Newsletter Week 5 Term 1 2024

This weekend I will be giving our daughter away in marriage to Chris, our new son in law.  It will be a large family occasion with many families coming together to celebrate and pray for their life together as husband and wife and will hopefully be blessed with children.  Many relatives are gathering in Ballarat from across Victoria. There will be guests of all ages.  Some elders, uncles, aunts, siblings, cousins and friends. The guests will gather in a spirit of joy, love and anticipation of what their marriage will bring.  We have had the customary hens and bucks days and now we all have a wider range of family connections.  The community is growing and changing. We are all growing and changing. The preparation for a family wedding is exhaustive. Dresses, suits, flowers, reception, make up, hair, invitations, seating, food and refreshments, music, speeches…. I have checked the schedule for the day and it is all timed to the minute. 

In the past few days I have been very reflective of Rachel's life.  It is impossible to share all of her life, personal qualities, school, work history, primary, secondary, tertiary study, friendships, art performances, sport etc.,  in the time that I have with the microphone, and keeping it together? Not possible.  It has been a beautiful journey. This story is about preparation, life successes and challenges and the celebration at this stage of her life.  

It is also the Lenten period in our Catholic Christian tradition. How do we also prepare for Easter, the highpoint of our Catholic faith? Prayer, fasting, acts of kindness.  The Lenten period gives us an opportunity to readjust, to restore.  What are the burning issues that we need to deal with on our Lenten journey? This is a good time to reflect on where we are at as Catholics in both a school and parish community. 

As a school community we are also growing and changing in many ways.  Educationally our children are making wonderful progress.  Socially and physically as well.  And it is through our prayerful acts that we demonstrate as adults every day that our children come to know the God that gives us life.  

Our wedding is on Saturday.  Our school and parish community connection is coming at Easter when we celebrate the joy that comes from the preparation and readjustment from our Lent.

                         ---------------------------------------

Perhaps this Lent  

we can slow down,

 pause, even stop

to think about why we do what we do, 

not simply as a habit, but as a thoughtful response

to the love that sets us free —

                       -----------------------------------------

Please read the message from Julie our Religious Education Leader regarding the Year 4 Family Faith evening next Wednesday 6th March at St Bernard's Church for the children and parents of Year 4 children.

The Season of Lent and Project Compassion

This week we approach the 3rd Sunday of Lent.  During Lent we are called to GIVE, FAST and PRAY as we prepare ourselves for the great celebration of our Liturgical calendar -  Easter.

GIVE:  

During Lent, we encourage our Clairvaux community to give generously to Caritas Australia. Project Compassion 2024 reminds us that the good we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come.Together we can help vulnerable communities around the world face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow.  So far, we are very grateful to announce that we have raised $350 towards this worthy cause.  Project Compassion boxes are in each classroom until the end of Term.  Thank you to our newly appointed CSC Social Justice group who will be promoting this fundraiser in the coming weeks.

 FAST: 

Fasting can mean more than just ‘giving up’ something for Lent.

…in the words of Pope Francis 

• Fast from hurting words and say kind words

• Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude

• Fast from anger and be filled with patience

• Fast from pessimism and be filled wih hope

• Fast from worries and have trust in God

• Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity

• Fast from pressures and be prayerful

• Fast from bitterness and fill your hearts with joy

• Fast from selfishness and be compassionate towards others

• Fast from grudges and be reconciled

• Fast from words and be silent so you can listen 

….or maybe you could try Carbon Fasting for Lent by making a contribution to climate change and those most impacted by it.

PRAY       

God of all hope,

Through our prayer fasting and almsgiving,

Move us to act in the company of your Spirit,

Showing compassion and acting for justice

To renew the face of the Earth,

Now and for all future generations.

AMEN                                                                                                      

Beginning of Year School Mass

Last Friday we celebrated our Beginning of School Mass for 2024.  Thank you to families who joined us in this joyous occasion where we sang, prayed for the year ahead and welcomed our new preps with a special blessing from their Year 6 buddies.  We are grateful for Fr.Sang who guides our students with care and delivered the important message that will be our theme for the year ‘Let your Light Shine.’

First Eucharist

Our Year 4 students are busy in class preparing for the Sacrament of Eucharist which will be celebrated early Term 2.  Next week we have a very special evening for these children and their parents/carers, which forms an important part of their preparation for the Sacrament.

Children must attend with at least one parent.

Eucharist Family formation night - Wednesday  6th March  6.30 pm at St.Bernard’s Church Fryers Rd Belmont.

Beginning of Year Mass

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Stella M 3TO

Lewis C 3TO

Duncan B 3RB

Ethan S 3RB

Ruby M 3RW

Van V 3RW

Matteo M 3CG

Luca G 3CG

Scarlett P 4LO

Sidney N 4LO

Anna M 4HH

Georgia Rose H 4HH

Jesse O 4SJ

Abigail G 4SJ

Maya D 4MC

William E 4MC

Sienna W 5TD

Liam W 5TD

Armaan S 5VR

Alfred T 5VR

Charlotte M 5HN

Julian B 5HN

Zoe W 5AC

Milla M 5AC

Lylah H 6CM

Isabelle H 6CM

Lily O 6MM

Evie V 6MM

Emily P 6DC

Joseph H 6DC

Mason B 6RM

Ava F 6RM

Don't forget to register. It is helpful that we have numbers of children attending on the evening. At this point less than a quarter of children have registered.

There will be numbered flags around the course of the oval (P, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) - this is where you will begin your colour run with the rest of your year level.

Incentive Prizes

Fundraising for our Colour Explosion School Run 4 Fun (Thursday 21^st March) is entirely online. At the end of the fundraiser either order prizes to receive or donate to a cause – Carbon Neutral (tree planting), Great Barrier Reef Foundation (coral planting or turtle protection), The Smith Family (reading support) or OzHarvest (providing meals).

You only need to raise a minimum of $10 to receive an incentive prize and $20 to donate to a cause!

Remember the top 5 fundraisers to date on the night of the Colour run will be able to slime the Year 3 teaching team!!!!!

Monty the Monstar Prizes!

Monty the MonSTAR is giving away lots of extra prizes to help you reach for the fundraising STARS! Will you collect them all? Check out your sponsorship booklet to see what Monty has up for grabs.

$10,000 Budget Booster Bonanza Shopping Spree!

What would your family buy with a $10,000?! The highest fundraising student in our school will go into the draw to win: $2,500 Coles Card, $2,500 Woolworths Fuel Card, $2,500 Harvey Norman Card and a $2,500 Visa Card.

Win a PlayStation 5 Gaming Bundle!

Do you have a need for speed? The highest fundraising student in Australia will take home an awesome PlayStation 5 gaming bundle, complete with a NEW PlayStation 5 Console, VR2 Headset and Sense Controllers!

You have to be in it to win it! If you haven’t already, make sure you start fundraising online at www.australianfundraising.com.au. Happy fundraising!

At Clairvaux we have traditionally had one camp experience for our students in the student’s Year 6 year. We have found that the students are of an appropriate age to manage the demands of a school camp, sleeping away from home, eating camp food, being away from family. We also find it is a wonderful way to finish off their Primary school years with their peers. We acknowledge the benefits of school camps and are aware that there may be thoughts that Clairvaux could offer more school camp experiences for our students. Your insights will play a crucial role in shaping our approach to the consideration of organising and executing future camp experiences. 

Currently our Year 6 cohort attend a two night camp in Anglesea at a cost in 2024 of $450 per child in addition to the yearly school fee and levy. This additional camp cost only just covers all the expenses of this camp.

We do recognise the benefits of a school camp and celebrate the positive points below:

• Personal Growth: camps can provide additional opportunities for children to develop independence, resilience, and self-confidence through new experiences and challenges outside the classroom.
• Social Skills: an additional chance for children to build friendships, teamwork, and communication skills while interacting with peers in a different environment.
• Educational Value: educational opportunities camps offer, such as learning about nature, history, or culture through hands-on activities.
• Physical Activity: outdoor play opportunities that camps provide can promote health and well-being among children who may spend a lot of time indoors.
• Memorable Experiences: lasting memories and fun experiences for children to gain from camp.
• Connection with Nature: a chance for children to connect with nature, develop environmental awareness, and learn outdoor skills.
• Sense of Belonging: a sense of belonging and community spirit fostered during camp, as children bond with classmates and teachers outside of the school setting.

In addition to this we also understand the true load of a camp and that school camps represent a significant undertaking for both our students and our staff. Due to the new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement for Catholic school teachers, we are now required to pay staff attending camp for their time during out of school hours, which we recognise is fair and equitable. This consideration obviously adds  to the cost of the current Year 6 camp considerably and we would anticipate additional camps in other years to also have a similar cost associated with them.

We ask you to consider the below points carefully when completing this survey, considering all those that are impacted by proposed camp changes.

• Teacher Workload: We recognise that organising and supervising school camps can be demanding for our dedicated teaching staff. There is a lot of time for planning and preparation that is added to the teacher’s already busy workload and this occurs prior to the camp commencing, let alone the extra responsibility given to teachers at the actual camp experience which is heightened for younger students. Camps can often have an impact on other year levels of the school as well - as staff LSO/teachers are sometimes required to meet the staffing ratios for camp and the male/female staffing ratios resulting in disruption of classes still at school. Staff also are required to be away from their own families.
• Financial Accessibility: We understand that the cost of school camps can vary and may pose a financial challenge for some families. (Transport, camp costs and teacher/ LSO Time in Lieu payments) It also needs to be noted that to support camp costs we may need to have a student free day for that year level to support the cost to families as per last year and this year.
• Student Participation: Every child is unique, and we respect and understand that some students may have reservations or concerns about participating in camp activities. (this already occurs for some of our year 6 students)
• Risk Management and Safety: Safety is our top priority during school camps. Risk management measures and safety protocols are paramount to a camp experience and involve extensive checks and compliance procedures are followed to mitigate any potential risks and ensure a secure environment for all participants.
• Camp Location: This is a consideration as we have many students who have disabilities or other concerns who may have an altered camp experience, ie picked up early, only staying for day visits, parents on call for collection if required.
• Balanced Evaluation: While school camps offer numerous benefits, we also recognise that there may be challenges or drawbacks associated with them. 

Your input will help us better understand the priorities and concerns of our parent community regarding school camps. We value your perspectives and look forward to using them to inform our decisions moving forward. Note when referencing a camp experience it could be an afterschool event until early evening at school, a one day camp or a two day camp.

We ask for your thoughts via this google form https://forms.gle/rZe3Si6BH4Cgd5C49

What you need to know if your child has a medical condition

Please keep medical details up to date.

All medication is to be stored in the First aid room and will be administered by staff.  No medication is to be stored in your child's bag.

• Asthma: Asthma Action Plan signed by the doctor every 12 months.  
• Allergy:  Allergy Action Plan signed by the doctor every 12 months.  
• Anaphylaxis:  Asthma Action Plan signed by the doctor every 12 months. 
• Epilepsy: Epilepsy Management Plan signed by the doctor every 12 months

                    (All these forms are supplied by your doctor).

You will receive an email via SIMON (PAM) when your child is due for a new plan or if your child's medication has expired.

If your child requires any medical care or medication at school you will be required to take the following forms to a Health Practitioner to be filled in and signed off.

Medical Management Form 

Medical Authority Form 

We can no longer give any medication eg. panadol, antibiotics, antihistamines, creams etc to your child at school unless these forms are filled out. 

These forms are available from the office and also on our website under Our School - Policies/Forms to download.

To update your child's medical information on PAM, please see these instructions 

           
Easter at St Bernard’s

Wed 20th March: 7.30pm - Penitential Service

Mon 25th March: 7.30pm - Tenebrae quiet prayer

Holy Thursday: 7.30pm - Mass: Lord’s Supper Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Good Friday: 10.00am - Stations of the Cross

Good Friday: 3.00pm - The Passion

Easter Vigil: 7.30pm - Mass

Easter Sunday: 9.00 & 10.30am - Mass