Congratulations to the very enthusiastic team of students across many grades who organised our OrangUtan Awareness Day. A special mention to Maya V (Year 3) for your commitment and compassion for raising awareness around this very important environmental issue. Thank you to the entire school community for your generous support. Together we have raised approximately $1,200 for The Orangutan Project (https://www.orangutan.org.au/). The children looked great in their orange, brown and crazy attire. We have had a wonderful day. We honour and thank our wonderful Indonesian teacher, Bu Jill, for inspiring Maya and all of your students, not just through this initiative but in all that you do. 

Doug Thomas
Principal

  Follow me @DougJThomas

The time has come when we begin the formal process of selecting the Claremont College Student Leaders for 2021. This week we opened applications to our current Year 5 students. The announcement of our 2021 Student Leaders to our school community will be on Speech Day in December.

Claremont College has a long and proud history of developing each student’s leadership potential. We are committed to preserving this rich heritage by ensuring every endeavour is made to support and encourage students in the development of their leadership.

Our Student Leadership process has been reviewed this year in response to feedback from students, staff and our parent community, and to reflect and align with the notion of leadership in our ever-changing world. The changes made to the appointment process aim to provide greater clarity and transparency, and to focus on a wide range of leadership skills and attributes.

In 2021, Claremont College will have the following formal Student Leader positions:

-         School Captain (x2)

-         School Prefect (x2)

-         House Captains (2 per house: Austin, Hyland, Storey and Wearne)

We will endeavour to have a mix of both boys and girls represented in the Student Leadership Team. 

We believe leadership encompasses many qualities and skills. Student Leaders need to grow and reflect these in their everyday lives. Based on current research, from this year applicants will be measured according to 10 Leadership Markers. These markers include: 

1. Interpersonal and Communication Skills
2. Organisational Skills 
3. Problem Solving Skills and Initiative
4. Integrity and Social Justice
5. Resilience, Grit, Reflectiveness and Growth Mindset
6. Servant Leadership
7. Claremont College School Values of Collaboration, Innovation and Compassion
8. Community Involvement and Contribution of Co-Curricular Activities
9. Commitment to Learning
10. School Code of Conduct

Some students may decide they do not want to apply for a formal leadership role. We respect that decision, and  we will continue to provide informal leadership opportunities for all students in the coming year. A formal leadership position is only one of the many opportunities for leadership within the school – other informal positions include leading Chapel, Assemblies, Library, Eco Warriors, Kindergarten buddies and most importantly, upholding our core values and leading by example every day. We believe everyone has leadership potential, and we are dedicated to explore this in each student, whether students hold a formal position or not. 

We are also excited to announce that next year we have designed a new school-wide Student Leadership Program. We would like for our students to be encouraged, supported and challenged in the development of their leadership, no matter how young they are. Yes, that's right - we believe that even in Kindy, students' leadership skills and attributes can be nurtured and fostered. More details about our Student Leadership Program will be shared with our school community in the near future. 

I would like to say a special thank the staff who joined the Student Leadership Committee. This committee has met every week since July this year to create a more transparent and research-based process. Miss Mackay, Miss Shiels, Mr Ryan, Mr Geering and Miss Marquet, I thank you for your ongoing commitment and enthusiasm.

For more detailed information, please refer to our new Student Leadership Positions Policy here. 

Larissa Cameron 
Deputy Principal                                                                                

The Student Leadership Committee
Hannah Mackay, Angus Ryan, Rachel Shiels, Joel Geering, Adelaide Marquet and Larissa Cameron

One way we encourage and nurture the leadership of our students is through the appointment of Grade Captains. Our Grade Captains represent their house for their grade and hold special responsibilities within their learning spaces. It is amazing to witness how many students 'step up' and take this responsibility seriously. This term, we would like to congratulate the following students who have filled the Grade Captain positions:

Kindy     Olivia L, Carter J, Tex R, Yasmin E-R
Year 1    Hamish F, Sofia LN, Charlotte K, Wilson W
Year 2    Jasmine B, Aidan S, Lauren C, Peter L
Year 3    Abbie H, Rory M, Isla B, Sophie G
Year 4    Isaac H, Sarah B, Jasper S, Sarah O
Year 5    Oliver K, Bella M, Costantia G, Lola U
Year 6    All of Yr 6 are grade captains!

Congratulations to all these students. Due to wet weather this week, our school has not had the chance to congratulate our Grade Captains in our Monday assembly. We trust they will wear their Grade Captain badge with pride, and we look forward to acknowledging their leadership in our next assembly.

Congratulations to Akanksha M, Eme W, Maya M, Milla W, Emily M and Lilly M who, over the past few months, participated in weekend and school holiday events with their families organised by Kids Giving Back.

Kids Giving Back is a charity that provides meaningful, hands on experiences for children and young people to give back to others. Through their charity partners they arrange opportunities for young people to provide assistance and support via preparation of meals for the homeless, packing of care packs and creating resources, as well as packing and delivering hampers for people experiencing food scarcity.

2020 has been a difficult one for many people and the opportunity for children and young people to assist in this way has significant mental and physical health benefits for both the giver and the receiver. All your students were required to adhere to our COVID-19 Management plan which can be accessed through the website https://kidsgivingback.org/covid19-management-plan/ 

In an email received from Robyn Monro Millar, CEO of Kids Giving Back, Ms Millar stated: 

‘Your students were all enthusiastic and keen to not just participate in the activity but also to learn more about the cause they were supporting. …

Each of these young people are a credit to your school community and each displayed a high standard of respect and responsibility with the tasks they undertook. We are most appreciative of each of them.’

Akanksha M, Eme W, Maya M, Milla W, Emily M and Lilly M, you are an inspiration to us all.

This year our Speech Day will look a little different (notice a theme in events this year). However as you know, we are an innovative, compassionate community, hence we will be flexible, and creative in the following ways, to ensure that the end of year is memorable and special for us all, especially our Year 6 students and parents.

At the end of the year we will hold three separate events, each of which will provide an opportunity to acknowledge the successes and achievement of students. 

‘In House’ Speech Day Assembly 

• 9:30am on Monday 23 November at school
• For students  (K-6) and staff only (no parents)

At this event the children will be presented at school with awards in front of their peers and teachers. Photographs of prize winners will be taken and included in the Virtual Speech Day presentation. Students will receive (and be able to take home) book prizes and/or trophies and special certificates. Full summer uniform is required (blazers are optional). Year 3 and 4 are not to wear their PE uniform on this day.

Year 6 Valedictory Dinner and Awards Night 

• 6:00pm on Friday 27 November at South Sydney Juniors
• For Year 6 students and parents only

At this event the Year 6 children will be presented with some of the traditional school and grade awards and perpetual trophies, along with their graduation Bibles and certificates

Virtual Speech Day 

This event will provide the opportunity to showcase the achievements and successes of 2020. There is much to celebrate. There will be a special 2020 award for all students (K-6)  this year, which will be sent home at the end of the day on Tuesday 1 December. Note that Tuesday 1 December is the last day at school for all students. Students do not come to school on Wednesday 2 December. 

The Virtual Speech Day will:

• Begin at 10:00am and will conclude at approximately 11:30am on Wednesday 2 December. From the comfort of your living room; and
• Be for all students and family members. Similarly, with the concert, a YouTube link will be provided in an email prior, which may be forwarded to your other family members interstate or overseas.

Next week across the school we will all be involved in a number of activities to ensure the school is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The children in all grades will be making and creating art and craft to decorate the school and eventually to take home. Everyone is getting excited about the activities planned and this year especially we are all looking forward to celebrating all of the joy, anticipation and hope that Christmas brings.

WORKING BEE

On Tuesday 3 November (10:30am – 12:30pm) we are planning to decorate the school. We would like some parents (approx. 10-12) to come along to help staff with our Christmas decorations by:

• Putting up and decorating a Christmas tree,
• Decorating the playground balcony,
• Putting up the Nativity scene and other playground decorations, and
• Spraying Santa snow decorations on the windows.

We will work in groups to do these so we can be mindful of appropriate social distancing.

Please call Mrs Lee in the office on Monday, to let us know that you can come along and help on Tuesday. 

CARINGKIDS

This year we are proud to support a local charity, CaringKids. CaringKids is a registered charity that provides Toy Boxes to children who care for a family member with a disability or illness. They provide siblings with special needs and young carers with a Toy Box filled with games, books, puzzles, toys and more to assist them to learn, play and read.

CaringKids recognises and honours the unique contribution that each child makes caring for their family member and have asked the Claremont families to donate the following items that are always in short supply for them:

·        Stationery (30cm or less)

·        Craft supplies (30cm or less)

CaringKids is a charity set up and run by one of our Claremont mums, Margaret Skagias, and we are pleased to be able to support this local charity. For more information go to: https://www.caringkids.org.au/ Margaret was recently awarded the 2020 Westfield Community Service Award - Congratulations Margaret!

Students can bring in their donations from Wednesday 4 November (after our tree is up) and leave their unwrapped items in the baskets provided under our Christmas tree near the fish pond.  

PROJECT HELPINDIA

Again this year we are asking for gold coin donations for the kids in India who are supported by Project HelpIndia (http://projecthelpindia.co/) . This is the charity set up and supported by our Principal, Mr Thomas, and his wife Rowena.

At the end of next week we will be sending home little green boxes for the students to collect coins in, and to bring into the office to add their coins to the charity box.

The small green boxes represent the fact that it is the small things we do that can have a big impact on others. The money raised for Project HelpIndia will be going to the kids we support, to buy them much needed warm clothes for the coming winter months, and to help share with them the spirit of Christmas that we all enjoy.

CHRISTMAS MUFTI DAY

As if we have not all had enough excitement with Book Week dress-up last week, and Orangutan Awareness mufti day today, next Friday we will be having a Christmas themed mufti day. The students in Years 3 to 6 will already be wearing casual clothes as part of their BIG3DAYS of FUN (alternative camp experience), so we have extended this to all students, and would be delighted for them to contribute to the mufti-day. All gold coin donations from this day will go toward Project HelpIndia. 

PIXIE POST

Pixie post, which is organised by the Year 3 students and staff will be in the final full week of school, the week beginning 23 November. More details to come.

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This has been one big crazy year for all and we are hoping and praying that every Claremont family is able to begin to plan for Christmas with the hope and spirit that Christmas brings to each one of us. Please donate where you can, but do not feel the pressure to do so.

God bless,

Janelle Ford
Deputy Principal

Sun Safety:

Don’t forget to wear your sunhat to the playground every day. The only time you shouldn’t wear it down on the playground is on Monday morning, when you should wear your formal hat. Please remember this, because if you don’t wear it, you can’t play. “No hat, no play!” We want everyone to have lots of fun during playtime, and to keep safe from the sun too. 

Larissa Cameron
Deputy Principal

Dear Parents,

Please do not send or permit your children to come to school with NUT BARS or products containing whole tree nuts, peanuts, cashews, pistachios, almonds or any of the like.

We try our best to keep all of our allergic/anaphylactic children and staff safe and free from potentially life-threatening situations.

A NUT BAR wrapper was found on the ground in the playground this week.

I refer you to page 22 of the Parent Handbookwhich clearly states that we are a nut aware school.

With your cooperation, we can keep nuts away and our anaphylactic kids safe.

Thank you for your understanding.

Sallie Neville
School Nurse

Yesterday our Staff attended a mandatory training session on CPR, anaphylaxis and asthma in accordance with the NSW Health and Government and as part of our Claremont College Policy.

Did you know that according to Australian Research and statistics alone, 45% of out of hospital cardiac arrest victims survived when a bystander trained in CPR administered CPR?

Were you aware that 10% of Australian children between 0-14 will suffer Asthma as a long-term condition and anaphylaxis affects 1 in 20 children and 1 in 70 adults in Australia.

Be assured that your child’s safety is our priority, therefore Claremont College is committed to keeping our staff continually educated in these areas.

Sallie Neville
School Nurse

Parents may wish to apply for selective high school placement in Year 7 in 2022.

A copy of the booklet Placement in selective high schools for Year 7 entry in 2022  is available at https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes/year-7 

Important Dates:

• Applications for Year 7 entry to selective high schools in 2022 must be made online between 13 October 2020 and 16 November 2020. 
• Parents must apply online at https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes/year-7
• All applicants are required to sit the Selective High School Placement Test to be held on Thursday 11 March 2021.

The following events are scheduled for Term 4 and will proceed depending on advice from the Australian Government, NSW Health and the Department of Education in accordance with the current COVID 19 situation.

Term 4

Term 1 2021

Last chance to order your 2020 Memorabilia Tea Towel. This would be a great keepsake for your child, Christmas present for grandparents and friends or for use in your own home. Maybe your children will help with drying the dishes?? 

Place your order NOW on Flexischools, $20 for a single tea towel or $18 for multiple purchases.

Please check and update your child to their current year group before placing your order.

Orders close tomorrow Saturday 31 October 2020 at 11:59pm

Click on the following links to view the tea towels.

Kindy Buddy

Kindergarten

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3 

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

WEDNESDAY 11 NOVEMBER, 7:00PM @ SCHOOL HALL

The mission of the P&F Association is to build bridges between our families and school in this culturally rich community. Through meaningful events and effective fundraising, we enhance learning experiences, strengthen communication between home and school, and celebrate every child and family.

At the P&F annual general meeting, all members of the current year P&F executive committee stand down and all positions are declared vacant. Nominations are taken and the P&F Executive Team for 2021 will be elected. The executive team consists of the P&F President, Vice President Fundraising, Vice President Community Wellbeing, Treasurer and Secretary.

Grade representatives will also be appointed, ideally at least two persons for each grade.

In order to comply with COVID-19 safety guidelines, bookings are essential, to reserve a place at this meeting, as numbers might have to be capped. CLICK HERE to reserve your place. Bookings will close on Tuesday 10 November at 8:00pm . 

Please see below the descriptions of these roles and we invite you to consider applying for one of the P&F executive roles or consider becoming a Grade Representative. Please email your interest to pfinfo@claremont.nsw.edu.au

Personally, I have been part of the P&F committee for the past 3 years in various roles and have found this to be a positive environment for building our school community. It has been invaluable in supporting our Principal and Vice Principals as well as the parent community. I encourage you to consider being part of the committee in 2021 and even if you cannot commit to a role, we welcome your attendance and input at any meeting throughout the year.

Melisse Lee
P&F President

Officers of the Executive Committee

PRESIDENT

• Chair all P&F meetings
• Collaborate with the Principal on P&F strategic and community matters
• Forward all other school matters to relevant school staff – refer to published school communication
• Write the P&F event summaries in the newsletter
• Work closely with P&F secretary to distribute any communication to all Claremont Families
• Speak at School functions

Approximate Time Commitment: 10 hours per month

VICE PRESIDENT FUNDRAISING

• Attend all P&F general meetings
• Provide support to the president and other executive committee members as appropriate
• Oversee all events on the P&F Calendar
• Ensure there is an Event Manager and a support team for each event
• Manage all Event Management & Budget documents to ensure they are completed
• Work together with the President and Secretary on all communication distributed to Claremont families for each event

Approximate Time Commitment: 8 hours per month

VICE PRESIDENT COMMUNITY WELLBEING

• Attend all general P&F meetings
• Provide support to the president and other executive committee members as appropriate
• A parent voice and advocate for wellbeing matters within the school community
• Provide support and consultation on wellbeing matters as per Principal/Deputy Principal’s request
• Manage collaboration of wellbeing programs and initiatives as per Principal/Deputy Principal’s request; e.g. initiate parent information workshops/evenings, Fathering Project initiatives
• Meet with the Principal/Deputy Principal’s and P&F President to discuss all community wellbeing initiatives for the upcoming calendar year

Approximate Time Commitment: 8 hours per month

TREASURER

The treasurer must have tertiary qualifications in, and experience of, either accounting or bookkeeping

• Attend all general P&F meetings and annual general meetings
• Provide support to the president and other executive committee members as appropriate
• Manage P&F accounts and cash flow, manage cash policies at P&F events
• Responsible for receiving all monies, reimbursements, payments, maintaining accurate records of monies received and deposits
• Utilise MYOB accounting software to track and report P&L and financial position
• Present at each general meeting and AGM a Statement of Account
• Arrange audit process

Approximate Time Commitment: 8 hours per month

SECRETARY

• Attend all general P&F meetings
• Provide support to the president and other executive committee members as appropriate
• Keep minutes of all business conducted
• Create and distribute P&F meeting agendas
• Attend all incoming and outgoing correspondence in P&F inbox
• Provide key emails and all P&F communication to the P&F Grade Reps

Approximate Time Commitment: 8 hours per month

AUDITOR (requires Qualifications)

• Review previous years financials to ensure accuracy and completeness of all records
• Issuance of audited accounts letter

Approximate Time Commitment: 4 hours per year

Grade Representatives

• Attend general P&F meetings where possible
• Raise any feedback from parents within your grade relating to the P&F onto the P&F meeting agenda
• Direct parents with any questions /complaints or concerns relating to student, teacher, school related matters to communicate directly to the teachers, Deputy Principals or Principal
• Reach out and welcome new families within your grade
• Distribute information to parents within your grade
• Help organise social events for your grade parents 
• Volunteer to help at P&F events
• Organise gifts for grade teachers

Approximate Time Commitment: 3 hours per month

Year 2 - Excursion and Pyjama Party - School App ‘To Do’ Badge

Year 3 - Three Big Days -  School App ‘To Do’ Badge and Medical & Dietary Requirements

Year 4 - Three Big Days -  School App ‘To Do’ Badge and Medical & Dietary Requirements

Year 5 - Three Big Days -  School App ‘To Do’ Badge and Medical & Dietary Requirements

Year 6 - Three Big Days -  School App ‘To Do’ Badge and Medical & Dietary Requirements

Orangutan Awareness Day at Claremont

We have had the best day today! ☺

Following a response to an Indonesian task by Maya V in Year 3, a small team of students including Maya V, Abbie H, Chloe K, Alexis L planned a day for all students at Claremont to enjoy and to raise funds for a donation to The Orangutan Project.

Throughout the day there were various activities organised by the team, ably assisted by the Year 6 Charities Leaders. Thank you to Chloe T, Charlotte M, Anna L, Dante F, Tyson W-E, Amos W, Sofia S, Austin L and Isabella D-B for their assistance before and on the day.  Activities included making masks, orangutan origami, a movie ‘The Orangutan Whisperer’ and last but not least, enjoying some delicious orangutan cupcakes! Wearing mufti in orangutan colours was the order of the day and some very lucky students won prizes including hampers containing an orangutan toy, a book (about orangutans - who would have thought?) and even some chocolates which were donated by Darrell Lea, who are now producing their range without using any Palm Oil products! Needless to say, Claremont students were very excited about this development and the prospect of enjoying the Darrell Lea generosity. Thank you to Archie T for his diplomatic efforts! 

We are thrilled with how generous everyone has been in supporting our first Orangutan Day. Thank you to everyone for your part in the day.

Congratulations to everyone who helped make the day such fun for our students.

Terima kasih anak-anak!
Sampai jumpa! Bu Jill

Science in Kindergarten

What do the Claremont College Kindergarten students have in common with Archimedes, Galileo, Allbert Einstein and Isaac Newton you ask? They are all sensational students of Physics!

But Physics is that super tricky, mind boggling subject from high school I hear you say! Well, not for Kindy! They are fabulous physicists, boldly exploring the concepts of force and motion in our world.

Which is lucky for us, because...

The Kindergarten teachers were so excited to plant some flowers on the Kindy balcony to celebrate the season of Spring. We chose some colourful flowers, picked out a pot online and remembered to buy some soil. But in all our excitement, we forgot to check the measurements. Oh no! Our bag of soil and our pot are far too heavy! How ever will we manage to move these objects from the Judge Street gate to the Kindergarten balcony? *dramatic sigh*

And then it came to us… we could enlist the help of the fabulous Kindergarten physicists!

We shared our dilemma with our resident physicists and they put their brains to work. First, we learnt about push and pull forces. What does a push feel like? When do I pull things at school and at home?

Then, we explored how different objects move. Does a pencil spin, roll or slide? What about a book? Can a glue stick move on its own? 

Next, we brainstormed which types of movement we could use for our solution and decided that rolling would be very important. We discussed how different surfaces might affect how an object rolls and investigated further.

We designed an experiment to test which surface a toy car will roll the furthest on. We made a prediction, selected equipment and planned our method. We even identified the independent variable! Finally we tested three different surfaces, drew a scientific diagram of our observations and discussed our conclusions.

With our brains full, we began to discuss possible solutions. At first it was suggested that the Kindergarten teachers should do the heavy lifting. Then the idea of paying for a crane or forklift was floated. Eventually, we decided we would apply everything that we have been learning this term to design our very own solution. 

Next Monday, we will begin designing our solutions and in a few weeks we will put our plans to action. Will the pot and soil make it all the way from the Judge Street gate, along the bumpy ground, around the narrow bend and safely through to the Kindergarten balcony? You will just have to wait and see!

The Kindergarten Team 

What a term for Year 1 to be learning about weather! This week sure has given us the opportunity for lots of discussions about the rain and wind (along with some pining for the sun).

Our Science unit this term has had us looking up, and this week we’ve been answering the focus question, How and why do we collect information about the weather?  

Students have designed their own weather collecting tools. They came up with so many interesting designs:

‘My design used a plastic container with a ruler attached to it. This will help us to know how much rain there has been.’ Wilson W

‘I plan to attach an old sock (with the toe cut out) to a stick to measure the direction of the wind. The sock will blow in the wind, and we will be able to see where the wind is coming from. I am also going to attach a plastic cup with markings on it to measure the rain.’  James P 

‘My design has some string that will blow in the wind.  The string will hang down if there is not much wind, but if the string is blowing straight to the side, it means the wind is strong.’ Charlotte C

In Maths this week, Year 1 has been learning about data. During these lessons we have been learning and will continue to learn about appropriate questions to ask and how to present data in a column graph or picture graph. We enjoyed making human graphs about colours and house teams.

We are looking forward to being able to apply this knowledge to our future Science lessons on weather when we will graph data we have collected about temperature and rainfall.

The Year 1 Team

Year 2 - Writing

“Ow! The sand is burning me!”. “Bling! A flash came from a little cottage. Can you guess where it was coming from?”. “Roaaarrrr!!!! Attack! Cried the Knight”.

These are some of the sizzling starts from our budding Year 2 authors as we delve into the world of imaginary text types this term. Our focus in our writing unit is looking at narratives and letting our imaginations run wild! 

What is your most precious item? What is something that you’ve lost? Why is your character motivated to act a certain way? Can you use onomatopoeia to “hook” the reader into your story? These are just some of the things we are exploring as we compose our narratives.

What does a toy elephant, a little brother Percy, blue crystals, mum and dad, or a Russian Blue cat have in common? These are all things that are precious to some of the students in Year 2 and our first narrative lesson this term was to write about something precious.

After talking about what precious means, and brainstorming lots of precious things, we used a scaffold to help us get all our creative ideas on paper. The aim of this lesson was to ensure that each little author had all the essential details that a good story has. Some of us even used Rory’s Story Dice to help us come up with ideas for characters, setting, themes and plot ideas.   

After getting down their ideas in order, each author had an individual conference with a teacher before sitting down to write their narrative. Students worked hard at adhering to the structure of a narrative (orientation, complication, resolution) and also to self edit their work using a COPS check once they were finished. We are so proud of how far each student has come this year to improve their writing skills and focus during each writing lesson. 

Ask your budding author about their precious item story and in the meantime, enjoy a small selection of some works below:

The Year 2 Team

Destination Moon Science Incursion

The excitement was palpable on Thursday when the Year 3 students participated in a STEM based Science and Space incursion. The day began with an interactive presentation that revealed many interesting facts about the moon. This was a fantastic opportunity for students to share their existing knowledge of our science unit ‘Earth and Space’ as well as providing them with a chance to deepen their understanding.

The students then took part in two STEM based activities - creating and launching a lunar rocket, and designing a lunar lander. Both of these interactive workshops allowed students to use their critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and problems solving skills. Watching the learning and seeing the excitement of students testing their final designs was truly exciting!

Here are some reflections by some of our Year 3 students on their experience:

"I liked learning about new spacecraft and I enjoyed the whole group discussion." - Billy R

"It was so exciting to get a chance to make the spacecraft!" - Hannah B 

"I enjoyed working with my friends to make a spacecraft." - Stella L

“It was so much fun launching my rocket and it went above the shade sail!”- Angus B

The Year 3 Team

Year 4 Business in a Box Project

This term, the Year 4 students will be participating in a cross curricular program called ‘Business in a Box’. This program aims to integrate English, Mathematics, Science and Visual Arts along with developing the students’ thinking and learning dispositions. Students will work collaboratively with other students within their ‘business’ in order to design and create a viable product which will be sold on Thursday 26th November, Week 7, to other Claremont students in the School Hall. The selected product must meet the needs of the identified market and they will be guided through 7 specific tasks in order to successfully achieve this.

The following is a brief outline of the tasks involved:

Task 1 - Designing a Company Name and Ethos
Task 2- Market Research
Task 3- Market Research Analysis
Task 4- Product Design
Task 5- Advertising
Task 6- Presentation of why this product was chosen
Task 7- Poster Creation

It is important to note that the product must be made at school under the supervision of the Year 4 teaching team. 50% of the profits will go to charity and the remaining 50% will be divided amongst the group. However, some businesses may not make a profit at all and we want to help our students to understand that this is a common reality in the real world. Failure is often another stepping stone to success and people like Steve Jobs had many setbacks before finally developing the Apple products that we use today.

All products must be made at school and they cannot be brought in finished. The students will also need to purchase any raw materials needed for their final product. They can choose to invest the money from their own savings or they can ask an ‘investor’ to help them. This money will then be deducted from the gross income in week 7, and paid back to the investors before the profits can be calculated. 

An important note for Year 4 parents: Please send in receipts with the note attached to specify if you require the money you have spent to be paid back if possible or you will be donating it to the project. (A note will be sent home with students through the Student Diary). 

Students will be making a prototype of their product in the week beginning 2nd November to test their product. Please note that this does not mean purchasing bulk supplies, but testing materials and examples for the best, most cost effective product. 

This program has proven to be a highly engaging learning experience for Claremont students in the past and has been an excellent opportunity for students to to develop their initiative, collaboration, originality and risk taking ability. This term, the students’ enthusiasm has been palpable and we cannot wait to see their creations in week 7! 

Here are a few reflections from some Year 4 students on their experience so far:

"My favourite part was doing the market research as we got to explore different products." - Sarah O 

"I enjoy being creative and choosing a product. It is exciting to interview different people and find out what they like." - Charisma V "I can’t wait to make a product and see if it works!" - Anthony C

"I made a survey to find out what people like and it was really cool to collect information." - April M

"I am learning about investing, profits and how to research. This interests me because I love Maths and I get to use it in real life." - Isaac H

The Year 4 Team

Year 5 - English

Students in Grade 5 have been exploring the true meaning of loyalty in their English classes.  Drawing inspiration from the fiction picture book Fox, written by Margaret Wild and illustrated by Ron Brooks, students spent time appreciating how the characters Dog and Magpie showed loyalty.  As a study text, Fox is short enough to make dissection of structure and vocabulary possible but with enough depth to challenge even our most sophisticated readers.

“As with most of my stories, it is the emotions in the text which interest me most.” Margaret Wild.

This week, students explored the emotive language of how loyalty is expressed throughout the text.  They also explored the rich and interesting illustrations to deepen their understanding of what loyalty looks like and how it can be expressed.  

Our students need to have a rich vocabulary that continually grows.  By using a variety of language and literacy experiences, our students are able to comprehend and construct increasingly complex texts.  Grade 5 students were provided with critical explicit and robust instruction in vocabulary, followed by a series of engaging activities that allowed students to explore each other's texts, challenge their own vocabulary choices and spend time enriching their original sentences. 

As one of our students, Seamus, said, “loyalty means to show firm and constant support to someone, especially someone who needs it.”  Seamus has beautifully summarised the type of loyalty we need most in this year of the unknown.

The Year 5 Team

The Afternoon Show with Mr Ryan

It is with great pleasure we recommence ‘The Afternoon Show’ with Mr Ryan. We hope you enjoy Episode 5!

The Year 6 Team

Our new nature lunchtime club this term has proven to be incredibly popular. This is no surprise as many students have been able to take home their very own succulent plant at the end of the day. Instead of throwing away used yoghurt, strawberry and tomato plastic containers, these containers have been used to pot some very pretty plants. However, we are struggling to keep up with the demand and we need your help!

We would really appreciate it if you could please bring in any used plastic containers that could be used for this purpose. For hygiene reasons, we ask that you ensure that the containers are thoroughly cleaned prior to sending them in. This is also a great opportunity to show students the many ways in which we can recycle plastics. Please refer to the photograph for an idea of some of the types of containers that are needed.

Library Literature Stage 2

Students in Years 3 and 4 have been studying the book The Great Bear by Libby Gleeson. A heartfelt story about a mistreated bear who has eventually had enough, this story does  a wonderful job in sensitively getting students to think about animal rights and how we can advocate for those who don’t have a voice. 

The story also links in with the  great bear myth of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. After we read this myth, students enjoyed using augmented reality to actually place in the sky where these and other constellations and planets sit. 

Stephanie Affleck
Teacher Librarian

NEW FICTION TITLES

Jon Klassen is a Canadian author and illustrator of children’s books. Before creating picture books, he served as an illustrator on the animated feature film, Coraline. The library collection now has the final two books in Klassen’s award-winning hat trilogy. It all started with I want My Hat Back a delightful book about a bear who has lost his hat. It went on to be a New York Times Best illustrated Children’s Book of the Year, and a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book.

The second book This Is Not My Hat, is the only book to ever win both the Caldecott and Kate Greenaway Medal. This tells the story of a tiny fish who steals a hat from a large sleeping fish. The tiny fish swims off to hide but the big fish is in pursuit…

In the final book in the thematic trilogy, We Found A Hat is about two turtles who have found a hat that looks good on both of them. The problem is two turtles and one hat! The story has a dessert setting and the narrative has a distinctly Western feel.

Jon Klassen’s deceptive simplicity and humorous narrative in each title is cleverly supported by the minimalist illustrations. The text and illustrations together, help create an emotional tension in his storytelling. Each story is thought provoking which makes for interesting discussion with children. These picture books can be enjoyed by children and adults of all ages. 

Mrs Susan Kesur
Library Assistant

This term in Chapel we are focusing on the theme ‘Blessed is the PEACEMAKER.’ Throughout this term we will be looking at Peace in God’s creation, Peace in uncertain times and how we can be PEACEMAKERS. Then later in the term, as we get closer to Christmas, we will be looking at Jesus the Prince of PEACE.

This week we focused on how we can be Peacemakers. Being a Peacemaker means thinking about how you can ‘keep the peace’ with others. Mr Thomas told us that in the bible God asks us to clothe ourselves with tenderheartedness, mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Colossians 3:12). Sometimes in life people make mistakes and some people will annoy us, but that it is really important to remember to clothe ourselves with these things in order to bring peace and be a Peacemaker. We need to remember to forgive others, have patience and, most of all, show others God's love.

This week the students have been learning the memory verse,

‘Blessed are the Peacemakers for they will be called children of God.’ Matthew 5:9

We love seeing the students getting involved in the Chapel videos each week. Remember if you would like to watch this week's online Chapel video you can find it on our school website.

You can also watch this week's Chapel by CLICKING HERE.

Tiffany Knoll
Chapel Coordinator

This term we will be selling ‘limited edition’ ‘Blessed is the Peacemaker’ Christmas T-Shirts. These are available for $20 and are available in both children’s and adult’s sizes. Why not buy one for each member of your family. You can place your order here.

Deliveries will be made later this term. Check out last week’s online Chapel service if you’d like to see this T-shirt worn by a very handsome model. You too, can be at the height of 2020 fashion and style this summer!

While the wet weather caused some minor disruptions to our Sporting programs this week, it wasn’t enough to dampen the spirits and enthusiasm of our students. It was great to see the students from our Basketball morning skills program defying the wet and drizzly conditions and enjoying a great morning of coaching from Jake from Sydney Comets (City of Sydney Basketball Association).

Mr Joel Geering
Sport Coordinator

The Uniform Shop is now open for business on: 

Mondays         1:00pm-4:00pm

Wednesdays   8:00am-11:00am.

At present the only items available to purchase directly from the Uniform Shop are

School bags, socks, hair accessories, hats, art smocks and raincoat sales. Any uniform items required in Term 4 may still be purchased from Wileys. 

For further information please see the attached flyer.

Welcomeasy are delivering recess and lunch orders to school.

Orders must be placed by 10:59pm the night before for delivery on the next school day.

If you are ordering a snack item, please specify in the notes area whether the snack is for Recess or Lunch.

Please note that orders are to be placed on the ‘Welcomeasy’ website and NOT Flexischools.

You must firstly create an account by following some simple steps. Go to www.welcomeasy.com.au  

Please CLICK HERE for the Term 4 Week 3 newsletter 

A reminder that 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 just like to confirm your arrangements, please contact TeamKids Customer Service on 1300 035 000.

2021 school travel applications are now open

Applications for student travel in 2021 opened from Monday 12 October 2020.

Students who require a School Opal card or travel pass for 2021 can now apply online. A new application should be submitted if a student is applying for a school travel pass for the first time or requesting an additional pass as a result of a new shared parental responsibility situation (e.g. joint custody).

Students who have changed school/campus, changed address, repeated a year or received an expiry notification from Transport for NSW for their school travel entitlement should re-apply or update their details.

*Applications must be completed by the student's parent or legal guardian if the student is aged under 16 years. Students 16 years and over must complete the application form themselves. 

Where there is a change of distance eligibility based on a student’s grade, the system will automatically update a student’s entitlement if they meet the new criteria. If they do not meet the new eligibility criteria, they will receive an expiry notification via email.

Students who have an entitlement approved under a medical condition which is due to expire will receive a notification advising them to re-apply.

Term Bus Pass holders will receive a notification to re-apply.

If a student needs to update their information or re-apply, they should go online to https://apps.transport.nsw.gov...

Applications need to be submitted before 31 December 2020 to ensure that current student entitlements are updated and their current entitlement/card remains valid. If their application is submitted after 31 December 2020, the system will automatically cancel an entitlement/card and a new one will need to be issued.

Students in the Opal network applying for a SSTS or Term Bus Pass entitlement for the first time will receive their card at their nominated postal address. Cards will be mailed out from January 2021.

Students residing in Rural and Regional (R&R) areas should receive their travel pass at the commencement of the new school year from their nominated operator, this may be distributed via the school or sent direct to their address. Note: some R&R operators do not issue travel passes. Students/Parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.

New Concession Entitlement Cards

Transport for NSW will be replacing the below cards with Transport Concession Entitlement Cards (TCEC) from October 2020:

• Senior Secondary Student Concession Card (16 years and over) – also used by Mature Secondary Students (18 years and over), Distance Education Students and Home School Students
• Proof of Age card (when a student under 16 years of age looks older)
• Boarder Rail Pass.

All previous cards will be valid until they expire. Students who require a Transport Concession Entitlement Card should speak with their school administration staff.

Enquiries regarding school student travel can be submitted to Transport for NSW at:

https://transportnsw.info/cont...