In This Sunday's Gospel reading is the feeding of 5000  What does the message hold for us? In the reading, Jesus has deep compassion for people, meets both physical and spiritual needs, and uses what little we have to provide abundance. as a school community. We also have times of challenge in our lives. 

The story of the Feeding of the 5,000 also speaks so directly to the heartbeat of our school community. It touches on the exact reality that we also  navigate every day: balancing big responsibilities, facing moments of scarcity or burnout, and discovering that when everyone brings their small part, extraordinary things happen

May the reading provide us with the courage and resilience to turn to God in prayer to guide us. 

A Strong Start and Looking Ahead to 2027

We have made a wonderful start to the new school term! Currently, all of our staff members are meeting with me for their Annual Review Process. This is a valuable opportunity for us to reflect on the year’s highlights, with a particular focus on our learning model and classroom practice.

While our day-to-day focus remains firmly on the rich learning happening in our classrooms right now, this time of year also marks the beginning of our strategic planning for 2027. Our goal remains steadfast: to continue delivering the exceptional Catholic education our school is known for and to maintain our strong, vibrant role within the local community.

To ensure our school remains responsive, strong, and sustainable into the future, we will continue to adapt and evolve how we work. We have a great deal to be proud of. The professionalism and dedication of our staff in delivering high-quality Catholic education is well recognised both in our school and across the wider community.

It is no secret that the broader education sector is facing financial headwinds, and Catholic schools across Victoria are not immune to these economic pressures. Please be assured that we are committed to stewarding our resources responsibly, navigating these challenges thoughtfully, and ensuring our educational standard remains as high as ever.

Big News from Clairvaux: Celebrating 100 Days of Prep!

Today we celebrated a huge milestone: our Preps' first 100 days of school!

They certainly seemed to have aged a great deal when we saw them arriving at school this morning! Learning has clearly taken a physical toll since they started earlier this year. The schoolyard was filled with grey hair, wrinkled skin, walking frames, magnifying glasses, walking sticks, grey moustaches, braces, hair nets, and more!

A massive thank you to our "older" ladies, Prue, Vicki, Siobhan, Bianca, Caitlyn, Blaza, Damian, Ainslie and Bridge, for looking after our elderly Preps today, and for guiding them through their first 100 days at Clairvaux.

Our Preps have matured a great deal and learned so many new things over these past 100 days. We are so proud of how far they've come!

Year 1 Grandparents & Special Friends Mass

Continuing our celebration of the elders in our community, we warmly invite you to our Year 1 Grandparents and Special Friends Mass next Friday!

Together, we will look back at what life was like in previous generations. The students are especially excited to see the special artifacts that bring back memories of their grandparents' own school days.

• When: Next Friday at 9:15 AM
• Where: St. Bernard’s Church (followed by Morning Tea)

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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.

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

Week 5  Tuesday 11th August- Prep Ambulance Visit Thursday 13th August - Yr 5 debating Friday 14th August - PSGs

Week 6  Monday 17th August- Prep specialist day (please note swap for this week only) Monday 17th August - Yr 5 Market incursion Wednesday 19th August - Confirmation Preparation Day Year 6 Friday 21st August- St Bernards Day Mass (9:15am) and Mannya Lapathon

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

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

Week 9 Tuesday 8th September- Year 4 bodyworks evening at school Thursday 10th September- RUOK Day Thursday 10th September- Prep family mass

Week 10 Tuesday 15th September- Minty’s Birthday Friday 18th September- 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 Thursday 8th October - Yr 4 incursion Friday 9th  October- Icypole day Saturday 10th October - Parents social night

Week 2

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 Wednesday 11th November- Yr 5 Leadership incursion Saturday 14th November - CARNIVALE

Week 7 Friday 20th November- Icypole day

Week 8 Monday 23rd November- Closure day Friday 27th  November- Junior Athletcs Day Year 2/3 Saturday 28th November- Election Day BBQ

Week 9 Monday 30th November- Junior Athletics Day Year Prep/1 Tuesday December 1st - Yr 6 Disco Wednesday 2nd December- Carols Evening Thursday 4th December -  Special treat day

Week 10 Tuesday 8th December - Step up day Tuesday 8th December- Parent teacher meetings Wednesday 9th December - Parent teacher meetings Friday 11th December - End of year mass

Week 11 Monday 14th December - Final Assembly Monday 14th December - Yr Graduation  Tuesday 15th December - Last day of school for 2026 (Adventure park for year 6)

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At Clairvaux safeguarding your family’s personal information is one of our highest priorities. We want to inform you about some recent updates made by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) to our Privacy Policy, Privacy Collection Notice, and Photography and Recording Permission Form.

These updates are designed to give you greater clarity and control over how your child’s information and images are used.

What Has Changed?

• The Privacy Policy & Collection Notice: These documents outline exactly how MACS manages, stores, and protects personal information relating to staff, students, and parents. The latest update provides much clearer guidelines on how and when we will seek your consent to use photos and videos of students.
• The Photography and Recording Permission Form: This form has been simplified and now includes specific scenarios outlining how photos and recordings may be used by the school where consent is provided. We send this form via PAM and ask newly enrolled families to indicate their consent,

Closed Platforms vs. Public Media: What This Means for Your Child

The biggest practical change is how we distinguish between our closed school platforms and publicly accessible media.

• Our Closed Platforms (Seesaw & School Concert Recordings): Seesaw is a secure, closed app, and school concert recordings are only distributed directly to our internal parent community. Because there is no external public access, photos and videos will be published and shared here normally (without blurring).
• Public Platforms (Social Media & Website Newsletters): Your explicit consent applies directly to platforms that can be accessed by the general public. If you do not consent, your child's face will not appear on our school social media channels or in the school newsletter hosted on our website.

To help clear up the differences, here is a quick guide based on the new policy:

Media Type / Platform	Who Can See It?	How is it Handled?
Seesaw & School Concert Recordings	Only verified parents, teachers, and students.	Shared normally (no surnames) within the secure app or distributed directly to families (no blurring required).
School Social Media	Anyone on the internet (Public).	Only used if you have granted permission. Otherwise, faces will be blurred or omitted.
School Newsletter (via Website)	Anyone who accesses our public website.	Only used if you have granted permission. Otherwise, faces will be blurred or omitted.

Managing Your Consent Online

To make things easier for families, our permission process is entirely digital.

• Existing Families: If you are happy with the permission status you have already given the school, you do not need to do anything. Your current preferences remain securely on file.
• New Families: All families enrolling from this date forward will automatically be sent the new electronic form via our digital platform during the enrolment process. Parents can easily sign and submit their consent directly through the online form.
• Changing Your Mind: You have the option to vary your consent at any time. If you wish to change or withdraw your permission, simply contact the school office and we will resend the electronic form directly to you to sign online.

The full Privacy Policy and Privacy Collection Notice are available to view anytime on our school website. Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping our school community safe and secure.

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Carnivale News

The students are starting to get excited about Clairvaux Carnivale on Saturday 14 November! Another Carnivale newsletter will be shared shortly, with more information about the event, rides and the activities on the day.
We still need help with the below tasks. If you can contribute to the event in a small way, it would be really appreciated. Behind the scenes, there are many parent volunteers spending a significant amount of time bringing this special day together. Please contact us:
General enquiries: clairvauxcarnivale@gmail.com
Donations: clairvauxcarnivaledonate@gmail.com
Gemma - Carnivale Committee 0480 349 756
Facebook DM: facebook.com/ClairvauxCarnivale

 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) To borrow:
- Large Eskies
- Generators

 Printing A4 colour sheets as a sponsor
We are also seeking a business or a few businesses to share the task of
printing bulk A4 colour sheets on standard A4 paper and be recognised as an
event sponsor in return. Please contact us for more information.

 Join our Coordinators team
We urgently need parents to fill these roles and join our big team. Any roles
can be shared with a friend. This is a good chance to get more Dads involved!
a) Facepainting Coordinator to work with Grade 5 &6 students, high school
volunteers, volunteer parents, and Clairvaux teachers.
b) Spinning Wheel or Lucky Envelopes Coordinator to help run 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. 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 aCarnivale real estate board or small sign at the front of your property.
Having many signs around the area will boost attendance on the day.

 Silent auction, prize donations and small value vouchers
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!

 Block your calendar to volunteer on the day
Volunteering shifts to help on the day at Carnivale will be released next
month.

 Follow Clairvaux Carnivale on socials and share the posts!
Facebook: facebook.com/ClairvauxCarnivale
Instagram: instagram.com/clairvauxcarnivale/

We need everyone’s help to make this event successful.
Thanks!

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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On Monday 20th July, our school community came together for a deeply inspiring Wadawurrung Immersion Day, launching our Term-wide focus on Aboriginal culture, First Nations histories, and connection to Country across all year levels.

A Powerful Opening Ceremony

We were privileged to be joined for the day by descendants of the Wadawurrung people, Corrina Eccles and Billy-Jay (BJ) O’Toole (who completed the beautiful artwork at Clairvaux last year).

The day began with a moving Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony led by Corrina and BJ. Gathering together as a school community for this sacred tradition was a grounding and respectful start to our learning journey. Throughout the morning, Corrina and BJ captivated our students with rich stories of local history, sharing authentic artifacts and insights into the Wadawurrung people’s enduring connection to this land.

Hands-On Learning & Collaborative Art

Following the ceremony, students engaged in a range of classroom and year-level activities exploring Wadawurrung culture. Highlights of the day included:

• Collaborative School Mural: Every student painted an individual tile reflecting what they learned. When combined, these tiles formed a stunning whole-school mural celebrating Wadawurrung Country.
• Class Acknowledgements of Country: Students explored the difference between a Welcome to Country and an Acknowledgement of Country. Each class collaborated to write their own meaningful Acknowledgement of Country, deepening their understanding and appreciation of why we acknowledge traditional custodians. One of these student-led pieces will be selected as our official school Acknowledgement of Country for the remainder of the year.
• First Nations Art Workshop: In the afternoon, Corrina and BJ worked alongside our First Nations students to design a dedicated artwork depicting key elements of Wadawurrung Country. This piece will proudly illustrate our new school Acknowledgement of Country.

This Immersion Day provided a meaningful foundation for the learning taking place across all year levels this term, as classes dive into history and humanities units focused on Country and First Nations perspectives.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Corrina Eccles and BJ O’Toole for generously sharing their knowledge, culture, and stories with us, and to all staff and students for making it such a memorable day of connection and learning.

Once the voting process is completed for our school Acknowledgement of Country and our school mural is finalised we will share them with you as well.

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It has been another wonderful few weeks of learning in Year 1!

In History, students have been exploring the fascinating ancient civilisation of Mesopotamia. They have learnt where Mesopotamia was located, how people lived long ago, and how writing has changed over time. Students have enjoyed discovering the different tools, materials and symbols people used to record information in the past. The Year 1s were able to use clay and ancient symbols (a writing system known as cuneiform) to write their own names.

In Religious Education, we have been learning about the sacrament of Baptism. Students have explored the different groups they belong to, including their families, our school community and God's family. They have also learnt about the special signs and symbols used in Baptism and why this sacrament is such a special celebration.

Next week, we are excited to begin our new unit, Then and Now, where students will compare how homes, schools, toys and transport have changed over time. We are also looking forward to celebrating Mass with our Year 1 grandparents on Friday 7 August at 9.15 am. After Mass, our grandparents will join us in the classrooms to share stories, memories and treasured artefacts from the past, helping bring our learning to life.

We are so proud of the enthusiasm, curiosity and kindness our Year 1 students continue to show every day. We look forward to many more wonderful learning adventures together throughout the term!

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In 2026, our school is participating in Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS). MACSSIS is an annual process whereby schools listen to the thoughts and feelings students, families and staff have about how their school can improve. These surveys help inform the ongoing improvement of schools across the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

One of the main goals of the family survey is to identify the strengths to be celebrated and continued to work on and areas for improvement in our school. MACSSIS data benefits everyone within our school and provides valuable community insights on areas that each school can focus on. Clairvaux  believes it is important to encourage families as well as staff and students to have a voice and contribute to shaping the ongoing improvement of the school.

This feedback is invaluable to our progress as an effective school community and is backed by evidence-based research and best practices, and a great way for us to monitor trends from year to year. 

MACSSIS is a set of surveys that have been built specifically for Catholic schools in Melbourne by the Learning Services team at MACS, in partnership with researchers at Learning First and in wide consultation with principals in our schools. In 2026, students, families and staff are invited to participate in MACSSIS via our secure and purpose-built online platform. The online platform is where our school leaders will access the summary reports that visualise the results of the student, family and staff surveys. 

In the upcoming weeks families will be emailed a unique code to fill out the survey anonymously. We really do value this feedback and would appreciate as many families as possible taking the time to help us make informed decisions about the future of our school processes. You can watch a short clip here.

The only data we do see is how many families from each year level participate. The year level with the most surveys filled in will receive an extra long playtime once we have the results!!!

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www.teethonwheels.com.au
Phone: (03) 9338 1191
Email: info@teethonwheels.com.au

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Sacrament of Confirmation

Family Faith Evening with Elio Capra

Thank you to all of our Year 6 Confirmation students and families who joined us for our Family Faith Evening with Rv Dr Elio Capra.  It was a wonderful evening that was both informative and entertaining, with Elio sharing his wisdom, warmth and humour as he guided us in reflecting on the meaning of the Sacrament of Confirmation and the gift of faith.  The evening reminded us that faith is nurtured through the shared partnership of home, school and parish.  The love, encouragement and example of parents and carers play a vital role in supporting their children’s spiritual growth and relationship with God.

Confirmation reminders

• Stoles:  Confirmation symbols needs to be added to the stole.  Refer to information emailed last week.  If ordering from  www.graciousglyphs.com.au please add order number to the labelled bag (sent home last week)and send along to school by 7th August.

• Sacramental fee: $30 Sacramental fee is due and payable to St. Bernard’s Parish Office.  Refer to email from Karen Marshall (parish finance officer) stating bank details

• Confirmation Preparation Day: Wednesday 19th August at Clairvaux.  Students wear casual clothes for the day and a shared lunch will be provided. 

• Sponsor and Saint name:  Over the coming weeks, our Year 6 Confirmation candidates will be considering their Confirmation sponsor and saint’s name.  As they learn about the lives of the saints in class and reflect on the people who inspire and support their faith, they will be encouraged to choose a sponsor and saint whose example will guide them on their own faith journey.

• Confirmation Mass Booking: Bookings opened last week.  There are two masses to choose from on Sunday, 30th August at 1 pm or 3:30 pm.  Please select your time if you haven’t already done so, using the following link https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/uknhz

• Please refer any queries to Julie Routley (REL) jroutley@ccsbelmont.com.au

St. Bernard’s Day Celebrations - Lapathon for Mannya

We are excited to invite our school community to join us in celebrating St. Bernard’s Day on Friday 21st August.  It promises to be a wonderful day of prayer, fun and community spirit as we gather to celebrate the feast day of St. Bernard, our patron Saint and raise money for our ‘sister’ school, St. Aloysius in Mannya, Uganda. Thank you to Cyndie Mumford and our Year 4 CSC representatives who are busy helping to organise this special day

Schedule of Events:

• 9.15 am Whole School Mass - St. Bernard’s Church (all welcome)
• 12:00 - 1:00 pm Lap-a-thon for Mannya - Clairvuax senior oval
• from 1:30 pm Free Sausage Sizzle second lunch & lollipop end of day

kindly donated by Clairvaux Connect. Please notify classroom teachers of dietary requirements by Mon 17th Aug

• Afternoon In-class fun activities

Lap-a-thon Details:

• Students wear their sports uniform and bring a filled water bottle.

• Sponsorship:  sponsors may choose to make a donation or pledge a specific amount of money per lap.  Sponsorship forms will be sent home with students tomorrow.  Students will bring home a tally card after the event showing the total number of laps completed.  

• Families are warmly invited to join us to cheer on the children from 12-1pm.

• All money raised through our lapathon will be donated directly to the children of our sister school, St. Aloysius in Mannya, Uganda. 

• Donations will  help support the daily Breakfast Club, essential school stationery supplies and the ongoing sustainability of the community coffee plantation.

Donations: can be made on-line through  School 24, under EVENTS - Lapathon for Mannya, from Monday 3rd August until  Friday 28th August.

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Clairvaux Connect – easy ways to get involved. Clairvaux Connect is our network for families to connect with each other, with the school, and to provide extra benefits for students outside of their standard education. Our parent volunteers organise a whole range of activities and events to build Clairvaux’s community atmosphere.

You can help with initiatives without having to attend meetings.
Join a sub-group to help make events and initiatives happen, without being part of the core team with meeting responsibilities.
These groups mainly operate online and initiatives are organised remotely, although you could always catch up for a coffee.
Please contact us if you would like to be added to any of the following sub-groups:
a) Clairvaux Social Events
b) Clairvaux Fundraising Events and Initiatives
c) Clairvaux Canteen, Treat Days and Special Food Events like St Bernard’s Day
d) Clairvaux Carnivale
e) Clairvaux Uniform Shop
f) You can also ask to be added to the main Clairvaux Connect WhatsApp group if you would like to be informed in what’s planned overall and be linked into the core team.
Helping on the day
If organising isn’t for you, then there will be one day opportunities as well such as helping in Canteen, the Uniform Shop, Father’s Day stall, assisting the Family Support Network, or at Carnivale.
Please keep an eye out for those opportunities via Clairvaux’s newsletter, Seesaw, emails and the Clairvaux
Chatter Facebook group.

We’d love to hear from you!
How to contact us
Email: clairvauxconnect@ccsbelmont.com.au
Text: Gemma 0480349756
Facebook: DM the Clairvaux Chatter page www.facebook.com/groups/302867856508231/

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HELMETS ARE ESSENTIAL WHEN RIDING YOUR BIKE OR SCOOTER TO SCHOOL.

Please see the information below from the TAC website.

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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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What is the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data? Schools must now complete the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) every year. It counts the number of students who receive additional adjustments or “help” at school because of a disability. The NCCD helps governments plan for the needs of students with disability.

Please click on this link to view further 2026 information from the NCCD website or here for VCEA information.

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