Congratulations Henry B for your winning entry in the Year 6 photo exhibition. 

It’s a wrap… the end of another semester of fabulous learner experiences and therefore learning. So much happens each and every day in our school and we hope we have captured this for you across the semester.

In Term 1, Week 1 we talked about our key school priorities for the year ahead with our focus on a wide variety of exemplary learning opportunities for all students including wellbeing initiatives that will ensure the students are in the best place to learn in every aspect of their life. A child who is struggling socially and emotionally is not in the best place to learn, and this is why we prioritise learner dispositions and student welfare initiatives, as well as providing high quality teaching and learning experiences. 

Good metal health is an important part of healthy child development. It helps children to build positive social, emotional, behaviour, thinking and communication skills. It also lays the foundation for better mental health and wellbeing later in life. (Ref., https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/health-daily-care/mental-health/children-s-mental-health)

In following weeks, we focussed on specific learning experiences including: Guided Reading; Future Smart Dispositions; the Number Strand in Mathematics; Visual Art; Reading: Shared, Guided and Independent; History; Mathematics Problem Solving; Learning Support and Enrichment; STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics); Writing; and today Drama. 

Within each of these the students have been exposed to a variety of teaching and learning strategies including explicit instruction, independent and cooperative group tasks, inquiry learning, differentiated tasks, technology assisted learning, and experiential learning, to ensure that all students are engaged in their learning through a complete set of learner experiences.

‘Learner experience’ is a term often referred to in workplace learning, however, it is absolutely an important part of being a learner at Claremont College, where our world class learning spaces and exemplary teaching practices we offer:

• A learning environment where the quality of the physical setting in which teaching and learning takes place positively impacts the learner experience;
• Engaging learning experiences in terms of the range and suitability of the curriculum approaches while exposing students to variety so that all students find success; and
• Learning to learn opportunities where students learn and develop skills so they are equipped with the tools and strategies needed for learning now and into their future.

We look forward to sharing more curriculum areas and learner experiences with you in Semester 2.

Enjoy the mid-year break, doing whatever it is you love to do in winter. My favourite winter quote is ‘Winter is a season of recovery and preparation’ from Paul Theroux, and as an ex-farm girl, I know this is true for the land, as I am sure it is true for our souls and our spirits too; and it is certainly true that our staff and students need this break to rest and recover, and to prepare for another semester of learning ahead.  

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, 
And do not return there without watering the earth 
And making it bear and sprout, 
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater” 
Isaiah 55:10

Janelle Ford
Co-Principal 

Follow us

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

As you may be aware, there are cases of community transmission in our area announced by NSW Health. This is particularly important to the Claremont community as the case is a person who has visited multiple locations around the Eastern Suburbs.

Due to its proximity, it is possible that families may have visited the venues of concern. NSW Health has directed anyone who attended any of the venues at the times specified to immediately get tested and self-isolate until further advice from NSW Health. Please check these sights on the NSW Health website.

This advice applies to everyone, including those people who may have been partially or fully vaccinated.

We would like to remind our Claremont community to continue to stay vigilant, exercise caution, and be reminded that COVID-19 is still very much among us. If your child is unwell, they need to stay home and get tested. Some recent COVID information from the Government regarding COVID-19 and children can be found here. Please note that gastrointestinal symptoms in children are included.

As you are aware, the updates continue to change and develop. We will keep you updated with the latest information that comes to hand. We will certainly keep you informed over the holidays should the situation change. Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding.

Mrs Alanna James
Acting Deputy Principal

Instead of birthday presents this year, Henry B (Year 6) decided to raise money for the Great Barrier Reef, a place close to his heart. He raised $490.

Henry, you are an inspiration!

As you may be aware, in the past our school has used a company called MMG Education to survey our Kindergarten, Year 3 and Year 6 parents to gain feedback and insight into various key areas of our school. This year, we will be using a different service for our surveys. This service is Perspectives: Your School in Focus, which is developed by AISNSW (Association of Independent Schools NSW) to support school improvement endeavours. The information gathered will assist in furthering the growth and development of our school community. We will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.

These surveys have been specifically designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of stakeholders’ perceptions of five important areas: School Environment, Teaching and Learning, Student Wellbeing, Leadership and Community. All staff, students, parents/guardians, leaders and board members will be invited to participate.

The surveys will be available early Term 3 and are conducted online, taking approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. We will be asking all parents to complete this new survey format for us this year.

Your input and contribution are important to the success of our school’s progress, as we aspire to focus on the learning experience for everyone at our school.

You will receive more information regarding our surveys in the coming weeks.

Mrs Janelle Ford & Mrs Alanna James
Co-Principal & Acting Deputy Principal

Keep safe these holidays.

Make sure you keep safe around the roads and cars, to be aware of ‘stranger danger’ and to be safe online. Do not use any app that is not age appropriate. If unsure, you can find out at esafety.gov.au

Have a safe and happy holiday!

Larissa Cameron
Co-Principal

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

Gold Certificates

Jemma L, Ava L, Gia G, Finlay P, Daniel L, Thomas H
Georgia O, Charlotte K, Rosie R, Jai P, Amber O.

Pennant

Micah C, Victoria G, Georgina K, Harry B

Whilst we give priority for enrolments to siblings, placement can not be guaranteed. If you have a pre-schooler who is due to begin school in 2023, please ensure that your application form is lodged or your child might miss out on a place. Additional references are not required for sibling application.

Should you have any questions or require confirmation that an application has been submitted, please contact Mrs Rochester.

In the near future we will be farewelling one of our amazing bus drivers and with that this opens up an opportunity for someone else to join our team at Claremont College. This is a position that would be great for someone who loves kids, is a great team player, is interested in part time work Monday to Friday and has a minimum of a light rigid NSW licence.

If you are interested in transporting our children to and from school, or if you know of anyone in the community that this position may be of interest to, please call the office and speak with Gaye Crafts for further details - Ph 9399 3217.

If your child uses the school bus, or you would like to register to use the school bus for Term 3, please complete the registration form by CLICKING HERE. Please note that the buses are only able to carry 24 passengers each, and also service certain areas.

If you have any questions in relation to the school bus service, please email [email protected]

2022 Draft Term Dates

Term 2 2021

Term 3 2021

Term 4 2021

ONLINE ORDER CODE: 537 6V3 2EM

Online Order link: https://www.advancedimage.com.... 

School photographs are scheduled to be taken by Advancedlife on Monday 19 July and Tuesday 20 July. Whilst an envelope and flyer was sent home with students, it is our preference for ordering to be completed online. This is to reduce administration and potential security issues related to the return of cash and envelopes on photo day.

Orders for packages and sibling photographs can be placed securely online at www.advancedlife.com.au using our school’s unique 9 digit advanced order code (537 6V3 2EM) or by clicking the link above. Portrait and group package orders are due by photography day. 

Should you wish to purchase a sibling photograph online, the order must be placed no later than the day before photography day (ie Sunday 18 July). Sibling photographs will only be taken if an order has been placed. 

Should you have any queries concerning school photographs or online ordering, please contact us at www.advancedlife.com.au/contac... 

Important Information:

• School photos purchased online DO NOT require envelopes to be returned to school*
• Don’t forget to order your sibling photos now
• Late fees/additional charges will be applied for purchases after photo day
• Photos will be returned to your school for distribution approximately six weeks after photos are taken
• Past years’ photographs including sports, co-curricular and representative groups are available at school’s advancedlife & your advancedyou photo sites (follow the link above) 

*Sibling photographs must be ordered either online or by an order envelope prior to the day of photography.  A photograph will not be taken without an order. Sibling photographs only apply to children enrolled at the school.

advancedlife would like to express their appreciation to Claremont College. They offer a 100% money back guarantee on our products to ensure your peace of mind. If you have any questions, comments or feedback relating to your advancedlife experience please contact them at [email protected]

Over the two days of school photos, we request that students wear the correct uniform as follows:

• Full winter uniform is to be worn, including the school blazer;
• The vest or jumper is optional extra item;
• Please make sure that the correct tie is worn, plain green tie for girls uniform and the tartan tie for boys;
• Hair neat and tidy, with hair length below the collar needing to be tied back;
• Please make sure that your child’s school shoes are polished;
• School shirts must be tucked in;
• Socks are to be worn ‘pulled up’;
• Girls wear either green tights with the tunic dress, or long green socks with their shorts and shirts;
• Girls should wear the correct hair accessory, either the new style or plain green; and
• Year 6 Jerseys are not to be worn in formal grade photos.

Students in Years 3 & 4 (Monday) and Kindergarten & Year 2 (Tuesday) - no PE uniform on these days, please wear full school uniform. PE classes will still go ahead. 

If your child is registered for before school tennis lessons on a Monday morning, the lesson will still proceed, and it will be up to parents’ discretion whether you wish your child to attend that morning.

Term 3 Morning and Sports Skills Registrations close today

Year 4 Forces Excursion to Carss Park

Year 5 Adaption Excursion to Symbio Wildlife Park

CREATIVE AND PRACTICAL ARTS - DRAMA

Dramatic activity is already a natural part of most children’s lives before they start school in the form of make-believe play, enabling them to make sense of their own identity by exploring meaningful fictional situations that have parallels in the real world. This can be utilised at school through structured play and drama to encourage pupils to learn actively and interactively throughout the primary years and across the curriculum. (Ref., Learning Through Drama in the Primary Years, by David Farmer)

In particular, drama develops literacy skills, supporting speaking and listening, extending vocabulary and encouraging pupils to understand and express themselves in different ways.

During Drama, students explore and convey stories, events and feelings through roles, and they work collaboratively to communicate and express feelings through actions. They experience and respond to a range of drama forms and elements by making, performing and appreciating drama. Learning in Drama is most effective when experiences in making, performing and appreciating are integrated in a planned and sequential process of teaching and learning.

Students develop knowledge, skills and understanding in the following two domains:

• Making and Performing where students use their imagination in play and dramatic Situations, and dramatise personal experiences; and
• Appreciating where students respond to dramatic experiences.

Enjoy reading about the creative learner experiences the students enjoy, across the grades.

Janelle Ford
Co-Principal

Drama in Kindergarten

Drama provides students with opportunities to explore their gifts, ideas and feelings. In Term 1, students explored the dramatic forms of storytelling, developing their use of facial expressions and voice to portray characters and ideas. They worked collaboratively in groups and as a whole class to make and perform drama, and they reflected on their own drama experiences. A special highlight in Term 1 was performing “We’re going on a bear hunt” by Michael Rosen as part of our Grandparents and Special Friends Day celebrations.

This term, Kindergarten students have enjoyed learning to tell stories through the use of puppets. Puppetry is a form of drama in which the performer brings to life an inanimate object and then creates a role for the puppet in a dramatic situation. Students have explored different forms of puppetry including hand puppets and finger puppets. They have also learnt to manipulate puppets to depict movements and voices that match the puppet’s character.

Mrs Hitchen, Miss Carter, Mr Ko, Miss King and Mrs Sally Durek 
Kindergarten Teaching Team

Drama in Year 1

What have we been focusing on?                                    

In Term 1 Year 1 has learned to focus on emotions and how these are conveyed. We looked at a variety of live action and animated clips to examine how actors convince their audience they are feeling a certain way. We practised this ourselves by using facial expressions and body language. 

This term, the students have explored the dramatic forms of mime and mask. They further developed their use of movement and facial expressions to portray a character or an idea, because when in a mask, body movements and gestures need to be significantly exaggerated to adequately convey meaning to others.

Students have enjoyed working collaboratively in small groups this semester to make and perform drama. They have also been learning the skill of reflecting on their own drama making, and appreciating the drama of their peers and of other actors. 

Why Drama?

It should come as no surprise that participating in drama activities helps to build confidence. It also has the benefit of developing language and communication skills as students collaborate with others, and learn to describe, reflect and analyse their own drama work and that of others.

So, what is the verdict?

We took a survey of the Year 1 students to find out what they think about their Drama lessons this Semester and what they have learned. Here are the common themes that kept popping up in their responses:

Seeking- Year 1 Maths Games Helpers

We are excited to invite Year 1 parents into our learning space next term. We will be holding weekly Maths Games on a Wednesday in Term 3 and would love to have some parent helpers to lead an activity for a small group of children. 

If you are available at 10.45am for a bit over an hour on one (or many!) Wednesdays next term then we would love to hear from you. 

The dates we are looking at holding these rotating small group games are-

Wednesday 21 July (Week 2 of Term 3)
Wednesday 4 August (Week 4)*
Wednesday 11 August (Week 5)
Wednesday 18 August (Week 6)
Wednesday 25 August (Week 7)
Wednesday 1 September (Week 8)
Wednesday 8 September (Week 9)
Wednesday 15 September (Week 10)

*NB- no activities will be held in Week 3 due to the School Athletics Carnival.

The session would involve leading a group of approximately 6 children in a game or activity (explained to you beforehand) for 20 minutes and then repeating that activity for 2 more groups. 

To help us organise a roster it would be helpful for all interested parents to indicate which of the above dates you would be available (and willing) to help out, AND whether you would prefer to help out on just one occasion, or multiple. All helpers will require an up to date Working With Children Check. Please let us know either by a note in the school diary or via email to the school office.

We look forward to sharing your child's learning experiences with you in our classroom! 

Kind regards,

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

Drama in Year 2

This term, students used drama to explore everyday experiences and playground interactions. We integrated our speaking and listening unit into our drama unit and also looked at emotions and questioning techniques. 

One of the dramatic techniques we used this term included how we use and fill space with our bodies. This included experimenting with ‘freeze frames’ where the students create a photograph with their bodies in a group to represent a scene. The students share this ‘photograph’ with the class and then answer questions posed to them about what the characters in the photograph are doing or how they are feeling to try to gather information about what is happening in the freeze frame. This is a great technique to have students think about how to use their bodies to create a scene and fill the space around them. By questioning it also allows students to inhabit their character more fully and think about that character's motivations and thoughts.

Another activity that students undertook this term was learning how to develop their questioning skills through a variety of games. We played a variation on ‘Celebrity Heads’ where one student had to guess the animal that we had chosen for them through detailed and specific questioning. The students loved these games and learned how to target their questioning to discover the most information.

Students had many opportunities to present their ideas and dramatic tableaus to the class which helps them to develop their expression and projection and build their confidence.

We look forward to seeing the interesting and exciting ideas that the students come up with next term as we continue our journey in Drama! 

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

ICAS Parent Letter

Drama in Year 3

Drama encapsulates so much more than simply acting on a stage. This term in our Year 3 drama lessons, we have explored the arts of scriptwriting, performance and drama appreciation. 

Before a race, an athlete stretches. Before a concerto, orchestras tune their instruments. Before our drama lessons, Year 3 participates in some drama warm up games. Students are asked to act out everyday activities, mindful of each step. ‘Pretend you are making a glass of milk’ became a full performance as students learnt to break activities down into their multiple steps; first walking to the fridge, then reaching for the milk carton, then closing the fridge… 

How do we know what good acting looks like unless we see examples of good acting. During our ‘drama appreciation’ lessons, students were shown clips of both high and low quality acting performances. We asked questions like, ‘what makes her characterisation believable?’.

For many students, the highlight of our drama production was the opportunity to write and perform their own play. In groups of 6 or 7, students were presented with a traditional dreamtime story which they were asked to adapt to the stage. Students created roles, wrote scripts and blocked each scene of their plays. Many students began exploring with character development as they matched movement and voice to their character’s personality. After a week of rehearsals, students were ready to perform!

There was an excited buzz in the air as each acting troupe trod the boards. Year 3 enjoyed watching reenactments of stories such as ‘How The Birds Got Their Colours’ and ‘Tiddilick the Frog’.

“It was fun to work with my group. We worked as a team to write our script! We decided to include a narrator in our play because we thought it would help the audience to understand what was going on.” - Maleia G 

“I really enjoyed when we got to create our own performance. We told the story of how the kangaroo got its pouch. I was the baby kangaroo and I was a little nervous and excited to perform!” - Bella L 

“When we act, I like that everyone gets to have a line - something to say. We were careful to make sure everyone got something to say in our play. “ - Mateo H

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

ICAS Parent Letter

What does Drama look like in Year 4?

In Term 1, students developed their knowledge, skills and understanding in making drama collaboratively by taking on roles and creating imagined situations that told a story. Through performing their stories, students worked collaboratively to select as well as create sound effects to add to the meaning of their performance.

They were able to share and reflect on the process of creating their story and the reasons why they chose to perform a certain way.

In Term 2, students investigated puppetry. Initially they explored and appreciated a variety of puppets. They found it fascinating to learn from Joey Mazzarino, a Sesame Street Puppeteer, as well as research some of the puppets and props used in Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ and ‘War Horse’ musicals.  For many students, a highlight in Drama was the opportunity to create and perform with their very own sock puppet. The atmosphere in the learning space was buzzing with excitement as they carefully planned their puppet’s character by considering appearance, movement and voice. Students would then record their performance as well as watch their peers perform with their puppets. This provided opportunities for them to analyse and reflect on their own performance as well as their peers. 

“I enjoyed working together with other people and practising our drama performance.”
- Harry B 

“I liked that we were able to act out stories. I also really enjoyed making my puppet.”
- Hannah B 

“I enjoyed performing from a script. I loved making and performing with my puppet. I ended up making a movie with my own puppet as well as Maya’s puppet!”
- Isla B 

“I liked performing a play with my friends and I liked learning how puppeteers move their puppets.” - Scarlett C 

“I learned how to make different voices and movements with my puppet. I also liked using technology to make different sound effects.”
- Daniel F 

“I enjoyed acting and reading a script. I also liked making props and sock puppets for my performance.” - Jez C 

“I liked acting out our play. We got to see other people’s plays. It was fun to make a video with my puppet.” - Indigo E 

“I enjoyed rehearsing for the play that my group performed.” - Ben F 

“I liked making my puppet. I think it boosted my confidence to perform in front of other people.”
- Summer L 

“We learned how to perform a play and use lots of facial expressions and voices to show what different characters are like.”
- Ned L 

“I enjoyed making the puppet and interacting with them. I also liked performing in front of other people. I think I became more confident.”
- Leni O  

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

ICAS Parent Letter

Term 3 Excursion note to Carss Park

Drama in Year 5

This term, our students have been exploring the children’s classic, The Lorax by Dr Seuss. Through this, students have used mime to act out scenes and rehearse scenes which follow the story of the Lorax and communicate the message of protecting our planet.

At Claremont College, we believe drama encourages our students to think and act creatively. Our flexible learning spaces allow us to quickly move desks to create a large creative space for our students to act and perform. Through drama, our students develop interdependent thinking, creative problem-solving, critical thinking and leadership skills that can be applied in all Key Learning Areas. It also enables students to formulate and express ideas and opinions. In the lead up to yesterday’s play, our students were required to take responsibility for their roles and make decisions with regards to how they use their voice and movement to communicate to an audience.  They needed to learn their lines and support their fellow actors on stage. 

Here’s what our students had to say: 

“It was fun to act in the Lorax play.  I was a tree.  I loved making people laugh when the Oncer used his axe to cut me down.”
- Enzo S 

“I thought the play was really well produced.  Everyone worked really well together and that made it a fun experience.”
- Anthony T 

“It was really fun!  I enjoyed it dearly because it was a wonderful experience.  Everyone had such a good time performing in the play.” - Gia G 

“I enjoyed it except I did get nervous which made me talk faster than normal.  But I still had a wonderful time on stage.” - Billie H 

“It was super fun!  I loved learning my role and watching others act out their roles.  I also loved using the different props.” - Sophie R

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

Event Note - Adaptions Excursion to Symbio Wildlife Park

ICAS Parent Letter

Drama in Year 6

In Year 6 this term, we have been exploring a wide variety of themes and topics surrounding World War 1 and more specifically, The Gallipoli Campaign and ANZAC Day. We have integrated this overarching theme into our Drama unit, focusing on providing students with a stimulus to then create their own short films linking to World War 1 and ANZAC Day. These films provided students with an opportunity to explore a number of different aspects of drama such as filming, script writing, acting, editing and then appreciating different drama performances.

Students did a fantastic job creating these short films, using storyboards and collaborating in small group’s to build and refine their ideas. We experimented with using different filming angles to create and add meaning to scenes, as well as having access to a green screen which brought many scenes to life. On top of the script writing and filming, acting and more specifically, immersing themselves in the shoes of the characters they were playing was a key part of creating these movies. Accents, facial expressions, tone and body language were all highlighted as important areas that build a character and create a realistic movie experience. Overall, this was a very enjoyable task for all students, with each group's movie being shown to Year 6 as a whole after the filming and editing process was completed. Students were asked to reflect on their own role in creating their short film, as well as reflecting and identifying aspects of other groups' movies that were done well or could have been improved.

Photography Winners 2021

The results are in! A massive thank you to everyone who was able to view the Year 6 Photography Exhibition this week. I’m sure you will all agree, the students have done a fantastic job with their photographs this term and should all be very proud of themselves. 

In the Student Choice section, where each student throughout the school cast their vote, the winner was Photo #3 which belonged to Henry B. Coming in second and third place, in a tie was Photo #12 and Photo number #35, which belonged to Xanthe and Jake. Well done to Henry B, Xanthe S and Jake W.

In the Teacher/Parent Choice section, results were very close, and we saw a tie for first place, between Photo number #18 and #33, which were taken by Archie M and Georgia B. In second and third place, we again had remarkably another tie, between Photo number #40 and #11, which were taken by Thomas L and Nick T. Well done to Archie M, Georgia B, Thomas L and Nick T.

Year 6 Student Fundraiser

Over Week 8 and at the very start of Week 9, we hosted a competition, with the aim to raise money for the charity, “Save the Children”. This was a charity I saw and thought was very important, because there are so many children around the world that are in less fortunate situations than us. The fundraiser we decided to do was with a jar of jellybeans, and gave students from K - 6 the opportunity to guess how many jellybeans are in the jar. The winner of this competition was Sophie L (Year 1), with a guess of 522. The amount of jellybeans in the jar was 516, but Sophie had the closest guess. The fundraiser raised $161.70 for the charity and we could not have been happier, thank you everyone for your generosity!

Alex K - Year 6

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

ICAS Parent Letter

This week in Chapel we have been reinforcing last week’s message about compassion in action. God showed compassion to humans, and now in response, humanity shows compassion to others.

Infants Chapel - In our videoed message, infants students learnt about the reasons why we are generous and charitable. In Matthew 25:40 Jesus speaks about charity, saying ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Infant students were invited to act out compassion in real life by getting involved in the Kids Giving Back organisation. Mrs Nunn spoke to students about her experience of going to the Cook4Good charity with her son. The program, designed for children aged 8 -12, runs charitable activities for families to partake in on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Programs include Cook4Good, Wild Walks, Helping Hands for the Homeless, and much more! For more information, please visit https://kidsgivingback.org/ or watch this informative video. 

Primary Chapel - In our face-to-face Chapel, students explored the topic of worry. I shared some personal stories about what life was like when I was at primary school. We looked at Luke 12:22–31, in particular, verse 31, ‘Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.’

Mrs Adelaide Marquet
Chapel Coordinator

Reading over the Holidays

The school holidays are just around the corner, and whilst we can breathe a sigh of relief that there is no more morning rush, lunch boxes to pack or uniforms to iron, many parents often wonder how they can best support their child’s reading over the long holiday break? It goes without saying that the best thing about the winter break is allowing the children time to play, relax, create and spend time with family and friends, but also making sure our kids sustain the reading progress they have made over the first half of the year?

Premier’s Reading Challenge

Congratulations to the 25 students who have already completed this year’s challenge. With the closing date not until 20 August, the holidays present the perfect opportunity to get comfy with a good book and tick them off. 

Story Box Library

This is just a reminder that the Library has purchased a subscription to Story Box Library. This allows the students to watch their favourite stories at home online. We often use this resource during library borrowing sessions as it provides access to a wide range of stories and a diverse range of storytellers. The added feature is that it allows us to view on the large television screens in the Library. Story Box Library includes stories specifically associated with national literary associations and events such as National Simultaneous Storytime, Book Week, The Children’s Book Council of Australia and the Premier’s Reading Challenges. Library Borrowing sessions off campus consist of students being directed to a specific story via Story Box and then a suggested post reading fun activity. Last week we created a web link on all of the students iPads and during Library Borrowing classes students logged in to this resource.

All students should now be able to access this resource at home as follows: 

Visit www.storyboxlibrary.com.au 
Username: claremont
Password: cbrstory

Please use the filter option to select by theme, storyteller, age ie lower or middle primary and length of story. 

SORA

If you haven’t already done so, can we encourage you to download the app SORA at home. Sora is a shared digital library collection of over 1,500 quality titles that the students use at school. The collection titles are chosen by educational content experts guided by the most popular reads among school students.

Exploring eBooks Now Collection (Handy Tips)

The Sora app is very user friendly and it is worth taking the time to explore all the available resources with your children.

Use the Explore (binoculars) icon to explore the entire collection. Then simply click on selected subjects of interest. Click on explore all subjects to access the entire subjects collection. 

One useful feature is the Read Sample option as this allows the user to check out the text and illustrations before borrowing. 

For younger readers the Beginning Reader collection is worth exploring.

Read-Alongs they allow the student to listen to a narrated story but also follow the reader as the words are highlighted.

If you feel your children have had too much time looking at a screen do a search of the range of audiobooks available. 

Please read the attached sheets forwarded from our IT department to assist you further in navigating your selecting and borrowing resources.

To Access eBooks Now 

Click on the link
http://ebooks.claremont.nsw.edu.au

Sign into your school - select Claremont College

Username: for example john.smith or if a student has a longer name it will be the same format as their email. 

We are very excited to share this digital collection with our students and really look forward to feedback from everyone. This digital resource collection has been selected to enhance our school's traditional library collection. We still recognise and value the huge importance of physical books in children's lives. The pleasure of sharing a hard copy book with children and the joy derived by the tactile experience of feeling and touching books is something very special. This digital collection, we hope, is going to help maintain all the students reading over the coming three weeks. We expect to hear many book reviews from all our keen readers next term. 

Please contact [email protected] if you require further help. 

We hope you enjoy both these holiday options. 

Mrs Stephanie Affleck
Teacher Librarian

New Titles To The Collection

This is a wonderful book full of illustrations that are bold, vibrant and depict twenty-five Australian birds. Full of clattering cockatoos, parading penguins and greedy galahs, Busy Beaks introduces the young reader to Australian birds of all shapes and sizes. The text is simple which allows the story to flow. There is a ‘Facts & Feathers’ section at the end that provides more detail about each bird. This book has been shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia, Book of the Year - Early Childhood 2021.

Recommended for ages 0- 6 years, but older children will also enjoy reading this book.

This is an Amnesty International UK endorsed book. It is set in Budapest in 1944 and tells the true story of a young Jewish boy and his family struggling to survive in the war torn country. Peter the young boy in the story, tells the moving account of his family’s survival as all around them so many Hungarian Jews were taken away to concentration camps. The book is illustrated in graphic novel style, with the story told through a series of images and dialogue, with short bursts of text. It is a tense, moving story and the reader feels the courage of the family.

Recommended for children 9 years and older.

Mrs Susan Kesur
Librarian Assistant

Key Dates

Important Dates for Sport

Claremont Athletics Carnival
Wednesday 28 July

Term 3 Morning Skills

Term 3 extra curricular sport information and registration form are now available (see attachment below). Please remember to register online for all morning activities as soon as possible to avoid disappointment as some sports have limited positions.

We aim to provide a range of opportunities for students to participate in different sports and physical activities throughout the year. Obviously, some sports are more popular than others and run all year round, while others that are offered need to be cancelled or not offered again due to insufficient interest (E.g. volleyball offered in Term 3 last 2 years).

When completing the registration form, there is also an opportunity for you to provide feedback on what sports/activities you would be interested in registering your child for in the future. 

For billing purposes, registrations will close today, Friday 18 June.

Programs commence from Week 2, Term 3 

Please refer to the information booklet for all information about sports on offer.

Term 3 Morning & Sport Skills Information booklet

Claremont Champions

Congratulations Taka M (Year 5) who recently came 5th in the Kyokushin Karate NSW Championship in the 10-12 yrs old non-contact division. He is in high spirits after his results and will continue to train hard towards the National Championship in August. Well done, Taka! 

Congratulations to Jade J (Year 5) who was selected to represent the Southern City Seahawks in the Australian Oztag City v Country competition played up at the Central Coast on the long weekend. It was a tough competition and nail-biting  at times, however,  Jade and the team came away as victors in U11s girls final 5 to 4 against the Western City Scorpions.

Jade and her fellow Year 5 classmate, Sarah B, also trialled and were selected for the Randwick Rugby netball associations U11s girls 2021 Development Squad earlier this year. The girls were treated to an intensive 10 week training program and played in 3 representative netball carnivals on Sundays playing other regional teams. It was a great opportunity for Sarah and Jade who further developed their netball skills, made lots of new friends and enjoyed this special experience. Well done, Sarah and Jade.

School Holiday Programs

One of the aims of Sport at Claremont is to expose children to a range of different sports in the hope that they might develop an interest in some of those sports that they then pursue within the local community sporting organisations. Some of the sporting organisations that have been involved with Claremont throughout the year are running holiday programs during the break.

Basketball - Sydney Comets are running a range of different programs to suit different ages and abilities. Check out www.sydneybasketball.com.au for more information.

AFL - See https://aflnswact.com.au/aflschoolholidayclinics for more information about a free AFL program during the school holidays. 

Mr Joel Geering
Head of Sport and PDHPE

After a year of non gatherings, the P&F are excited to invite ALL Claremont parents to our ‘Christmas in July’ community event.

The Year 5 grade representatives, Cathy Jin and Brooke Copland have organised a fantastic night of food, drink, entertainment and dancing at The Clovelly Surf Lifesaving Club on Saturday 31 July 2021.

To add some fun and colour to the night, come dressed in your crazy Christmas sweater!

Please note there is limited capacity for this event. Tickets are now available on Flexischools.

Melisse Lee
P&F President

Can you volunteer? We need your help with the School Banking program!

School Banking is a fun, interactive and engaging way for young Australians to learn about money and develop good savings habits. Children who deposit money into their Youthsaver account through School Banking will earn an exciting reward every time they reach 10 deposits.

School Banking is also a great fundraiser for our school. Our school receives a Regular Savers Contribution of $5 for every 10 deposits processed per student as well as an Annual Contribution which is based on the number of students who made at least one School Banking deposit in the prior year. 

Our students really enjoy participating in the Commonwealth Bank School Banking program and to keep this program running we need your help. We currently have two Co-ordinators (Jeff Morton & Betty Preshaw) who both have children in year 5, ie final year in 2022. In the next few weeks Betty will be unavailable for a period of time so we thought this would be a good opportunity to bring in some assistance to plan for the future. 

The program requires a volunteer School Banking Co-ordinator to facilitate the banking and distribution of School Banking rewards. The School Banking is processed at the same time each week and will only take a small amount of your time. The Commonwealth Bank will provide support in how to run the program. Your help with the program will greatly benefit students as they practice saving skills and also help our school with fundraising.

Currently, School Banking day is Tuesday for processing on Wednesday. Changes to the day can be discussed based on the volunteer’s availability. 

If you are interested in volunteering for this great program, please contact Jeff Morton on 0414843674.

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]

Teamkids Newsletter - T2 W9

School Holiday Bookings are now open. 

Click HERE to see the wonderful holiday program which has been planned.  

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.

Please note that the Uniform Shop will be closed during the school holiday period.

Click HERE for details.

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

As your local bus operator, we are providing an update following our correspondence last month regarding proposed bus changes in the South East. 

Transport for NSW (TfNSW) have extended the original six-week consultation period for a further 12 days, meaning the community can now provide feedback until 30 June 2021.

While there are no planned changes to dedicated school services as part of this proposal, some students that catch regular route services may need to change their travel, and TfNSW would like to get feedback from the Claremont College community. 

To further assist you, we’ve included a summary of the routes that may affect students travelling to your school.                                                            

Please include a reminder in your school communications to students, staff and your wider school community that TfNSW are seeking feedback on the proposal and the opportunity to do so has now been extended until the end of this month.

To provide feedback on the proposed bus changes in the South East please visit www.mysydney.nsw.gov.au/SE_bus.... Here you will also find a network map.

TfNSW will provide updates on the outcome of community consultation following a review of the feedback received. Changes to bus services are set to be introduced in late 2021. 

Kind regards, 
Brendan Rabbitt
Director Customer Operations, State Transit

Welcome to Tuesday Afternoon Cooking Club!! There will be an opportunity for 10 children from Years 3-6 to take part in an hour long Cooking experience with Mrs N in the Year 2 classroom every Tuesday from 3:30pm-4:30pm! Those who put their names down first will be enrolled for the term. The cost is $250 per child per term and that will include all meal ingredients and the children will take home the food they make. There will be a full list of foods we will be cooking in next term's Week 1 newsletter. 

Each child will just need to provide their own take home container for the food they make and an apron. It will be loads of fun and the result will be yummy and delicious meals.

CLICK HERE to register. 

Thank you

Susan Nicolaides

Our after school art students have been very busy this term.  These are just a few projects on the theme of Oceans and Animals. We have made 3D sea urchins in paper, created our dream pet in a collage, watercolour and paint pen jellyfish and peacocks, aerial oceans with constructed paper whales, got creative with sea glass and played creative clay and drawing games. We aim to inspire and provide experience with varied materials with guidance and short demonstrations along the way. Follow our creative journey via Instagram.com/artisanathomeworkshops

We run three art classes a week: Mixed Media Monday, Experienced Mixed Media Wednesday and Drawing Class on Thursday. Starts at 3:10pm where students make their way to Kindergarten Rooms for BYO afternoon tea and pick up is at 5pm at the fishpond.

Our term 3 enrolments are now open via this link. https://artisanathome.com.au/ . Classes are limited to 10 students. Apologies if we need to put you on a wait list, we have many regulars that have priority re-enrolment. We accept the NSW Creative Vouchers.  If you would like to use this, enter in the code CREATIVEVOUCHER so that it applies $100 off and provide the Voucher Number, Student Name and DOB at the checkout. 

If you have any questions, you can contact Phi (fai) Morton on 0403377420 or [email protected]

Does your child love music and drama? Would they like to have fun and grow their skills in singing, acting and performance? Enrolments for Semester 2 for our after school extracurricular class Curtain Call are OPEN! Learning how to sing and perform on stage is a great way to gain a love for music, grow in confidence, build self-esteem as well as self-discipline, and of course have a lot of FUN! Curtain Call is an all encompassing group class where students learn how to sing and how to apply drama and performance skills for stage! 

Class times: Each Wednesday commencing Week 2

K-2: 3pm-4pm
Y3-4: 4pm-5pm
Y5-6: 5pm-6pm 

Enrolments are open so please email our singing tutor, Lyndell at [email protected] for more information and to secure a spot for your child today!

Coding classes continue in Term 3, 2021! 

Join us for 1 hour every Monday or Tuesday, starting from the 2nd week next term.

Monday - Learn Coding with Minecraft (Intermediate)

When: 3:15-4:15pm every Monday 19/7/21 - 13/9/21 (9 classes)
Where: School Library

What they learn: In this course, students will design their own adventure game. This includes creating a story, designing quests, coding game mechanics, and much more. Students will learn more advanced coding concepts and continue to develop their critical and creative thinking. 

To enrol, please use the following links to enrol: http://bit.ly/ccps21t3mon

Tuesday - Learn Coding with Minecraft (Beginner)

When: 3:15-4:15pm every Tuesday, 20/7/21 - 14/9/21 (9 classes)
Where: School Library

What they learn: In this course, students will create automations using their Minecraft robot. This includes things like an automatic delivery system, a zoo with hundreds of animals, a house factory, and much more. Students will learn the fundamentals of coding, as well as critical and creative thinking.

To enrol, please use the following links to enrol: http://bit.ly/ccps21t3tues