Dear Parents, Staff and Students

We are in the midst of the busy time of year where teaching and learning is still a major focus and we are also planning for end of year events and the year ahead. Our students have enjoyed swimming each week as the weather warms up and are excited about their upcoming carnival on Nov 29. I thank all staff for their ongoing dedication to our students and the extras that are part of the job at this time of the year.

Prep Transition

Our Prep 2020 students will attend their final day at St. Clare’s this Wednesday. Thank you to Kiralee Phelps and Pauline Colombini for the wonderful experiences they have given our future prep students over the past 5 weeks. We all look forward to the learning journey of these children commencing in January 2020.

2020 enrolments

We are in the final planning stage for 2020 regarding classes and enrolments. If your child will not be returning to St. Clare’s in 2020 please advise the office as soon as possible regarding your plans for 2020 or email principal.tully@cns.catholic.edu.au

Yr 5 Leadership Retreat

Our Yr 5 students will be having a leadership retreat day next week on Thursday Nov 21^st facilitated by Mrs Chappel and Mrs Kennedy.  This day will assist in their understanding of student leadership in Yr 6.  Some students are currently preparing for their speeches in Week 8 for School Captain and House Captain positions. Speeches will be presented to the school body on Thursday November 28^th. Parents and family are invited to attend and hear the speeches.

All students in Yr 6 in 2020 will be a Student Leader and demands of representation, welcoming visitors, functions, mass/liturgies etc will be shared amongst all students during the year.  This will be a much more inclusive model and allow all students to be leaders for St Clare’s School.

End of Year Events

On Wednesday December 4th we will have an Awards Assembly at 9am where end of year awards will be announced and Captains for 2020 will be presented. This year we will be introducing a new award called the ‘St Clare’s Character Award’.  One student from each class from Prep- Yr 5 will be the recipient of this award.

Following the Awards Assembly, staff will be hosting a Thank You Morning Tea for all parents and volunteers.  Have you helped with: reading or maths groups, carnivals, tuckshop, baking, library, fete stalls, fete convening, transport of children……….. Please join us for morning tea so we can thank you!

We are also hosting the End of Year BBQ at 6pm followed by the Christmas Concert on Wednesday evening, Dec 4th. All children will be rehearsing for the Christmas Concert on the Wednesday night. It is encouraged that all children participate in their class songs. We hope all families can join us in celebrating the 2019 school year.

Staffing 2020

Our staffing for 2020 is now 99% complete and I can now share the following teaching staff with you for next year. 

Prep           Kiralee Phelps
Yr1             Tina Metcalfe
Yr2             Gita  Sima
Yr3             Jo Wall
Yr4             Kath  Kennedy (3)  / Kaitlyn Marsilio (2)
Yr5             Sharon  Chappel
Yr6             Chris  Edwards (3)  / Cherie  Jenkins (2)
Teacher  Librarian  Jenny  Crema

Kathy Kennedy (APRE), Chris Edwards (Curriculum Support) and Helen Andrews (Learning Support) will continue in their leadership roles.

Welcome   Community   Hospitality

Next Friday, 22^nd November on assembly the Stewardship Team will launch the Vinnies Christmas Hampers Appeal for 2019, which helps families who are experiencing hardship in this coming Christmas season.

Each class will be presented with a Christmas decorated box which students are asked to fill with a gift of non-perishable goods. The hampers will be presented to a representative from the St. Vincent de Paul Society at our Thanksgiving Mass on Friday, 6^th December.

This appeal offers our school community an opportunity to help support families in our local community celebrate the festive season.

Some ideas for non-perishable goods are shown below:

Important: Please ensure all goods are within use-by dates:

Prep: Tinned/packet soup. Puddings, cake or pancake mix, custards.

Year 1: Tinned fruits/meals including spaghetti, baked beans etc.

Year 2: Breakfast cereals, pasta, grains (e.g. rice, cous cous, spaghetti etc)

Year 3: Biscuits (sweet or savoury), muesli bards, fruit mince pies.

Year 4: Lollies, candy canes, Christmas Cake, Christmas puddings, bon bons.

Year 5: Tinned vegetables (e.g. corn, peas, carrots, 3 bean mix, beetroot).

Year 6: Drinks (e.g. soft drinks, juice, tea, coffee, long-life milk, cordial).

Children may bring these items to their classroom and place them in their hamper, or to the office hamper any time before Thursday, 5^th December.

We thank you for your very generous support of all fundraising events conducted throughout 2019.

Altar Servers for 2020

We thank the dedicated Altar Servers who have continued to help Fr Hilary serve during the Masses throughout this year.  We would like to invite you to continue your role next year. We are very much in need of additional volunteers who have made their sacraments and who would like to become Altar Servers. A note will be given out today to those interested. Please return the note to the office or to Mrs Kennedy by next Wednesday, 20^th November.

May the Grace of God be with you,

Kath Kennedy

Ulysses Cluster/Cassowary Coast Southern Zone Sport Awards

Our school sport representatives attended the Southern Cassowary Coast Sport Awards evening at the Tully State High School last Thursday. We thank the guest speakers, Justin Flegler and Tracee Harris, along with the staff of Tully State High School and the Cassowary Coast School Sport committee for their work in making it such an enjoyable event.

Twenty three of our students were recognised for representing the Cassowary Coast throughout the year.

Riley Berge – cricket and rugby league. Meg Chappel – soccer, touch and softball, Chace Crema – touch, cricket, rugby league, basketball and tennis.  Lacey Condon – touch football.  Kassidy Dore – athletics, cross country.  Case Durighello – rugby league. Dean Giardina – basketball.  Layla Jenkins – athletics, cross country and touch football.  Maya Jensen – athletics. Danielle Kerr – softball.  Elise Kleinhans – athletics, aquathlon, cross country, soccer and touch football.  Hannah Morris – athletics.  Jared Nash – rugby league. Brydie O’Kane – athletics. Jaia Richtsfeld – athletics, cross country, rugby league, soccer and touch.  Eliza Smith – netball and touch football.  Jackson Solien – athletics.  Peter Solien – rugby league.  Mia Uitenweerde – athletics. Aiden Vipiana – athletics.  Alyssa Williamson – Softball.  Ruby Wilson – basketball.  Eve Zonta – athletics, touch football, soccer and softball.

Eleven of these students went on to represent the Peninsula region on thirteen occasions at State Championships.

Maddison Apap – Peninsula Swimming.  Meg Chappel – Peninsula Softball.  Chace Crema – Peninsula Tennis.  Kassidy Dore – Peninsula Cross Country.  Layla Jenkins – Peninsula Cross Country and Touch Football.  Danielle Kerr – Peninsula Softball.  Elise Kleinhans – Peninsula Aquathlon.  Eliza Smith – Peninsula Touch Football.  Jackson Solien – Peninsula Athletics.  Peter Solien – Peninsula Rugby League.  Eve Zonta – Peninsula Softball and Touch Football.

We congratulate our students for their dedication to their sport and we very proud to have such excellent representation from our school.

Peninsula Trial for Aquathlon/Triathalon

Congratulations to Alyssa Williamson, Cooper Sichter, Elise Kleinhans, George McAvoy, Kassidy Dore, Layla Jenkins & Lucy Chilcott for representing our school and the Cassowary Coast at the Peninsula Aquathlon trials Sunday morning at TAS, Cairns. It was a very early start for the students and we are so proud of the efforts put forward by all to be very competitive in their race which consisted of a 1km run, 200m swim and another 1km run!
Congratulations to Kassidy for placing 3rd overall and to Layla 6th, Elise 8th and Lucy 9th, all invited to join the Peninsula team at the state Championships at Hervey Bay in February!

(Lucy Chilcott absent)

St. Clare’s School Swimming Program and Carnival

We have two sessions of school swimming left, this week and next, and then our carnival takes place in Week 8 on Friday 29^th November.

The program for our swimming carnival is attached to this newsletter.  Please note that times are approximate as it is very difficult to put a definitive time-line in place in a school carnival setting.

We really appreciate parent help throughout the day!  If you can assist in the tuckshop please email mvipiana@cns.catholic.edu.au or if you can assist by time-keeping please email cjenkins@cns.catholic.edu.au

Our Executive Director, Mr Bill Dixon, visited on Wednesday Nov 6th and presented some of our staff with gifts in recognition of their service to Catholic Education. Congratulations to Vera Borgna for 25 years and to Cherie Jenkins for 20years. Lucy Wells (currently on leave) was also recognised for 25 years service. St Clare’s students and staff thank these lovely ladies for all they have done and for their dedication towards education.
Congratulations!  

SEL Awards Term 4 Week 4

Back row: Samuel Dore, Kara Scuderi, Hayley Mann, Aiden Vipiana, 

Ava Durighello, Chace Crema.

Front Row: Loui Pajares, Quinn Waters, Vanora Noonan, Arshpreet Kaur,
Rafa Pajares.

Year 2: Zorveer Singh, Allie Slattery.

SEL Awards Term 4 Week 5

Back row: Emily Pietrobon, Alyssa Williamson, Charlize Gee, Bailey Duiker, Chace Crema, Raj Singh.

Front Row: Saxon Solien, Eddie Brunello, Liam Lizzio, Cooper Millwood, Giaan Williamson, Emily Quabba, Athena Billing, Riya Singh, Rhythmpreet Kaur.

School Calendar

Term 4  

Assembly Classes: Wk 8 - No Assembly-Swimming Carnival, Wk 9 - No Assembly - End of Year Mass. 

OUTSTANDING SCHOOL FEES  - 1st Letter Reminder

Due date: Monday, 11th November (yesterday)

Reminder letters were emailed on the 30th October. Would you kindly forward payment as soon as possible so payment of school accounts can be made before the holidays.

Please contact the principal if you have any issues of concerns.

Thank you to all families who have made their payment or are paying by direct debit or bpay. Please continue with payments over the holidays so your school fee balance will be paid by the end of term 4. Any continue payments you make will credit your account ready for 2020 term 1 school fees. 

NON STATE SCHOOL TRANSPORT ASSISTANCE SCHEME

2020 Bus forms will be sent out next week to those families who use the bus transport for their child/ren. Please complete 2020 Non-State Schools Agreement and Bus Fare Assistance Form. These two forms are to be returned by due date Monday, 25th November as this will prepare bus fees for the start of 2020 school invoices.  

HEALTH CARE CARD - Discount Scheme

In preparation for Term One fees to issue in 2020, we now ask Families who may be eligible for:

“Health Care Care/Pension Card discount should ensure their applications are received in the school office by FRIDAY, 22nd November 2019 no later than 1pm".

All families (existing or new) applying for the HCC Discount must complete a new form for 2020 and present their current valid Health Care Care or Pension Card which needs to be sighted and copied for our 2020 records. Families are asked to come into the school office to complete the form and present their card by the above due date.

Families who will be waiting for a renewed card are responsible to bring their new card to the school office on the first day of term 1 2020. A new form can be completed prior by the above due date but will not be completed for the discount until the new card is given to the school office. 

IMPORTANT: Once the Fees are generated, unfortunately we are unable to process any claims for the respective term.

BOOKLISTS 2020

Booklists will be given to all students in week 8. For the new prep children starting in 2020 their booklist will be sent out in week 9. 

REPORT CARDS 

Semester 2 report cards will be uploaded to the Parent Portal in week 9. Parents are able to login using the password they have previously set.

SCHOOL CLOSES

Friday, 6th December at 12pm - Reminder - Parents please collect or arrange for your child/ren to be collected on the last Friday of this term.

Good attendance doesn't guarantee positive outcomes for students, however, positive outcomes are unlikely to occur without good attendance!  A brighter future for your child starts with good school attendance every day, all day.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR

The Bookfair will be operating every day this week from Monday November 11^th to Friday 15^th 2019.

Scholastic Book Fair is the perfect place for children to discover a love of books and ignite a lifelong passion for reading. 

Come into the library and browse with your child to preselect some possible choices and pay for your books at the Book Fair.

Have fun choosing books together!

You are invited to purchase and donate a book which will make a welcome addition to the School library, a commemorative bookplate will be placed inside the book with your family or child’s name. 

There will be a competition running during the Book fair.

When you buy a book/s you go into a draw for a free Book of your choice from the book fair. Every book sold receives a free ticket, drawn after the Book Fair closes.

It is also a great time to buy for Christmas gift giving.

Brochure has been given to each child today.

 Hope to see you at the Book fair!

Catholic Missions Mini-Fete  

This Friday 15^th November is our annual Mini-Fete.
We are kindly requesting donations for sweets, lollies, baked goods, chocolate bars and popcorn bags for our sweet stall as well as any preloved trash and treasure.

Please fill out the slip below if you are able to donate any of the listed items.

These can be brought in prior to, or if it’s baking, the morning of the mini-fete.

We look forward to seeing you there!

With thanks…

Year 6 students

MINI FETE RETURN SLIP

Our family will cook or donate:  

                  (please circle)           

            Lolly Bags         Fudge           Chocolate Slice

            Toffee              Cup Cakes      Watermelon

            Popcorn           Chocolate Crackles

            Chocolates –  bags & bars

 □ Family name:____________________________________

 Please return this slip to the school office or Mrs Edwards by this Thursday.

TUCKSHOP ROSTER - Term 4  

Friday 15/11/19
Coordinator - L Zonta
Helpers - M Murphy  L Silvestro
Bakers - L Bradley  T Gilbert (Cupcakes)

Friday 22/11/19
Coordinator- C Aspinall
Helpers - C Bowden J Sichter
Bakers - T Clifford  S Duncan(Cupcakes)

Friday 29/11/19 - Swimming Carnival

Friday 6/12/19 - Last day of school - No Tuckshop