOUR CHILD’S GRADE ON FLEXISCHOOLS

Could all parents please update their child/ren’s year level in Flexischools. This is to avoid your child/ren’s order being delivered to the wrong year group.

The canteen operates Monday through to Friday offering a large selection of hot and cold items. The canteen menu has been designed in association with the Healthy Kids Association.  We offer online pre-ordering as well as over the counter sales for children to purchase items at both break times.

Some of the daily specials at the moment are: • Penne Pasta with Bolognese Sauce • Homemade Lasagne • Homemade Beef Nachos • Good Old-Fashioned Sausage Sizzle • Fresh Sushi Rolls • Greek Salad with Chicken • Garden Salad with Chicken • Carrot and Celery Sticks • Carrot, Celery Sticks, Hummus & Wrap Bread • Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten Free Options available 

Ordering

Orders can be placed for both recess and lunch through an online ordering system called Flexischools (www.flexischools.com.au). You can also download the app and order from any smartphone or tablet device. Orders are required to be placed by 8:30am on the day the order is required, however, you can place orders up to four weeks in advance.

Details to setup your account,  how to place an order, how to change my child’s class, how to get a refund etc are listed on the Flexischools website:  https://community.flexischools.com.au/s/parents

Recess orders are collected from the canteen by each child who has an order, lunch orders are collected by class lunch monitors from each class and brought back to the class, each child’s order is placed in individual bags with their name and ordered item on the bag. 

If frozen items are ordered, your child will receive either a separate slip from the canteen  or a stamp on their brown bag and will need to collect it from the canteen. The slip or bag will need to be presented to the canteen staff.

IOUs

If for whatever reason your child does not receive a meal with the class bucket, ie your order didn’t go through, or was put through on the wrong day etc., we offer IOUs. This will involve your child letting the teacher know they don’t have their food order, your child will need to collect an IOU form from the office. The office will call you to confirm the food to order. They can then present this to the canteen and receive their meal. This IOU will then be sent home to you to arrange payment. This can be done through the Flexischools app. 

If you have any concerns with your orders or would like to discuss anything with the canteen staff, please feel free to email us at [email protected] 

James Anthony

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.

NEW HAIR ACCESSORIES AVAILABLE IN THE UNIFORM SHOP FROM MID-MAY - See the flyer attached for more information.

The Uniform Shop is run by Ranier on the school premises during school terms on the following days:

Monday: 2:30pm-5:30pm 
Wednesday: 8:00am-11:00am

Methods of Payment: Cash, EFTPOS, MasterCard and Visa. 

For new students, fittings are by appointment. Simply book online at www.shop.ranier.com.au 

The Uniform Shop is located within the main body of the School. Please access the Uniform Shop via Coogee Bay Road lower side gate.

CONTACT

Phone: 9213 0720
Email: [email protected]
Responses will be provided during opening hours.
Note: The website can answer most of your questions at www.shop.ranier.com.au

For more immediate assistance, head office details are 

Online: ranier.com.au/contact
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 02 8337 7290

2021 term 2 School Banking – information for parents and bankers