St Clare's School Tully eNewsletter

Dear St Clare's Community,

This is the last newsletter for the 2023 school year. The final 2 weeks of the school year promise to be busy with many events taking place, hopefully I have outlined everything below.

As the year draws to a close it is often a time of reflection for us. Once again, I am reminded how fortunate I am to be part of such a wonderful school community. I invite you to take the time to say a prayer/affirmation for those in our community that are not as well as they would like to be, who are facing challenges, or who are struggling with the demands of day to day living. It is evident that St. Clare’s is a very caring community from the items coming in for the St. Vinnies hampers. Please continue to send these items in, they are very sincerely appreciated.

For the members of our community that will not be returning to St. Clare’s in 2024, staff and families, we wish you all the best. Farewell to our Year 6 families that do not have a younger sibling: Chappel family, Jesse family, Pietrobon family, Quabba family, Slattery family, Uitenweerde family. And also, Watts family, Jodvalkis family, Furmage family, Costa family and the Ma family.

We look forward to our swimming carnival this Friday. Thank you to all parents assisting on Friday with carnival jobs. Your assistance allows our day to run smoothly so that our students have a wonderful carnival. I would also like to acknowledge the planning and preparation of our upcoming carnival, and all our sporting events this year, by Kate Mason. Kate has worked extremely hard this year to coordinate sporting opportunities for our students and the level of organisation has been outstanding. Please ensure students apply sunscreen before coming to school and have some in their bags to reapply. All students need to bring their hats, lunch, or order tuckshop and water bottles for the day (maybe more than one water bottle).

Generosity of the St. Gerard Committee

On behalf of all the staff and students at St. Clare’s, I would like to acknowledge and thank the St. Gerard Committee’s generosity with another donation to the school and tuckshop. We have already been very blessed to receive a donation from the committee this year that was used to purchase some great new equipment for the sandpit and a trolley for the tuckshop. We will put this second very generous donation towards some more home readers for our students.

P&F and Board 2024

As we farewell our Year 6 students we also say goodbye to some of our P&F Executive and Board Members as they will no longer have a student at St. Clare’s. I would again like to acknowledge and thank those that have served in these roles on the P&F and Board. It has been a pleasure working with you all and I cannot thank you all enough for the time you put into supporting St. Clare’s.

From the Board, we farewell Brendan Slattery & Steve Pietrobon. I have put the call out for those interested in serving on the Board in 2024, and thank those that have expressed an interest. In early 2024, I will meet with the Leadership Team to assemble a new board.

Changes to the P&F are as follows:

Outgoing Vice President, Paul Grimaz - Incoming Vice President, Dominic Cavallaro
Outgoing Treasurer, Kelly Slattery - Incoming Treasurer, Charlotte Bowden
Outgoing Secretary, Melissa Murphy - Incoming Secretary, Lani Miller

Again, thank you to those above and also to those that don’t hold a titled position, but go over and above to help out wherever needed.

Absences

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Week 6

5

2 unexplained

9

0 unexplained

6

1 unexplained

5

0 unexplained

18

2 unexplained

Week 7

10

1 unexplained

9

1 unexplained

16

3 unexplained

5

2 unexplained

12

1 unexplained

Yr 6 Farewell Liturgy and Dinner Nov 27

Next Monday our Yr 6 students will be farewelled with a Liturgy at 5:30 pm followed by dinner with their parents, Fr Joby and staff. Please keep our Yr 6 students in your prayers this week as they prepare to complete their primary schooling at St Clare’s and move to High School in 2024.

Awards Assembly Nov 29 & BBQ

Next Wednesday November 29th we will be holding our Awards Assembly at 9am where we will recognise the contribution of students who have served in special roles for our school and the Catholic community. Thank you to our sponsors for our end of year awards. Your support is much appreciated! Parents are warmly welcomed to attend the awards presentations.

The following will be announced at our Awards Assembly:

2024 School Captains and House Captains
St Clare’s Spirit Award
St Clare's Academic Award
St Clare’s Sports Award
St Clare’s Achievement Progress Award
St Clare’s Character Award (Prep – Year 5)
2023 House Cup

Also on Wednesday November 29th, the P&F will be organising a BBQ. Families are invited to return to school at 5:00 pm for the BBQ. A huge thank you to the P&F for putting this on for us! This will be followed by a small Christmas Concert by the students and speeches. The night is scheduled as below:

4.30 Cooking starts
5.00 BBQ starts
6.00 Principal’s Welcome and Speech (includes farewell to staff and families in speech)
6.15 Acknowledgement of award recipients and incoming captains from the morning (no trophies or flags used)
6.30 P&F President speech
6.45 Concert
7.00 Year 6 Valedictory Speech (School Captains)
Year 6 Presentations - students called up individually to receive photo certificates, P&F cross
7.30 Dessert

Waterslide day Thursday Nov 30

Students are reminded to pack swimmers, sun-shirt, sunscreen and towel next Thursday for the Inflatable Water-slide proudly provided by the P&F to reward our students with some fun for all their great work throughout the school year! Remember NO jewellery and zips allowed on the water slide. Classes will be rostered to use the slide throughout the day. Please contact your class teacher with any concerns.

End of Year Liturgy Friday Dec 1

We will be having a liturgy on Friday at 11:00am in the Church. From here we will process together to the Montefalco to countdown our end of year dismissal. All parents are invited to attend. Students will be dismissed at 12pm. Anyone who does not have a parent here at 12pm will be taken to the admin verandah for collection via stop drop and go.

Week 1 2024

Term 1, 2024 commences for students on Tuesday 24th January. Week One is a 3 day week as Friday 26th is the Australia Day Public Holiday.

Uniform Days for 2024

Academic Uniform - Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Sports Uniforms - Tuesday and Thursday

School Fees

Thank you to all families who have made their school fee payment. Please ensure that fees are finalised prior to the end of the term. If you wish to discuss outstanding fees please contact the office to make an appointment.

For those who pay their fees by direct debit or Bpay we appreciate if payments continue over the holidays to ensure there will be no outstanding fees starting 2024.

On behalf of the staff, I wish to thank all the parents for your support throughout 2023. Enjoy your special family gatherings over the holiday period. We look forward to seeing you all again in 2024.

Wishing everyone a blessed Advent,

Karran Burzacott

Principal

Faith Knowledge Community Respect

As we enter the final weeks of the 2023 school year, there is so much to be grateful for. I am grateful for the staff that I work alongside each day, they really do make St Clare’s the special place that it is! I am grateful for the students, especially our Seniors who are soon to end their chapter with us, I will hold dear the many memories l have shared with them. I am grateful for our parents and wider school community. It really is unique to find such a supportive and involved group of families who all work together with the best interests of our students at the forefront. As we move in the season of Advent, take the time to reflect on what you may be grateful for this year.

There will be many celebrations happening in the last week of school and I hope that everyone is able to bring their children along to our End of Year BBQ and Christmas Concert. The students have been very busy practising their Christmas songs and we look forward to presenting them to our families. We also intend to spread some Christmas cheer to the wider community by taking the Prep to Year 5 classes to the Tully Nursing Home to present our Christmas songs on Tuesday November 28. All parents would have received a Parent Slip in their emails to give permission for this excursion. Please let me know if you have not received it.

I hope that all of our St Clare’s families enjoy a peaceful break over the Christmas period and I look forward to seeing you back again in 2024.

With Blessings,

Sharon Chappel

End of semester report cards will be uploaded to the Parent Portal next Thursday. If you haven’t already logged into your Parent Portal, now is the time to ensure you can access it. The attached instructions will help you if you have never logged in before AND if you can’t remember your password. Once in the portal, click on My Students to find the reports. We recommend downloading the report and saving a copy somewhere in your files for future reference.

Home Readers

A reminder to all families to ensure all home readers and library books are returned to school as soon as possible. We have begun our end of year stocktake processes. Thanks.

Happy Holidays

Chris Edwards

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FINAL DAY OF SCHOOL

Next Friday - 1 December, 2023 - Midday finish

Please collect or make arrangements for your child to be collected at 12pm

RETURN TO SCHOOL

Tuesday - 23 January, 2024

It is an expectation of the school that students will commence school on the above date. Also, as you would be aware, it is a requirement of parents to inform the school of all student absences during school periods. As some of you may be intending to take interstate/overseas holidays which may involve dates outside of the above mentioned, we now ask you to refer to the request below:

Any parents who may be considering travelling overseas or interstate over the 2023/2024 period need to contact the office no later than Friday, 24th November, 2023.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

SCHOOL TIMES - 2024

School hours Prep—Yr 6

8.40am Start 3pm Finish

Thank you to all families who have made their school fee payment.

For those who pay their fees by direct debit or Bpay we appreciate if payments continue over the holidays to ensure there will be no outstanding fees starting 2024. Any credit balances will be rolled over for 2024.

HCC Discount Scheme - Tuition Fee only

FOR NEW PARENTS

The Parent of the card holder is required to come to the school office at the start of the first week and complete a new form for 2024 Term One fees together with a copy of their valid card.

FOR EXISTING PARENTS

If your expiry date finishes Dec 2023/Jan 2024, you are required to come in the school office at the start of first week of school. A new form can be completed with a copy of the new card.

If any new families who are eligible for the Health Care Care/Pension Card discount should ensure they come into the school office to complete a form and give a copy of their card.

It is important that this form is completed before 2024 Term One fees are generated.

Friday 24/11/2023

Swimming Carnvial

Friday 01/12/2023

No tuckshop last day of school

Marie

As the 2023 School Year comes to an end, I would like to thank those parents and any extended family and friends who have helped in the Tuckshop and with baking at home this year. Every child looks forward to Tuckshop on a Friday and it is made possible by those who give up time to help.

Thank you also to anyone who has helped on Sporting Days, Touch Football carnival that we run at the canteen for Pie Drive and the End of Year BBQ. Also thank you the P&F executive - John, Paul, Melissa and Kelly for your ongoing support and help.

When school begins, I will once again put a call out to anyone that is wishing to help on a Friday or able to bake from home. I would love to see some new parents help. To any families leaving the school this year, thank you for your help and support in the Tuckshop over the years.

I hope everyone has a Safe and Merry Christmas

Marie Vipiana

Term 4

Week 6 Awards

Back Row – Leah, Nate, Rafa, Luke, Lexi, Chase
Front Row – Evie, Torah, Rohan, Willow, Lachlan, Amelia

Term 4

Week 7 Awards

Back Row – Brodie, Eva, Shiloh, Maddie, Mia
Front Row – Christian, Jasmine, Blake, Ezra, Theo

Southern Zone 2023 Sports Awards

Congratulations to all of our amazing sporting stars who received awards at the Southern Zone Sports Awards night on Monday, last week. There is an exceptionally high level of sporting talent on display at the many sports offered to students within our District and it is incredible to see St. Clare's students make up a large number within that pool of talent. I am very proud of each and every one of our students and it was wonderful to celebrate their success last week. Thank you to the parents for always giving up so much of their time to support their children in these sporting endeavours, whether it be the many kilometres travelled to attend these events, assisting the school with transport and coaching to make these days a big success and just your all round organisation and time given to provide our students with these opportunities. The Awards night is always a wonderful way to wrap up the very busy year of sport and highlight the many achievements of our students. The exemplary behaviour of our students throughout the awards ceremony makes us very proud to be teaching such wonderful children. Thank you to Tully State High School for hosting and convening this fantastic event and a special thanks to Mrs Bianca Parkes for all of your work behind the scenes and on the night to make the night such a huge success.

Kind Regards,

Kate Mason

LIBRARY NEWS WHAT HAPPENS IF I LOSE A BOOK?

If you lose a book, we will give you time to look for it. Some good places to look for books.

In another basket or container in the classroom
Under your bed
Under a sofa or chair our cushion
Behind the couch
In your school bag or desk
On your bookshelf placed upside down

All library books are to be returned to the library as soon as possible.

No library borrowing to students as of 17^th November, 2023.

Families leaving St Clare's

We farewell the following families (as school parents) and wish them all the best in the future.

Chappel, Jesse, Pietrobon, Quabba, Slattery, Uitenweerde, Costa, Furmage, Jodvalkis, Ma and Watts

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OVER THE PAST YEARS.

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Newsletter and absentee notification can be accessed via SZapp.

Instructions below to download app. Any queries please contact office.

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3648