Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends of St Clare’s

Welcome to the final newsletter for Term 3 2022. 

As is the case at this time each year, the school community’s focus has been on celebrating the many contributions, through their leadership and creativity our Year 12 students have made to St Clare’s High School culture.  It has been exciting to receive notifications that the Year 12 Drama class (Cassidy Donovan, Lucas Drury, Georgia Rourke, Taj Simpson, Cooper Twemlow & Medinah Wells) group performance has been, along with three individual performances, short listed for possible inclusion in the OnSTAGE production that showcases the 10 best HSC drama performances from across New South Wales.

 

Georgia Rourke, Cooper Twemlow, Medinah Wells, Cassidy Donovan & Taj Simpson
Front:  Lucas Drury

Congratulations also to Year 12 student Lucy Green who has been short listed for possible inclusion for InTech, a showcase of the best wood and metal works form across the state.  My thanks and congratulations to TAS teacher Brad Hart and Drama teacher Callam Howard for the many extra hours they have invested in their students over the course of the year.

Last week St Clare’s Leader of Mission Jason Koenig and I had the pleasure of taking four senior leaders to the Bishop’s mass and dinner in Newcastle.  The students, Leanne Curtis, Lucy Green, Lachlan Monks & Charles Pitt, enjoyed the opportunity to share time and a meal with like-minded people from across eight secondary schools.  A feature of the evening was a speech by Mason Black who spoke about the importance of reporting and supporting victims of physical and sexual violence.

This week we have celebrated the final Year 12 assembly where the year level shared their favourite memories of their time at St Clare’s and the many laughs and learnings they have enjoyed together.

On Friday the year level celebrated their last Mass together and witnessed the Badging of the 2023 school leaders by the outgoing leadership group.  It was wonderful to be able to welcome Year 12 parents and family friends to the ceremony, which marks the end to formal classes for the student cohort that commenced classes at St Clare’s in 2017.  Thanks to Year 12 Leader of Wellbeing and Engagement Todd Curtis, St Clare’s Leader of Mission Jason Koenig, Assistant Principal of Learning and Teaching Theresa Avery and the students of our HSC cohort for their excellent planning, leadership, collaboration, and teamwork across the week.  My thanks also to Father Kevin, Taree Parish, Father Terry, Krambach and Deacon John, Gloucester for their service to the St Clare’s community, Amanda Brooks for her work with the St Clare’s choir, who added such depth to our celebration and Jeremy Hobbes for his ongoing work with student leaders.

God Bless

Peter Nicholls
Principal

Mass Times

Forster-Tuncurry Catholic Parish

Our current Mass times are Saturday 5 pm, Sunday 8 am and 10 am.

To join our 8am Sunday Mass live stream, please send us your email address to receive the link.

Further updates can be viewed on the Forster-Tuncurry Parish Website:

Taree Catholic Parish

Saturday, 24 September

4:00 pm – Reconciliation & Rosary at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church Wingham
4:45 pm - Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church Wingham
6:15 pm - Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary Church Taree

Sunday, 25 September
25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

7:00 am - Old Bar Rosary
7:30 am – SCAE at Our Lady of Fatima Church Old Bar
7:30 am –Mass at Harrington
9:30 am - Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary Church Taree – Taree Youth Mass

Further updates can be viewed on the Taree Parish Website: 

Congratulations to Year 12 Drama who have had their whole class nominated for OnSTAGE, a selection of exceptional performances from HSC Drama students.

Cassidy Donovan, Lucas Drury, Georgia Rourke, Cooper Twemlow, Taj Simpson, and Medinah Well's Group Performance, "The Able Fable", was nominated, as well as Cooper, Taj and Georgia's Individual Performances.  This is an outstanding achievement for these students!

Cooper Twenlow, Georgia Rourke & Taj Simpson

Callam Howard
Drama Teacher

Year 12 Business Studies enjoyed a big day out at Bago Maze & Winery, Ricardoes Tomatoes, Centre of Gravity Indoor Adventure Centre and Hydro Golf and Putt Putt.

Strawberry picking and eating was fun before Anthony gave us a business talk about Ricardoes Tomatoes.

 Alex Cross, Haylee Brabant Tully Crossingham, Lachlan Monks, Bede Sharrock, Anthony Sarks (owner of Ricardoes) and Joshua Voetterl standing with the tomatoes in the hot house

Bago Maze and Winery is a must see business on the way to Port Macquarie.  The students enjoyed finding their way in the maze and listened intently to a business talk from Ian and his mother.  They are passionate about their business and enjoy being in a family business.

We also went to Aqua Golf and Jason shared his business knowledge with us about running the business and the impact he and his family have had so far with flooding and COVID.  Playing aqua and putt putt golf was a relaxing way to end our business day out.

Mrs Tilbrook
Business Studies Teacher

Laptops

As St Clare’s is a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) School it is expected that students have their own devices for school.  The library offers a limited number of devices that students can borrow if their own device breaks down.  To borrow a Library device, a student needs to bring in a note from home requesting the use of a device and the length of time that the device is required.  The student can then pick the device up before classes start and they need to return the device at the end of the day before they go home.  If a student forgets to bring their device to school, they need to see me in the library before school to check the availability of library devices, again a borrowed device needs to be returned before the students leaves school for the day.   

Holiday Reading

If you’re looking for some holiday reading these holidays, try out our SORA E reader App.

To do this all you need to do is follow the instructions: 

1. Use Google search: Type in Soraapp and when the following hit appears open the link.

2. Click on “I have a set up code” at the bottom of the page.  Enter the code = cenetau and click on Get Started.

3. Select ACEN Member collection as your library in the dropdown.  Click on Sign In using ACEN Member Collection.

4. Sign in your MN login details.

5. When the POP-UP “Add a Sora Short Cut” appears, click on ADD.

6. When a POP-UP asks you to “Install the app.” please ACCEPT.  The SORAapp will now appear on your taskbar for easy access to Sora eBooks.

7. Begin searching SORA for an ebook or audio book to borrow.

Happy Reading

Jeremy Hobbes
Librarian

Over the last few weeks, Year 8 students have been generously collecting items for the Taree Community Kitchen.  Students have collected non-perishable items that can be used to help feed community members in need.  Well done and thank you Year 8 for your support of this cause and showing that together we can make a difference!

Jamaya Pearse
Year 8 Leader of Wellbeing and Engagement

The recent Parish Assembly had as one of its areas of discussion how the parish could reach out to those in need.  St Clare's staff and Year 10 students are role models in this area.  The school's involvement in the Taree Community Kitchen is an example of reaching out to those in need.  Last Friday an enthusiastic group of students and Mr Hobbes prepared and served meals to people who are struggling to support themselves due to homelessness, domestic violence and the increased cost of living.  The students' smiling faces and cheery greetings brought smiles to the faces of the clients.  The school can be very proud of the students who participate in the program.  Thank you Mr Hobbes.

Jeremy Hobbes, Quinlan Collins, Alannah Sortwell & Natalie Payne

Denise Ryan
School Community Kitchen Coordinator

The 2022 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards celebrate the achievements and dedication of so many amazing volunteers throughout NSW.  We appreciate their contributions to society and especially the huge emotional impact they have on the lives of those around them.  Without the nominators, these remarkable stories of community spirit, resilience, kindness and determination would not be told to such a wide audience.

Mrs Kingsford was nominated by the Taree Parish for her wonderful volunteer work in catering events held regularly at the church hall.  Mrs K and her team of helpers have raised thousands of dollars over the years for different worthy causes by hosting dinners, lunches and morning teas.  They provide catering for lots of different church events including the children’s sacraments.

It’s so nice to know that she is so loved and appreciated in the wider community as we appreciate and love her service to St Clare’s in our canteen.

Congratulations Mrs K, we are so proud of all you have done and continue to do for us all!

Laura Boere
Physics/Mathematics Teacher

NSW CCC Athletics Championships

Gemma Eady-Muxlow, Year 9 and Cade Van Ewyk-Campbell, Year 7 represented the Maitland/Newcastle Diocese at the NSW CCC Championships held on Monday, 12 September.

Cade Van Ewyk-Campbell competed in the 13 years’ boys Discus and Javelin.  Cade finished fifth in the Discus with a best throw of 29.72m.  Cade finished fourth in the Javelin with a best throw of 28.02.

Gemma Eady-Muxlow competed in the 15 years’ girls 800m and 1500m.  Gemma finished tenth in the 800m with a time of 2:37.53.  Gemma finished seventh in the 1500m with a time of 5:25.97.

Congratulations to both Cade and Gemma on their results.

Gemma Eady-Muxlow & Cade Van Ewyk-Campbell

Luke Rowe
Sports Coordinator

14’s Boys Rugby League 9’s

Congratulations to our U14’s boys Rugby League team, who travelled up to Port Macquarie to compete in the Harry Wells NRL 9’s Gala Day on Tuesday, 13 September.  The boys played with terrific skill, toughness and sportsmanship throughout all their matches, with some excellent and highly entertaining Rugby League played.

The boys played Camden Haven High School in their opening round fixture.  Camden Haven laid on back to back tries in the opening minutes of the first half to jump out to an 8-0 lead.  However, St Clare’s slowly found their feet with long periods of ball and attacking field possession to claw back a try of their own early in the second half.  St Clare’s had a golden opportunity to level the scores late in the game only to be denied from a try saving strip over the try line.  Camden Haven scored from the following set and final play of the match to seal a 12-4 victory.

St Clare’s came up against Wauchope High School in their second round encounter, where they displayed attacking flare and strong defence throughout the match, scoring multiple well-structured team tries to come away with a comprehensive 38-4 win.

The boys played a well drilled and skilful St Paul’s College in their third game.  In what was a hard fought and bruising encounter, St Clare’s ball handling errors and missed tackles lead to several run away tries being scored against them.  With only 9 minute halves, St Clare’s found it difficult to work their way back into the game, going down 24-0.

The fourth and finalgame the boys played was an exciting and seesawing contest against Hastings Regional College, St Clare’s displayed great defensive efforts under fatigue and athleticism and skill in attack, however, Hastings came away eventual winners 8-5.

Lastly, a big thank you to Mrs Parvin as well as Troy Wright, Samuel Schilt and Kobi Critchley (who contributed as water runners) for their time and dedication in training, coaching and supporting our team, without their outstanding and tireless efforts, events such as this would not be possible.

Matthew Collier
Rugby League Coordinator

Diocesan Golf Tournament

On Friday, 16 September four St Clare’s students headed down to Maitland Golf Course to compete in the annual Diocesan Golf Tournament.  There were some great individual results on the day.  Well done to the following students that competed on the day:  Riley Dawson, Rohan Dormor, William Gregory and Georgia Sparks.

Riley Dawson, Rohan Dormor, William Gregory and Georgia Sparks

Congratulations to Riley Dawson who finished Runner-up in the Year 10 to Year 12 division for Single Scores in Nett Order.

Luke Rowe
Sports Coordinator

Careers Corner

The end of the term is upon us, and several deadlines are approaching for the Year 12 students who are considering a university pathway next year.

The cut-off for UAC applications at $73 is 30 September.  After this date the cost of registering will rise to $200 so if you are thinking about a university pathway post school and you are in Year 12, please make sure that you have registered before 30 September.

The SRS (Schools Recommendation Scheme) closed last Sunday (18 September) and all applications are in the process of being reviewed and submitted by the school.

EAS applications are due by mid-November but hopefully have been or are very close to being finalised by the students.  Please come and see me if you require an educational impact statement from the school in support of one of these applications.

Please check out scholarships at the various universities and at TAFE (there are regional scholarships available for TAFE).  Search the scholarships section of each website.  You have to be in it to win it, and have got nothing to lose by applying.

If you are interested in an Apprenticeship or Traineeship pathway, please make sure that you look at the Careers Links information that is in the Year 10, 11 and 12 OneNote.  All the latest vacancies with Mid Coast Connect and VERTO are there as well.  If any student in Years 10, 11 or 12 is NOT ABLE to access their Careers OneNote could you please let me know.

I would like to highly recommend the Australian Apprenticeship App.  It has excellent information and practice aptitude tests to see where you would best fit in industry.

If you are considering a TAFE pathway, get on to the TAFE NSW website and have a look at the many courses they offer from short courses through various Certificates and Diplomas and “Bachelor Degrees”.  You don’t need an ATAR for this pathway.

There are quite a few job opportunities coming up in the next few months and for next year.  I have already, and will continue to, email this information to the relevant year groups.  I have recently emailed students about an Accounting Traineeship in Wingham and have been disappointed to have received no expressions of interest.

It is very important that all the students check their emails please.

Year 11 students will soon begin the process of discontinuing or adjusting their subjects for the HSC course of study.  Mrs Avery will talk to you at the beginning of next term about this process and give you directions to enable you to complete this process.

This week the Construction and Hospitality students in Year 11 completed and are completing their compulsory Work Placement in various businesses throughout the Manning.  This is the first half of their compulsory 70 Work Placement hours.  In the past this has led to employment for many of the students, either part-time or fulltime and is a wonderful opportunity to show their skills and get an idea of the world of work.

The Year 10 students have now made their subject selections for 2023 and the process of working out the lines and classes is well under way.

The latest information from the CAA:

Courses & Workshops for Students

Landscape Solutions Wondering whether a career in landscaping is the right choice for you? Join us at our information session, where you can chat to our team, hear from past apprentices and learn about the different opportunities available. Saturday, 29th of October, 2022, 12:00pm - 3:00pm, 16 Distribution Place, Seven Hills. Register your interest at:

Brighten Institute Australia Young people across NSW are set to benefit from fee-free hospitality training during the upcoming school holidays to help them get the skills they need for the jobs they want. For more information and to discuss enrolling in the Food Safety Supervisor Certificate, contact Kirstie.boerst@brighten.edu.au or call 0415 823 827.

JSchool Journalism College Selected introductory units from JSchool Journalism College’s Diploma of Journalism are available online to senior secondary students. For further information see

or phone/text 0493099463.

Western Sydney University This school holidays, Western's School of Business is offering a range of free workshops for aspiring Year 9 and 10 business influencers to connect with business leaders, researchers and practitioners. To find out more on the workshops, times available and to register, visit:

Engineers Australia Opportunities still available to participate in Experience it! for female students in Years 7-10. Date: 17 Oct 2022. Full day of immersive workshops facilitated by our leading Engineering Universities - zoomed into your classroom. All technical equipment provided FOC. Engineers in your classroom to assist where possible. EOI

Information Session for Students & Parents

MedEntry UCAT Prep Free UCAT Bootcamp for parents, aspiring Medical students and Careers Advisers. Dr Ray, Gastroenterologist at Monash Health offers UCAT mini test, discusses medical interviews, admission process, life as a medical student, and career as a doctor. Watch this two hour Bootcamp from the comfort, convenience & security of your home at any time!

TAFE NSW Launch your Career in Big Data: Thursday, 20 October, 10.00am – 10.45am - Data is the driving force for almost all aspects of our daily lives. Huge amounts of data generated by organisations will only add value if we are able to interpret the story behind the information. Register to find out more about careers in data analytics:

Job & Work Experience for Students

Woolworths Group Woolworths Group are looking for motivated individuals to join our four year Refrigeration Apprenticeship Program in January 2023 based in Sydney. You will have the opportunity to install the latest refrigeration systems or support our facilities management team with maintenance services. To learn more, visit our website

or email us refrigerationapprentices@woolworths.com.au

Resources for Students

Sydney Quantum Academy Great news! The Quantum special in Careers with STEM Magazine is now published. We partnered on an 8-page special about career and study opportunities in quantum — the perfect resource to share with people seeking a career in cutting-edge tech. Read more:

Western Sydney University Western staff and current Western students are available to deliver presentations tailored for years 10, 11 and 12 students about scholarships, early entry, alternative pathways to Uni, the range of inspiring courses available at Western, campus life, and more. Book a Western school visit:

Western Sydney University Western Portal offers Year 12 students the opportunity to apply for their course preferences for free! Students can find support resources to assist with their application, explore available courses on offer, and apply through the Western Portal by visiting

Scholarships, Early Entry, Alternative Pathways

UOW College Pathways to the University of Wollongong. If university is the end goal for the person you are supporting, taking a different pathway to get there doesn't mean they will lose time and be left behind. UOW College offers Diplomas that provide entry into the 2nd year of many UOW degrees. Explore pathway options at

or email us at uowca-future@uow.edu.au

JMC Academy Why wait for your ATAR to be released to know how you'll be spending the next few years of your study time? Apply through JMC's Early Entry program to secure your conditional offer in our February 2023 intake before you even sit your final exams! For more details go to:

Sydney Quantum Academy Want to study cutting-edge quantum technology? Applications are now open for Sydney Quantum Academy PhD Scholarships. Undertake research at Sydney’s top universities alongside world-leading quantum experts. Join a supportive, fun PhD student community and benefit from a competitive stipend and career development funding. Apply by 26 September 2022.

Western Sydney University HSC True Reward provides Year 12 students completing their HSC an early offer into Western based on their Year 11 or 12 results, instead of a scaled ATAR. Applications for 2023 entry are now open, with the next offer round based on Year 11 results released on 17 November. Visit:

TAFE NSW: Students can turn their creative into a career at Bradfield Senior College - Do you have students who would benefit from studying their HSC in an adult learning environment? Bradfield Senior College is based at TAFE NSW St Leonards and specialises in creative industries for their HSC subjects. Applications are now open for years 10-12 students to study the HSC in 2023:

Traineeships, Cadetships, Apprenticeships - Information & Opportunities

TAFE NSW: It’s a great time to start SBAT conversations with your students - School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBAT) are more than just part time jobs. They are a great way for students to set themselves up for the career they want, while still completing their HSC. Now is the right time for students to explore their SBAT options. Find out more:

Please don’t forget to come and see me if you would like to do Work Experience.

I would like to wish all Year 12 students the best of luck with their upcoming exams.

Don’t forget, Year 12, to eat well, get some exercise each day and try and have a regular study plan.  Your teachers are all happy to help in any way they can so don’t be afraid to ask.

Have a wonderful holiday and I look forward to seeing everyone in Term 4.

Karen McCann
Careers/VET Adviser

Term 4 2022