Prayer reflection

The Enduring Legacy of Loved Ones

This week has been a time for quiet reflection, especially around All Souls' Day, when many cultures pause to remember those who have passed away.

In a conversation today with a staff member, we were struck by how quickly time seems to fly, and how clearly we remember what was happening in our lives just one year ago. For this colleague, the year has held a significant challenge: the sudden passing of her father.

As we approach the one-year anniversary of this difficult loss next Saturday, we were reminded of the profound influence and lasting impact those we hold dear have had on our lives.

The shock and grief of loss are challenging times for any family. We extend our collective prayers and thoughts to all members of our school community who have lost family and friends.

May the love, compassion, and mercy that faith models bring comfort to those navigating grief. The legacy and spirit of our departed family members live on, not only in us but also in the generations of children who carry their stories and strength forward.

Class Structures for 2026

The process for determining our 2026 class structures is currently underway. We understand that class placements are important, and we want to assure families that this is an involved process that considers many factors for every child and teacher.

Factors Considered in Placement

All students were recently asked to select up to four friends they wished to be grouped with next year. This is one piece of the puzzle, alongside other critical considerations, including:

• Academic growth and learning needs.
• Social and emotional needs.
• Overall class dynamics and current compositions.
• Any specific adjustments or support required for individual children.

Other Key Dates & Staffing

• Next week marks the beginning of Transition Opportunities for our 2026 Prep children.
• The determination of teacher positions and the appointment of any new staff members will be finalised in the coming weeks. We are fortunate to have a highly qualified teaching group. Our commitment to a low variance approach across all year levels ensures that curriculum content is consistent across each of the four classes.

As we mark the half way of the term lets keep the focus on completing the year in a successful manner.

World  Teachers day

Last Friday, on World Teachers' Day, we honoured  our Clairvaux teachers for their  profound dedication and the moral purpose at the heart of their vocation.

It takes enormous courage to be a teacher.  Every day I watch them walk in, positive and fired up to teach your children.  I would like to thank them for their courage to be adaptable and professional in addressing the academic and social needs of our children.. 

Our teachers behave selflessly for the good of all of the children they meet every single day, and I know that the  children are appreciative for that.

They are all teachers at heart. They were probably role playing as teachers when they were the age of your children. For them there are many unforgettable moments in the classroom when they can hardly contain the joy of teaching, when new learning pathways suddenly open up, and that deep synchronicity with your kids becomes evident. 

Teaching is a journey of hope, and one that will make a huge difference in the learning and future lives of our children.

In  the partnership we share as parents and teachers united together, let’s continue the love, care, and respect for the many reachable moments that occur at school and home, and hold onto hope for a better future.

Enterprise Bargaining Update: A Focus on Staff Conditions and Resourcing.

As many in our community know, employees across various industries are covered by Enterprise Bargaining Agreements (EBAs). As we approach the conclusion of the current EBA for Catholic school employees, negotiations are commencing for the next agreement period.

There has been recent media attention regarding the next award, particularly for teachers. While the EBA for Nurses and Midwives was approved in November 2024, our teaching staff's current award period is set to conclude in December 2025.

The Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA) recently put forward a comprehensive proposal to the Catholic education sector. This proposal was aimed at addressing critical areas including workload, conditions, and wages for all employees. It reflects a genuine commitment to improving the working environment in our schools.The negotiations will continue and we will as a Catholic school plan around the impact and focus upon our mission of being a high quality Catholic school focussed on the strong teaching and learning program.  

Brendan

REMEMBRANCE DAY

Remembrance Day commemorates the moment in 1918 when World War 1 came to an end. We pay our respects to all Australian men and women who have served in war and peacekeeping activities. It is also a time that we think about the soldiers who are currently stationed in war zones all around the world.

Next Tuesday, 11th November we will take time as a whole school to pause for a minute’s silence to remember all who have served and sacrificed for peace. We invite students to bring a small bunch of flowers from their gardens at home, to place at the foot of our ‘Lone Pine Tree’ at our school entrance, as a sign of respect and remembrance.  Clairvaux was very honored in 2022 to be the recipient of a tree that is a direct descendant of the lone pine tree at Gallipoli.

On Wednesday, 12th November, our Year 5 students will lead a Remembrance Day mass at St. Bernards Church beginning at 9.30 am.  Parents and families are warmly invited to join us for this special celebration.

November is also a time when as a Church we come together to remember all those who have died, especially our family members.  

They went with songs to the battle 

They were young, straight of limb, 

True of eye, steady and aglow, 

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted, 

They fell with their faces to the foe. 

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old, 

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn, 

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, 

We will remember them. 

Lest we forget

Laurence Binyon (1869–1943) 

What a wonderful celebration we had for Grandparents and Special Persons Day! The morning began with a beautiful Mass at the church, where our students and their special guests came together in prayer. This was followed by a special time in the classrooms, where our guests shared treasured artefacts and stories from their childhood, sparking meaningful conversations with the students. The day concluded with us all enjoying morning tea and the chance to share more stories and laughter. It was a truly heartwarming day, filled with connection, gratitude, and cherished memories. Thank you to everyone who traveled and made the effort to be part of this day. Included are some responses from our Year 1 students.

Eve Ditcham (1EH)

My favourite thing about my grandparents... 

-I love my grandparents because they get me icecream and give me kisses on my cheek

Something I loved learning about from the Grandparents

- My grandma and grandpa bought in a camera and we saw the entire world through it

Millie Walsh (1EH)

My favourite thing about my grandparents.

They care for me, they help me and they feed me yummy food

Something I loved learning about from the Grandparents

My Grandma Ma bought a piggy bank shaped like a telephone box. I learnt in the olden days they would use telephone boxes to call each other. 

Noah Lesic (1HB)

My favourite thing about my grandparents...

That they tell me jokes and get me pringles

Something I loved learning about from the Grandparents

The keys that my Yaya (grandma) brought to Grandparent day because they were old. 

Stella Messina (1EW)

My favourite thing about my grandparents... 

I really like learning about Bubu's life in Greece before she came to Geelong.

Charlie Santoro (1LB)

My favourite thing about my grandparents... 

They play footy with me.

Something I loved learning about from the Grandparents

The cash register was my favourite thing. I’ve never seen anything like it before. I loved the ‘cha ching’ sound.

Grandparents Day

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 St Bernard's Playgroup - All welcome!

Location: The Big Space, 74 Fryers Rd, Belmont

When: Every Tuesday (during the school term)

Time:  9.00 AM - 10.30 AM

Cost: Gold coin donation (no need to book- just come along)

• Free play & imaginative activities

• Craft and creative fun

• Physical play within our indoor space

• Themed sessions for special occasions

Snack and drink for your child

Coffee (optional) for yourself!

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.

Please click on this link to purchase tickets from Trybooking. Seating will be unallocated so please ensure you do not leave empty seats between families in your row when you arrive at the performance.

The students are very excited and we ask that over the next few weeks of this term you help them by speaking positively about the experience and ensure they have the base of their costume as listed below. School will supply the rest.

For further information regarding costumes please see the email sent home on August 4th.

THESE SURVEYS WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR THE DURATION OF THE UPCOMING WEEKEND - WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE RESPONSES SO FAR RECEIVED AND THIS WILL HELP US MOVING FORWARD CONSIDERING OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY.

In 2025, 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 2025, 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. 

On September 3rd families were 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!!!