As I reflect on this past week, I am reminded of the importance of having a healthy school community that prioritises parental involvement and participation, and I am incredibly thankful for the support of the overwhelming number of parents who contribute in so many ways. We can have great confidence in knowing that the generosity and involvement of parents at Claremont directly impacts student learning, academic outcomes, and promotes and supports positive wellbeing. Families are stronger because of parent involvement in the life of the school, and the health and vitality of our school community as a whole flourishes. 

The P&F Family Fun Night last week was a wonderful occasion. We had a fantastic number of people attending. Thank you to everyone who attended and for your generosity. Thank you to all the teachers who were so kind to attend and help on the night, and especially those who volunteered for the dunking machine: Mrs James, Mr Ryan, Miss McKersie and Mr Ko.

The P&F Family Fun Night was certainly lots of fun and the occasion provided us all with a fabulous opportunity to connect, to celebrate and be thankful for all that Claremont College brings to our lives.

We especially thank the amazing Year 6 P&F Family Fun Night Committee led by Melisse Lee (Naomi Yr 6, Caitlyn Yr 4, Ava Yr 1), together with Andi Christoff (Mia Yr 6, Oliver Yr 4, Grace Yr 1), Rebecca Birch (Poppy Yr 6), Vivienne Shahin (Zara Yr 6), Emma Laurence (Zoe Yr 6, Anna Yr 5, Marnie Yr 2).

Congratulations to the group of Yr 6 buskers who raised $250 which they have generously donated to sponsor children in India.

Thank you also to the Year 6 parents, teachers and students who worked tirelessly for us all.  It was a great night!

Thank you to the many parents who just this week, have contributed to our school in so many ways as well. For example, I am mindful of the help we have received through your involvement in assisting on excursions, class maths and reading groups, Indonesian lessons, those who helped at yesterday’s Kindergarten Orientation Morning, the Basketball Gala Day, and those who meet to pray for our school and attend Chapel.

The more we feel connected to this wonderful school, and experience authentic belonging, the more our children learn and grow stronger in all aspects of their development.

Yesterday, it was so wonderful to have our new students and their parents attend our Kindergarten Orientation morning. The group of children were incredibly confident as they headed to their new classrooms with minimal tears and no fusses. It was such a pleasure for me to speak with the parents and to speak about the power of our school community, and the partnership we have in education. I was so proud of our current Kindergarten students who sang songs and performed with such energy and confidence. Welcome to the many new families who have joined the Claremont Community. We are delighted that you are joining us for the journey.

Earlier this week, a State Government Committee, chaired by Mark Latham, visited Claremont College. We were delighted that we were one of a small number of schools selected as a ‘best practice school’. Below is an excerpt of the letter of request;

The Legislative Council's Portfolio Committee No. 3 is currently conducting an inquiry into measurement and outcome-based funding in New South Wales schools. As part of the inquiry the committee has resolved to conduct site visits at a number of selected schools identified as being best practice schools, with the aim of seeing different practices in each school.

The committee have identified Claremont College, Randwick as a best practice school and propose to visit the school on Tuesday 29 October.  During this visit the committee would be interested in a walk-through of the school to see facilities, observe a successful teaching program in action (if possible) and a briefing with the Principal of the practices, programs and models used that make Claremont College a best practice school.

We were very proud to show the visiting team our school and to receive such great feedback as they watched the teachers in action and spoke with many children about their learning. Some of their comments were just fantastic and a real credit to the teachers and affirmation of co-teaching and student wellbeing programs:

"We have never seen anything like this, anywhere before."
"The students are incredibly engaged."
"This school is very progressive."
"I can see that teacher quality is a priority here."
"We have never seen children who are so happy in their learning.”

 Three cheers for Claremont!

Congratulations to our Year 6 Girls’ and Year 6 Boys’ Basketball teams, who won their grand finals at the Year 5 & 6 Basketball Gala Day at Bankstown on Monday. For more details please read Mr Geering’s Sport@Claremont section in this newsletter. 

Three more cheers for Claremont!

Every year we provide the opportunity for Kindergarten, Year 3 and Year 6 parents, to provide feedback to us through ‘MMG’ surveys. Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us, as it assists us to make decisions regarding school improvement and strategic planning. The data we receive through these surveys is benchmarked with other independent schools in our area and across Australia, providing us with a valuable insight into how Claremont College performs in comparison to other schools.

Parents in Kindergarten, Year 3 and Year 6, are asked to keep an eye out for an email asking for your participation in these surveys. Your help by completing the survey is very much appreciated.

A kindy student told Mr Ko he was going to a friend’s party on the weekend. He was holding on tightly to a ripped piece of paper with the address written by his mate.

This was the message:

This week the focus is on the Admin Team.

Our positive behaviour focus next week will be:

'Wherever you might be, either in the playground, at camp or in learning spaces, please respect one another’s personal space.'

Larissa Cameron
Deputy Principal

Angus Brickell (Year 2) and Charlotte Brickell (Kindy) ran a lemonade and biscuit stall on Saturday 26 October 2019 to support two worthy causes. The fundraiser was in aid of ‘House With No Steps’, a charity which creates opportunities for disabled people, and also the school’s sponsor children in India. Angus and Charlotte raised $218 with $109 going to each cause. Next year, Angus says he will need an eftpos machine “because not enough people carry money anymore!”

I would like to extend a HUGE heartfelt thank you to everyone who ‘got onboard’ this week. Claremont College was a sea of red t-shirts on Tuesday in support of Dyslexia Awareness Month. Students in Year 5 with dyslexia (Lacey and Lilly) encouraged all students  to soar, by wearing a red t-shirt and participating in the REaD Paper Plane Challenge.

Our amazing Dyslexia Advocates Lilly and Lacey (Year 5 students)

The aim of the day was to:

• Spread awareness about dyslexia and reduce the stigma for students with dyslexia;
• Help students with dyslexia to soar and feel comfortable with being dyslexic ; and
• Create a positive and inclusive environment for those with dyslexia.

The two students also handed out bookmarks with myths and facts about dyslexia.

There was also a competition at recess where students had to locate posters around the school,  identifying famous people with Dyslexia:

• Richard Branson
• The Wright Brothers (Aviators)
• Leonardo da Vinci
• Agatha Christie
• Walt Disney
• Muhammad Ali
• Albert Einstein
• Jennifer Aniston
• Steven Spielberg
• Whoopi Goldberg 
• Henry Winkler

We had well over 150 students competing, and paper planes soared, in all directions

Competition winners:  Ben Vitalone (Year 3) - overall winner and Primary winner
Charlotte Lattin (Kindergarten) Infants winner.

The planes highlighted the creativity amongst our students with and without Dyslexia, with Harriet Norris (Year 1) designing 2 aeroplanes - “one normal one, and one awesome one with my dyslexic brain.”

Many students with Dyslexia chose to identify themselves on the day, and wore a badge …

Thank you for your enthusiastic support.

Mrs Brenda Dalheim
Head of Learning Support

TERM 4 

Year 1 - Geography PBL visit to Coogee Beach - 5 November - Parent Portal

Year 3 - Term 4 Camp @ Winmalee - 6-8 November - Parent Portal

Year 4 - Term 4 Camp @ Galston Gorge - 6-8 November - Parent Portal

Year 5 - Term 4 Camp @ The Tops - 6-8 November - Parent Portal

Year 6 - Term 4 Camp @ Lake Macquarie - 6-8 November - - Parent Portal 

Year 2 - La Perouse & Afternoon Activities Excursion - 8 November - Parent Portal

Year 5 - Anglicare Dorothy Boyt Nursing Home Visits - various dates - Parent Portal

If you have indicated on the medical form that your child requires medication at camp, please ensure that you have forwarded it to Ms Neville by Monday 4 November at the latest. 

Students who have anaphylactic medical boxes at school need not worry as these boxes will travel with them to camp.

If you have indicated on the medical form that your child requires medication at camp, please ensure that you have forwarded it to Ms Neville by Monday 4 November at the latest. 

Students who have anaphylactic medical boxes at school need not worry as these boxes will travel with them to camp.

If you have indicated on the medical form that your child requires medication at camp, please ensure that you have forwarded it to Ms Neville by Monday 4 November at the latest.

Students who have anaphylactic medical boxes at school need not worry as these boxes will travel with them to camp.

If you have indicated on the medical form that your child requires medication at camp, please ensure that you have forwarded it to Ms Neville by Monday 4 November at the latest.

Students who have anaphylactic medical boxes at school need not worry as these boxes will travel with them to camp.

How many litres of water are used in the production of a single apple? This week, the Claremont College Eco Warriors were startled to discover that it takes 70L of water to grow, harvest, and transport every apple.

On Thursday, the Eco Warriors visited Randwick’s Sustainability Hub on our first ever environmental excursion. Not only did we learn the shocking truth about ‘invisible’ water use, we enjoyed hands on activities in the huge edible garden.

Our first activity was exploring how to create the best planting environment for a seedling or seed. We even got to take home our very own pea plants! We then used a pH kit to test various soil samples from around the park to identify ideal soil conditions for planting. Finally, we learnt how to maintain a vegetable garden, how to layer a planter box, how to weed and how to harvest.

Here are some thoughtful reflections from some of our Eco Warriors:

‘It was very fun and interactive. We should do it again, because lots of kids would love it.’ - Zoe Laurence, Yr 6

‘I was really interested in how much ‘invisible’ water is in our food.’ - Bryce McCarthy, Yr 4

‘It was really fun since we got to plant our own plants and work out the best planting conditions.’ - Jasmine Stanton, Yr 4

‘I really enjoyed the excursion because I got to learn about how much water we waste.’ - Clara Khoury, Yr 2

Miss Sinead Kelly & Mrs Adelaide Marquet
Eco Warrior Coordinators

EVENT CINEMAS BOOK ADAPTATION

Alice Miranda Friends Forever

Earlier this year we were delighted that the Author Jacqueline Harvey visited Claremont College for the day. Jacqueline is the author of the popular Alice-Miranda, Clementine Rose and the Kensey and Max series.

Jacqueline recently contacted me to mention that her popular book series Alice-Miranda has been adapted for the big screen. This is the story of Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones. She’s the youngest girl ever to attend the Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Girls Academy, a delightful country Australian boarding school. The movie is a treasure trove of mysteries that need solving and a series of challenges Alice-Miranda and her friends must face. Jacqueline said she is so happy to see her characters brought to life in this way. The book Alice-Miranda Friends Forever : The Official Movie Script is due for release in book stores on November 5th.

The animated version of Alice-Miranda Friends Forever will be screening in cinemas from November 9th. The red carpet film Premiere is on Saturday 9 November commencing at 10.30 at Event Cinemas Bondi Junction. All tickets are $12 and the screening is for a very limited season (just for two weeks).

New Fiction Titles

These new titles to the collection are from the Alice-Miranda series. These new additions to the library will make the fans of this series very happy. These books all take Alice-Miranda and her friends to far away places. Her adventures, continue skiing in the Swiss Alps, go to Hollywood to be in a new movie, be on a school exchange in China, and finally travel to New York to classes at Mrs Kimmel’s School for Girls!

Mrs Susan Kesur
Library Assistant

Claremont’s got Talent

Auditions are still in progress.  Please check next week’s newsletter for details of the Grand Final.

The Year 5 and 6 Basketball Gala Day

What a great day at the annual Year 5 and 6 Basketball Gala Day on Monday! Nearly 50 Year 5 and 6 students played their little hearts out against schools Sydney-wide, showing great determination against some very big, strong and experienced outfits. All students represented the College incredibly well and should be proud of the sportsmanship they showed throughout the day, as well as the grit and perseverance in the tougher moments of the matches. We had two Year 6 Claremont girls’ teams battling against each other in the Semi Final for a place in the Final. Our Claremont Year 6 Boys team also made it through to the Finals. In what is (reportedly) a first for Claremont, BOTH CLAREMONT TEAMS WON their final!

 A special thanks to our winning expert coaches Mr Forato (Callum’s Dad, Year 6) and Dr Christoff (Mia’s Mum, Year 6) who coached the two winning sides on the day. Thank you to all the other coaches and managers on the day (Mr Ko, Mrs Fearn, Mr Chee, Mr Green, Mr Bunyard, Mrs Hickman and Miss Bingham). The day wouldn’t be possible without you giving up your time to come and support your children and the Claremont Community.

Claremont Champions

Callum Forato (Year 6) recently broke the South Eastern Athletics Club record for 1500m. This record had stood for 23 years!  The previous record holder was Jeremy Roff, who went on to represent Australia in the 1500m at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.  Callum’s time of 4:58 was 5s faster than Jeremy’s long standing record. Well done, Callum. We look forward to seeing if you go on to represent Australia, too.

Joel Geering
Sport and PDHPE

Today we had the wonderful Mrs Irwin encourage our students to know how persistent God is with us. Throughout the Scripture, we can find God yearning for us to come back to Him over and over again. Mrs Irwin connected this persistence in a way that encouraged us to persist in our relationship with God. He is available for us and desires us to draw near to Him as His children. Thank you Mrs Irwin for encouraging us this morning and a special thank you to our Year 6 Chapel Leaders for leading us in songs and ensuring our technology was all working as we needed. 

Verse of the Week:

‘My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.’ John 10:27-28

God Bless!

Charlie Blevins
Chapel Coordinator

Thank you to our Term 3 Grade Captains for a job well done. Congratulations to the following children who have been elected for Term 4. They received their badges at assembly on Monday 28 October. We are sure that these children will do their best as they assist their teacher and classmates.

Kindy - Lachlan Tharenou, Esra Vasfi, Jacob Ashley, Isabel Chow
Year 1 - Caelyn Chiang, Bella Law, Peter Tsakirios, Joanna Yang
Year 2 - Yui Kei Chan, Scarlett Crewe, Alastair Lloyd-Paul, Audrey Fitzpatrick
Year 3 - Sophie Dihm, Nicholas Giannikouris, Bastian Davis, Enzo Sassano
Year 4 - Jeremy Bishay, Xanthe Summerfield, Georgia Breakspear, Sanja Peric
Year 5 - Eliza Le Marne Court, Audrey Brown, Luke Bunyard, Max Stone
Year 6 - All of Year 6 are grade captains!

This year’s GREAT AUSSIE BBQ hosted by the Year 6 students and parents was an absolute success. The event raised over $13000 for the school which is a great achievement by all. In addition to this, the year 6 buskers raised $250 which they have generously donated to sponsor children in India – Great work!!

There was so much entertainment for the kids, including the famous “Water Dunking Machine” allowing the kids to Dunk a Teacher… which always raises the most amount of money!

Thank you to Woolworths Coogee Bay Village for their donation of Woolworths WISH Gift Cards to help us purchase some of the supplies we required. We appreciate their support of our event and our school community.

A special thanks goes to Melisse Lee who has worked tirelessly over the school holidays and any other day she had free time to coordinate this event with other parents. Also, many thanks goes to the following Year 6 parents who helped make this event so successful. The P&F is so lucky to have such an amazing school community that allows us to raise money for the school.

The organising team included: Andi Christoff (Mia Yr 6, Oliver Yr 4, Grace Yr 1), Rebecca Birch (Poppy Yr 6), Vivienne Shahin (Zara Yr 6), Emma Laurence (Zoe Yr 6, Anna Yr 5, Marnie Yr 2) & Melisse Lee (Naomi Yr 6, Caitlyn Yr 4, Ava Yr 1)

Year 6 parent volunteers on the night included: Alice Green, Ann Awad, Annie Kung, Anthony Puntigam, Chloe Sawyer, Cheng Xue, Dan Birch, Dominique English, Frankie Lee, Ainsley Perdis, Helder Costa, Irene Mihailou, Jane Perdis, Janelle So, Jenny Karangis, Jessica Wong, Judy Liu, Jules Le Poer Trench, Dario and Julie Forato, Justine Freeman, Kylie Duley, Kelly Walker, Lara Gordon, Louisa Au, Louisa Wilson, Margaret Yap, Matthew Laurence, Michelle Dodd, Miles Webster, Momo Vojvodic, Napoleon Perdis, Olga Clemence, Paul Elphick, Robert and Rina Vecchiet, Royce Green, Rupert Le Poer Trench, Sonja Cortis, Sharon Cassidy, Scott Groves, Stefani Gajus, Sugianto Halim, Susan Stone, Sylvia Gibson, Theresa Eyssens, Tracy Murrant, Urania Hastings, Vivian Yang, Wei Yi Lee, Yolanda Costa and a few non Yr 6 parents, Thien Li, Alex and Alana Koch. 

A BIG THANK YOU TO YOU ALL FROM THE P&F.

Lisa Stamatelatos
Claremont P&F President

Please remember to check Flexischools by Tuesday afternoon for the weekly Family Special. 

The Canteen is open 5 days a week. Please place your orders via Flexischools.

A reminder that children who bring their own food to school need to bring their own cutlery from home, only children who have ordered from the canteen will be provided with a spoon or fork.

Also due to WHS issues, the canteen is unable to heat food brought from home.

All members of the extended Claremont family are warmly invited to come along and pray for our school community. Toddlers are also more than welcome.

The prayer group meets fortnightly on Thursdays at 8:45am. Please sign in at the school office.

The meeting date for Term 4 are 7 November and 21 November.

For those parents who would like to pray for the school but are unable to attend the Prayer Group, you are now able to receive fortnightly prayer points. If you are interested in receiving the fortnightly prayer points or have any questions, please contact Vivian Yang via email vivian@yang.id.au

The Uniform Shop is open on the following dates this term: 

Wednesday 13 November from 8:00am - 9:00am
Friday 29 November from 9:00am - 10:00am

The Uniform Shop is situated below the School Hall with entry via the small gate next to the units. Whether you can make it at this time or not, parents are encouraged to place online orders (especially if you are purchasing accessories) via Flexischools.

Please note, the Uniform Shop does not accept any second hand clothing apart from Claremont school uniforms. It is very inconvenient if you leave other items. Thank you.

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

Please refrain from calling or texting Roxanne Fielding directly.