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Dear Parents and Carers,
Loving Father,
As we begin this season of Lent, we ask for Your guidance. Help us to walk in the footsteps of Your Son, Jesus, and to grow in faith, hope, and love.
Grant us the strength to embrace self-reflection, the courage to make positive changes in our lives, and the wisdom to share Your love with others.
Bless our students, families, and staff, and may this Lenten season bring us all closer to You.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Ash Wednesday began the season of Lent and our journey this year takes on a special significance in the light of the Jubilee Year 2025, proclaimed by Pope Francis under the theme 'Pilgrims of Hope'. As we begin the holy season of Lent, we are reminded of the call to deepen our faith, reflect on our lives, and grow closer to God.
Yesterday our students in Years Four to Year Six participated in Mass, Kinder to Year Three in a Liturgy, where ashes were placed on their foreheads, symbolising repentance and the reminder that we are dust, and to dust we shall return. It is a time to reflect on our relationship with God and others, and to seek renewal through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. As a school community, we are encouraging our students to embrace small acts of kindness, prayer, and service to others, during this Lenten season.
We invite you to join us in creating a meaningful Lenten journey for your child. Consider engaging in simple practices like prayer at home, attending Mass together, or encouraging acts of kindness. It is also a wonderful time for families to reflect on what it means to give back to those in need, helping your child understand the power of generosity and compassion.
Our Cross Country Carnival was a huge success, and I extend my appreciation to the numerous parents who volunteered and supported the event. Your involvement and enthusiasm added to the day's success and benefitted the students.
We gathered for the Parents and Friends Annual General Meeting on Tuesday night. I am pleased to introduce the new committee for 2025:
- President: Peta Shanahan
- Vice President: Jessica Britton
- Secretary: Amy Haar
- Treasurer: Christine Calgaro
- Care Committee: Christine Calgaro and Bev Holmes
- Fundraising: Amy Haar
During the meeting, the community approved the allocation of funds for several important projects, including:
- Erecting shade sails over the playground areas
- Installing water fillers for the playground
- Restoring the synthetic grass
- Adding pinboards in the hall.
Some upcoming events for Term One include a Welcome BBQ, which will be hosted by the P&F, for our new families. This is scheduled for Monday 24 March between 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm. Invitations and RSVP flyers will be sent out to the community soon. We look forward to welcoming you all!
On the afternoon of Thursday, 20 March, we will hold an Open Afternoon for any families in our community wishing to discover our school facilities and the opportunities we offer. This is a wonderful chance to learn more about our school and the vibrant community we have here.
Yours in partnership,
Marg Foldes
Principal
As I reflect on the past two weeks, I am truly grateful to witness the incredible community spirit and unwavering support from our parents at our most recent Cross Country Carnival. Events like these simply would not be possible without the dedication of our staff, the enthusiasm of our students, and the invaluable involvement of our parents. Most importantly, they help strengthen the sense of community within our school, fostering an environment where everyone works together to create memorable and enriching experiences for our students.
NAPLAN 2025
NAPLAN 2025 is fast approaching, taking place from 12 March to 24 March. We are working closely with our Year 3 and Year 5 students to support and prepare them for this important assessment window. The timetable for the NAPLAN assessments is as follows:
- Wednesday, 12 March: Year 3 & 5 Writing
- Thursday, 13 March: Year 3 & 5 Reading
- Friday, 14 March: Year 3 & 5 Language Conventions
- Monday, 16 March: Year 3 & 5 Numeracy
Below is an information fact sheet from ACARA about NAPLAN for your reference.
IPAD Free Time
To support a successful and positive NAPLAN window and Wellbeing Week (Week 7), we kindly request that all students not sitting NAPLAN refrain from bringing iPads to school between 12 March and 18 March.
Open Afternoon
St Clare’s Catholic Parish Primary School is excited to host its inaugural Open Afternoon on Thursday, 20 March, from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm. This event offers prospective families the chance to explore our vibrant community and learn more about our school for 2026 and beyond. A big thank you to the staff, the Parents & Friends Association, and the Year 6 student volunteers who will be helping to make the event a success. The goal of the Open Afternoon is to showcase what makes St Clare’s uniquely special. Please see the flyer below for more details.
School Photo Day
Our Annual School Photo Day will be held on Friday, 28 March. Personalised student envelopes will be sent home on Friday 7 March. Payments must be made prior to the 28 March online or via cash.
Any families who are interested in sibling photos, please email the school office at info@scnvdow.catholic.edu.au or collect a sibling photo envelope from the school office.
If your child is absent on 28 March, a makeup day is scheduled for Monday, 7 April.
Harmony Day
On Friday, 21 March, St Clare’s Catholic Parish Primary School will celebrate National Harmony Day, a day dedicated to recognising the importance of our nation's diversity and its role in individual growth. Students are invited to wear a splash of orange, purchase a Harmony Day pin, and join as a community in celebrating a liturgy focused on the theme of Harmony. More details will be shared with the community in the coming weeks.
Mr Joel Jarrett
Assistant Principal
Education Mass
On Tuesday 25 February a number of staff from our school attended the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) Education Mass at St John Vianney Co-Cathedral, Fairy Meadow.
The inspiring occasion, filled with uplifting music and a moving cultural dance by Aboriginal dancers from John Therry Catholic College, Rosemeadow. It was a great opportunity to come together as a diocese and welcome members of our growing community.
Caritas Australia's Project Compassion Appeal
On 4 March Ms Foldes and I, along with two of our Year 6 school leaders Luis and Amelia, attended the Diocese of Wollongong's Caritas Launch for Project Compassion, 2025 at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School at Warrawong.
Project Compassion is Caritas Australia's annual Lenten fundraising and awareness-raising appeal, where we come together in solidarity with the world's poor to help end poverty, promote justice, uphold dignity, and be a source of hope to others. The theme of Project Compassion is ‘Unite against Poverty’, working in unity for the freedom of the oppressed and the renewal of creation.
After our Ash Wednesday Mass, each class will receive a Project Compassion box to keep in their prayer spaces for the duration of Lent. This money box serves as a reminder to us all to keep our brothers and sisters from around the world in our prayers and to think about what money we can go without in order to support them. Should you like to keep a Project Compassion box in your homes during Lent, these are available from the church from this weekend. For those willing to make online donations to Caritas Australia, please go directly to the website:
https://www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/donate-now-irene/
Lenten Practices - Almsgiving, Fasting and Prayer
During Lent we strive to commit ourselves to Lenten Practices. As we approach the Season of Lent, now would be the perfect time to consider your own personal intentions and to discuss with your children theirs.
Tell us about your experiences as a Catholic school parent and what you'd like to know more about.
We value every parent's thoughts and opinions!
Council of Catholic School Parents (CCSP) NSW/ACT would like to know how involved/engaged you feel you are in your child's learning at a NSW/ACT Catholic school, how connected you feel in your child's school, and your thoughts on how schools could enhance family-school partnerships.
This data informs our parent learning program and provides us with valuable information about how our dioceses and schools are engaging with families.
Please use the following link to access the survey: https://ccsp.schoolzineplus.com/survey/71.
Thank you so much for taking time out to give us your feedback.
Have a wonderful week.
Mrs Jennifer English
Religious Education Coordinator
Wellbeing Week
Each term in Week 7, St Clare’s celebrates Sabbath Week. This term, we are focusing on the wellbeing of our students and staff. Our aim is to create a week that fosters not only academic success but also a sense of inner peace, resilience, and community. All students will have an opportunity to engage in a variety of wellbeing activities. Sabbath encourages students and their families to have some respite from home learning and other meetings and simply spend more time with family and gather in prayer. As we continue our collective journey of nurturing wellbeing, some activities to encourage wellbeing and connection within your family life include, Nature Walks, Family Games night, Tech-Free Time, Emotional Check-Ins, Family Yoga, Cooking Together, Gratitude Jar or collage.
Please join us for tea and coffee after St Clare’s Flame Award Assembly to celebrate Wellbeing Week on Friday 14 March 2025. All parents and carers are welcome! Please use this week as an opportunity to rest and rejuvenate. Happy Sabbath!
Clean Up Australia Day
St Clare's is excited to be participating in Clean Up Australia Day this Friday 7 March! This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to work together to care for our environment by cleaning up our school grounds. Throughout the day, children will be collecting and properly disposing of rubbish, helping to create a cleaner and safer space for everyone. It not only encourages pride in our school but also supports understanding our environmental responsibility and sustainability. We look forward to working together as a school community to make a difference.
St Clare's Prayer Box
Last year at St Clare's, we introduced a Family Prayer Box for families to use in their homes.
The box includes a white cloth, coloured ribbons, a flameless candle, a cross, prayers, and a workbook for personal reflections. To set it up, simply cover the box with the cloth, arrange the ribbons based on the Liturgical season, and add the candle, cross, and prayers. Feel free to include a family photo or flower to make it personal.
Praying together strengthens family bonds and deepens your relationship with God, supporting your child's spiritual growth and your connection to faith. Thank you to the beautiful families who have sent through some photos of the prayer space set up in our homes.
We would love to see your home prayer space set up! Please feel free to share a photo by sending it to info@scnvdow.catholic.edu.au so we can celebrate it with the wider community.
Kind regards,
Miss Ally Carter
Catholic Life & Mission
Each fortnight we focus on a particular area of our school expectations. Students and staff collaborate on ways to support each other in meeting these expectations. Thank you for supporting us in helping our students to be the best they can be. To begin our year in 2025, our fortnightly focus for Term 1 - Weeks 7 & 8 is 'I take pride in my environment.' Please take some time to view the table below so that as parents, you have a full understanding of what is expected of students, teachers and parents this fortnight. When we all work together, we achieve great things.
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2025 |
Any additional dates will be updated on the Compass parent calendar and future newsletters |
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March |
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Tuesday 4 |
Shrove Tuesday Caritas Project Compassion launch at Warrawong P & F Annual General Meeting in the hall at 7 p.m. |
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Wednesday 5 |
Ash Wednesday |
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Thursday 6 |
Chris Lawrence 7's Rugby League Gala Day at Kirkham (Years 3 - 6) |
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Friday 7 |
Primary Swimming selection trials |
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Wednesday 12 – 24 |
Naplan for Years 3 & 5 |
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Thursday 13 |
Sydney Primary Dream and Lead Conference (a selection of Year 6 leaders attending) |
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Monday 17 |
St Patrick’s Feast Day |
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Wednesday 19 |
St Joseph's Feast Day |
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Thursday 20 |
National Closing the Gap Day Open afternoon for prospective enrolments (3 - 4.30 p.m.) |
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Friday 21 |
Harmony Day |
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Monday 24 |
Welcome BBQ for Kindergarten and new families |
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Friday 28 |
School Photographs |
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April |
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Friday 4 |
Principal’s awards in the hall at 1.45 p.m. |
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Sunday 6 |
Daylight Saving ends |
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Monday 7 |
School photographs back up morning |
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Wednesday 9 |
School Lockdown drill |
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Friday 11 |
Last day of term 1 |
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Friday 18 |
Good Friday |
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Saturday 19/Sunday 20 |
Easter Saturday/Easter Sunday |
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Friday 25 |
Anzac Day |
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Monday 28 |
Staff Development Day - Berry Street Program (no school for students) |
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Tuesday 29 |
Term 2 commences |
Congratulations to the following students who were awarded a Flame Award, presented to them by Ms Foldes on Friday 21 February. These students were able to submit 5 Spark Awards.
| Archie C 1G (x2) | Grace O 1G | Hugo H 1G | Lyla O 1G |
| Geogria W 1R | Henry J 1R | Paige G 1R | Toby S 1R |
| Darcy J 1W | Pia K 1W | Evelyn M 2B (x2) | Hayleigh R 2B |
| Morgan D 2B | Alexandra M 2G | Arianna S 2G | Pearl M 2G |
| Ariana T 2W | Grace F 2W | Christabel D 3B | Hudson G 3B |
| Olivia W 3B | Henry Z 3G | Noah P-M 3G | Zayne J 3G (x2) |
| Ethan A 3W | Mia B 3W | Caitlyn M 4B (x2) | Mia B 4G |
| Micah F 4G | Tyler J 4G (x4) | Aedan C 4W | Isaac W 4W |
| Olivia P 4W | Scarlett G 5B | Thomas N 5B | Kiana C 5B |
| Aston S 5G | Annie W 5W | Clare D 5W | Grace F 6B |
| Natalie W 6B | Noah G 6B | Lana H 6B | Harrison H 6B |
| Elijah C 6G (x2) | Kaden B 6G | Celestine S 6G | Isaac C 6W (x3) |
| Alena A 1R | Cali D 1B | Alaric M 1W | Alessia M 1G |
| Lyla M 1B | Toby S 1R | Mia C 2B | Morgan D 2B |
| Emilia G 2W | Jack H 2G | Isabella P 2B | Oliver P 2B |
| Ava R M 2B | Lily S 2W | Audrey W 2G | Marc C 3G |
| Makaela McC 3W | Noah P-M 3G | Abigail P 3W | Natalia S 3B |
| Olivia S 3W | Alexander F 4G | Sean G 4W | Tyler J 4G |
| Caitlyn M 4B | Cian O'N 4G | Violet S 4B | Carlos C 5B |
| Kiana C 5B | Emelia H 5B | Grace J 5G | Alisha McA 5W |
| Hunter P 5B | Emmerson P 5W | Zachary P 5W | Oliver R 5G |
| Annie W 5W | Evangeline B 6W | Anthony B 6G | Luis B 6B |
| Elijah C 6G | Isaac C 6W | Luke M 6G | Natalie W 6B |
The accompanying link can be used to order uniforms, online, at Yeronga School Uniforms:
https://www.yerongauniforms.com/product-category/schools/st-clares-narellan-vale/
For extended absences (of more than 5 school days) due to travel, parents must submit the Notification of Extended Absence form along with relevant travel documentation. This documentation should include: Dates, locations of travel, Purpose and reasons for travel outside school holidays.
Acknowledgement of Extended Absence
After considering the explanation for the extended absence the school will issue an Acknowledgement of Extended Absence to the parent, regardless of whether the
explanation for the absence is accepted or not accepted by the Principal. The acknowledgment may include agreed matters relating to the student’s learning and well-being. Accepted extended absences will be recorded as explained and Unaccepted absences will be recorded as unjustified.
Extended absence fact sheet
• Communicating Attendance Concerns: Informing the school of any concerns they
have regarding their child’s attendance pattern.
• Partnering with the School: Collaborating with the school to develop and implement
strategies that support their child’s regular attendance.
• Explaining Absences: Providing an explanation to the school for any absence
within seven calendar days of the first day of the absence. The primary method by
which a parent may provide an explanation is through Compass. Verbal explanations and emails are also accepted.
• Notifying Extended Absences: Giving the school reasonable advance notice of any
planned extended absence.
• Requesting Exemptions: Providing the school with reasonable advance notice
when requesting an exemption from enrolment or attendance.
• Providing Documentation: Promptly supplying any documentation requested
by the school related to their child’s attendance or enrolment.
CENTRALISATION OF PRIMARY SCHOOL FEE MANAGEMENT - ADVICE TO FAMILIES
From the commencement of the 2025 school year, the management of certain aspects relating to school fee accounts in Primary Schools has been transferred to the School Fees Liaison Office at the Catholic Education in Wollongong.
What does this mean for families:
- Your school’s administration office is your first place for enquiry regarding school fees. School staff will provide information regarding instalments, methods of payment, giving access to an Application for Fee Concession and attend to other general enquiries.
- If you are experiencing financial difficulty or need to make an arrangement for payment of your school fee account, please email sflo@dow.catholic.edu.au with your name and the school in which your children are enrolled. The School Fees Liaison Office will then contact you directly to offer assistance.
- Please note that each school has a dedicated School Fees Liaison Officer to provide a personalised service to individual families. This Officer will also have a close relationship with your school. Our school fee officer is Kyeen McPherson.
If you require further information about this initiative, please do not hesitate to contact your school’s administration office.
UPDATED MEDICAL PLANS
Please note that if your child has a healthcare plan (medical plan) e.g. Asthma, Anaphylaxis, Allergy, Emergency Medical these need to be updated annually. If you have an updated healthcare plan, can you please send a copy in to school so we can update our records as soon as possible. If your child requires medication at school e.g. Ventolin, you will automatically receive a notification via Compass when it has reached its expiry date.
VOLUNTEERS IN OUR SCHOOL
The Catholic Education Office has introduced a new onboarding system for volunteers and contractors supporting our school. If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity, we encourage you to complete the new process in advance. This will ensure you are ready to help whenever needed!
For more information or to begin the onboarding process, please refer to the instructions below. Once you have completed the onboarding process you need to follow the instructions also included below.
Thank you for your willingness to contribute to our school community!
SCHOOL STUDENT TRAVEL FOR 2025
BUS COMPANY & RELEVANT TRANSPORT INFORMATION
Transit Systems phone number is 02 9123 8620 if you have any inquiries.
OPAL CARDS
If you are applying for an Opal Card you need to add Transit Systems as your bus company.
A reminder from Transit Systems
Please help us supply appropriate bus services by reminding students to tap on and tap off with their School Opal cards.
I am writing on behalf of Transit Systems NSW, the bus operator that provides your school bus services, regarding student use of the School Opal card.
It is a condition of the use of a School Opal card that students must tap on at the beginning of a trip and tap off at the end of a trip at an Opal Card Reader, when they travel to and from school. Please refer to the Transport for NSW website for further details: https://transportnsw.info/school-pass-terms
Opal data gathered by tapping on and off is used to determine demand for bus services. If students fail to tap on and tap off, services for your school may be reduced or even cancelled due to the lack of recorded patronage.
With this in mind, we ask for your assistance in reminding your students that tapping on and off at the beginning and end of each trip is one of the conditions of using a School Opal card.
CURRENT TIMETABLE INFORMATION can be found below:
Western Region Swimming Carnival - Thursday 27 February 2025
The Western Region Swimming Carnival was held on 27 February 2025 at Bradbury Pools. Our school team had a hugely successful day. Our team should be commended for their fantastic efforts, they were composed and showed great sportsmanship throughout their races. The St Clare’s swimming team are congratulated on the following achievements at the carnival -
- Overall School Champions
- Overall Girls Champions
- Ava S - Junior Girls Champion
- Isabella G - Third in 11 Years
- Isabella B - Second in Senior Girls
- Emory M - Second in 11 Years Boys
- Tyler J - Third in Junior Boys
- Junior Girls Relay - First Place
- Junior Boys Relay - Third Place
- Senior Girls Relay - First Place
- Senior Boys Relay - Fourth Place
A great effort by our team of swimmers. The students and relay teams who placed overall 1st-4th have been invited to compete at the Swimming Selection Trials on Friday 7th March. We wish the team the best of luck!
St Clare’s Cross Country Carnival- Friday 28th February
The St Clare’s Cross Country carnival was held on Friday 28 February. Although hot, the carnival was a huge success and all St Clare’s students should be commended for their effort, determination and sportsmanship demonstrated throughout the races.
A big thank you to our staff who ensured our students were supported and had a fun day. A big thank you to Mrs Prioste who entertained and engaged the students with some zumba and dance moves while they cheered on the races!
A big thank you to the parent and community member volunteers who assisted with course check point supervision and place getting. All help is very much appreciated and are essential for our community events to run smoothly, safely and successfully.
A big thank you to a very generous St Clare’s family, who donated two large mist fans for the day for the students to cool off after their races. These were utilised by all the students after each of their races and very much enjoyed.
The students who placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd will be presented their certificates at the week 7 Friday morning assembly (14th March).
A compass event for the selected St Clare’s Cross-Country Team will be sent out over the next couple of weeks. The Cross Country Championships will be held on Friday 6 May at Willandra Cross Country Course in Nowra.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Stella H who competed in the NSW PSSA Girls Cricket tournament in the central coast from the 17-20 February. Her team performed exceptionally well showcasing skill, teamwork, and sportsmanship. The MacKillop team placed equal third. Well done Stella and her team on this amazing result!
Congratulations to Daniel H and Stella H who were both selected as part of the Wollongong Diocese Team to compete at MacKillop Selection Trials.
Congratulations to Corbin H who has been selected as part of the combined Canberra/ Golbourn and Wollongong Diocese Team to compete at the Mackillop AFL trials scheduled for Tuesday 25 March to be held in Wagga Wagga.
Congratulations to Emily C who has been selected as part of the Wollongong Diocese Girls Touch Football team. They are set to compete at the MacKillop Touch Football trials in Wagga Wagga on Friday 13 June.
CSNSW Aquathlon
On Thursday 19 December seven St Clare’s Students competed in the CSNSW Catholic Schools Aquathlon. This event consisted of a 100m swim and a 1km run. All 7 of the students performed exceptionally well and had a fun day competing in this event.
Congratulations on these outstanding results:
Zayne J - 8yr Boys 1st place
William B- 8yr Boys 2nd place
Tyler J - 9yr Boys 4th place
Charlee C- 9yr Girls 2nd place
Harper C- 9yr Girls 4th place
Ava S- Top 10 placing
Isabella B- 11yr girls 1st place
Upcoming Carnival Dates
All primary sporting event information and dates can be found on the Sport Events - Primary website- https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/student-experience/sport/primary-sport-events
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Netball Selection Trials (Approved students only - no new nominations) NRL Chris Lawrence Gala Day |
6 March |
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Swimming Selection Trials |
7 March |
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West Region Football (soccer) selection Trials (Approved students only - no new nominations) |
28 March |
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11s and 12s Rugby League Selection Trials (Approved students only - no new nominations) |
1 April |
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Cross Country Championships |
6 May |
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St Clare’s Athletics Carnival |
20 June |
NSW Premier's Reading Challenge 2025
The NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students, and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge and is available for all NSW students in Kindergarten to Year 9, in government, independent, Catholic and home schools.
The 2025 Premier's Reading Challenge has now begun. It closes on the 22 August for students.
At St Clare’s, we participate in the Premiers Reading Challenge with Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 as part of their Library Lessons.
For Students in Years 3-6 who wish to take part, they are responsible for logging on and recording the PRC books they have read themselves. Although I will give them a limited time at the end of each term to add books, it is not generally done with them at school.
Students in Years 3 - 6 have received their login details. Year 5 and 6 students know how to log in and add books to the Student Experience page which can be found here. Year 3 and 4 will be shown how to add books in next week’s lesson.
We ask parents to encourage your child to participate in the challenge and support them through it. Please take the time to visit the Challenge website https://online.education.nsw.gov.au/prc/home.html for more information.
Should you have any questions please contact Ann Madsen via the school email address info@scnvdow.catholic.edu.au.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander: Important dates
Our community has been invited to two important upcoming events.
Sunday April 13: Appin Massacre Memorial – see flyer
Wednesday May 21 – Sorry Day Service hosted by the Aboriginal Catholic
Ministry and Winga Myamly Reconciliation Group.
Where: Holy Trinity Church Minto
Time: 10:30am
Our school will be represented by two students and a staff member. Families are
welcome to attend.
Please contact Ann Madsen via the school email info@scnvdow.catholic.edu.au for
further details.
CLOTHING POOL
The clothing pool opening hours:
Monday: 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Thursday: 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Eftpos facilities are available
CLICK & COLLECT
FRESH START CANTEENS
Fresh Start Canteens run our school canteen. Details are included below.
Please ensure you have changed your child's class to their 2025 class, in Flexi Schools.
Tips for a smooth start:
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Update Your Child’s Details: Please take a moment to update your child’s Flexischools profile with their new class or year for 2025. This will ensure that any orders or payments are processed correctly, and orders go to the right place.
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Order in Advance: Plan ahead and use Flexischools to order lunch or make payments for upcoming events or uniforms in advance, saving you time and hassle during the busy school mornings.
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Explore Our Features: Flexischools offers plenty of great features designed to save you time. From automatic topping up of your parent wallet, to placing multiple orders in one go, make sure you take full advantage of everything Flexischools has to offer this year.