OUR SCHOOL'S MISSION STATEMENT
Inspired by St Clare, we are a contemporary, nurturing community with a strong learning culture. We are a Franciscan school celebrating diversity and the beauty of every individual.
Filter Content
Dear St Clare’s Families,
As we come to the close of Term 2, I take this opportunity to reflect on the many moments of growth, celebration, and grace that have shaped our school community over the past ten weeks.
This term, our students have demonstrated great levels of engagement in their learning across all year levels. From our youngest Preppies, now confidently following school routines, to our Year 6 leaders modelling responsibility, it has been a joy to witness the spirit of St Clare alive in our classrooms and playgrounds each day.
Highlights of Term 2 included Year 6 Camp, excursions for Years 2 and 4, our celebration of National Reconciliation Week Mass, Dolly’s Dream student and parent workshops, and who could forget ‘Super Friday’ - our supersized Mother’s Day, Cross Country and Colour Blast event day! The upcoming opening of our Yarning Space, NAIDOC celebrations and the St Clare’s Dance Night will provide an engaging, energetic and entertaining end to our first semester.
Next term, we return to host our annual Athletics Carnival in Week 1, our Verification Visit for school renewal and we also celebrate Catholic Education Week with a family picnic. Year 5 will attend their camp program and we look forward to some more excursion experiences in our lower primary years. Eisteddfod will also be an exciting feature of Term 3.
We are grateful for the continued partnership with families, especially during our Learning Conferences and Learning Breakfast during the term. Your presence, encouragement, and engagement with your child’s learning journey make an immeasurable difference. Semester 1 Reports will be released next week and we hope you take time to review your child’s achievements and co-construct learning, social and behavioural goals with them to support their positive engagement in school life during Semester 2.
As we enter the school holiday period, may it be a time of rest, reconnection and renewal for all. I encourage families to enjoy the simple blessings of shared meals without the rush of school life, outdoor adventures, and quiet moments to recharge.
We look forward to welcoming students back on Monday, 14 July, ready to begin Term 3 with energy and enthusiasm.
Wishing every family a safe and restful holiday break and may God bless you all,
Mrs Helen Wade
Principal
Supporting Positive Behaviour Across OSHC and School
At St Clare’s, we work in partnership with Mary MacKillop Childcare North Queensland (MMCNQ), the provider of our Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) program. Together, we are committed to supporting student wellbeing and creating safe, respectful environments, both during the school day and outside of school hours.
While MMCNQ has its own procedures for managing inappropriate behaviour within the OSHC setting, the school may support the service by engaging in informal conversations with students when behaviours become concerning, and particularly when they are at risk of crossing over into the school setting. These conversations, typically led by a member of the Leadership Team, are not disciplinary in nature. Rather, they aim to help students reflect on their choices and reinforce the expectations of our broader school community. This is a common and collaborative practice between schools and MMCNQ services.
Our OSHC Area Manager and Coordinator also meet regularly with the Principal to discuss matters relating to shared services, logistics, procedural alignment, inclusion support, student wellbeing, and behaviour. In more complex situations, we may also come together for stakeholder meetings to ensure consistent and well-informed support for individual students.
This collaborative approach helps us to promote positive engagement across both school and OSHC, while also recognising that each setting may respond to situations differently in line with its own policies and procedures.
Ultimately, the standards of behaviour we expect at school, respect for peers and adults, responsible use of property, and safe, kind interactions, should extend into OSHC. By working together, we ensure strong and united expectations that help all students thrive in every part of their day.
Encouraging Cultural Sensitivity at St Clare’s
At St Clare’s, we are proud of the rich cultural diversity that shapes our school and community. Every day, our students learn alongside peers from a wide range of backgrounds, traditions, and stories, each deserving of respect, understanding, and celebration. As part of our commitment to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment, we are placing a renewed focus on the use of culturally sensitive language.
Culturally sensitive language goes beyond avoiding offensive terms; it’s about using words that respect identity, show empathy, and celebrate difference. While this often includes First Nations perspectives, it also extends to the many cultural and ethnic communities represented within our school and the broader Australian society.
Unfortunately, children today are being increasingly exposed to inappropriate language through platforms like social media, gaming chats, TikTok, and YouTube. Racial slurs, mocking accents, and the use of cultural stereotypes can become normalised when absorbed through humour, commentary, or careless peer interactions. Even televised sport, an environment that should promote unity, can at times feature deeply concerning racial remarks, whether from spectators, in the commentary, or from players themselves.
It’s also important to acknowledge the influence of adult conversations at home. Children are always listening. When they hear generalisations, stereotypes, or outdated terms being used to describe others, these messages shape their understanding of what is acceptable.
As parents and educators, we can work together to guide our children toward more respectful communication. Here are some suggestions for helping students use culturally sensitive language:
- Model respectful language at home, especially when discussing people from different backgrounds.
- Discuss the impact of words, even if they are meant as a “joke” or are common online.
- Challenge stereotypes when they arise in books, media, or conversation.
- Encourage curiosity, allowing children to ask respectful questions and learn about different cultures.
- Praise inclusive language, and gently correct when language could be more thoughtful.
To further support this work, we are excited to share that St Clare’s is developing a partnership with Multicultural Australia. In Semester 2, we aim to deliver a series of workshops for students in Years 3 to 5, designed to build awareness and skills in cultural respect, empathy, and communication. A parent workshop will also be offered to support families in reinforcing these important messages at home.
As we come close to the end of term, may we take time to reflect back and thank God for the many blessings we have had! In the 5 weeks I have been back I can already name the following blessings:
- Whole school Reconciliation Week Mass
- Celebrating our parish feast day
- Staff gathering for prayer
- Class Mass with 3C and 3D
- Clare's Carers going to Arcare
- Fundraising for Caritas and also the weekly fundraising through the selling of Icy Cups
- These are just a few…..
Opening and Blessing of Ngurra Yaba
Next Tuesday as part of our NAIDOC Celebrations we will be opening and blessing our Yarning Space - Ngurra Yaba. We are excited for this event, as both the Wulgurukaba Walkabouts and Fr Vinoj will be blessing our space. This space will be part of our St Clare’s pilgrimage, and we look forward to it being a place of spiritual listening and storytelling for our community.
Confirmation and Holy Communion
After the holidays 15 of our children will be confirmed and will receive their first Holy Communion from Bishop Tim. The details of this celebration are as follows:
When: 9am Sunday 20 July 2025
Where: San Damiano Centre - St Anthony’s
What: Confirmation and Holy Communion
As part of the St Anthony’s Parish you are all invited to attend and celebrate this momentous occasion with our children of the parish.
Prior to the celebration the children will have Spirit Day on Friday 18 July. All those involved will receive information in regards to this event via Compass.
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
This Sunday’s Mass we celebrate ‘The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ’. This weekend it is worth reflecting on the following questions:
When you are at Eucharist, eating that special meal of Jesus’ body and blood, how do you remember Jesus? What do you think about? Is your mind on Jesus, or are your thoughts usually floating somewhere else?
Mrs Jacqui Loader
Acting Assistant Principal Religious Education
Stop Drop Go Procedure and ‘No Parking on the Grass’ Reminders
We have recently witnessed an increase in drivers pulling into vacant space during the morning Stop Drop Go time. While this action is part of the morning procedure (as detailed in the graphic below), it becomes problematic when vehicles pull into a space without sufficient room, cause near misses and obstruct traffic creating unsafe conditions and unnecessary frustration.
It’s important to distinguish the difference in how the SDG zone operates between mornings and afternoons. The morning drop-off period involves a more staggered and continuous flow of traffic, unlike the afternoon, where there is often a static queue of vehicles and the movement of students is simultaneous. This distinction is why procedures are adapted to suit each context.
For morning drop-off to work effectively:
- Vehicles should continue to use the full length of the yellow SDG line for student disembarkation rather than waiting until they reach the very front.
- Drivers must not enter a space unless it is safe to do so without blocking other lanes or compromising the movement of others.
- All families are encouraged to demonstrate patience and model respectful behaviours that reflect our school values.
We also take this opportunity to remind parents that parking on grassed areas within the grounds is not permitted, unless approved oval overflow parking is being made available for school events. In recent weeks we have had fencing and irrigation damage, along with blocked access to bin spaces and areas in the process of being mowed. Please refrain from mounting the gutter and parking in these areas. Most of the time when we see cars parked on grassed areas, there is actually plenty of parking available in the parent carpark. Unnecessary damage to school grounds and infrastructure causes additional expense and takes our dedicated grounds staff away from attending to more important aspects of their role to undertake repairs.
Dance Event
You are invited to attend our St Clare’s Dance Performance on Thursday 26 June commencing at 5:30pm in the MPH. The MPH will be open from 5.10pm. We are limited in our seating, so only parents/ carers and siblings will be able to attend the concert. The students will experience the dances through livestream in classrooms. Please note that if you choose to collect your child when they have finished performing, you will be unable to return to the MPH with them.
Children are to be dropped to the classroom and signed in, and once your family is ready to go home, please sign your children out from the classrooms.
School Officer Day
On Wednesday 11 June we celebrated the wonderful work our School Officers do at St Clare’s. We are very lucky to have a dedicated team of School Officers and we hope they have a great day on Wednesday!
Date Saver - Athletics
This year's Athletics Carnival will be held on Wednesday the 16th July at the Townsville Sports Reserve. This term, select students aged 9 - 12 will participate in High Jump finals and the 800m event on Friday 20th June. For more information please speak with Mrs Nicole Accatino.
Mr Keegan Tudehope
Assistant Principal - Administration
Semester 1 Reports
Semester 1 Reports will be released next Tuesday at 3:00 pm via COMPASS. If you are unsure of your COMPASS login details, please contact the school office, where our friendly staff will be happy to assist you.
This semester’s reports will look slightly different from previous years. Beginning this semester, reports will include a single General Comment summarising your child’s overall progress. There will no longer be individual comments for English, Mathematics, or Religion; however, these subjects may still be reflected on within the General Comment. Learning Area Descriptors remain included, and a revised Application to Learning scale has been introduced. Effort will now be assessed on a four-point scale: Excellent, Very Good, Satisfactory, or Needs Attention.
If your child participates in the Instrumental Music Program, their specialist report will also be released via COMPASS at the same time as the Semester Report.
Semester Reports provide a valuable opportunity to celebrate your child’s achievements, reflect on their growth, and identify areas for continued development. We encourage families to take the time to read through the report together and discuss goals for Semester 2.
Should you have any questions about your child’s report, please don’t hesitate to reach out to their classroom teacher.
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD)
Each year, all schools across Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD).
The NCCD involves identifying and counting students who are receiving adjustments or support at school due to a disability, as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. These adjustments enable students to access learning on the same basis as their peers.
At St Clare’s, students are included in the NCCD if they receive ongoing support to help them participate fully in their education. This might include curriculum modifications, classroom support, or other strategies tailored to their needs.
The purpose of the NCCD is to:
- Ensure consistency and transparency in the way schools collect data
- Build a clearer picture of the support needs of students with disability
- Enable schools, families, and education authorities to better support every learner
Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all students is a vital part of the NCCD. Data is collected and stored securely within each school. No personal details, such as student names or any identifying information, are provided to federal education authorities.
If your child is included in this year’s NCCD, you will receive further information from our Inclusive Practices Team in the coming weeks. This will explain what the process involves and provide an opportunity for you to ask any questions.
Together in learning,
Mrs Donna Jack
Assistant Principal - Pedagogy and Learning
WEEK 10
Monday 23 June
Homework due
Tuesday 24 June
NAIDOC Celebrations
Dance Concert
Friday 27 June
Last Day of Term 2
Whole School Assembly, hosted by 4B 1:45pm MPH
Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 June
Mass at St Clare’s 5pm Saturday and St Anthony's 9am Sunday
Congratulations to the recipients of the Principal's Awards.
School Athletics Carnival- Wednesday 16th July
A reminder that our Athletics Carnival is being held in Week 1 of Term 3 - Wednesday 16 July. A compass notification has been sent home to parents which details all the information. Please consent to your student attending as soon as possible to help with bus numbers. If your child is not attending, please decline the event. Please note there is no supervision at school for students not attending the carnival.
WHEN:
Wednesday 16 July 2025
WHERE:
Townsville Sports Precinct (“Red Track”)
TRANSPORT:
All students will be transported to Red Track by bus. Students will then be transported back to school unless collected from the venue by a parent/guardian.
START TIME:
Prep – Year 2 will arrive at the Red Track by 10am
Years 3 - 6 will arrive at the Red Track by 9am
FINISH TIME:
Prep – Year 2 will return to school at approximately 1.30pm
Years 3 – 6 will return to school by 2.45pm
UNIFORM:
Students are encouraged to dress in their House colours. It is expected that students also wear their school hats and joggers. Alternative coloured joggers are acceptable and students may wear waffles during their races. Only 11 and 12 years old are permitted to wear spikes. Spikes must be removed at the conclusion of each event. Coloured zinc and/or House team accessories are permitted.
BRING:
Water bottle, school hat, morning tea and lunch (Additional food is available to order through Flexischools).
OTHER INFORMATION:
All parents/guardians are welcome to attend our carnival to cheer on and support the students. We do ask that you remain in the spectator area and not come onto the field and please remain behind the flagging.
If you are planning on taking your child/children home from the Red Track, please indicate on the Compass event as soon as possible. You will need to sign them out at the first aid/Admin area prior to leaving.
We look forward to a great day of fun and participation!
Interschool Athletics Carnival- High Jump & 800m Event- Friday 20 June
On Friday, the finals will be held for High Jump and 800m for 9 -12 year olds on our school oval. Students have been participating in heats during PE lessons over the last few weeks and the students who have made the finals have been notified. The 800m event will start at 8:45am, starting with the 9 year olds.
High jump will start after first break at 11am, starting with the 9 year old boys and girls running simultaneously.
Parents of students in the finals are welcome to come and watch. All other events will be held during our Athletics carnival at Red Track on Wednesday 16 July.
High Jump Selection Process
St Clare’s offers participation in high jump using ‘Scissor’ technique only.
However, students may be considered for selection in the Interschool Athletics Team using the ‘Flop’ technique. Students seeking selection for flop are required to submit official heights from a recent athletics meet and complete a ‘Certificate of Competency’ prior to the selection of the St Clare’s Athletics Team.
St Clare’s will select two students from each eligible age and gender group to represent the school in the Interschool High Jump event. The Interhouse Carnival scissor results and submitted official flop results will be considered, with students who have the highest results, regardless of technique, selected. This means that students placing 1st and 2nd in the Interhouse Carnival may not be selected for the Interschool team.
Students under 10 years of age are not permitted to compete using the flop technique.
Absentee/Special Consideration for Selection in Interschool Team Process
If students are going to be absent for upcoming school carnivals and want to be considered for the Interschool Athletics team, please contact Mrs Accatino for further information as the Absentee/Special Consideration for Selection in Interschool Teams Process needs to be followed and signed by Mrs Wade prior to the event. Please note that being away due to a family holiday will not be considered.
10-12 yrs District Representative Trials - Cricket
If there are any students wishing to be considered for the 10-12yrs cricket representative trials, please come and see Mrs Accatino. This is essentially an U12s team and students need to process a high level of skill in cricket to be considered for selection at a representative level.
Date/Venue of Trials:
Wednesday 16 July 3:45 pm – 5:30 pm at Brothers Cricket Club 108 Golf Links Drive, Kirwan
Please see Mrs Acccatino for more information.
Congratulations to Victoria who competed in the QLD Oztag Tri Series representing the U10s Rebels team. Her team went on to win the competition, well done!
Defence Club
With the holidays approaching you may be looking for some activities to do to keep busy. Checkout what Mates4Mates have on in the flyer below.
At the moment we have a large number of defence members absent from home. This often is a challenging time for the family left behind. If you are in need of support the following agencies could be of help when needed.
Defence Member and Family Support 24/7 Helpline 1800 624 608
Geckos Family Centre 4446 8681
Open Arms 24 hour telephone counselling service
If there are parents deployed or out on exercise and you find that your child is struggling with parental absence please give me a nudge with either an email mbrennan6@stclarestsv.catholic.edu.au or pop in to the hub, which is the classroom off the multi-purpose hall and let me know so that I can offer some support to your child.
If your Defence member is discharging or discharged could you also let me know as it helps me support your child with the changes that are happening within the family, as they can be affected by these changes as well.
Absence support packs available from Defence Member and Family Support
Defence Member and Family Support currently have absence from home packs available from their office at the Nathan business centre on Ross River Rd across from Stocklands. You just need to pop in and pick one up. All you will need is the member's PM keys number. They are a valuable resource for primary aged students to help with managing parental absence.
Lunch time Kids Club
The Prep and year 1 students will be picked up on Monday’s at lunchtime.
Our Kids Club Days are on as follows;
Monday 1st Break - Preps
Monday 2nd Break - Yr 1
Wednesday 1st Break - Yrs 2 - 6
Defence Member and Family Support (DMFS)
If you need help during a crisis or support during deployment, posting or relocation, Defence Member and Family Support offer a range of support to help ADF members and their families manage challenges when they arise.
The DMFS Helpline – 1800 624 608 – is the first point of call for Defence families seeking support, information or connection with their community. It is available 24-7 and staffed by qualified human services professionals including social workers and psychologists.
Defence social workers help you to address personal and family issues through brief counselling services, referrals to community providers, long term support planning and crisis intervention.
DMFS support services are free for ADF members and families. Emails received by the Helpline will be responded to within 24 hours. memberandfamilyhelpline@defence.gov.au
Families with Special Needs
Moving can be a challenging process for any family, but when you have a family member who has special needs, the complexity and stress can be even greater.
Defence offers additional assistance to Defence families who have a resident family member with special needs. These practical support services are designed to make the relocation process smoother and more accommodating.
Families can also access support through the Defence Special Needs Support Group (DSNSG). The DSNSG serves as a national support network for families with special needs, offering resources, guidance, and a community of individuals who understand the unique challenges faced by Defence families.
More information on assistance measures can be found on the DSNSG website https://www.dsnsg.org.au/
or by emailing
Memberships:
memberships@dsnsg.org.au
National Administration and Liaison Officer:
nalo@dsnsg.org.au
Partner Employment Assistance Program
Are you an ADF partner looking to enhance your employability?
There have been some positive changes to the PEAP program. Partners can now claim $1500 every financial year that can go towards professional employment services, professional licenses and many things that will enhance your employment skills.
We also pay re-registration fees for those partners whose jobs require them to be registered.
To find out more and to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria: visit
Maree Brennan
Defence Mentor
Readers’ Cup Challenge
Congratulations to our St Clare’s Readers’ Cup Challenge team, The St Clare’s Shower Hounds. The students participated in the regional competition on Monday night at Southern Cross Catholic College and placed 1st in the North Queensland regional competition with over 30 teams.
The students competed so well and represented the school with pride. We are very proud of how hard they worked and competed. The team name was brainstormed by the students with a mix up of two of the chosen books, Showerland and Spellhound.
The students will now head to Brisbane for the State Readers’ Cup Competition in September.
Book Fair
It is almost that time of year again where we set up our wonderful Book Fair in the library. This year we are welcoming everyone to our ‘Pawfect Book Fair’, where you can let the cat out of the bag and fill it with books.
Book Fair will be held from Monday 21st to Friday 25th July 2025 in our library. Students and families will be able to browse the book fair and purchase books, posters and stationery before school, during lunch breaks and also after school. Further details will be shared closer to the date.
We are starting the excitement off early so the students can save for the books they are wishing to purchase, perhaps doing some chores around the house.
Feel free to drop off a photo of your child/children and their pet/s, so we can display it during our book fair.
Story Box Library - Mrs Dollisson’s Favourite
My favourite books on Storybox Library at the moment are the wonderful shortlisted books for CBCA Book Week 2025.
Every single minute, of every single day, a child somewhere loses a baby tooth.
But what happens to all those teeth?
They are collected by the tooth fairy, of course! Or the tooth fairies - because there is more than just one tooth fairy. In fact, there are millions! Like us, they are all different.
And now there is an informative and fully illustrated guide that's jam-packed with answers to every child's tooth fairy questions, like: What do tooth fairies eat? Where do they live? How do they collect your tooth - and what on earth do they do with it?
Find out everything there is to know about the magical (and sometimes just a little bit gross) world of the tooth fairy!
Listen to Ting Lim, read Briony Stewart’s ‘Everything you ever wanted to know about the tooth fairy (And some things you didn’t)’ on Story Box library today.
To access Story Box Library at home:
1) Visit https://storyboxhub.com/
2) Choose Log In from the top right corner of the screen
3) Log in using the username and password provided below
4) Enjoy the library of stories on any device with internet connection
Username: stclaresburdell
Password: readingisfun
Library Borrowing
During week 10 students will be allowed to borrow two extra books to help tie them over during the holidays, if they have no overdue books. I also encourage families to visit our local libraries around Townsville during the holidays. CityLibraries has three locations in Flinders Street, Aitkenvale and Riverway. Click here to find out more about our local libraries.
Parent Borrowing
Parent borrowing this Thursday, please come along and borrow some extra books to read at home. Parents are allowed to borrow up to 10 books. The school library is open from 2.45-3.15pm for parent borrowing. We look forward to seeing you!
Last Friday, St Clare's came together to celebrate a special Mass in honour of National Reconciliation Week, embracing the 2025 theme: "Bridging Now to Next."
We thank Fr Vinoj for leading us in this meaningful celebration.
Throughout the week, students engaged with powerful literature and learning experiences that brought First Nations perspectives to life. A key text was Walking Together by Coral Vass, which inspired our whole-school reflection on the Reconciliation Week theme. Through this story, students explored what it means to walk together — side by side, step by step — towards a future built on listening, understanding, and friendship.
At the Mass, students shared a thoughtful homily using the image of a growing tree to represent reconciliation. They reflected on how we each begin as seeds—small, curious, and full of potential. With care, truth, and respect, we grow stronger together, forming deep roots and wide branches that connect us with others and support positive change in our world.
We were reminded of these powerful words from Walking Together:
“We are seeds of change, growing in love.
We are walking together, step by step, side by side.
We are building a bridge from now to next—together as friends.”
As part of our celebrations, we proudly presented the 2025 Reconciliation Awards. A new addition to our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) this year was the introduction of a staff award. One student from each class and one staff member were recognised for demonstrating the following qualities:
- Acting with integrity
- Treating others equally
- Valuing the differences of others
- Building relationships based on trust and respect
- Standing up for what is right and just
Congratulations to all of this year’s award recipients.
St Clare's remains committed to taking ongoing and meaningful steps towards reconciliation — grounded in truth, led by love, and shared in community.
| A Class | B Class | C Class | D Class |
| PA: Kendall | PB: Colt | PC: Toby | PD: Darcy |
| 1A: Bonnie | 1B: Henry | 1C: River | 1D: Patrick |
| 2A: Erin | 2B: Harper | 2C: Leo | 2D: Ethan |
| 3A: MacKenzie | 3B: Lainey | 3C: Isabelle | 3D: Kacey |
| 4A: Ellie | 4B: Elleka | 4C: Payton | 4D: Zara |
| 5A: Cadence | 5B: Charlotte | 5C: Alarni | 5D: Zoe |
| 6A: Vienna | 6B: Adeline | 6C: Mia | 6D: Patrick |
Celebrating NAIDOC Day at St Clare’s
On Tuesday, 24th June, our school community will proudly celebrate NAIDOC Day — a day to honour and celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This year’s theme, “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy,” invites us to reflect on the powerful legacy of First Nations peoples, the strength of community, and the vision of the generations to come. It reminds us that young people are at the heart of shaping a better and more just future — and that we all have a role to play in walking forward together.
A special highlight of the day will be the official opening of our Ngurra Yaba – our Talking Space. This will be a place for our community to gather, yarn, listen and grow. Our Traditional Owners, Wulgurukaba, will lead a Smoking Ceremony, followed by a Blessing from Fr Vinoj, marking the beginning of this important space for cultural learning and connection.
Later in the day, we are excited to welcome:
- Emerging Leaders from Ryan Catholic College
- Students and staff from Ignatius Park College
- The Mendi Blackhawks
- The Komet Torres Strait Islander Dancers
Students will come together with their younger and older buddies to participate in a variety of rich cultural experiences including storytelling, traditional games, dancing, weaving, painting and much more. These sessions not only deepen students' understanding of First Nations culture, but also offer a valuable opportunity to build relationships with each other — strengthening the sense of unity and community across year levels.
NAIDOC Day at St Clare’s is more than a celebration — it’s a commitment to walking together, learning together, and continuing the legacy of truth, strength, and respect.
We look forward to sharing all things NAIDOC in our Term 3 Newsletter piece.
We warmly welcome families to celebrate with us the opening of Ngurra Yaba, our Talking Place. Please RSVP to myself by the end of this week if you are interested in attending.
Mrs Deanne Guerra
Learning Connections in Action
Over the past few weeks, I have been visiting our Prep classes to introduce the Egg Roll movement. When we first start, we talk about being like “cracked eggs” because our core muscles aren’t quite strong enough yet to keep us steady. With practice, the children build their strength and soon they don’t “crack” anymore!
The Egg Roll involves sitting on the bottom with legs tucked in, then gently rocking backwards and coming back up—like a small sit-up. This movement helps develop important core muscles that support good posture and focus. Rocking is also a calming movement; it can soothe children when they feel anxious or overwhelmed by providing a gentle, rhythmic motion that helps regulate emotions.
We also emphasise safety during this activity, ensuring children perform the Egg Roll on mats or soft surfaces, in a clear space away from furniture or others, to protect their heads and brains while they move.
As their strength, coordination, and confidence grow, we often notice improvements in their ability to sit comfortably and stay engaged during learning time.
The Role of Nutrition in Supporting Children’s Behaviour
As we approach the holiday season, many families naturally relax their usual eating routines, allowing children to enjoy seasonal treats. I’ve seen this happen with my own children’s lunchboxes too! It’s important, however, to keep in mind how changes in diet can influence children’s mood, energy, and behaviour.
A balanced diet rich in whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains helps sustain steady energy and supports emotional wellbeing. Proper nutrition plays a vital role in supporting children’s cognitive function and emotional health, enabling them to concentrate better and maintain a positive mood throughout the day. Conversely, diets high in sugar and processed foods can contribute to irritability, hyperactivity, and difficulties with attention.
For more helpful advice, check out the article “Does Diet Affect Children’s Behaviour?” on the Learning Connections resource page. It provides practical tips to help you support your child’s wellbeing through good nutrition.
Moving Our Bodies, Boosting Our Brains, Ready to Learn
Mrs Deanna Guerra
Learning Connections Coach
Celebrating a Musical Semester
As Semester One comes to a close, we reflect on a term filled with vibrant music-making and proud achievements. Our instrumental and choir programs have continued to grow, with students demonstrating dedication, creativity and teamwork. It has been a joy to witness their progress and the beautiful music they’ve shared throughout the school.
Instrumental Program Highlights
This term, our instrumental students have shown impressive growth, developing their technical skills and gaining confidence in their performances. A highlight was the Mixed Ensemble’s combined performance at Assembly, where they proudly led the school in the National Anthem. Next term, we look forward to each ensemble group having the opportunity to perform individually at future assemblies.
Choir
The Senior Choir had the honour of performing at this term’s Reconciliation Mass, where they shared their love of singing in a thoughtful and respectful setting. Their heartfelt rendition of Always Was, Always Will Be by Astrid Jorgensen was filled with pride and emotion — a powerful and moving tribute to a deeply significant occasion.
All choirs and instrumental groups are now busily preparing for the upcoming Eisteddfod in Term 3. We’re looking forward to seeing their hard work and musical talents shine on stage during performances in Week 9.
Piano Students
Our piano students will have the opportunity to perform in Week 2 of Term 3 during their regular classroom music lessons. We can’t wait to hear their progress and celebrate their hard work.
Classroom Music
It’s been a joyful and energetic term in Classroom Music! Students across all year levels have been actively engaged in singing, playing instruments, moving to music, and performing for their peers. We’ve explored rhythm, melody, and musical expression through fun and creative activities. It’s been wonderful to see students grow in confidence and enthusiasm as performers, and we look forward to continuing this musical journey in Term 3!
As we look ahead to next term, we remain committed to nurturing our students’ musical talents. Thank you to our parents and music staff for your ongoing support — together, we’ll continue creating wonderful music and lasting memories in Semester 2!
What a busy and exciting term it has been in Prep D! Our class has been filled with learning, laughter, and memorable moments. Here's a look at all the wonderful things we've been up to.
In English, we’ve been making great progress with our InitiaLit lessons, where we’ve met new letter friends and explored their sounds. We’ve been reading decodable texts with growing confidence and are beginning to experiment with capital letters, fingers spaces and full stops as we write our very own Super Sentences. It’s been fantastic to see the children develop a love for reading and writing.
Our Maths lessons have been hands-on and full of learning and discovery. We’ve worked on matching number names, numerals, and quantities, and have been learning to equally share collections of objects. Recently, we’ve had fun comparing objects using capacity – lots of filling, pouring, and estimating!
In Religion, we have been reading stories about Jesus’ life and learning about the ways He showed love and compassion for others. These stories have led to some insightful class discussions and reflections.
This term in HASS, we explored special places and the importance of caring for them. We discussed places that are special to us and thought about how we can look after both natural and built environments in our lives.
In Health, we’ve been learning about respectful relationships. Through stories, role-playing, and real-life scenarios, we’ve practiced showing kindness, taking turns, and using our words to solve problems respectfully.
Our Walker Learning sessions are always the highlight of the week. The children have been using their investigation skills through a range of open-ended, play-based activities. These sessions have helped foster curiosity, collaboration, and creativity.
We’ve also been lucky to take part in some fantastic special events this term. We showed determination and enthusiasm during the Cross Country and had an absolute blast at the Colour Blast run. We also had a Pyjama Day which was a cosy and fun way to celebrate collecting so many CLEAR counts.
Excitement is building as we rehearse for our Wiggly Dance performance which we will perform in the upcoming Dance Concert. We can’t wait to hit the stage! We’ve also started learning about different artists as we prepare our masterpieces for next term’s Art Gallery.
It’s been a wonderful term of learning and growing in Prep D. We’re incredibly proud of everything the students have achieved and can’t wait to see what next term brings!
Miss Rebecca Shine
The Magic Behind the Moments
At St Clare’s, we believe that learning in the early years should be meaningful, joyful and deeply connected to the world of the child. You may have heard your child talk about “Investigations” or “Walker Learning” and wondered what it’s all about. Walker Learning is a personalised, play-based approach to learning that supports the whole child by linking their interests to intentional, curriculum-based teaching. This Pedegogy supports the whole child - socially, emotionally and academically. It fosters creativity, confidence, independence and a genuine love for learning. Your child is not just learning facts, they are learning how to learn, why things matter, and how things in their world are connected.
Now while it may look like play from the outside, it is so much more. It is extensively planned, deeply intentional and firmly linked to the Australian Curriculum. Every Investigation station in the classroom is carefully thought out and set up to spark curiosity, promote developmental skills, and connect directly to the learning that follows later in the day.
Just recently, some children chose to pick oranges from the trees in our playground. What looked like simple fruit-picking activity soon turned into rich learning. They began to wonder what plants need to grow, noticed the insects living in the trees, and discovered the green ants building their nests. This led us to conversations and lessons about life cycles, plant needs, food webs and even symbiotic relationships – how the green ants help protect the trees in return for shelter and food. That morning’s simple act of curiosity became the anchor for Science and Writing that day. This approach allows children to begin with their own interests and questions, and then deepens their thinking through explicit teaching. By the time we reach formal lessons, they’re already engaged, invested and brimming with wonder.
But beyond the academic links, what makes this time so precious to me is the chance it gives me to spend quality time with your children. I get to sit beside them in their world, to listen to their stories, hear their theories, and watch their relationships grow. These mornings are full of gentle conversations, quiet moments of discovery and shared laughter. It’s a part of the day I truly treasure.
I’ve included some photos and two pieces of writing inspired by Walker Learning experiences, with the writing crafted using conventions taught through The Writing Revolution program.I hope it gives you a little glimpse into the richness of this approach and the joy it brings to our classroom each day.
Thank you for trusting me with your child. It is a joy and a privilege to be part of their learning journey.
