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Dear Parents and Carers
Again our busy term continues, with Book Week, Year 3 Swimming and Year 5/6 Hoop Time happening over the last week or so. It is exciting to provide these opportunities for our students to grow and develop. We are very greatful to our staff who put in extra to make these events possible.
Next week our Choir will be performing in the Latrobe Valley Eisteddfod - we wish them all the best as they compete against other primary school choirs.
Over the next 2 weekends we have about 40 students who will receive the Sacrament of First Holy Communion. We ask you to keep them in your prayers.
Special Person's Visit on Friday 30 August
On Friday 30 August we invite a special person into the Learning Group Spaces from 8.40am to 9.30am. During this time the special person can join in the morning routine and be part of the class activities until 9.30am.
Year 6 camp was really fun. We did many activities in bushland and had the challenge of the low ropes course. My biggest challenge was archery. - Cruz 6AB
Camp was super fun and I got to try new things. - Rihanna 6AB
The supper swooper was my favourite activity. It was fast and I liked the height. - Tennille 6TP
Year 6 camp was really enjoyable because we got to make new friendships. The super swooper and canoeing were the most fun. I fell into the water while canoeing. - Bella 6TP
I really enjoyed archery and I didn’t miss a target. I enjoyed canoeing as Mr Molino and I fell in the water. - Alfred 6TP
Camp was very fun, we all showed courage as we stepped out of our comfort zone. I really like the Super Swooper as you could see everyone doing the activities - Chloe 6AB
Year 6 camp was great. The activities helped us to be courageous and challenged us. Some people thought it was more difficult than other people. - Ramithu 6HB
Year 6 camp was really fun. For some people, it was more challenging than others. It’s a camp I’ll never forget, especially the archery. -Aiden 6HB
I think that camp was really fun. We got to watch our friends and other people do things out of their comfort zone. - Sanvi 6NS
Every minute of the camp was so much fun we got muddy and got to spend time with new people. The super swooper was really fun and we got to learn new things like archery. - Elisha 6NS
I shoot a balloon with the bow and arrow. I was very excited as it was very impossible. - Hieu 6AB
Last Wednesday our Boys soccer team travelled to Casey Fields for the Regional Soccer Championships. We qualified for this event after winning both the District and Division Championships.
Our first game was up against Sacred Heart from Sandringham. It was a tight first half but we managed to score in the final minute to go into the break 1-0. We then went on with it in the second half to end up 3-0 winners. Game 2 was against Mount Martha. We started really well and were up 2-0 by half time. Sacred Heart pulled a goal back to set-up a nervy finish but we held on to win 2-1. The final group game saw us take on Casey Fields. The boys played exceptional in this game to win 3-0 and put us into the Grand Final where we would play for a place in the State Championships. The final was up against Hampton and unfortunately we went down 1-0 in the opening minute. The boys then fought really hard to stay in the game right until the final 2 minutes when we conceded a second goal to go down 0-2.
Making the Grand Final at Regionals meant that we finished tied for 9th in all of Victoria. A truly remarkable effort considering there are well over 2000 government, catholic and independent schools across the State. I couldn’t be prouder of what this team produced. They trained hard over numerous lunch times throughout the year and were rewarded with some fantastic results. Congratulations boys. I hope that you have many fond memories of the journey that you went on as a team.
The Year 5 and 6 St Clare’s Primary School Choir have been working hard this Term preparing for the upcoming Latrobe Valley Eisteddfod next Thursday, September 5th. They will be travelling to the Gippsland Performing Arts Centre, where they will perform for audience members along with a panel of adjudicators and receive feedback on their choral skills; competing against other schools in the region.
The Eisteddfod offers a chance to build confidence and skills through performing to an audience and provides helpful notes from expert adjudicators. This is a wonderful opportunity for the students who have committed to rehearsals all year to showcase their voices and ensemble skills. We wish them all the best for their performance as they represent our school.
Parents and carers of Choir members, don't forget to complete the permission form on PAM as soon as possible.
Well done to Dylan in Year 3 who won first prize in the recent "Spriggy" design competition
Congratulations
What does Fathers Day mean for your family?
With the family structure/ demographic changing in today's world the traditional Fathers Day may look very different in many families. With an increase in blended families we understand that Fathers day is for those people in our lives who are good role models who love, care and support us in our day to day lives.
So this Sunday, think about those who love and support you. How are you going to celebrate this day to recognise those father figures in your life?
For information please visit:
Be You/ Beyond Blue https://beyou.edu.au/ 1300 22 46 36
MensLine on 1300 78 99 78.
A Special Report: Celebrating Father’s Day
For many years now, the role of fathers has changed and evolved. During the industrial revolution, fathers were often considered detached and distant due to working long hours in factories. However, today things have changed dramatically with many dads being celebrated for being sensitive, caring and more hands-on.
Recent studies have shown that children benefit greatly from having fathers who are present and interacting in everyday activities. This has transformed the understanding of how fathers shape children’s lives from the start, challenging conventional ideas of parenthood and gender.
Research also suggests that fathers influence their sons and daughters in different ways, which is especially true during their transition to adolescence. Engaging in regular physical activities can play a key role in influencing children to learn self-control, face challenges, regulate emotions and take manageable risks.
In this Special Report, fathers will learn about the positive impact they can have on their child’s mental health and wellbeing, whilst also ensuring they indulge in a little self-care.
We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.
If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.
Here is the link to your special report:
https://stclaresofficer.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/celebrating-fathers-day
Liz Hunt
Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader
Please pray for the 41 students and their families who are preparing for the Sacrament of First Holy Communion.
During Weeks 7 and 8 of this term, as part of Child Safety Week and Safeguarding Sunday (2 Sep - 6 Sep) we are focussing on:
- Who are our safe people (Safety Network)
- Safe/unsafe feelings and actions
- Early warning signs – responses (feelings and physical) when we feel unsafe
- We have a right to body autonomy (body bubble/space)
- We can identify public and private body parts and name these
- When touch might be necessary (safe people hugging us or giving us a kiss, doctors, nurses, Allied Health professionals)
- The difference between secrets and surprises
If you wish to discuss this further or would like any clarification please contact Gab Verstraete (Child Safety Officer) gverstraete@stclaresofficer.catholic.edu.au
SCHOOL FEES
LOST PROPERTY
We have a significant amount of lost property, which includes drink bottles, at the office. If you child has lost any items please check at the office.
REPORTING AN ABSENCE
To report your child's absence please do so via PAM, email absent@stclaresofficer.catholic.edu.au or call 5940 6777
Here is the link for the St Clare's Parent Access Module (PAM)
St Clare's PAM
You username is the email address that you have registered with the school. The first time you log in we ask that you use the forgotten password feature to set your own password.
ALL parents must access PAM to receive up to date information and grant necessary permissions. Students will miss out on events if permission is not granted.
CDFpay is a secure, safe and efficient method for ordering and paying for items through school.
Below you will find instructions for setting up your CDFpay account both if you are an existing parent "already have a CDF pay account" or a new parent.
Here is the link to head to our school CDFpay shop St Clare's CDFpay Shop
How to Help Kids Stay Safe Online
Adapted from: https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/blog Office of the eSafety Commissioner
- Start the chat
It’s not possible to be at your child’s side every second of the day, so it’s important to talk with them about online safety issues to help develop their critical thinking and ability to make good choices. It’s also good to let them know they can come to you for help if they have any concerns. You may feel they know more about the latest technology than you do, but you have more life experience to guide them.
- With primary school aged children use online devices in the open living spaces at home to make parent supervision part of the expectation for your child.
- Take the opportunity to set some boundaries around when and where they can use devices like tablets, smart TVs and gaming consoles, to help limit potential tech tantrums — you could even fill in an Early Years Family Tech Agreement
- Screen free time before bed is important for good sleep. Consider charging devices in a central location at a regular time each night to allow an hour screen free before bed.
- While you are all at home more, it’s a great time to co-view and co-play with your kids, so you can understand what they are doing and experiencing online.
- Learn about the games, apps, social media and platforms they are using at The eSafety Guide, including how to protect their information and report inappropriate content or conduct.
- Use parental controls and safe search options
Parental controls can help block your child from accessing specific websites, apps or functions. They can also monitor your child’s use of connected devices and set time limits. But beware! You cannot always rely on them — they should be used in combination with other online safety strategies.
- Parental controls are available on most tablets, smartphones, computers, TVs and gaming consoles.
- You can also download family safety controls or buy robust filters out of the box.
- You can set up child-friendly search engines, or select safe search settings on digital devices, to help prevent your child from stumbling across inappropriate sites and content.
- Check smart toy settings
It’s surprising how many toys or devices can connect online these days, from drones and smart teddies to tablets and wearables. While they can be both entertaining and educational, they can reveal your child’s personal details and location — and allow other people to contact them without you knowing. You can help keep them stay safe by:
- setting strong passwords
- turning off location settings
- limiting the amount of personal information shared.
The eSafety Gift Guide has advice on what to check for and how to stay safe.
- Look out for unwanted contact and grooming
Unwanted contact is any communication that makes your child feel uncomfortable or unsafe, even if they initially welcomed the contact. It can come from a stranger, an online ‘friend’ or even someone they actually know. At worst, it can involve ‘grooming’ — building a relationship with the child in order to sexually abuse them.
You can help by:
- making sure their accounts are private — including chat functions on games
- encouraging them to delete requests from strangers and any contacts they don’t know in person
- checking in with your child as they use online devices in the open living spaces at home
- reporting and blocking anyone suspicious on a website or service
- remembering that if suspicious online contacts become aggressive or threatening you should contact your local police.
- Know the signs of cyberbullying
Kids who are bored by long periods at home can pick at each other, and that happens online too. So it’s important to keep an eye out for cyberbullying. It can include mean posts, comments and messages, as well as being left out of online group activities like gaming.
- Remember, when they are away from school, kids have less access to their usual support systems, including friends, teachers and counsellors.
- eSafety research shows that girls are more likely to be affected than boys and the person doing the bullying is generally someone they know from school.
- Watch out for signs such as your child appearing upset after using their mobile, tablet or computer, being unusually secretive about their online activities or becoming withdrawn.
- Cyberbullying can make social isolation worse and the longer it continues, the more stressed kids can become, impacting on their emotional and physical wellbeing.
What to do if your child is being cyberbullied
As parents, our first instinct may be to ban our children from social media, disable the wi-fi or turn off the data access. But this can actually compound the problem, making your child feel as if they’re being punished and heightening their sense of social exclusion.
There are four simple steps that can help minimise the harm:
- report the cyberbullying to the social media service where it is occurring
- collect evidence of the cyberbullying material
- if the material is still public 48 hours later, make a report to eSafety — we work with social media platforms to have the harmful content removed.
block the offending user.