I can’t help but have a bounce in my step at the moment. The sun is shining and Spring is in the air. It is such a privilege to have a job where I work with children every day. I never want to take this experience for granted. Children are filled with energy, hope and optimism. Their sincerity, curiosity and sense of wonder are such gifts, and each of us as adults need more of this enthusiasm for life. I understand what Jesus meant when He said;

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3). The Passion Translation refers to the “the wide-eyed wonder of a child” – how beautiful is this?

Today is ‘Daffodil Day’. I love daffodils. For me, they represent the end of winter. Spring has sprung, the sun is shining, we have longer days and there is warmth in the air. Recently in our newsletter I wrote that “Winter is a season of recovery and preparation” (Paul Theroux) – but now we are on the cusp of Spring. Even with much uncertainty, we are entering a season of optimism, growth and hope. We must boldly fight for hope, and be determined, confident and intentional in working toward our ‘hopes’ for the future. Spring represents, for me, a season of having faith and believing that life will, (not might), bring many new possibilities. This week, I have been personally challenged by a powerful thought, which for me will become my 2020 Spring mantra;

We can’t accept God’s invitation to help create a new story unless we are willing to take action. We become partners with God when we act in unfamiliar, untested ways. Those new actions will be guided by a preferred future that embraces:

- resilience in place of growth
- collaboration in place of consumption
- wisdom in place of progress
- balance in place of addiction
- moderation in place of excess
- vision in place of convenience
- accountability in place of disregard
- self-giving love in place of self-centred fear
- relationships and respect in place of division

As broken-hearted as God must be over what we have done to the gift of creation, God still has a dream… God dreams that humans seek spiritual rather than material progress. God’s dream envisions a just world at peace because gratitude has dissolved anxiety and generosity has eclipsed greed. God dreams of a time when love and mutual respect will bind humanity together, and the profound beauty of creation will be treasured. Let us embrace God’s dream as our own. Suddenly, the horizon of our hope comes nearer. As we live into God’s dream, we will rediscover who we truly are and all of creation will be singing.

(God’s Dream for Creation – Centre for Action and Contemplation.)

At Easter, we celebrated the resurrection life that Jesus brings. The season of Spring reminds us that now is the time to embrace the promises and benefits of a faith-filled life. 

I have already mentioned that today is Daffodil Day. As one of the first flowers of Spring, the daffodil symbolises rebirth and new beginnings, as well as hope for the future. I am mindful that we have families who have loved ones fighting an ongoing battle with cancer. My prayers are with you for good health, healing and a full recovery. Please let me know if our school community can help you in any possible way.

How about buying a bunch of daffodils this weekend for someone you know who is going through a tough time OR making a donation to the Cancer Council? Daffodil Day is a day to remember all those whose lives have been touched by cancer. It’s a day to honour them, and to invest in cancer research so we can ensure a cancer-free tomorrow comes sooner rather than later.

Let’s show our children that life is fabulous, that hope is not a vague sense of what we would like to see happen, but rather, hope is surety in Christ and the life that He gives. Hope is marked by determined action and courageous choices… may these things characterise our families and school community, where we embrace God’s dream as our own.

One of our amazing mums (Margaret Skagias) (mother of Patrick in Kindergarten and Sara in Year 4) has been nominated for the Westfield Local Hero Award. A little about Margaret:

While working as a social worker, Margaret Skagias recognised the unique contribution of Australian children who care for their parents or siblings.

These often unsung heroes may take on housework, shopping, cooking, personal hygiene care, liaising with health professionals and financial matters. In 2014, Margaret founded CaringKids, which is run by volunteers. She and her team make up toy boxes for young carers so they can feel their contribution and role is honoured and recognised. "There are thousands of special needs siblings and young carers in Australia. They are hidden, unsupported and experience social isolation," says Margaret, who is determined to recognise their efforts.

Please support these inspiring efforts by voting for Margaret, to encourage her in all the wonderful things that she is doing for our community. Please VOTE HERE

Doug Thomas          
Principal

  Follow me @DougJThomas

If yes, would you consider being on a 'register' of translators within our school community?

We have had a small number of children and families where English is their second language, however over the past few years this number has increased and we would like to be able to support all of these families. Being able to speak another language is a wonderful lifelong skill and one that we want to encourage and celebrate. It is also important for us to be confident that we are communicating with all of our families so this is where you come in. 

Once we have developed the register we may put you in contact with a family who would like your support as the need arises, or if a teacher (or other member of staff) feels we need your help to communicate with a particular family. We anticipate the times of most need could be:

• Parent/Teacher Meetings;
• Emergency messages to and from the school (because of COVID these are more likely); and
• Other important messages that would connect a family to the parent community. 

Mrs Rochester (the Principal's PA) will maintain this register, and therefore will be able to put families in contact with each other as a need arises.  Please contact Mrs Rochester viakc.rochester@claremont.nsw.edu.au to let her know the other language you are fluent in and that you would be willing to support other Claremont families in this way. 

Thank you for considering to be involved in this school community initiative.

Janelle Ford
Deputy Principal

This year has certainly been one that we will always remember. For many Claremont families, it has been an incredibly challenging time. And for most of us this year has been a time of loss. Whether it has been loss of finances, loss of freedom, loss of work or even loss of our usual routines, it has proven difficult in a whole range of ways. Our usual ways of connecting have been changed and this in itself presents challenges - we know the need to reach out to each other is important, and how as a community, we can care for one another in times of crisis. As a school, we would like to provide an opportunity for our parents to gather together on Zoom, for a special evening to hear and learn ways we can help our community. Thank you to Sally Felton (Ben Y3 and Ella K) and to Catherine McKersie, our School Counsellor, for helping to make this happen.

So when will this be on?

Save Thursday 10 September at 7:30pm, for a night on Zoom.

So who is our guest speaker?

Dr Sarah Wayland is a social worker and mental health researcher from the University of Sydney. She is a mum of 2 and a stepmum of 2 more and has an interest in ways that we can better support individuals and families during times of crisis. She speaks regularly to the media and writes for Mindfood, SBS Life, ABC Life and The Conversation. This session will provide an opportunity to explore ways that we can build community within our homes and our schools when so much of the world is confusing to both ourselves and the young people we care for.

I encourage you to read Sally Felton's article in the P&F newsletter on the event details. As a school we are aware that some families are doing it tough financially right now, and so we would like to offer tickets at no charge. Please spread the word, encourage your Claremont friends and your partner to secure a ticket. Let's all continue to learn about ways to care for ourselves and for others during this time.

What did you notice last week about how you come across to others when you say something? Did you sound polite? Respectful? Assertive? Aggressive? Negative? Positive? Open to other people’s ideas? Encouraging?

Be aware of how you communicate to others.

The Bible says we are to be peacemakers. This doesn't mean we can't stand up for what we believe in, but we need to focus on solving problems and resolving conflict, with the aim to restore peace.

Larissa Cameron
Deputy Principal

Due to the financial challenges of COVID-19 a small number of parents who had initially enrolled for Kindergarten in 2021 have had to withdraw their application. This, coupled with some deferments to 2022, and a smaller number of siblings than usual, means that we now have some vacancies. Many people in our community often do not submit applications to Claremont because they often think they don’t have a chance for their child getting a place. We seek your help in getting the word out that vacancies do exist. If you have a child at preschool, please tell others. Application forms are available on our website, or contact Kathy-Clare Rochester, kc.rochester@claremont.nsw.edu.au for further information.

Whilst we give priority for enrolments to siblings, placement can not be guaranteed. If you have a pre-schooler who is due to begin school in 2022, please ensure that your application form is lodged or your child might miss out on a place. Additional references are not required for sibling application.

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

We would like to remind parents that a full term’s notice in writing to the Principal is required before terminating a student's enrolment.  In the event of failure to provide the required notice of withdrawal, a charge equal to 100% of the applicable term’s school fees will become payable, including all outstanding fees and charges, in addition to fees and charges payable in respect to the entire current term.

The following events are scheduled for Terms 3 and 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 3

Term 4

Father's Day is just around the corner and the P&F have lined up some awesome gifts for the children to surprise their Dad, Grandad or Special Friend this Father’s Day. 

Log on to Flexischools to reserve a spot for your child to go shopping and choose that perfect gift. The cut off date to order on Flexischools is Tuesday 1 September @ 11:59pm.

Year 5 - Excursion to Royal National Park - 1 September - permission via Parent Portal/ App

Community Session with Dr Sarah Wayland - click here to book

Meteorologists in Kindy!

This term, in Science, Kindergarten have been learning about the weather. We have been learning about how the weather can influence our decisions about what to wear and the things we do. Each day we have been observing the weather to make predictions of what the weather might be like in the future based on the season we are in.

This week we investigated the wind. Students posed the question, ‘Is the wind strong or light in different places around our school?’ This led to a discussion about what could be used to measure the strength of the wind around the school. We ended up making our own ‘wind meters’ by hanging different materials such as feathers, clothes pegs and Lego on a coat hanger. We explored the weight of the materials and made predictions about how much they would move when in the wind. First we tested the different materials using a fan to observe which materials moved in a light wind and which moved in a strong wind.  We then discussed what would make a ‘fair test’ by thinking about what needed to change and what needed to stay the same when conducting the investigation. The students enjoyed working collaboratively together, testing their wind meters and recording their observations. 

Here are a few reflections from some of the Kindergarten students:

“I learned that the light objects move the most and the strong materials only move when it is windy.” Mason T 

“I liked that I got to find out about the wind and found that up high on the balcony was windier than when we were low on the playground.” Alice C 

“I liked testing which objects move in the wind.” Scarlett Y 

“The feather was the lightest object and it blew the most.” Cole G  

“I learned that the higher places in the school can be more windy.” Ollie H 

“I love doing experiments and I love Science!” Olive U  

The Kindy Team

Chicks, chicks and more chicks!

Year 1 have just had two very exciting weeks. This term in Science and Technology we have been learning about living things and how they grow and change as they develop.

Last Monday we received a special delivery in the Year 1 learning space. There were 10 eggs in an egg carton. We placed them into the incubator and filled the bottom tray with water. The incubator keeps the eggs warm at 37 degrees. All was quiet and there were no signs of any eggs cracking.

On Tuesday, all was quiet and there were no signs of any eggs cracking. We topped up the water tray with more water Just the sounds of a few Year 1 students asking, “why aren’t they hatching?”

On Wednesday, all was quiet and there were no signs of any eggs cracking. We topped up the water tray with more water… until about 4pm. Mrs Stewart and the students at Art club noticed something intriguing beginning to happen. One of the chicks had hatched.

On Thursday morning, a few students arrived at school and noticed that there were four chicks that had hatched! We set up the brooding box, placed newspaper on the bottom of the box, filled up the food container and the water container. Once the brooding box was set up we carefully placed the chicks into the brooding box. A few Year 1 students even had a chance to hold the chicks.

As the week progressed and we entered into week 2 with our little chicks, the rest of the eggs slowly hatched too. We were able to watch them grow and change. Some of them even grew their big feathers.

We wonder what will happen next.

The Year 1 Team

Ceramics in Art

Over the past few weeks Year 2 students have been getting creative with clay.

At the beginning of the term the children began the unit by looking at a variety of sculptures in the local area.

Following this, students were given a small piece of clay and put their increasing knowledge of clay techniques to the test. 

Clay Techniques:

• Rolling a ball
• Rolling a snake
• Squeezing the clay
• Pulling and pinching the clay
• Carving the clay using some tools
• Smoothing the clay with fingers
• Creating holes within the clay
• Joining pieces of clay together

The students thoroughly enjoyed creating a plan for their clay creation, applying the techniques they learnt by creating their clay sculpture and are now looking forward to painting their creations in the coming weeks. 

We encourage you to discuss some of these techniques with any of the year 2 students and hope their passion for clay will inspire them to create their own masterpieces at home too! 

The Year 2 Team

Dear Year 2 parents

This term in Science, we have been learning all about sound. Over the next two weeks, students will begin creating a musical instrument out of recycled or reusable materials. Students have already started the first part of the design thinking process - to empathise, define and ideate. The design brief requires them to create a musical instrument, along with an instruction manual, for a school community who do not have enough money to purchase instruments for their music program. These instructions can be used by the school in need. 

If you have any recycled or reusable materials laying around at home, please ask your child to bring them into school next Monday (31 August). For hygiene purposes, please thoroughly wash any items that have been recycled. Based on the students’ designs, some items that may be required include:

• Empty cardboard, tissue or cereal boxes
• Plastic spoons or containers
• Empty toilet paper rolls
• Empty tin cans
• Rubber bands
• Straws
• Wooden chopsticks

Please do not go out of your way to buy any items. We will provide other resources and materials as well. Thank you for supporting your child in their learning!

Kind regards,

Year 2 Teachers
Mrs Crerar, Miss Tan, Mrs Nicolaides and Mrs Breakspear

Year 3 - Science - Ecosystems

This term, in Science, the Year 3 students have been exploring how living things have similar characteristics, interdependent relationships and interact with each other and their environment. Throughout this unit, the students have explored life cycles, the adaptations and behaviours of living things, how invasive species can affect an ecosystem and exploring solutions to a variety of problems within ecosystems. 

Last week, the students focused on the effects of invasive species within ecosystems and possible solutions to this problem. They also learned that some invasive species can have a positive impact on an ecosystem. The students thoroughly enjoyed researching different plants or animals by visiting a range of stations designed to teach them about that particular invasive species and its effects on ecosystems. 

For the remainder of this term, the students will begin to investigate food and fibre production within Australia and how we create food and fibre products from plants and animals. 

Here are a few reflections from Year 3 students on what they have been learning:

“I learned that rabbits are actually pests in Australia because they are eating our native plants. When our native animals try to eat the native plants they are not there because the rabbits ate them all.” Audrey F 

“I learned what cane toads are and that they were meant to kill bugs but then they started taking over.” Sofia P 

“We learned about invasive species and how invasive species came to different places in Australia.” Alexis L 

“I find it interesting that invasive species can spread really quickly around Australia.”
Yui Kei C 

“I have learned that invasive species can be poisonous and that they can ruin our environment.” Summer L 

“If an invasive species eats a plant or animal from a food chain, that food chain can be destroyed.” Michael V 

“I learned what a decomposer is and primary, secondary and tertiary consumers in a food chain.” Sean L

The Year 3 Team

Year 4 - Geography: Exploring the issue

“That’s not fair” 
“The city should give up more” 
“But what about the fish?” 
“Can’t we just get more water?”

Phrases like these were shared indignantly with the class as they worked on a water sharing activity which simulated some of the issues faced by the people and animals who live in the Murray Darling River Basin. Students were given the task of sharing the water downstream from the dam to the wetlands near the ocean. During some rounds there was plenty of water while in others, the students faced drought, or even flooding. Issues such as sharing with new towns, government power, politics, angry farmers, drought, lack of food, and fish dying were all highlighted.

Following the simulation, students returned to the hall to discuss what they had learned and to apply their pre learning from their Home Learning. After discussing what they had discovered and already knew, students considered some inventive solutions they would attempt in order to fix all, or part of the problem.

Some examples of their solutions were: 

• Have extra workers or systems to help transfer and manage water so it is sent where it needs to.
• Try to keep invasive species out of the water system.
• Bring water in from other countries.
• Reduce or control how much water is used.
• Create a desalination plant.
• Store food for when there is a drought or the farmers are struggling.
• Use renewable energy to help reduce global warming and floods or droughts.
• Clean the rivers.
• Create fish farms to help release fish back into the river.
• Create water restrictions and save water for when we really need it.

The students will reflect on the effectiveness of these solutions to see if they are viable and if anyone else has already tried to give them a go. Time will tell if any will work!

The Year 4 Team

Year 5 NAPLAN Narrative Writing Workshops

Earlier this year, Education Ministers made the decision to cancel NAPLAN for 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, Claremont College has decided to hold our own NAPLAN (to be marked by teachers).

In preparation for our Writing NAPLAN, this week Year 5 held ‘Narrative Writing Workshops’.

Workshop 1 - Pretend you are a NAPLAN Marker….

In our first workshop, students were shown the Marking Guidelines that NAPLAN markers use to grade written narratives. Criteria on the Marking Guidelines include ‘character development’, ‘paragraphing’ and ‘punctuation’. By making explicit the criteria by which their narratives will be marked, students are better able to include these language forms and features in their work. 

Joint Construction

Students were shown a narrative written by a student in 2015. As a class, students used the Marking Criteria to ‘grade’ the narrative.

Group Work

Students were shown three example narratives written by students from around Australia in previous NAPLAN exams. Inspired by the segment ‘Basic, Better, Best’ from the TV show ‘Antiques Roadshow’, the Year 5 students used the NAPLAN Marking Guidelines to rank other 2015 NAPLAN narratives as being ‘basic’, ‘better’ or ‘the best’.

Henry F - It helped give me some perspective on what the markers thought. 

Matilda F - I learnt that a good story is not just about whether the writer had good handwriting or accurate spelling - it is about whether the ideas are creative and the storyline is complete. 

Clementine G - It was really fun to see how people would mark our NAPLAN…

Workshop 2 - How do I come up with a good narrative idea…

You may have excellent knowledge of the language forms and features, but how do I come up with an interesting storyline? 

In our second Writing Workshop, Year 5 split into boys and girls to brainstorm story ideas. Students were given a narrative stimulus (ie. ‘Stuck!’ or ‘Up, Up and Away’) and were given a few minutes to plan a story that included an orientation, complication and resolution. We used the ‘story mountain’ scaffold to help us plot the beginning, middle and end of our story. There was a lot of excitement as students shared their hilarious and thrilling story ideas!  

Some students gave feedback to their classmates such as, ‘You should make a twist ending!’ or ‘that story sounds too epic to be able to fit onto three pages in the NAPLAN test…’. 

Jasmine S - We learnt interesting things about how to plan your story - it makes it easy to come up with ideas for any stimulus. 

Xanthe S - We learnt how to use the story mountain - you can’t just spend the whole time on the orientation or else you will run out of time to introduce the complication… 

Georgia W - When we do NAPLAN writing this week I will definitely be making a story mountain. 

Sienna L - The fact that we had to plan our stories quickly is good preparation, I think.

The Year 5 Team

The Afternoon Show with Mr Ryan

Throughout Term 3 & 4, our Year 6 students are focused on preparing for their transition to high school. Their Year 6 journey has been very interesting and unique, with the challenges of 2020 creating a variety of new opportunities. The resilience, flexibility and independence Year 6 has shown is something they should all be proud of. As Year 6 teachers, we thought it was important to highlight each and every student in Year 6 and give the school community a chance to get to know our Year 6 leaders.

‘The Afternoon Show’ with Mr Ryan aims to give a brief snapshot of who our Year 6 leaders are, their feelings toward high school, how their year has been so far and what some of their fondest memories are from their time at Claremont. We aim to continue this throughout the rest of this term and into Term 4. We hope you enjoy getting to know Year 6 as much as we have throughout the year!

‘The Afternoon Show’ with Mr Ryan

The Year 6 Team

New Books in Our Library

This week we decided to create a vibrant dinosaur display to showcase the library's amazing dinosaur collection which includes both fiction and non-fiction titles.

New Fiction Titles

The book is centered around a year six student called Ally, who arrives at yet another new school. Ally has learnt how to mask her inability to read by creating disruptive distractions. Her new teacher Mr Daniels sees the bright, creative child beneath the troublemaker and has confidence in her. With the support of Mr Daniels, Ally learns that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. 

The author Lynda Mullaly is a former teacher and she herself struggled at school. She would sit in her class wondering why other kids could do their work quickly and her general perception was that other students were better than her. Then in sixth grade her teacher Mr Christy changed her perception of how she viewed herself and ultimately the path of her life. 

This story has a powerful message for the reader that things will not always be easy and sometimes we will fail, but having the ability to stand up, brush yourself off, and have another go is a huge strength. This title has received rave reviews, been a New York Times bestseller and been nominated for numerous awards including Audible Best Audiobook for kids. In addition to the new hard copy this title is also available in the Library Sora App as an eBook or audiobook. 

Recommended for ages 10 years and older.

The story begins with Twelve-year-old Molly Pecksniff awakening in the forest, lured there by a recurring nightmare. The Dreamsnatcher is waiting. He has already taken her dreams and now he wants more. Molly and her loyal wildcat Gryff are the only ones who can fight back against the Dreamsnatcher’s dark magic. Suddenly everything is at stake, and Molly is drawn into a world of secrets, magic and adventure.

The author Abi Elphinstone has written a number of best selling books including Sky Song, Rumble Star and Ever Dark. Abi grew up in Scotland where she spent most of her childhood running wild across the highland glens, building tree houses and playing in streams. Her adventurous childhood and her travels in Africa provide much of the inspiration for her story writing. 

Recommended for ages 9 years and older.

Mrs Susan Kesur
Library Assistant

This week was the first week of ‘regular’ Sport since Term 1, using our excellent external providers/coaches, and the kids (and teachers) had a blast. Check out some of the photos from the Year 1 students participating in their cricket program run by Cricket NSW. We will showcase the other sports in the weeks to come.

Joel Geering
Sports & PDHPE Coordinator

This term in Chapel we have been looking at stories from the bible. This week we focused on one of Mr Thomas’s favourite stories in the bible, ‘The Thankful Leper.’ He shared with us how he has met people with leprosy and seen the devastating impact it has on their lives. In this week's story Jesus heals 10 people with leprosy. What an amazing miracle! However in all the excitement only one remembers to come back and thank Jesus. Mr Thomas reminds us how important it is to thank people and show our appreciation. When we pray to God for things we should also remember to thank Him. Even when times are hard we have so much to be thankful for! 

This week the students will be learning the memory verse

‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!.’ Philippians 4:4

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

Please join us!

We never know how our small activities will affect others through the invisible fabric of our connectedness. In this exquisitely connected world, it's never a question of 'critical mass.' It's always about critical connections. – Grace Lee Boggs

We love our school, we love our community and we are finding ways to create connections which is so important for the wellbeing of not just our kids but our teachers and parents.

The school and the P&F would like to invite you to a virtual 1-hour meeting with Dr Sarah Wayland on Thursday 10 September at 7.30pm.

Dr Sarah Wayland is a social worker and mental health researcher from the University of Sydney. She is a mum of 2 and a stepmum of 2 more and has an interest in ways that we can better support individuals and families during times of crisis. She speaks regularly to the media and writes for Mindfood, SBS Life, ABC Life and The Conversation.

This session will provide an opportunity to explore ways that we can build community within our homes and our schools when so much of the world is confusing to both ourselves and the young people we care for. 

The session is free of charge but we would love you to register if you will be joining (which we sincerely hope you do).  To register please CLICK HERE, once you register you will receive details of how to login to the session.

If you have any questions about the event or fancy getting in touch, please always feel free to email us at pfinfo@claremont.nsw.edu.au

Sally Ferguson
P&F VP - Wellbeing

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

School Holiday Bookings now open

These school holidays, TeamKids will be delivering a wonderful mix of incursions and in-house days that promise to keep the kids happy, engaged and having FUN.  

See attached Spring Holiday Timetable to see the days you would like to attend.  

TeamKids provide industry-leading educator to child ratios of 1:10 and all the TeamKids programs have been fully approved under the National Child Care Subsidy (CCS). 

TeamKids look forward to welcoming you and your children these Holidays!