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Dear Parents and Carers
We hope that everyone had a lovely weekend and had an opportunity to spend valuable time with family and recharge for the final 4 weeks of Term 1.
Today our Year 3 and Year 5 students commence their NAPLAN assessments. These will take place at various times over the next week as outlined in emails sent to the relevant year levels. As advised NAPLAN is only a "snapshot" of their learning and we just ask all students to do their best. Once results are received which is generally late in Term 2 they will be sent home to parents.
2025 Camp Dates
We remind you of the dates for our 2025 camps. Permissions will be issued shortly for Years 5 & 6 via PAM.
Year 6 Candlebark Farm Camp - Tuesday 22 April to Wednesday 23 April (Thursday 24 April is a rest day)
Year 5 Melbourne Camp 5LH & 5MS - Tuesday 22 April to Wednesday 23 April (Thursday 24 April is a rest day)
Year 5 Melbourne Camp 5SM & 5GD - Wednesday 23 April to Thursday 24 April (Tuesday 22 April is a rest day)
Year 4 Bayview Lodge Camp - Wednesday 5 November to Thursday 6 November (Friday 7 November is a rest day)
Year 3 Camp Day Experience at Briars Camp - Monday 1 December
UNIFORM UPDATE
As we enter our tenth year of St Clare's, through consultation with students, parents and staff we will be making some alterations to our school uniform. The traditional white shirts will be replaced with a modern unisex shirt in both short and long sleeve which can be worn by both girls and boys. The shirt collaborates our traditional colous of grey, red and white and looks very smart - we will issue a photo once received from Noone. The new design shirts should be avaible from Noone early Term 2. With the change in shirt design, a decision has been made to move away from ties for both the boys and girls.
Students will be able to wear either the existing white shirts or the new unisex shirts during the change over of uniform. We envisage that all students will be wearing the new shirts by 2027.
UPCOMING DATES:
Thursday 13 March - SFX meeting with Year 5 & 6 students
Wednesday 19 March - Year 1 Incursion
Saturday 22 March - Open Day 10am to 12pm
Monday 24 March - Year 6 workshop with SFX
Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent. Lent is the 40 days leading up to the Easter Triduum, ending on Holy Thursday. For Catholics, Lent is a time for praying, fasting and almsgiving. One way that St Clare’s community gives to those less fortunate during Lent is through Project Compassion. A box was sent home to every family last Wednesday. Below is some further information about Project Compassion and the work done by Caritas.
This Lent, we’re invited to Unite Against Poverty with Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion. This year is especially significant as we celebrate the Jubilee Year - a time of renewal and solidarity.
Project Compassion 2025 shares three stories from around the world. We’ll meet Toefuata'iga - (Toy-foo-ah-tah-ing-ah) a young student from Samoa who faced severe water shortages at her school. Thanks to Caritas Australia and the generosity of supporters like you, her school now has a 10,000 L water tank improving hygiene and allowing the teachers to prioritise education.
We’ll get to know Lam from Vietnam, born with short stature, Lam faced social exclusion and limited employment opportunities – through the I-SHINE program, Lam is now a freelance graphic designer.
And we’ll meet Irene from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who faced immense challenges after losing her father to war and raising her children in poverty. With support from Caritas Australia, Irene received vocational training in sewing and farming and can now support her whole family.
Watch our Introduction to Project Compassion film HERE - be inspired by 3 powerful stories of resilience and strength, and learn the impact that your support can have on vulnerable communities around the world.
Over the next two weeks the Year 3 and 5 students undertake the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy ( NAPLAN).
NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum and allows parents/carers to see how their child is progressing against national proficiency standards.
At St Clares we recognise that NAPLAN is a snapshot of a child's learning and academic understanding. Having a variety of assessment tasks allows students to demonstrate their understanding in many different ways.
Please read the special report from school TV on the Toxic Achievement Culture
A Special Report: Toxic Achievement Culture
Toxic achievement culture is characterised by the entanglement of self-worth, achievement and the relentless pursuit of academic or extracurricular success - at any cost! This phenomenon goes beyond the mere quest for success. it embeds a belief in students that their merit is exclusively tied to their achievements, often propelled by intense external pressures from families, schools, and society.
Some students are overfilling their schedules with activities aimed at "getting ahead". However, the consequences are proving to be detrimental on students' mental and physical health resulting in burnout and heightened levels of stress. This culture is also being aggravated by parental expectations, peer competition and a relentless comparison ethos often driven by social media.
There is nothing wrong with having ambition, but it's crucial to ensure that this desire doesn't push our young people into a toxic cycle of achievement and make them feel that they must achieve in order to matter. The relentless drive to excel is leading many students to prioritise accolades over genuine learning and personal growth, often at the expense of their own wellbeing and interpersonal relationships. As adult carers, we need to advocate for a more balanced and holistic approach to achievement, emphasising the importance of resilience, wellbeing, and the pursuit of diverse interests.
This Special Report will help you understand the signs of toxic achievement, and how to address them so as to teach students how to adopt a better work/life balance.
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/special-report-toxic-achievement-culture
Immediate Crisis Support in Australia:
1800RESPECT - https://www.1800respect.org.au/
Kids Helpline - https://kidshelpline.com.au/get-help/webchat-counselling
Liz Hunt
Mental Health in Primary School Leader
Are you able to assist with covering some new books we have ordered?
To ensure our resources last as long as possible it is beneficial to cover the books with contact. If you can help out with this after drop off and before pick up on any day, come into the school office and we will be able to provide you with the books, contact etc
Let’s get ready to DISCO!!!!! The P&F are excited to announce the 2025 Student Disco is back and it's going to be electric!
Held in the modular on Thursday 3 April, there are two scheduled sessions for the juniors and seniors. The night will include fun, games and lots of dancing! Let's light up the world as we encourage the kids to glow in their best neon outfits and accessories!
Tickets are $5 per student and can be booked now via the CDF Pay powered by Flexischools app - https://user.cdfpay.
Please note tickets MUST be booked online by end of day on Thursday 27 March - no exceptions or extensions. There will also be strictly NO door sales. Anyone without a pre-purchased ticket will not be able to join in so please book now - don't wait (you don't want to see those disappointed faces)!
We are also calling for parent volunteers with a valid WWCC to join in the fun and volunteer on the night. This is a great night and we need many, many volunteer hands to make this event work so if you're available, please sign up today - https://forms.gle/
Any questions, please feel free to give the P&F a shout 
SCHOOL FEES
School fee payment options 2025
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.
MEDICAL PROFILE
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.