Please note the following dates in your diary:
2025 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 6 Mon 10th - Prep nurse visit Tues 11th Nov - Prep 2026 transition session 1 Wed 12th Nov - Prep 2026 transition session 1 Thur 13th Nov - Prep nurse visit Fri 14th Nov - Year 4 Incursion

Week 7 Mon 17th Nov - Prep nurse visit Mon 17th Nov - Junior aths yr 2/3 - school oval Tues 18th Nov - Junior aths yr P/1 - school oval Wed 19th Nov - Yr 5 leadership day Wed 19th Nov - Deakin optometry session with preps Thur 20th Nov - Deakin optometry session with preps Fri 21st Nov - Deakin optometry session with preps

Week 8 Mon 24th Nov - School Closure day Tues 25th Nov - Prep 2026 transition session 2 Wed 26th Nov - P&F meeting onsite 7pm Wed 26th Nov - Year 5 Serendip Excursion Gr1 Thur 27th Nov - Year 6 Surfing excursion

Week 9 Monday 1st Dec - Year 5 Serendip Excursion Gr2 Tues 2nd Dec - Year 6 Disco 6pm - 7:30pm

Week 10 Tues 9th Dec - Step up day (Prep -Yr 6 2026) Tues 9th Dec - Yr 6 secondary school transition day - no Yr 6 onsite Tues 9th Dec - Parent Teacher Chats (3.40pm-6.30pm) - note date change Wed 10th Dec - Parent Teacher Chats (3.40pm-6.30pm) - note date change Fri 12th Dec - End of year mass whole school Fri 12th Dec - Reports sent home via PAM

Week 11 Mon 15th Dec - End of year assembly 11:45am Mon 15th Dec - Year 6 Graduation (PM) Tues 16th Dec - Last day of the school year - Yr 6 exc. to Adventure Park - 3:30pm dismissal on the basketball court

2026 Wednesday 28th January - Year 1-6 Students Begin Wednesday 28th January - Prep testing Thursday 29th January - Prep testing Friday 30th January - Preps begin Wednesday 4th Feb - No school for Preps Wednesday 11th Feb - No school for Preps Monday 16th Feb - Clairvaux Cross Country Yr 4-6 Wednesday 18th Feb - No school for Preps Wednesday 25th Feb - No school for Preps Monday 2nd March - Preps begin full weeks at school Monday 2nd March - Clairvaux Senior Athletics Yr 4-6 Monday 9th March - Public Holiday Tuesday 10th March - School Closure Day Tuesday 10th March - Division Swimmming - selected students Monday 16th March - Year 6 camp (2 nights) Tuesday 17th March - Year 6 camp Wednesday 18th March - Year 6 camp Thursday 19th March - Yr 6 students no school Tuesday 24th March - Colour Run (evening) Friday 27th March - Yr 6 Summer Lightning Prem Thursday 2nd April - Last day of term 1 2:30 dismissal Monday 20th April - First Day of Term 2 Friday 24th April - City to Surf Cross Country - selected students Monday May 4th - Swimming begins for Yr 3 and 4 (all week) Monday May 11th - Swimming begins for Yr 1 and 2 Tuesday 19th May - Division cross country - selected students Friday 29th May - Yr 6 Winter Lightning Prem Monday 8th June - Public Holiday Tuesday 9th June - Year 5 Camp (one night) Wednesday 10th June - Year 5 camp Thursday 11th June - Yr 5 students no school Friday 26th June - Last Day of term 2

---

Our Parents and Friend's Association is a great way to become further involved in our school community.
The first meeting of the year will be on Thursday February 15th at 7pm in the school staff room. All Welcome. In 2024 we will be holding our biannual Clairvaux Carnivale. We are looking for someone to volunteer to lead the coordination process of this event. There is a manual of documents with all the relevant information you will need to do this and ...................

Please read the below summary from President Leanne McAlister for the end of 2023. 

---

For the entirety of the school year, all students are expected to be in the correct school uniform at all times. Whilst we do have a designated summer and winter uniform as stated in our uniform policy either uniform can be worn at anytime of the year. We do not allow mixing of uniforms such as tights with the summer dress.

Term 4 is not a reason to not be in correct uniform. Our uniform is for the entirety of the school year and our uniform shop is open all year round.

Students are to wear their sports uniform on their Specialist Day. Please note that all students can wear their sports uniform every Friday (Preps can wear on Wednesday in addition to Friday). 

Please ensure that all uniform items (particularly hats,  jumpers and shell jackets) are clearly labeled. If lost, a clearly named item means we can return the item to its owner quickly, reducing stress, anxiety and wasted money.

We would appreciate families read the policy and take the time to ensure all students are in their full appropriate uniform.

We have noticed in the past, particularly, lots of shoes and socks that are not school uniform. On days it is not sports uniform day, shoes must be black leather or sport shoes that are entirely black. This allows for students to be in runners every day of the week as long as they are entirely black. Our policy on the website has visuals of examples that are acceptable and not.  Socks also need to be the correct colour with no logos etc. Grey socks should be worn with winter uniform.

All students with hair long enough to tie back are required to do so. Reasons for this include: tidiness and safety. But one really practical one is headlice! Headlice can spread only by direct, hair-to-hair contact. If people have long, loose hair, they can migrate easily to new heads; if hair is neatly tied back, it's much less likely to happen. All children should have a clean, tidy appearance. Hair Accessories including headbands, ribbons and/or clips should be plain and in neutral or school colours - light blue, navy, maroon or the Clairvaux check scrunchie. Ornate hair decorations, extreme hairstyles or coloured hair is not permissible. Tie in hair extensions are not to be worn.

Earrings - Plain sleepers (10mm in diameter) or studs (small, flat and plain) in gold or silver can be worn. No other jewellery except watches (Smart watches must be handed into the office for the day) may be worn. No necklaces at all are permitted - reasons for this include physical safety, keeping valuables safe etc (the one and only exception for this is to alert others to a medical condition such as anaphylaxis). Nail Polish - may be worn if clear. No coloured nail polish or false nails are to be worn. No makeup is to be worn by students.

In line with our sunsmart policy - students must wear a hat outside at all times from September 1st, All term 4 and all term 1. Hats should be in a respectable state - no tears or graffiti are allowed - please purchase a new hat if required.

Students in incorrect uniform will be issued with a uniform slip to be signed by parents and returned to school.

Our uniform is non gender specific, girls do not have to wear a dress and our uniform policy states all children have the opportunity to wear runners everyday provided that they are entirely black.

Students who are temporarily unable to wear full school uniform are expected to bring a note/parents email their teacher seeking a temporary exemption for one day. 

Uniform orders can be made online via the school24 app. Our uniform shop is open Fridays from 8:45am - 9:15am in the school hall. Wearing a uniform has many benefits and is an expectation of our community. We value your support with this matter.

Please email the class teacher if you are having any issues.

LINK TO UNIFORM POLICY (this is on our school website and the uniform slip is included as an appendix).

---

The new enterprise agreement for teaching staff has impacts on supervision at school and the hours of release time they are entitled to. To allow for this, students will continue to experience four specialist subjects; Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Italian and Sport. Each week students will be taught each of these for one hour. Students are to wear sport uniform on this day.

• Tuesday: Year 6 and Year 2
• Wednesday: Year 4 and Year 1
• Thursday: Year 5 and Year 3
• Friday: Prep

Italian:

Year P, 4, 5, 6: Gabriella Smith

Year 1, 2: Sue Crowhurst

Year 3: Karen Zanardo

Performing Arts:

P, 4, 5, 6: Sarah Ferguson

Year 1, 2: Elle Brown

Year 3: Bonnie Whiting

Sport:

Year P, 1, 2, 5: Cathy Langtip-Overman

Year 3: Amy Riordan

Year 4: Andrew Rayson

Year 6: Simone Segrave

Visual Arts:

Year P, 4, 5, 6: Lia Rizzi

Year 1, 2: Louise Mathieson

Year 3: Mady Leith

---

Every day at school counts. Going to school every day is the most important part of your child’s education. There are no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind and can affect their educational outcomes and their social connectedness.
The best thing you can do is support your child to get to school every day. A positive attitude towards school, healthy habits and routines and parental involvement can support your child’s regular school attendance and prevent chronic absence patterns.
At Clairvaux we monitor student attendance carefully and you may from time to time receive communication from your child's teacher alerting you to the percentage of time your child has missed in absenses.
Sometimes we dont realise that a day here or there away from school can add up very quickly. 1 day missed per fortnight adds up to four weeks lost per year. This adds up to one year of schooling over the course of their educational enrolment at primary and secondary school.

Being on time is also very important. School begins at 8:50am and that is when our gates close. Students must be signed in if they arrive after this time. Late arrivals and uncommunicated absences will result in a text message alerting you to this.

---

In relation to child safety, one aspect of our organisational culture is the way student behaviour is managed so that everyone is safe and respected. At the beginning of each school year, class and year level cohorts dedicate time to setting clear expectations that create a safe and supportive learning environment within our school. Weare focusing on our expectations again at the beginning of semester two. Our major focus is on RESPECT. Last year as part of our strategic plan priority of Positive Behaviour, staff spent time surveying students and families, revising and refining our behaviour management process and policy. 

In line with our instructional model,staff have been exploring the benefits of an explicit behaviour curriculum. Classrooms need to have teachers explicitly teaching a behaviour curriculum that clearly outlines high expectations (norms of behaviour), routines, procedures and rules. Managing student behaviour is about learning. Learning is the result of good management. To maximise learning in the classroom, it is necessary to teach students how to behave. Behaviour needs to be taught explicitly to all students as instruction in behaviour is central to effective classroom management. The teaching of behaviour needs to be planned, resourced and rehearsed just like any academic content.

The behaviours that teachers find difficult are often minor but high frequency and low-level. Low-level behaviours identified in research involving Australian teachers were commonplace, such as talking out of turn, and avoiding work. The frequency and repetitive nature of these behaviours contributes to the disruption in the classroom for student learning and teacher instruction time and stress.

It is deliberate teacher actions that encourage both student participation and the development of behavioural skills that result in students learning. Engagement is a product of students’ attention, effort, emotions, cognitive investment and participation, and teacher actions that encourage participation and the development of behavioural competence. Through a student engagement lens, deliberate teacher actions in establishing norms of behaviour, routines and processes in the classroom, as well as rules, are seen as crucial and as a precondition to student engagement and learning. In addition to explicitly teaching our expectations students have to opportunity to earn house points. At the end of each term the winning house group is treated to a shared lunch.

Over the initial few weeks of school students will be exposed to explicit lessons about respect, what our big 5 rules look like at Clairvaux, our matrix of expected behaviours and our flow charts of behaviour steps.Our focus is helping students to make the choices that help them to maximise learning and development. No child’s behaviour is perfect and they are not expected to always make the best choice. As adults, it is our responsibility to support children to learn from their poor choices. When dealing with behaviour that may involve students making undesirable or harmful choices, staff use a restorative approach that helps students to reflect on their feelings and how they may be a trigger for choices made. Helping students to understand their feelings can assist in understanding the choices made. When a student’s unacceptable behaviour negatively impacts learning, play, others or is unsafe, usually after their third reminder/warning, they complete a Reflection sheet. This usually requires them to meet with members of leadership for a restorative conversation in an effort to redirect them to more positive behaviours. This ‘Reflection sheet’ replaces our previous ‘Behaviour sheet’ and if your child receives one, families will be notified by their classroom teacher or a member of leadership via phone or email. With our new leadership model this is very likely to be the Middle learning leader for your child’s year level. We appreciate families' support in assisting the school in the management of student behaviour. 

Like every school, we have students with additional behaviour needs. These students have strategies to use, receive regular support to re-regulate when needed and many have a behavioural support plan. Staff are also working closely with their families and the students’ support teams. 

Families’ Role: Parents are the first and most influential educators of their children. Parents are encouraged to work with their child and the school. We value your contribution as partners in your child’s learning as we attempt to support and reinforce the school behaviour management policy. 

Educator’s Role: For student success the teacher must ensure that the climate is conducive to learning.  Educators are responsible to provide opportunities for student success, encouraging them to take responsibility and regulate their behaviour with opportunities to practice expected behaviours

Student’s Role: Every individual has both rights and responsibilities. Students are responsible for their own behaviour and their choices result in appropriate and logical actions.

Leadership’s Role: All stakeholders are entitled to a safe and supportive learning environment  Leaders are responsible for ensuring the safety of the physical and emotional wellbeing of students and staff.

Please see the linked matrix of expected behaviours as well as the steps for behaviour management in place at Clairvaux.

---

This year we welcome a new person to teh role of Counsellor and Mental Health Coordinator. Sam Lester.

The school counsellor plays a pivotal role in providing mental health and emotional support services within the educational setting. Primarily, our counselor operates on a point-of-need basis, offering assistance to students facing various challenges such as personal concerns and emotional struggles.

Recognising the diversity of family circumstances, our counsellor becomes a vital resource for those who may lack access to external support networks. In situations where families are grappling with socio-economic challenges or are unable to access the supports of a care team around them, the counselor becomes a crucial bridge to necessary resources and guidance.

The counselor's involvement extends to crisis situations, where immediate intervention is required. Acting as a first responder, our counsellor can address urgent matters, providing emotional support and facilitating appropriate referrals to external agencies when necessary. The referral process to see the counsellor is carefully managed and triaged, ensuring that students and families receive the most relevant and timely assistance.

Given the demand for these services, there is a structured system in place, often involving a waitlist. This acknowledges the counselor's limited capacity and the high demand for mental health support within the school community. To optimise resources, the counselor's services are typically offered for a specified term, allowing her to assist as many students as possible while accommodating ongoing needs. This may also include some small group sessions.

Our school is also very fortunate to have the funds for a Mental Health coordinator in our school. The role of our Mental Health coordinator among other things, is to promote emotional literacy in our wider school community and educate our families about supports and resources to assist them with their own mental health and in their parenting journey. Our fortnightly Mental Health and Wellbeing newsletter is emailed to each family with a range of supports and tips you can access.

---

Meet the Teacher appointments are open for bookings for all students in year P-6. These sessions are held in person in your child's classroom.

They will be held on the evenings on Tuesday 11th February and Wednesday 12th February between 3:40pm and 6:30pm.

Please book your 10 minute session via https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/t9246 (if you are prompted for a code please use t9246).

---

Sports News 

Once again, the year begins busily with many sporting events for the school. Here are the Term 1 dates to place on your Calendar:

• Clairvaux Cross Country (4-6) Monday 26th February at McDonalds Reserve 
• Division Swimming (Selected Students) Tuesday 12th March at Kardinia Park
• Clairvaux Senior Athletics Day  Friday 22nd March at Landy Field 
• Summer Lightning Premiership (Year 6 only) Wednesday 27th March Venues TBC

Swimming Championships 

The 2024 Bellarine and North Geelong Division Primary School Championships will be held on Tuesday 12th March at Kardinia Pool. Swimming Events begin with the 9/10 age group. Students may enter two individual  events and one age group relay. Entries need to be submitted to me by Thursday 22nd February. 

Please note that it is the responsibility of parents to accompany and supervise their child at the event. If you  think your child would like to compete please contact me by email at ssegrave@ccsbelmont.com.au to confirm that they meet the qualifying times for their event and so I can register them.

 State Team Trials 

If you believe that your child excels in one of the following sports and would like to nominate them for State  Trials please read the following information carefully. The information about each sport can be found through  the Team Vic tab on the SSV’s Home Page. The sports that students can nominate for at the moment are: · 

• Australian Football 
• Basketball 
• Football (Soccer) 
• Hockey 
• Netball 

The closing date for the 12 and under (as at 31/12/24)The closing date for the teams listed above is midnight on the 1st March

The process to nominate requires parents to nominate their own child, with the school agreeing that the  student is of a standard that would enable them to have a chance of reaching the final level of the selection  process. There is an online registration form to be filled in by the parent. Please remember  that this is a trial for 12 year old students (Year 6) who can demonstrate, in a competitive situation, well above  average ball, game and team skills in their sport. There will also be a small fee to participate in the trial. For  more information about the process please contact me or look on the School Sports Victoria site. www.ssv.vic.edu.au and select Team Vic

Thanks, Simone Segrave

---