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Frequently Asked Questions

Please find below, some frequently asked questions to assist our parents and carers, as well as prospective families. You can also see more about what we offer students and families at St Clare's.

If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact our school office

Looking for more parent and carer resources to support your child through their Catholic education journey? Visit the CEDoW Parent & Carer Resources site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Enrolments are accepted all year round, but the best time to enrol your child is at the beginning of the year (Term 1) – the year before your child is due to commence school.

Enrolment interviews are held in May for Kindergarten and throughout the year for Years 1-6. Written offers of placement will follow in Week 9 of Term Two.

St Clare's Catholic Primary School, Narellan Vale is a vibrant Catholic co-educational primary school committed to every student finding meaning and purpose through continual growth in faith and improvement in learning.

We aim to equip our students with the knowledge and skills for a changing world. Our students build positive relationships and develop their learning capacity in an inclusive, supportive environment that encourages a lifelong love of learning.

At St Clare's, you and your child can expect:

  • A Distinctly Catholic School
  • Modern Learning and Play Spaces
  • Fantastic Learning Opportunities
  • A Wonderful School Community
  • Using Technology to Enhance Learning
  • A Wide Range of Co-Curricular Activities

Please see our What We Offer page or Contact Us for more information. 

Our office opening hours are Monday to Friday, between 8:00am and 3:00pm.


Our school bell times are as follows:

Morning Bell

8:15am

Lunch

10:15am – 10:55am

Afternoon Recess

12:55pm – 1:35pm

Dismissal

2:35pm


Morning
Supervision begins at 7:45am each morning.

Afternoon: 
The school day finishes at 2:35pm. Parents and carers are encouraged to collect their children as soon as possible after this time. 
Please note, no supervision is provided by staff after 3:00pm.
  

Please see our Term Dates and Bell Times page for more information.

There are many co-curricular activities on offer at St Clare's!

All students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular programs on offer. These programs develop students’ confidence, talents and sense of responsibility.

This may include:

  • Representative students in Years 3 – 6 with the opportunity to participate in diocesan gala days in AFL, rugby league, soccer, netball, basketball and cricket.
  • Opportunities to represent the school, diocese, MacKillop and state in swimming, athletics, cross country
  • Mark Taylor Shield Cricket
  • Tiger Shield Gala Day
  • School Choir
  • School String Group
  • Mini Vinnies
  • Music Bus
  • Public Speaking
  • University Tests
  • Art Competitions 
  • Seasons for Growth
  • Chess
  • Drama Groups
  • Coding Club
  • Tournament of the Minds
  • VEX and mBot Robotic Competitions

Find out more about the co-curricular activities available for students at our Co-Curricular Opportunities page.

At St Clare’s we have a strong focus on Positive Behaviours for Learning. We encourage students to treat others with respect and justice. As a school, we allocate time to explicitly teaching expected behaviours and have transparent consequences for not following the school rules.

Our buddy system seeks to support children who may be experiencing bullying. Parents are always encouraged to speak to their child’s teacher regarding any on going social or relationship issues involving their child.

Our practices align with the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong's Student Pastoral Care and Wellbeing Policy.

You can also find further anti-bullying, wellbeing and online safety resources on our Resources page here.

Yes, the St Clare’s school canteen is aligned to the 'Fresh Tastes @ School' NSW Healthy Canteen Strategy.

Please see our Canteen page for more information. 

Students are able to catch one of the Busabout school buses operating in Narellan Vale, Harrington Park, Mount Annan and surrounding suburbs. View the routes and timetables for the St Clare's bus services here.

Please note: The School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) gives eligible school students free or subsidised travel between home and school on NSW public transport, including buses and trains. For more information and to apply for a school travel pass for your child, click here.

Yes, we have three companies offering Out of School Hours (OOSH) care services to the school community.

  • ABLE is an after-school care facility that operates on-site at St Clare’s.
    Contact: Renee 0433 479 111

  • Jenny’s Kindergarten is located at the rear of the school grounds and offers before and after school care.
    Contact: (02) 4647 2622

  • Creative Gardens is located in Mt Annan and provides before and after school care. Students are transported by mini-bus to the facility.
    Contact: (02) 4647 2054

Our school uniform items are all available to purchase from: 

Yeronga School Uniform Warehouse
Shop 12 Capitol Arcade
85 – 91 Argyle Street Camden
Phone: 4655 5839
Email: camden@yerongauniforms.com

Uniforms are also available to order online from Yeronga School Uniforms here.


For more information on the St Clare's school uniform, visit our Uniform page.

Please see our Fees Information page for more information. 

If you are experiencing financial hardship and are unable to pay fees, please discuss the situation with our principal. Your situation will be treated with care and confidentiality, and an appropriate arrangement may be made for you. No student will be refused enrolment because of a family’s genuine inability to pay fees.

We'd love to have you! St Clare's strives to be a connected and welcoming community and we value the engagement of parents and families in the school life in any way they can.

This could be as simple as being interested and informed about school events and activities, supporting and/or participating in community events, school assemblies and school liturgies.

If you are able, parents (and grandparents!) can participate and contribute in the classroom. This could include helping with reading and literacy programs, mathematics groups, technology, craft, or by offering expertise in a particular area of interest. Beyond the classroom, the school canteen is always looking for volunteers and assistance is often required to support various school events.

Please note: Given our commitment to safeguarding children, volunteers will first need to organise a Working With Children Check (WWCC) – information and forms can be found on the CEDoW website

All parents and families are also invited to become involved with our Parents and Friends (P&F) Association, where they have the opportunity to meet others within the school community and work collaboratively with the school and parish community – including assisting to improve school resources for our students. 

For more information, please visit our Parent Engagement page.

If you have a concern or would like to raise any issue regarding your child’s learning and wellbeing, our staff welcome the opportunity to speak with you about your child.

We ask that you contact your child’s classroom teacher in the first instance. The best way to do this is by:

  • phoning the school office and asking that your child's teacher return your call; or
  • contacting the teacher via email at info@scnvdow.catholic.edu.au (attention the email to the teacher) and this will be passed on to them

If the matter is urgent please contact the school office on (02) 4647 2845.

We ask for your patience in response to your request as schools are busy places and the main priority of staff is the education, safety and wellbeing of the students in their care during school hours. Requests by parents for information and meetings will be responded to as quickly as possible. 

If you need to speak to your child’s teacher, we ask that you do this by:

  • phoning the school office and asking that your child's teacher return your call; or
  • contacting the teacher via email at info@scnvdow.catholic.edu.au (attention the email to the teacher and this will be passed on to them) to arrange a time to talk.

If the matter is urgent please contact the school office on (02) 4647 2845.

We ask for your patience in response to your request as schools are busy places and the main priority of staff is the education, safety and wellbeing of the students in their care during school hours. Requests by parents for information and meetings will be responded to as quickly as possible. 

The Lighting the Way Together Parent-School Partnership Framework outlines for parents and the school, the principles and expectations of the partnership that is formed when a child is enrolled in a Catholic systemic school in the Diocese of Wollongong such as St Clare's. It will be introduced and implemented in schools throughout the school year.

Download a copy of the Parent-School Partnership Framework and read more about this important partnership at www.dow.catholic.edu.au/partnershipframework

Parents and carers can access the St Clare's Compass Parent Portal here and log in using their login details.

For more information on Compass, view the online Compass Guide for Parents.

For further information or enquiries, please contact the school office.

What should I do if my child is absent from school?

If your child has to be absent from school, it is important to tell the school and provide a reason for your child’s absence. To explain an absence parents and carers may: 

What should I do if we are running late to school?

It is important that the children are punctual for class, as considerable disruption takes place in the classrooms when children arrive late. The responsibility to get children to school on time is a parental one.

Any child who arrives after 8:15am must be accompanied by a parent/guardian and be signed in on the partial absence register kept in the office – a small dated slip is then taken to the teacher.
 

What should I do if I need to take my child out of school early?

Any parent or carer who wishes to take their child out of school any time during the day needs to complete the partial absence register located in the office and obtain an early departure note. The office staff will call for the child via the intercom system. No child is to leave the school premises prior to 2:35pm without authorisation from the office. 
 

What should I do if I am running late to pick up my child?

If you are running late to pick up your child, please notify the office and your child will be waiting in the office for you.

Ready to Enrol?

Interested in enrolling at St Clare's? We'd love to welcome you to our school!