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.

Term 4 Week 3

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

Week 5 Monday 2nd November- Student Free Day Tuesday 3rd November- Melbourne Cup Public Holiday Saturday 7th November -  Bunnings BBQ

Week 6 Tuesday 10th November - Prep 2027 first transition visit Wednesday 11th November- Yr 5 Leadership incursion Saturday 14th November - CARNIVALE

Week 7 Monday 16th - Prep excursion Friday 20th November- Icypole day

Week 8 Monday 23rd November- Closure day Tuesday 24th November - Prep 2027 second transition visit Friday 27th  November- Junior Athletics Day Year 2/3 - school oval Saturday 28th November- Election Day BBQ

Week 9 Monday 30th November- Junior Athletics Day Year Prep/1 - school oval Tuesday 1st  December - Yr 6 Disco Wednesday 2nd December- Carols Evening Thursday 3rd December -  Special treat day

Week 10 Tuesday 8th December - Whole school step up day and Prep 2027 third transition day Tuesday 8th December- Parent teacher meetings Wednesday 9th December - Parent teacher meetings Friday 11th December - End of year mass 9.15-10.15am

Week 11 Monday 14th December - Final Assembly 11.45am-12.45pm Monday 14th December - Yr 6 Graduation  Tuesday 15th December - Last day of school for 2026  (Adventure park for Year 6) 2.30pm Finish

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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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Introducing the New Religious Education Curriculum

At Clairvaux Catholic School, Religious Education is at the heart of who we are and how we live our faith as a community.

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) has been developing a new Religious Education (RE) curriculum in response to the 2023 Review of Religious Education. The curriculum aims to deepen students’ understanding of the Catholic faith, strengthen their knowledge of Scripture and Church teachings, and help them recognise how faith connects with their everyday lives.

At its heart, Religious Education is about more than learning about religion. It is about creating opportunities for students to encounter Jesus, explore their faith, ask meaningful questions and discover how they can live out the values of the Gospel through kindness, compassion, justice and service to others.

Clairvaux’s journey with the new RE curriculum

Throughout 2026, Clairvaux has been actively involved in the development of the new RE curriculum. Our Foundation (Prep) team has participated in the trial-based learning teams, exploring and implementing draft units of work. Teachers in Years 1, 3 and 6 have also contributed to developing and evaluating draft units, helping to shape the curriculum and ensure it supports meaningful learning at each stage of students’ primary school journey. 

This work is part of a broader process overseen by the Religious Education Reference Group, established by Archbishop Peter Comensoli (Archbishop of Melbourne), with MACS supporting the writing, resourcing and development of the curriculum.

What does this mean for our students?

The new RE curriculum (still in its draft form) will provide carefully developed units of work to support engaging, meaningful and age-appropriate learning. Students will continue to explore key aspects of the Catholic faith, including the stories of the Bible, the life and teachings of Jesus, prayer, liturgy, Catholic traditions and how we are called to care for others and our world.

As we continue this journey, our goal is to nurture students’ knowledge and understanding of their faith while encouraging them to reflect, wonder, question and put their learning into action in their daily lives.

As Pope Benedict XVI reminds us, Catholic education offers students an opportunity to “encounter the living God” and discover a life shaped by all that is beautiful, good and true.

We look forward to continuing to strengthen Religious Education at Clairvaux, supporting our students to grow in faith, hope and love and to become people who make a positive difference in the world.

Advent: A Time to Prepare for Jesus

Our Prep students are currently exploring the Foundation RE unit  Advent: A Time to Prepare for Jesus , learning that Advent is a special time of waiting and preparing our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus through prayer and acts of kindness. They are also discovering how Mary was chosen by God and how her courageous “yes” teaches us to respond to God with love and put our faith into action.   Yesterday they opened the special Advent box…

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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

Clairvaux Carnivale is coming on Saturday 14 November!

We appreciate your support to create a fantastic day for families.

There are many ways you can help to make the event a success:

 Lolly and chocolate donations
*No items with nuts please

 Lucky dip item donations

 Silent auction donations – can be vouchers or products

 Small value vouchers - these vouchers could be $5-$15 items, a percentage off a price, or 2 for 1 offers

 Wine donations – wine needs to be delivered to the Office by an adult, or wecan arrange a collection.

Volunteer at Carnivale
We ask that you fill a 2-hour parent shift at Carnivale. You can choose your timeslot and which stall to help with. Please sign up here: https://signup.com/go/WgNb3k

Thank you to our amazing Carnivale sponsors

Please support the businesses that support Carnivale.

Major sponsor

Buxton Real Estate is once again our major sponsor for Carnivale and a strong Clairvaux supporter. As Geelong area experts, Buxton offers a comprehensive range of real estate services, including sales, leasing, and property management - servicingneighbourhoods across Geelong, including our surrounding suburbs of Highton,Belmont, Wandana Heights, Grovedale, Waurn Ponds, Armstrong Creek and MtDuneed.
Contact Director Tony Moorfoot on 0419 789 112, or visit buxton.com.au/highton

Gold sponsors

Sequence Digital: KIDS! Shhhhhh... This is actually a crack the code puzzle:
ATX LD Z QHCD OZRR OKDZRD. Shift each letter in the code to the next in the key:
A becomes B, B becomes C, and so on until Z (which becomes A). KEY:
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ.
ANSWER: _________________________.
Now tell a grown-up the answer, and that Sequence Digital's ad had the puzzle.
We're makers of fine websites and apps, owned by a Clairvaux Dad, and real fun to work with. Get in touch with Patrick Blampied on 03 9088 0784 or
sequencedigital.com.au

Roslyn Finance: When was the last time your mortgage had a checkup? If your homeloan's over a year old, you're probably paying a "loyalty tax", lenders reward new customers, not existing ones. Roslyn Finance helps families save time and money, and it costs you nothing, lenders cover our fees. Contact Clairvaux Connect parent and CPA, Ben Walsh, on 0421 919 822, or visit roslynfinance.com.au to book a free, no obligation 30-minute chat.

Arthur Reed Photos: We’re delighted to have Arthur Reed Photos return as a Gold Sponsor in 2026! A family-owned school photography business, Arthur Reed Photos has been operating from its Geelong headquarters for over 60 years. They provide high-quality school photography at an affordable price, combining advanced technology and quick turnaround times with excellent customer service.
1800 032 028 | customerservice@arphotos.com.au

Ninedots Build Advocates: For more than a decade, Ninedots Build Advocates has supported families and investors with expert guidance throughout a new home or investment build. From Builder Selection, Quote and Contract Reviews and Build Consulting through to Building Inspections and Project Management, Ninedots helps clients make decisions, avoid mistakes and build with confidence. Ninedots offers 3D and Virtual Reality Floor Plan Experiences, helping clients visualise and refine their home before construction begins. ninedots.com.au

Kelly Club: A huge thank you to Kelly Club, Clairvaux’s trusted before and after school care and holiday program provider, for supporting our school community as a Gold Sponsor of the 2026 Clairvaux Carnivale! Kelly Club provides fun, engaging and caring programs where children can learn, play and connect before and after school and throughout the holidays. We’re incredibly grateful for their generous support and commitment to our families. Thank you, Kelly Club, for helping make this year’s
Carnivale possible!

Surf Coast Signage is supporting Carnivale yet again as a Gold Sponsor and are printing many of our Carnivale signs. Based in Torquay, the team provides signage solutions to businesses across Greater Geelong, Melbourne, and Australia wide.
Producing a range of signage from large format prints to car wraps and installations, all helping their clients stand out from the crowd. You’ll see the exciting Carnivale signs that they produce around Geelong!
surfcoastsignage.com.au

Silver sponsors

Buzz Weddings and Events
Coerver Coaching
Flip Out
Full Spectrum Solutions
NumberWorks’nWords
Melbourne Stars
Paisley Park Early Learning
SC Technology Group
The Y Geelong

Bronze Sponsors

AWM Electrical and Data Suppliers
Barwon Water
Curate + Gather
Checkered Flag Property Services
Dodds Fitness
Elders Insurance
Geelong Indoor Sports + Inflatable World + Ready Steady Go Geelong
Geelong Mobile ATMs
M4 Australian Security
Ocean Air Yoga
Sensory Smart Kids
The Virtual Reformer Pilates Room (Highton)
We Made

Please contact us:
General enquiries: clairvauxcarnivale@gmail.com
Donations: clairvauxcarnivaledonate@gmail.com
Gemma - Carnivale Committee 0480 349 756
Facebook DM: facebook.com/ClairvauxCarnivale

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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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