The children this week have been buzzing with excitement - the Christmas decorations are up! We thought that with the year that has been, why not start celebrating this special time early, as we did last year, for the four and a half weeks that are left of the school year! A special shout out to Mrs Ford for purchasing and coordinating the decorations, and to the many staff and Year 6 students who helped put them up around the school. Christmas is a wonderful time of year, and is always a particularly exciting time for children. This year we will be having our Pixie Post again, beginning on Monday 22 November - a week where the children write Christmas cards to each other, so your child/ren may wish to start organising their cards soon if they would like to participate.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6

AMAZING ME

On Wednesday evening we held two AMAZING ME Sex Education Seminars for our Years 3-6 students. The first seminar focused on the difference between girls’ and boys’ bodies and how babies are made, and the second talk focused on puberty and some of the emotional and physical changes children can expect at this stage in their lives. Thank you Rowena Thomas for your warmth, honesty, positivity and sense of humour. We know it is important that children are presented with facts and truth, as sadly too often the way children learn about these topics are ill-informed rumours or from the internet. The more support and education children have, the more empowered they will feel and be in the future.

As part of our Personal Development and Health curriculum, Rowena also presents to all of our Year 6 during classes in Term 4. We have found these sessions an invaluable support to our students and families, as the children prepare for the changes they will face in High School. 

For more information on AMAZING ME, please see www.amazingme.com.au or follow on instagram. 

SPEECH DAY 2021 

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, our annual Speech Day will be virtual again this year. Our Speech Day celebration will take place on Wednesday 8 December, starting at 10:00am. Students will NOT come to school that day. Speech Day will be viewed from home. This will be an opportunity to celebrate the award winners and to reflect on the year of 2021. You will receive a link to a password protected page to view this special event. We are looking forward to celebrating the many achievements of 2021 on this day. 

KINDY 2022 

It was fantastic to meet up with so many of our Kindy 2022 parents and Kindies yesterday on Zoom. We trust that you found the information helpful. Thank you to the many Claremont staff who presented at the meeting. This information will also be sent home to parents over the coming weeks. We are very much looking forward to meeting our little 2022 Kindies onsite on 25 November for their Orientation session. 

THANK YOU

We would like to take this opportunity to also thank the parents in our school community. Thank you for your cooperation and patience as we continue to follow restrictions and guidelines. Thank you for the many words of encouragement and support to the staff. And thank you for all that you do to work in partnership with us, as together we care for your child/ren.

With the initial ‘honeymoon’ period of returning to school over, many of the children are showing signs of tiredness. If you are finding that your child is more emotional than usual, please be reassured that this was to be expected. There was a lot of anticipation returning to school, and together with a change to routine, many students are now simply exhausted. If your family can relate to this, try to take time to rest this weekend. I encourage you to take some time to practise gratitude with your child/ren over the next two days. Ask them to reflect and write down three things that went well this week, and three things they are looking forward to next week. If you have any concerns about how your child is adjusting back to school, please don’t hesitate to contact your classroom teacher, Miss McKersie or myself. We are here to support you and your child/ren. 

'Simplify, slow down, be kind. And don't forget to have art in your life - music, paintings, theatre, dance and sunsets.' Eric Carle

Wishing you all a lovely weekend. 

Larissa Cameron
Co-Principal

Follow us

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

Congratulations to Miss Tan and Mr Ko who were married last weekend. We all wish you both a lifetime of happiness and together as you enjoy the amazing journey ahead.

This week, the NSW Premier and Education Minister announced the easing of restrictions for schools. We will now operate under Level 3 restrictions for the remainder of Term 4.

Here is a summary of the activities now permitted from Monday 8 November:                   

• Excursions are allowed outdoors (and indoors where sole use of the premises is available).
• Incursions are allowed indoors and outdoors where cohorts are kept separated.
• Dancing and some music classes are allowed (still no singing onsite).
• Fully vaccinated visitors are allowed onsite to support curriculum delivery, wellbeing programs and school operations.
• Transitions and orientations can occur as long as they are designed to minimise mingling between transition or orientation cohorts and school cohorts.
• Sport is permitted.

Whilst it is exciting that restrictions are easing, we need to remain vigilant and look at our specific context to assess whether certain events and activities are safe. The following key safety measures remain in place:

• Students staying home if they are displaying symptoms (headache, cough, sore throat, runny nose etc.).
• Only fully vaccinated adults permitted onsite.
• Physically distance wherever practicable.
• Maximise ventilation through open doors and windows, and our HEPA air purifiers.
• Students staying in cohorts where practicable.
• Masks are mandatory for staff indoors, and strongly recommended for students.

Today, you would have received an email regarding our Community Vaccination Status Survey. This survey is completely voluntary and anonymous, and will be used to assist us with implementing appropriate risk mitigation strategies. Thank you for your cooperation with this.

As always, we are incredibly grateful for your support and understanding with the ever changing nature of COVID-19. Thank you for being compassionate and responsive with the requests and changes made throughout this term.

Please take care and stay safe.

Mrs Alanna James
Acting Deputy Principal

As part of this deeper dive into our data, Mrs James (who has also been involved in the decision making, sourcing and implementation of these surveys) and I would like to invite parents to join us on Zoom to look at the details of the comparative data, the stakeholder summaries and question sets that fed into the results. As we look at our data and wonder why each group perceives certain aspects in different ways, it will be valuable to hear from you about what you believe these perceptions to be. 

Our ‘Deeper Dive into the Data’ Meeting will be on Tuesday 9 November at 4pm.

Please note, we expect the preview of the data to take 30-45 minutes, and following this we would like to allow plenty of time for questions and discussion, so if you would like to join the discussion in the second part of the meeting, please allow an additional 30 minutes, as we would love for you to share your thoughts with us. Please register your intention to join us HERE. An email with the Zoom link will be emailed to you by 12:00pm on the day. 

Janelle Ford
Co-Principal

In anticipation of the advent season, the Chapel theme for this term has turned to celebrate the joy and wonder of Christmas. The family traditions we enjoy in the lead up to Christmas day - setting up the tree, Elf on the Shelf, advent calendars and the like - reflect the anticipation that God’s people felt when awaiting the birth of the Messiah two thousand years ago.

Please join us in watching Chapel (found on the ‘announcements’ section of Seesaw) each Friday as we hear from Claremont staff how the lead up to Christmas is observed in their family. 

Adelaide Marquet
Chapel Coordinator

Some of our students are wearing the new Summer uniform. A reminder that there is a 2 year transition period. This means that in 2022, students can continue to wear either the new uniform or the older style. By January 2023, all students will be expected to wear the new uniform.

Our Social Media Team is working to increase connections, and promote our amazing school. We know everyone has been doing wonderful things during this time and we would love to be able to share these with the Claremont community. 

In the coming week we would like to focus on:

• National Recycling Week

If your child would like to be considered to be featured on Claremont College's social media platforms, please send your photos and videos to [email protected] with:

- Child's Name
- Grade
- Quote or Caption

OR, feel free to tag @claremontcollege on Instagram,
or @claremont2031 on Twitter,
or to follow us on LinkedIn Claremont College 

Please feel free to submit any photos and most importantly, have fun! 

The Social Media Committee

Follow us

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

Congratulations to the following students who received a Gold Certificate or Pennant Award this week.

Gold Certificates

Maelyn G (Yr 1), Thomas H (Yr 1), Amelia H (Yr 1), Tahlia P (Yr 1), Oliver T (Yr 1), Isabella W (Yr 1), Marcus R (Yr 2), Joanna Y (Yr 3), Magnus R (Yr 3), Finn T (Yr 3), Milla W (Yr 4), Nate C (Yr 5), Sara S (Yr 5), Elijah C (Yr 6) and Micah C (Yr 6).

Pennant

Avery L (Yr 2), Taylor K (Yr 2), Mariana CL (Yr 3) and Sofia LN (Yr 3).

If you need to bring a mobile phone to school for communication purposes (if travelling by public transport or by walking to and from school), remember to hand in your device to your teachers. Due to current restrictions and to minimise movement around the school, the devices will not be handed in at the office, until further notice. It is very important that you do not use your phone walking out of the school gate or when crossing the street. Be alert and be safe. 

Larissa Cameron
Co-Principal

Term 4 2021

Term 1 2022

All orders that were placed online in Term 2 will be carried over to the new date.

ONLINE ORDER CODE: 537 6V3 2EM

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

School photographs are scheduled to be taken by Advancedlife on Monday 22 November. Whilst an envelope and flyer was sent home with students, it is our preference for ordering to be completed online. This is to reduce administration and potential security issues related to the return of cash and envelopes on photo day.

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

Should you wish to purchase a sibling photograph online, the order must be placed no later than the day before photography day (ie Sunday 21 November). Sibling photographs will only be taken if an order has been placed.

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

Important Information:

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

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

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

St Andrew’s Cathedral School will offer one full or part scholarship to a Claremont student (boy or girl) for entry into Year 7 2023. This scholarship is in recognition of the 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 2022 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 2022.

The P&F invites all parents to join the final AGM meeting for 2021. Despite the lockdown over the past 4 months, the P&F have been meeting via zoom and appreciate the time and effort by the school executive team, P&F executive team and 2021 grade representatives to help keep our school community strong. We look forward to continuing to build our school community in 2022 and invite you to be part of this. 

At the AGM the committee for 2022 will be elected, consisting of the P&F executive team and grade representatives, ideally at least two persons per grade. Please see attached the descriptions of these roles and invite you to consider applying for either one of the P&F executive roles or consider becoming a grade representative in 2022. Please email your interest to [email protected]

Due to ongoing COVID restrictions within schools, the AGM will at present need to be held off site. We ask if you can please book a ticket on the link below to attend the AGM.

https://www.trybooking.com/BVEAN

P&F Committee Roles

Featuring a collection of bread recipes, family meals and sweet treats from students, parents and staff of Claremont College. Many recipes passed down through the generations or born through ‘lockdown’ to cook at home. Lovely memoir for your family or Christmas gift for grandparents and friends.

Purchase now on Flexischools, $32 a copy. Orders will close on 14/11/21.

National Recycling Week

National Recycling Week, established by Planet Ark in 1996, is held every year during the second week of November (8th to 14th November). This year's theme is 'Recovery - A future beyond the bin'. 

As a school community, we have decided to use this event as a timely reminder about the importance of valuing our resources, reducing waste and recycling correctly. As part of Home Learning this week, each grade has been assigned a preview learning task on the topic of ‘Recycling’. The aim is to get our students thinking about the many things that they already do to recycle, but more importantly, the simple changes that they could make to improve their practice further. 

We are looking forward to seeing all of the wonderful things that students come up with as a result of their preview learning this week. Keep an eye out for next week's newsletter where we will be sharing some examples from across the grades. 

The Eco Warrior team

Why Indonesia matters in our schools – A Rationale for Indonesian Language and Studies in Australian Education.

Last week I attended this online launch by way of a webinar (how else in these times?), sponsored by the Asia Education Foundation in conjunction with the Australian Government and the Australia Indonesia Institute. 

Indonesia is one of Australia’s most significant, and sometimes most misunderstood, neighbour. The Indonesian language has been taught in Australian schools for nearly 70 years but there is now a serious decline at the secondary level.

Australia and Indonesia share an environment and history. Our future has so much potential. Young people’s creativity and friendship will shape that. That potential depends on getting to know each other at school. 

From my perspective, having lived and worked in Asia, I know first-hand how true all that is and how invaluable any language skills and cultural awareness will be in assisting our children’s understanding of the opportunities and advantages ahead of them. 

From Claremont’s perspective, that is why we value our relationship with our sister school in Jakarta so deeply. There is so much to learn from each other through conversations and exchanges which both schools are keen to pursue as soon as practicable after COVID-19 related delays. This is a really exciting step which will reward everyone involved! 

The AEF Rationale sets a new narrative for why Australian schools should better understand and engage with Indonesia. Written for school leaders, educators, and those working in education policy, it aims to answer the much deeper question of ‘why.’ Through research, interviews, focus groups and a national survey, this contemporary analysis seeks to answer that challenge: Why Indonesia matters in Australian schools. That rationale was officially released on Thursday 28 October as part of this launch event. 

Australia’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Her Excellency Penny Williams, (who, coincidentally, learned Bahasa Indonesia at a primary school in Tasmania) spoke on a panel about the significance of the rationale with educators, and the voices of young people with direct experience in connecting Indonesia and Australia.

Hearing about these enthusiastic encounters only re-fuelled my personal belief and life-long passion that we must do more to prepare our future generations for the world they will need to know and comfortably navigate.

Enjoy reading this link below and at an appropriate time I would enjoy a discussion around the ideas raised therein. 

Sampai jumpa!

Bu Jill 

A Rationale for Indonesian Language and Studies in Australian Education

New Graphic Novels To The Collection

This beautiful graphic-novel adaptation of the animated film, inspired by Deborah Ellis’s beloved novel, tells the story of Parvana, an eleven year old girl. When soldiers burst into the family home and drag her father off to prison, Parvana has to take responsibility for her whole family, dressing as a boy to make a living in the marketplace of Kabul, risking her life daily in the dangerous city. This is a story of courage in the face of overwhelming fear and repression. Readers of this book will want to linger over this powerful graphic novel with its striking art and inspiring story. 

Deborah Ellis is the author of more than twenty books, including Parvana,which has been published in several languages. She has donated more than $1 million in royalties to organisations such as Women for Women in Afghanistan, UNICEF and Street Kids International. 

Recommended for children aged 10 years and older. 

This is the third book in the best selling series of graphic memoirs. The author Shannon Hale is a bestselling author of over thirty books and has won several awards.

Shannon is now in 8th grade, and life is more complicated than ever. Everything seems to keep changing and Shannon can never seem to just be happy. As she works through her insecurities and undiagnosed depression, she worries about disappointing all the people that care about  her. 

With their signature humour, warmth, and insight, Shannon Hale and illustrator LeUyen Pham have crafted another memoir filled with humour and warmth, letting readers everywhere know that they’re seen, and understood and not alone. This is a book that is also a reminder to us all that we are enough. 

Recommended for children aged 10 years and older. 

Mrs Susan Kesur
Librarian Assistant

Claremont Champions

Congratulations to Sebastian L-P (Year 6) who, after a further 2 weeks of trials, has been selected in the starting 12 player squad to represent South East Junior Cricket Association (SEJCA) in the 2021/2022 representative season playing in Division 1 of the Metropolitan Youth Cup. Well done on your hard work and achievement, Sebastian!

Please continue to pass on any highlights of your Claremont champions on the sporting field to [email protected]  so we can celebrate their achievements.

Mr Joel Geering
Head of Sport and PDHPE

We hope you and your family are well and safe.

We are so excited to be back at school and to see the students and staff.

We are offering a limited menu for Term 4, however please keep an eye out when online if there are specials or new additions as we progress through the term.

Please know that the safety of the school community and our staff is paramount, and we are following all covid-19 guidelines as well as the Australian Food Handling guidelines.

If you have any queries at all regarding the school canteen, please contact us through [email protected]

James Anthony and the Claremont Canteen Team

TERM 4 MENU

The Uniform Shop will be opened for click and collect orders only during their normal business hours commencing next week as follows:

Mondays: 2:30pm - 5:30pm

Wednesdays: 8:00am - 11:00am

Unfortunately due to the current Health Orders, appointments for fittings are currently not available. 

For online ordering CLICK HERE.

Thank you and keep safe.

Regards

Mandy Hook | Customer Service

CLICK HERE to read the most recent newsletter from TeamKids.

A reminder for ALL families to RE-BOOK & VERIFY the dates for the remainder of the TERM. If there are no confirmed bookings the service will be closed. Space is limited exclusively to authorised workers. If you have any questions, email or please call customer service on 1300 035 000.

2022 School Travel Application Information