Please note the following dates in your diary:
2026 dates are set as best as possible at this point in time.
Please be mindful they may be subject to change and continue to check.

2026 Term 3 Week 1 Monday 13th July - Student free day - staff PD day Tuesday 14th July -  First Day of Term 3

Week 2 Monday 20th-31st - Book Fair in the library Monday 20th - Whole School Indigenous Immersion Day Friday 24th-City to Surf Athletics-Selected student

Week 3 Wednesday 29th July - Clairvaux Connect meeting  - all welcome: 7pm at school Thursday 30th - Special Treat Day  Thursday 30th - prep 100 days of school Saturday 1st - Year 5/6 social event - Clairvaux Connect

Week 4 Tuesday 4th -Day 1School Improvement Day-Review Wednesday 5th - Day 2 School Improvement Day-Review Friday 7th - Yr 6 multicultural Melb. excursion  Friday 7th - Yr 1 grandparents day mass 9.15am

Week 5  Tuesday 11th-Prep Ambulance Visit Friday 14th August - Year 5 incursion market manoeuvers

Week 6  Monday 17th - Prep specialist day (please note swap for this week only) Wednesday 19th August - Confirmation Preparation Day  Friday 21st - St Bernards Day Mass (9:15am) and Mannya Lapathon

Week 7 Monday 24th - Teeth on Wheels first visit Monday 24th - Year 3 democracy Incursion Friday 28th - Teeth on Wheels second visit Sunday 30th - Confirmation Mass 1pm and 3:30pm

Week 8 Monday 31st - Teeth on Wheels third visit Tuesday 1st - Year 1 Sovereign hill excursion  Tuesday 1st - Division Athletics Wednesday 2nd - Yr 2 wool museum and bollard walk Thursday 3rd - Father’s Day Stall  Friday 4th - Father’s Day open Morning

Week 9 Tuesday 8th - Year 4 bodyworks evening  Thursday 10th - RUOK Day

Week 10 Tuesday 15th - Minty’s Birthday Friday 18th - Book Week Parade and final day of term - we will incorporate a brief assembly into the book parade - 2:30pm dismissal

2026 Term 4 Week 1 Monday 5th October - First Day of Term 4 Saturday 10th October - Parents social night

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4 Friday 30th - Icypole day Friday 30th - World Teachers day

Week 5 Monday 2nd - Student Free Day Tuesday 3rd - Melbourne Cup Public Holiday

Week 6 Wednesday 11th - Yr 5 Leadership incursion

Week 7 Friday 20th - Icypole day

Week 8 Monday 23rd - Closure day Friday 27th  - Junior Athletcs Day Year 2/3

Week 9 Monday 30th - Junior Athletics Day Year Prep/1

Week 10

Week 11 Tuesday 15th - Last day of school for 2026

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Faith Community: Celebrating First Eucharist

Next weekend, our Year 4 children and their families will celebrate their First Eucharist.

This is a profoundly significant milestone in their spiritual journeys as they receive their second Sacrament of Initiation into our Catholic faith. Please keep these children and their families in your prayers during this special time of preparation. A huge thank you to Julie for her wonderful organisation as our Sacramental and faith leader who always ensures that our faith and school highlights are polished and reverent.  Thanks also to Year 4 teachers Michael, Cyndie, Lucy, Michelle, and Kat B who lead the children in understanding the place of being close to God.

                           


Bless our children as they receive the Holy Eucharist for the very first time. May the grace  of this sacrament guide their steps, protect their innocence, and keep them close to your heart. Grant them a lifelong hunger for your presence and the strength to live out their faith with love and courage. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Shaping a Bright Future for 2027

Today marks a significant milestone in our school calendar as we finalise commitments for our 2027 Prep intake. It is an incredibly exciting time for Clairvaux, and I am thrilled to share that the demand for a place in our school community remains exceptionally strong.

A Community That Chooses to Stay and Grow

Next year, we are delighted to welcome 51 siblings of children already attending Clairvaux. This deep-rooted connection is a beautiful reflection of our community's trust and continuity. Alongside our returning families, we have a robust cohort of new students who reside within the Clairvaux zone and are baptised in our Catholic faith.

Because demand has been so high, we currently have a number of families on a waitlist, eagerly hoping for a second round of offers. To those families, we thank you for your patience and your desire to join us.

Why Clairvaux Continues to Thrive

I am profoundly grateful to our current families who constantly advocate for our school. Your word-of-mouth and shared experiences are why Clairvaux is viewed as such an attractive, vibrant choice for families across Geelong.

Our success is anchored in two core pillars:

• A Contemporary Faith Journey: Our foundation and mission is to be a Christ-centered     community. We intentionally incorporate renewed thinking to ensure our faith remains vibrant, meaningful, and deeply relevant for our children today.
• Academic Excellence: Our pedagogy of explicit teaching ensures that our students achieve outstanding results, giving them the best possible start to their educational journeys.

The Strong State of Catholic Education

Our local success mirrors a broader trend in our region. 23% of primary school children in the Geelong region attend a Catholic school! This is a remarkable 3% higher than the Victorian state average, showcasing just how deeply the Geelong community values the holistic, values-driven education we provide.

Thank you to everyone who makes Clairvaux such a welcoming and successful place to learn, grow, and thrive. We look forward to officially welcoming our newest Prep families into the fold very soon.

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From the Classrooms: Learning Highlights

As we creep towards the mid-year mark, our classrooms are buzzing with energy. Our teachers are deeply engaged in assessments to prepare mid-year reports and are looking forward to connecting with families during the Parent-Teacher Interviews in Week 7.

Our Year 6 Community Service Committee (CSC) members, under the wonderful guidance of Marg, have compiled a snapshot of the amazing learning happening across each grade level:

• Prep & Grade 2 Collaboration: The Grade 2 students visited the Prep classrooms to share a beautiful moment of community prayer, teaching the preps the Aboriginal Our Father.
• Year 1: The classrooms have been full of "fruitful" learning! Students have been exploring all things fruit in their specialist classes.
• Year 2: Our young globetrotters have been traveling around the world. This week they landed in Africa, where they are learning all about the stunning landscapes, including Mount Kilimanjaro—Africa's highest peak!
• Year 3: Creativity and geography have collided as students create fantastic animal posters and models while exploring the distinct wildlife of South America, Australia, and Africa.
• Year 4: Faith and preparation are the focus as students prepare to celebrate a beautiful milestone.
• Year 5: Excitement is building as the students finalize preparations for their big excursion next week.
• Year 6: Energy is high as sportsmanship takes center stage with the upcoming Lightning Premiership!

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School Funding and school fees

Our priority is to ensure your children continue to receive the high-quality, supportive education they deserve. To do this while managing rising operational costs and shifting educational funding, we implement a slight fee adjustment each year. We are currently waiting for finalised details on the Government grants that contribute to our operational budget and will update you as soon as we receive clarification.

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New national emergency warning messaging system

We have been advised that testing of a new national emergency warning messaging system –AusAlert – is occurring in our area on Thursday, 18 June at 2.00pm.

This means every mobile device – including your and your child/children’s phones – will receive the test alert at 2.00pm.

Devices may vibrate and play a siren-like warning sound for around 10 seconds.

The message will clearly state that it is a test.

No action is required.

Learn more about AusAlert for children and teens. Information is also available in other languages.

On Test Day

To minimise disruption, it’s recommended a further check to ensure all devices are set to silent or Do Not Disturb before the test at 2.00pm.

For more information, go to:

• Children & teens | ausalert
• AusAlert Campaign Stakeholder Kit
• Community testing | ausalert
• Languages | ausalert to support communities with languages other than English.

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Wishing everyone a restful King’s Birthday long weekend. It’s a much-needed chance to catch our

breath before we take on the final three weeks of school in this colder weather!

Brendan

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS

Sacrament of Confirmation

Family Faith Evening with Elio Capra

Thursday 23rd July 6.30 pm at Clairvaux School - Foley Centre

We are delighted to invite all Year 6 Confirmation candidates and their parents / carers to a special Family Faith Evening, facilitated by Reverend Dr. Elio Capra.  Elio, a priest of the Salesians of Don Bosco, lectures in liturgy and Sacramental theology at Catholic Theological College. and is a renowned and inspiring speaker.  This evening is a wonderful opportunity for both parents and students to pause and reflect on their faith journey together.  Fr Elio will guide families through meaningful conversations and shared moments that aim to enrich spiritual growth and deepen faith development in a relaxed and welcoming environment, as we prepare our Year 6 students for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Confirmation Mass Bookings

The Sacrament of Confirmation Mass bookings will open on Friday 24th July at 9:15 am. 

There will be two mass options available on Sunday 30th August  - 1pm or 3.30pm.   Bookings will be made through  https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/uknhz

Year Level Masses for Term 3

• Year 1  Grandparent’s Mass:  Friday 7th August 9:15 am
• Year 3 Father’s Day Mass: Thursday 3rd Sept  9.30am
• Prep  Family Mass:  Thursday 10th September  9.30am
• Whole School Mass -  St. Bernard’s Day   Friday 21st August 9:15 am
  

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Year 1 students have been having lots of fun with their learning over the past few weeks!

In Mathematics, we have been exploring the concepts of mass and capacity through a range of hands-on activities. Students enjoyed working in the sandpit and with water as they investigated which containers could hold more or less. They compared, estimated, and ordered objects and containers from those holding the most to those holding the least. These practical experiences helped students develop their understanding of measurement while encouraging problem-solving and teamwork.

In Literacy, we have been learning about the Indigenous connection to Country and the importance of caring for the land, waterways, and skies. Through stories and class discussions, students explored how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have deep connections to the natural environment. To deepen their understanding, students created beautiful artworks representing the land, waterways, and skies. They carefully selected colours, patterns, and symbols to communicate their learning and appreciation of Country.

It has been wonderful to see students so engaged in their learning and making connections across different areas of the curriculum. We are very proud of the curiosity, creativity, and enthusiasm they have shown throughout these learning experiences and look forward to sharing more of their achievements in the coming weeks.

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This term, our Year 1 students have been developing their artistic skills through the creation of still life artworks using watercolour and oil pastel. Students carefully observed a variety of everyday objects and explored how artists use value, light, and shadow to make objects appear realistic and three-dimensional.

Using watercolours, students experimented with colour mixing and layering techniques to create transitions between light and dark areas. They then enhanced details and texture with oil pastels, learning how different materials can work together to create depth and contrast. Throughout the unit, students practised looking closely at shapes, proportions, and the way light falls on objects.

Students should be proud of their efforts as they learned how artists use light and shadow to transform simple objects into realistic and engaging works of art. The finished artworks will be on display soon!

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Carnivale News

The countdown has started to Clairvaux Carnivale on Saturday 14 November!
Our community event is organised by parents and proudly supported by generous sponsors.

Another edition of our Carnivale newsletter will be sent home with students shortly, detailing the exciting activities planned for the day.

You can support this family fun day and major fundraiser for the new junior school playground in many ways. Our contact details are listed at the bottom of this article, and we would love to hear from you if you can assist with any of these tasks, please.

Thank you to everyone who generously donated gift stall items in Term 2.

Join our Coordinators team
We need your help to fill the following roles as part of a large team of
Coordinators. You could share any of these roles with a friend.
Please contact us to find out more information.

This is a good chance to get more Dads involved!
a) Facepainting Coordinator to work with Grade 5 &6 students, high schoolvolunteers, volunteer parents, and Clairvaux teachers.
b) Spinning Wheel or Lucky Envelopes Coordinator to help organise a
fundraising game.
c) Silent Auction and Donations team member – we have a great team in
place, we just need more help because this area will hopefully raise the most
money for the new junior school playground.

Wine donations – by Friday 14 August please
Mystery bottles is a very popular adults stall at Carnivale and to run this
game, we need a large amount of wine. This is our next donation drive for red, white, and sparkling wine. We don’t need non-alcoholic wine, thanks.
Wine donations must be delivered by an adult and cannot be sent to school
with students. Please either deliver your wine donation to the Clairvaux Office
or contact us to arrange an alternative drop-off if the Office hours don’t work
for you.

Display a Carnivale sign at the front of your house or business
If you live or work on a busy street near Clairvaux, we would love to display a Carnivale real estate board or small sign at the front of your property. Having many signs around the area will boost attendance on the day.

Connections and borrowed items
We are seeking parents who have a connection with any of the following
businesses that may be able to help us organise a good rate, or those who
can loan us these borrowed items. The costs to run Carnivale are rising and
we are looking for ways to reduce spending.
a) Connections to any of the following businesses:
- Cool Room hire
- Event Security company
- Portaloo hire
b) Borrow 2 x Bain Maries
c) Borrow Large Eskies

Silent auction and prize donations
For the silent auction and game prizes, we need a large quantity of goods and vouchers of any value. All prizes are wonderful, and small denomination
vouchers are great too like coffee vouchers! Maybe you run a business or
have a connection to a shop or restaurant to ask. Businesses are publicly
acknowledged for the contribution.

Spread the word
Please tell everyone to save the date!

Follow Clairvaux Carnivale on socials and share the posts
Facebook: facebook.com/ClairvauxCarnivale
Instagram: instagram.com/clairvauxcarnivale/
Contact us
Donations: clairvauxcarnivaledonate@gmail.com
General enquiries: clairvauxcarnivale@gmail.com
or contact Gemma on the Carnivale Committee 0480 349 756

Your support will be greatly appreciated!

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Alongside the Carnivale, our Clairvaux Connect group are busy organising lots of fun events for our community. Coming up we have junior school social catch ups, more treat days and a Dads night. Keep a lookout for more information regarding these events.

On Thursday 11th June at 7pm we will be holding our AGM for Clairvaux Connect. Please watch for an email in the next week about the roles we are hoping to fill. 

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Canteen Treat and Icypole Days 

Have you ordered online for the upcoming treat day and for the remainder of this year?

Orders are placed via the School24 Events section, and you can login anytime throughout the year to see the upcoming dates.

The cut-off times for ordering are a few days before the distribution dates at 10am to allow time to place the product orders with suppliers in advance.

Last date this term = Thursday 18 June treat day with ordering cut-off 15 Jun 10am

Please note: if you have already ordered for individual dates or an icypole/treat day bundle, you do not need to order again. 

To avoid credit card fees in School24, you can transfer funds via EFT into your School24 account - see 'Top Up/Recharge' in School24 for more details. 

Tokens and vouchers are given to the students in class based on what they ordered, and they bring those to the canteen window at lunchtime to receive their orders. Except the orders for Preps are distributed in their classrooms.

It has come to our attention that some families have accidently ordered twice for the same date or ordered a bundle as well as paying for a single date. Those families will be contacted shortly because each child can only have one sweet item each time.

Special canteen days are run by parent volunteers, and we really appreciate the support!

If you have any questions, please email canteenclairvaux@gmail.com

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MacKillop Family Services foster carers ensure that some of the 9210 children in Victoria living away from their families for safety reasons are also able to share in the joy, care, and stability that every child and young person deserves.

Our need for foster carers in the Belmont and Geelong area who can provide a temporary nurturing and supportive home for vulnerable children in their local community has never been greater.

A short-term placement, a weekend of respite, or a longer caring arrangement can make an extraordinary difference to a child’s sense of belonging, safety and well-being.

Foster carers come from all walks of life. They can be working full or part-time, retired, married or single, in same-sex relationships, and can own or rent their home. MacKillop supports our carers with comprehensive training, ongoing advice, respite care and an around the clock helpline.

If you would like to know more, please call MacKillop Family Services on 1300 791 677 or visit mackillop.org.au/fostercare.

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