This morning was filled with much excitement, as we celebrated our Christmas Chapel service. Thank you to the Bible readers, the sheep, the wisemen, the glorious angels, the archangel, shepherds, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph and of course baby Jesus. A special mention to our teachers Mrs Marquet, Mrs Hitchen, Mrs Gonzalez, Mrs Affleck, Mrs Nicolaides and of course Mr Nield, who have put so much effort into this chapel service. We appreciate all that you have done for us. 

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

Step Out Speak Out

This morning some of our staff and students participated in the Step Out Speak Out Walk. This event is run by Randwick City Council and the NSW Police Eastern Beaches Local Area Command which aims to raise awareness about domestic violence. November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which marks the beginning of 16 Days of Activism, culminating in Human Rights Day on December 10. The walk commenced at 7:30am this morning from High Cross Park and proceeded down Coogee Bay Rd to Grant Reserve. Claremont College has had a significant presence in this event for years now, ringing bells on the footpath and decorating the front of our school. We have been personally thanked and acknowledged by the Police Commissioner, Members of Parliament and the Mayor. 

If you are a victim of violence or harassment, or you have been in the past and have kept it to yourself, please tell someone you trust. Violence and intimidation are not acceptable and we work hard to convey this message to the children as they learn to express their feelings and emotions. We pray for all our families that they can live in peace and harmony with one another. Our school and community will always be healthier, safer and happier should we choose to follow these words: "Now it's a time to eliminate from our lives, once and for all - anger, fits of rage, all forms of hatred, cursing, swearing and lying" (Colossians 3:7-9). It is important our children have this modelled in their homes, at school and all around them.

Speech Day

As you are aware, our Annual Prize Giving and Speech Day will be held on Wednesday 7 December at 9:30am at the Science Theatre, UNSW Kensington. 

Due to the seating capacity of the Science Theatre, we are initially limiting the number of adults attending for students as follows:

• 1 adult ticket per family for students in Kindy to Year 4; and
• 2 adults ticket per family for students in Years 5 and 6. 

The seating is general admission (that is, not allocated).  

On Wednesday 30 November, we will open up the booking system again, to allow for additional seats to be ordered. Coming together as a community and sharing in your child’s education is important to us. Whilst we anticipate that all parents will be able to attend that day, the staggered ticketing system ensures that all families are included. For example, it would be a shame if a family missed out because another family reserved 20 tickets! Please be assured that this system has been set up to enable access for all. Please complete the registration form by CLICKING HERE.

Please also note that this is a compulsory ceremony for students. Please also note that this is not a school day, therefore all students must be accompanied by a parent. Children will be dismissed for the holidays following the ceremony. TeamKids will open their service back at school that day, commencing at 11:30am. (For more details about our Our Annual Prize Giving and Speech Day 2022, see below.)

Thank you for your support and understanding. 

Larissa Cameron
Co-Principal

Follow Us

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

There are three fundraising initiatives at the moment and we appreciate any and all of the support our Claremont families can provide to any or all of these. 

1. Mr Ryan has previously mentioned how he supports Movember and men’s health, and would love your support. His previous article including how to sponsor him is attached here. 
2. Mrs Nunn has initiated a Christmas appeal for ‘Kids Giving Back’, a charity that is collecting donations to help support the homeless men, women and children of Sydney. Her article and how to support this appeal, is attached here.
3. And our third initiative is one where Mr Thomas and some of our Year 5 boys have planned a Bake Sale to raise money for children in Uganda. The bake sale is next Tuesday and the details are below.

The Bake Sale is raising money for 3 children in Uganda: Solomon, Ibrahim and Samalie. Attached is an information piece about the Muyambe Foundation which has been set up by Roxy and Joseph (Mr Thomas’s daughter and son-in law). Further information about the Muyambe Foundation is attached here.

Next week on Wednesday and Thursday, Miss McKersie (School Counsellor) will be joining with our Classroom teachers to talk to each grade about Protective Behaviours. For parents' information and to facilitate follow up conversations with your children after the lessons, we wanted to provide a summary of the messages contained in the lessons. 

In the Infants grade, the students will be learning about the ‘PANTS’ acrostic, which stands for:  

• Privates are private  
• Always remember your body belongs to you  
• No means no  
• Talk about secrets that upset you  
• Speak up, someone can help 

This is designed to teach pupils how to stay safe from sexual abuse, without giving explicit information or telling scary stories or even using the term “sexual abuse.” The lesson will be delivered in a way that’s fully age-appropriate, and will contain the following messages:

Private parts are Private - Your underwear covers your private parts and no one should ask to see or touch them. Sometimes a doctor, nurse or family members might have to. But they should always explain why, and ask you if it's OK first.

Always remember your body belongs to you - Your body belongs to you. No one should ever make you do things that make you feel embarrassed or uncomfortable. If someone asks to see, or tries to touch you, underneath your underwear, say 'NO' – and tell someone you trust and like to speak to.

No means no  - No means no and you always have the right to say ‘no’ – even to a family member or someone you love. You’re in control of your body and the most important thing is how YOU feel. If you want to say ‘no’, it’s your choice.

Talk about secrets that upset you - There are safe and unsafe secrets. Safe secrets can be things like surprise parties or presents for other people. Unsafe secrets make you feel sad, worried or frightened. You should tell an adult you trust about an unsafe secret straight away.  

Speak up, someone can help - Talk about stuff that makes you worried or upset. If you ever feel sad, anxious or frightened you should talk to an adult you trust like mum or dad. But this adult doesn't have to be a family member. It can also be a teacher or a friend's parent.

In the Primary grades, the lessons will centre around the two key messages that 

1. We all have the right to feel safe at all times.
2. We can talk with someone about anything no matter what it is.

The lesson will focus on three key concepts, these being:

1. Early warning signs that our body provides to us (recognising specific internal physical and emotional sensations) and how it is important to be aware of these sensations and how they motivate us to act.
2. Safety and respect - understanding personal space and how this varies across people in our lives as well as the consent continuum. In terms of personal space, students will learn about how each individual has an amount of space we need between ourselves and others to feel comfortable. Some people will need more space than others and that’s okay. The amount of space will also change depending on who the other person may be in our network. We will also review the different layers of personal space from personal/private space, to the kiss and hug space, the hug space, high five space and the wave space.
3. Networks (knowing how to ask for help and who to ask) - the emphasis will be on how we can talk to someone in our network no matter what the issue might be. We will also acknowledge how emotions like shame or embarrassment make it hard to talk to others about a situation or concern, but we can choose not to let these feelings isolate us and rather to connect to others to access help and support.

We are looking forward to our 140th Annual Prize Giving and Speech Day, which will be held on Wednesday 7 December at 9:30am in the Science Theatre, UNSW. With many of our students and families having only experienced this event virtually over the past 2 years, it promises to be a special day of celebration.

Other important information: 

• Parents are to arrive and leave the venue with their children. 
• Students are to wear their full Summer Uniform (including blazers, girls’ tunic, boys’ tie and formal hat).
• Students are to enter the theatre from 9am, and sit with their grade and teachers.
• Students are not to bring their bags.
• Parking is available. Enter via Barker Street, Gate 14. Visitor parking is available on Level 5.
• A map of the venue location is attached. 

There will be some additional awards presented at school the day before, during our Speech Day Preview Award ceremony. 

Whilst only some students will receive recognition awards, we look forward to congratulating all of our students. We are proud of each and every one of them.

Larissa Cameron
Co-Principal

In 2020 we introduced new uniforms with a two year transition period. As from Term 1 2023, all students will be required to wear all items of the new uniform.

Please be aware that the girls summer tunic together with the school blazer is required for formal occasions (including Speech Day and school photos). Boys are required to wear the white summer shirt with the school tie and blazer for formal occasions. 

If you need to purchase any new items prior to the commencement of Term 1, please contact the Uniform Shop.  

Old Sports Uniforms 

• Old sports uniforms which are in good condition will be donated to an organisation called KitBagforKids who will re-distribute to the less fortunate and disadvantaged communities around Australia.
• Please drop donations of the old sport uniforms (good conditions only) to the front office from Monday 28 November – Friday 2 December.
• Items include sports jacket, track pants, shorts and green polo shirts which have no holes, tears, broken zippers etc.
• More information on KitBagforKids can be found here - https://kitbagforkids.org/about/

Old Uniform Recycling  

• With the remaining old summer and winter uniforms, Randwick Council Recycling Centre allows residents to drop off household waste including textiles and clothing.
• If any families wish to recycle the old uniforms, this can be dropped off directly at Randwick City Council Recycling Centre located at 72 Perry St, Matraville. 

Secondhand New Ranier Uniform

P&F have created a private Facebook Marketplace which will enable the school community to buy and sell uniforms directly from other Claremont families. Please see details below:

Group Name

https://www.facebook.com/groups/claremontcollegesecondhanduniform

Pass phrase = Inspire For Life

1. Login using your existing Facebook account or create a new account.
2. Click on the group link and you will be asked for a passphrase.
3. Type in ‘Inspire For Life’ and a one-off manual onboarding by P&F admin to approve access.
4. Once approved, click on the ‘Buy and Sell’ button. Simply follow the prompts to post your items. 
5. Please mark as SOLD, once the sale is complete.

Recently, NSW Health has communicated an increase in COVID-19 cases, with a fourth wave approaching. There are currently no restrictions in place for school settings, however we must remain vigilant and implement safety measures where possible.  

As the end of year approaches, there are many upcoming events and celebrations here at Claremont College. We would like to reassure you that these events will still go ahead, with safety measures in place. If you are visiting the school for an upcoming event, please read the following: 

• Do not attend if you are feeling unwell, or displaying  acute COVID-19 symptoms.
• Face masks are strongly recommended for indoor events.
• Maintain physical distancing where possible.
• Use hand sanitiser provided.

You would be aware that it is no longer mandatory to self-isolate at home if you test positive to COVID-19. NSW Health strongly recommends however, that people who are sick or have tested positive to COVID-19 stay home until their symptoms have gone. 

NSW health strongly recommends that any students or staff member who tests positive for COVID-19 follow the advice outlined in this NSW Health fact sheet. If your child tests positive, please:

• Inform the school via email [email protected].
• Register the positive RAHT result on the Service NSW App (this is no longer mandatory, however NSW Health continues to strongly recommend doing so).
• Your child must stay home until acute symptoms have gone.
• Your child is strongly encouraged to wear a mask when returning to school, if they are returning within 5 days of testing positive.
• If someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19, please monitor your child for symptoms, and complete daily RAHT tests prior to attending school. 
• Please contact the office if you require RAHT kits.  

At Claremont, as with any infectious health issue, we would ask that you follow these recommendations. Children who display cold, flu, gastro, or other symptoms at school will be sent home. We ask that you continue to remain vigilant and please contact the school if you have any further questions or concerns. 

Alanna James & Larissa Cameron

As we approach the end of the year, many of us get quite tired. We need to remember to keep calm when things don’t go the way we hope. Think of some ways you can do this - taking a deep breath, walking away, getting a drink of water, doing some exercise, grabbing a book to read, grabbing a bite to eat, or having a chat with a friend… Do you have any other ideas that work for you?

Gold Certificates - 21 November 

Kindergarten - Annie J, Claire L, Arya P, Raphael R, 
Kiri G
Year 1 - Harley T, Evie C, Lana R
Year 2 - Matilda LS, Tex R, Oliver T
Year 3 - Esra V
Year 4 - Leo A
Year 5 - Abbie H, Adam L

Pennants - 21 November

Year 1 - Kei M
Year 2 - Carter J
Year 5 - Harry B, Evan H, Chloe K, Alexis L, Marnie L,
Ned L, Alastair LP, Hudson S, Leni OL, Dion T, Ariella J, Hosea W

Juliette F (Yr 3) recently celebrated her 9th birthday and instead of receiving birthday presents, she asked her family and friends to donate to help sick kids that need it more. Juliette couldn’t believe it when she ended up raising donations from family and friends totalling $1,487. The icing on the cake was that her Dad’s workplace matched the full amount which meant the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation was delighted to receive $2,974 in total from Juliette’s initiative.

SCHF is very appreciative of this support and Juliette was praised for following in her older siblings, Jack and Charlotte who also participated in this initiative and raised similar amounts to her at similar age.

Just a reminder that under the Companion Animals Act 1998 (NSW), Section 14, dogs are prohibited on school grounds.

Term 4

Term 1 2023

Kindergarten Excursion to Centennial Park - Event Note

This Week, Year 3 organised Pixie Post for the whole school. Pixie Post is a mailing system where students and staff may send lovely Christmas messages to one another. Each morning Year 3 students stood at the fishpond with a huge red box labelled ‘PIXIE POST’, Santa hats and lots of bells. Students placed their Christmas cards into the red box for Year 3 students to sort and deliver. 

Each day in our Mathematics lesson, Year 3 would sort, stamp, count and deliver the cards. We collected all the data and put it into a table for us to work on throughout the week. 

Here are some interesting statistics from our Pixie Post:

• The grade with the most cards received was: Year 3 with 1,429 cards
• The grade with the least cards received was: Year 5 with 804 cards
• Tuesday was the most popular day to post cards with Tuesday with 1,863 cards posted
• Thursday was the least popular day to post cards with only 937 cards posted
• The total number of cards delivered in the week was 6,048!

Year 3

Kindergarten Excursion to Centennial Park - Event Note

New Books To The Library Collection

It was wonderful to share these new books with a Christmas theme with the students this week.

This classic picture book perfectly captures the wonder of the nativity and celebrates the Christmas spirit of giving and togetherness. It is full of hope for the future and the joy of family.

This beautifully illustrated book celebrates the magic of Christmas. It is based on the world’s much loved carol, “Silent Night.” There is also an interesting page that discusses the history of the carol. “Silent Night, “ or “Stille Nacht” was composed in 1818 in Salzburg, Austria. It has since been translated into more than 200 languages, including English. During the truce of the First World war on December 25, 1914, it was sung by soldiers on both sides of the trenches. 

Library Returns

Library Borrowing is now finished for the year. Students need to return all library books to the library before the end of term. Some students seem to have misplaced their school library books. If you could assist your children in the search for missing books it would be greatly appreciated. Books can be returned any day of the week to the returns box located at the front of the library. School library books are easily identifiable as they are covered in plastic and have a Claremont Library barcode on the front or rear cover.

Thank you for your assistance.

Mrs Susan Kesur
Librarian Assistant

Key Dates

Wednesday Sport
12 October - 30 November.

2023 Extra Curricular/Morning Skills Sport

Term 1 2023 Sport information and registration form have been made available on the Claremont app. Please remember to register online for all morning activities as soon as possible to avoid disappointment as some sports have limited positions. 

For billing purposes, registrations will close on Wednesday 14 December. 

Programs commence from Week 3, Term 1 2023

Monday: Year 3-6 Tennis (Eastern Suburbs Tennis Centre)
Tuesday: 1-2 Tennis (at school), Year 3-6 AFL (Grant Reserve)
Wednesday: Beginner basketball/Year 3-4 (at school)
Thursday: Year 1-2 Dance (hip hop), Intermediate Basketball/ Year 5-6 (at school)
Friday: Year 1-2 Football (soccer) (at school)

Click HERE for the Term 1 2023 Morning Skills Information booklet

Claremont Champions

Well done to Gia G (Year 6), who participated in two important events recently; the Lapa Gold and the Waverley Shield. The Lapa Gold is an extended Ironperson event to raise funds for her local club, consisting of a 2.1km run, a 1.5km board and a 1.4km ocean swim. Gia placed 3rd place out of approx. 70 participants. Gia also participated in the Waverley Shield event for North Bondi, placing 3rd in the board, 3rd in the swim, and 2nd in the board relay.

Congratulations to Angus B (Year 5) and Charlotte B (Year 3), who both competed in nippers events for Bronte beach in the Waverley Shield at North Bondi. It was a beautiful sunny day and all the competitors had a lot of fun.

Angus competed in the sand events for the U11s and Charlotte for the U9s.

Angus placed 3rd in the sprint relay and Charlotte placed 2nd in the swim and swim team relay and 3rd in the board team relay. They had a great time supporting their team mates. Well done, Angus and Charlotte.

Congratulations to Rose U and Matilda L (Year 2) who both started Physical Culture (Physie) this year. Both girls have competed in a number of competitions throughout the year, including an interstate comp, and in the process qualified for the 2022 APDA Junior National Championships, to be held at the ICC on December 3rd (representing Randwick Physie & Dance). Well done, girls, on this achievement and your dedication to the sport.

Stella C (Yr 6) was also a semi-finalist in the APDA 12 year girls National Physie championships held earlier this month. Congratulations Stella, she is following in her mother’s footsteps.

School Holiday Tennis Camps

Gavin Janit and his team at Smart Fit Tennis will be offering a number of school holiday tennis camps at the Parklands Courts during the upcoming holidays. Gavin has been coaching with us for a number of years and runs the infants morning skills program as well as coaching primary during Wednesday Sport throughout the year. If you are interested, please see the following attachment for more information.

SmartFit Tennis   

Mr Joel Geering
Head of Sport and PDHPE

If your child uses the school bus, or you would like to register to use the school bus for Term 1 2023, 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] 

Congratulations to the 2023 P&F Committee who were elected at the AGM held on 17 November 2022.

2023 P&F Executive

President - James Jap
Vice President Fundraising - Sylvia Tziortzis
Secretary - Vacant
Treasurer - Natalie Tharenou

2023 Grade Representatives

Kindergarten - Kirsten Chee, Marina Ribarevski
Year 1 - Vacant
Year 2 - Audrey Roby, Lucy Murray, Morgan Ryan
Year 3 - Sandra Santos
Year 4 - Helen Squadrito, Lisa Stamatelatos, Natasha Peric
Year 5 - Aysun Abal, Katherine Morris, Melinda Yates, Melisse Lee
Year 6 - Amy Bulloch, Charmaine Francis, Max Stanton, Natasha Peric

Best wishes to the Executive team for 2023 and for James Jap (Hayden Yr 2, Amelia Kindy) who will be taking up the baton as President. James joined the P&F this year as a grade representative and has shown himself to be a highly integrous, organised, capable individual, displaying commitment and care for the school community throughout 2022. He has spearheaded many events such as Dads & Kids Day out at Jamberoo, solutions for the old uniforms and second-hand new uniforms, leading the Fathering Project with Mr Thomas as well as assisting in many P&F events throughout the year. The future for the P&F is in very capable hands and I wish him, the executive team and committee every success in 2023.  

There are still vacancies for the position of Secretary, Year 1 and Year 3 grade representatives for 2023. If you would like to volunteer for any of these positions, please email [email protected] 

Thank you to the school community for all your support of the P&F. It has been an honour and privilege to serve and build the school community as President over the past three years. 

Melisse Lee
P&F President

St Andrew’s Cathedral School will offer one full or part scholarship to a Claremont student (boy or girl) for entry into Year 7 2024. This scholarship is in recognition of the excellent relationship between the two schools, and acknowledgement of the high standard of Claremont graduates. The scholarship, and amount of scholarship will be based on the following criteria:

• Results in the ACER Scholarship Selection Test which will be run at Claremont late February or early March 2024 TBC.
• Demonstrated commitment to school life at Claremont through Music, Drama, Sport, Leadership or other school programs
• School reports and NAPLAN.

Application forms can be downloaded at

https://www.sacs.nsw.edu.au/enrol/scholarships/academic-scholarships/

Applications close on 10 February 2023.

Please contact Mr Bruce Perry, Registrar at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Click HERE to read the TeamKids Term 4 Week 7 Newsletter
Click HERE to read the TeamKids Term 4 Wrap Up Newsletter

Summer School Holiday Bookings

Registrations are now open for the Summer School Holidays. Click HERE to see the full program.

Term 4 Bookings

A reminder for ALL families to book and verify their bookings for Term 4. Also, if your child is away or will not be attending a pre-booked session, please assist by contacting Customer Service to cancel your booking on the day. Please note this has an impact on the service’s staffing for each session. 

Please visit www.teamkids.com.au to secure your spot! or call Customer Service on 1300 035 000.

We would like to make you aware that the NSW Government has given parents a $500 voucher to use at childcare centres. This is applicable to TeamKids and we encourage you to take advantage of this great scheme. Follow the instructions on the NSW Service website to apply. Then email or bring in the QR code on your voucher so we can scan and redeem it for you. This will be credited to your account to use until June 2023.

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 ww.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.

2022-2023 Uniform Shop Trading Days

For information on the Uniform Shop Trading Days during the holiday period, CLICK HERE

CONTACT

Email: [email protected]  
Phone: 9213 0720

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

Our Full Menu is Back!

Check out our extended list of offerings… some old faves have returned, and some new items added. 

We have also updated our items to include ingredients and allergen information. 

Click HERE to see the full menu.

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.

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].

Happy Ordering

Claremont College – Canteen
Anthony Catering

Piano with Carlson Luong

On Tuesday night, we had a piano recital hosted by our piano tutor, Carlson Luong. We have not had a recital in a long time, so it is with pleasure we welcome music back to Claremont. We had 45 students perform on that night followed by a pizza party. Everyone performed exceptionally well despite most having only been learning for 2 months and being their first performance. Highlight performances include Kobe playing Believer by Imagine Dragons & Gia performing Valse by Fricken.

Congratulations and a big thank you to all parents and students for making this a special night.

Image shown are the students taking a group photo after the end of the recital before the pizza disappeared into everyone's stomachs.