Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends of St Clare’s

I hope our Week 8 newsletter finds you and your loved ones safe and well.

Last newsletter I wrote about the joy of being able to welcome visitors and guests to important events and celebrations at the school following the lifting of COVID-19 lockdowns.  The mingling of parents, friends, students and staff created great energy and helps re-establish relationships that make St Clare’s a vibrant welcoming community.  Gatherings to celebrate the contribution of the HSC cohort, the artistic talent of students across the school and the NAIDOC assembly drew people together and reinforces the idea that learning and teaching is most effective when parents, students and teachers are working together to ensure the best outcomes for the young people in their care.

This past week Year 7 students had the opportunity to work in small groups and produce a Claymation Animation.  The DigiEd unit is a feature of the school year and I thank the English staff and students for their work and attention to detail while producing some very interesting short Claymation stories.  My thanks to Leader of Learning English, Kerrie Davy and her team for their work with our Year 7 students.

Senior students studying Advanced English had the opportunity to hone their writing skills with author Ryan O’Neill.  Students were very enthusiastic and appreciative of the opportunity that comes with working with a successfully published author.

Reflection days offer the young people in our care the opportunity to pause and reflect on what is important to them, how they would like to be known.  Such reflection leads people to recognise the importance of having core values and their impact on a person’s ability to live a good, happy and productive life.  My thanks to Ministry Coordinator, Jason Koenig, Wellbeing Mentor Marian Parvin, Year 8 Leader of Wellbeing & Engagement Jamaya Pearse, Year 10 Leader of Wellbeing & Engagement Nicole Lovern, Year 11 Leader of Wellbeing & Engagement Bronwen Davidson and their teams for their excellent work in this space.

Year 8 Reflection Day - Saltwater

The new school year, 2023, is not so far away.  With this in mind, St Clare’s Year 10 students, as part of the orientation process, have spent time with the Year 7 cohort of 2023 in some school visits where problem solving and working in teams was the order of the day.  My thanks to Nicole Lovern and Year 10 students for their work in welcoming the newest students to our school community.

In closing, I would like to thank the Diocesan Administrator, Fr Greg Barker, Head of Religious Education Bernadette Gibson and Religious Education Anne Henry for taking the time to visit St Clare’s and support the school’s Religious Education Program.  The cultivation of a sense of God’s presence in the world and in each other is central to a Catholic Education and to the development and growth of all people in our care.

God Bless

Peter Nicholls
Principal

Fee payers who hold a current Health Care Card/Pension Card need to provide a copy to the Bursar as well as a completed Centrelink Consent Form to receive a 50% discount on Tuition Fees.

Centrelink Customer Consent Form below.  Please complete the form and email finance@tareesc.catholic.edu.au along with a copy of your HCC/Pension Card to the Bursar by 31 January 2023.

Maryann Hammond
Bursar

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, 3 December

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
5:30 pm – Harrington Rosary
6:00 pm – Harrington SCAE
6:15 pm - Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary Church Taree

Sunday, 4 December
2^nd Sunday of Advent

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

Further updates can be viewed on the Taree Parish Website: 

Recently Year 8 Students participated in their Reflection Day at Saltwater National Park.  Students learnt about the cultural significance of the site.  The group immersed themselves in activities including a bush walk and tour of the site led by Uncle Russell Saunders, Painting and Weaving workshops lead by Rachel Saunders and Jodie Lawler and dancing and spear throwing activities led by Jeremy Saunders and former St Clare's student Josh Wood.

Father Kevin also joined us on the day as we connected with each other and country.  A very big thank you to our Ministry Coordinator, Jason Koenig for organising such a great day and preparing the best Emu, Crocodile and Kangaroo skewers that went down a treat!  All of us left with a big smile on our faces, our hearts full and a new and deepened appreciation of beautiful Biripi Country.  Thank you to all of the staff involved in the day:  Kathy Kratz, Robin Davies, Bernadette Boere, Matthew Collier, Callam Howard, Jason Koenig, Naomi Grooteman and Racheal Minihan. 

Jamaya Pearse
Year 8 Leader of Wellbeing & Engagement

Over the last few weeks our Heartists have been painting and developing their masterpieces with every brush stroke.  The Heart to Heart Program is an innovative art experience that combines painting and mindfulness techniques to promote positive wellbeing. Our St Clare Heartists have been lucky enough to develop an array of mindfulness techniques supported by Catholic Care Social Worker, Alysha Jones and experience some one on one support by local oil artist and Teacher Education Student, Maria Ivan. It has been wonderful to see these artworks come to life and Mrs Laurie and I very proud to have witnessed these artworks and artists develop.  

Their completed artworks and a culmination of their hard work and accomplishment will be celebrated with an Exhibition and presentation on Thursday 8^th December. 

Please enjoy a few images of the students’ artworks developing through the weeks. 

Jamaya Pearse
Heart to Heart Facilitator

Year 10 Reflection Day

On Friday, 25 November, Year 10 had the opportunity to travel to Holy Name Primary School, Forster to work with the Year 6 cohort.  Students had the opportunity to hear from world renowned illustrator Stephen Michael King.  During his talk, students were blessed with being able to watch Stephen create some amazing illustrations and explanations as to how he goes about his work.

After our time with Stephen, students were given the opportunity to get to know the Year 6 cohort.  Year 10 worked together with a buddy and answered questions they may have about coming to High School.  They also created masterpieces which they then shared with each other.

The day then saw us walk down to Main Beach for a swim and sausage sizzle.

A big thank you to Mr Jason Koenig for organising the fantastic day and to our teachers, which included Ms Mel Northam, Mrs Niko Campbell-Ellis, Mr Callam Howard and Mrs Lyndall Laurie who assisted in the delivery of our event.

Mrs Nicole Lovern
Year 10 Leader of Wellbeing and Engagement

Year 10 Geography Excursion to WildNets Adventure Park Cowarra

Students travelled to Port Macquarie on Tuesday, 30 November to visit Guulabaa – Place of Koala in Cowarra State Forest.  It was a great day learning about the new Wild Koala Breeding Program by Koala Conservation Australia.  WildNets is supporting the world’s first facility created to breed healthy koalas from the wild.  The owner of the business spoke to students about the eco-friendly facility and how 50% of the profit is dedicated to saving the declining Koala population.

Year 10 enjoyed jumping, relaxing and playing on suspended nets and bridges, in the treehouses and with giant inflatables.  Afterwards students enjoyed lunch at the Port Macquarie Service Centre.

Thank you to the staff who made the day possible Mrs Tilbrook, Miss Van Wyk, Mrs Davidson, Mr Hobbes, Mr Hanlon and Mrs Van Kampen.

Eloise Thomas
Leader of Learning, HSIE

Last week, 13 Year 10 students who have an interest in creative writing, and who intend to study English Advanced in Year 11, participated in a creative writing workshop as part of St Clare’s commitment to gifted education.

The two-day workshop was delivered by award winning short story author Ryan O’Neill.  Ryan is the author of The Weight of a Human Heart, Their Brilliant Careers and The Drovers Wives and his fiction has appeared in The Best Australian Stories, The Sleepers Almanac, Meanjin, New Australian Stories, Wet Ink, Etchings and Westerly.  Ryan has won many awards for his writing, including, in 2017, The Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Their Brilliant Careers.  The school has purchased several copies of Ryan’s books, and these are available for borrowing from the school library.

Over the course of the workshop, students completed a range of creative writing exercises to build their skills in creative writing and reading as a writer.  Activities included writing a story on a sticky note, describing a sunset without using the letter ‘e’, and writing a short story in a list form.  Students shared their work with one another and with Ryan, receiving valuable feedback.

The workshop was an enrichment program and students expressed that they valued and appreciated the opportunity to learn from such an expert.  St Clare’s looks forward to working with Ryan in the future to continue to provide creative writing enrichment opportunities to students.

Niko Campbell-Ellis
Gifted Education Mentor

The last group of Year 10 students for 2022 attended the Community Kitchen and continued the tradition of service to the homeless and marginalised in our community.  This group of students, Alissa Scott, Jye Cavanagh, Isabelle Homewood and Charlotte Bushell not only prepared a nutritious lunch, but also prepared ingredients for the next day.  The following day’s volunteers were very grateful for this preparation.  The students are to be commended on the manner in which they communicated with the people attending the kitchen.  Their compassion and empathy that they showed was commendable.  Well done students.  The 2022 Year 10 groups have been outstanding this year.  Thank you Year 10 and staff of St Clare's.

Nicole Lovern, Alissa Scott, Jye Cavanagh, Isabelle Homewood & Charlotte Bushell

Nicole Lovern
Year 10 Leader of Wellbeing & Engagement

Congratulations to Sienna Agnew, Year 10 who is the 2022 Sports MidCoast Youth Award winner.

The MidCoast Youth Awards recognise the valuable contributions of young people aged 12-24 in the MidCoast region across seven categories (the arts, community service, leadership, sports, wellbeing, resilience and entrepreneurship).

A $250 cash prize was awarded to each winner.

Anyone can nominate a young person for a youth award.  Nominations are assessed by a panel with a short list of nominees invited to the awards ceremony.

The MidCoast Youth Awards is an initiative of Taree PCYC and MidCoast Council.

Mrs Nicole Lovern
Year 10 Leader of Wellbeing and Engagement

Last Thursday Year 11 left St Clare’s for Bulahdelah and a day of team building.  Little did they know that we had yet another little walk with Mrs Davidson - up hill!  After smashing the walk, we set out to face the day’s activities.  We warmed up with hula hoops, and then faced the four-way tug of war.  We were then divided up into four groups and set about concerning the challenges of… the stadium electrified fences, crossing over the wobbly ladders, up-the-wall as a group, successfully rescued the 10kg of gold, balanced the group on the log, and horizontal bungee. On behalf of Year 11, I would like to thank Mr Brad Hart and Mr Callam Howard for taking the time to spend the day with us and making it a really enjoyable and memorable day.

Mrs Bronwen Davidson
Year 11 Leader of Wellbeing & Engagement

Congratulations to our 14’s Girls League Tag team, who travelled up to Port Macquarie to compete in the School Girl League Tag Challenge.  All girls were outstanding in their attitude, sportsmanship and team spirit across the entire Gala Day and are to be commended on representing the school with excellence.

St Clare’s defensive efforts in all their games was outstanding!  The girls conceded just four tries across all three matches played in energy sapping, hot and humid conditions.  The girl’s started the day against a well-coached and skilful MacKillop College from Port Macquarie.  The game was a physical end-to-end encounter with strong defensive efforts and attacking sets on display from both teams.  MacKillop crossed late in the second half to run out eventual 12-8 winners in a high class encounter.

St Clare’s strong defence was again on display in their second round encounter against Taree High School.  St Clare’s raced out to a 4-0 lead early in the first half with a great team try set up off the back of some fantastic attacking runs from the St Clare’s halves.  St Clare’s continued their dominance in the second half finishing the match with a comprehensive three try 12-0 victory.

Our final game was against Kempsey High School, with the girls finishing off where they started the day by displaying impenetrable defence and class and athleticism in attack.  St Clare’s orchestrated some fantastic and skilful backline moves and team tries to finish with a comprehensive 28-4 victory.  Well done girls!

Lastly, a big thank you to Mrs Parvin for her time and dedication in training, coaching and supporting our team, without her outstanding and tireless efforts events such as this would not be possible. 

Matthew Collier
Girls League Tag Coordinator

Careers Corner

This week sees the end of Week 8 Term 4.  Not long left in the school year for 2022.

I continue to receive many emails from employers looking for students to fill positions.  Mid Coast Connect and VERTO send me information about apprenticeships and traineeships in our area and MidCoast Council have advertised several positions for 2023.  I have emailed all the information to the students in Years 10, 11 and 12.  So please CHECK YOUR EMAILS. 

I also put the information in the Year Group Careers OneNote which all the students should have access to.

With regard to some of these positions, any interested students need to come and see me for further information, as per email information.

On Friday, 18 November, local author, Anne Keen came in to talk to the senior students about her career pathway post school as part of our RIEP presentation series.

It was lovely to hear from her and how she has reached her current role in her career as a published author.  Her book is called “Karamea House”, and will be available soon.  Anne is looking at having an author talk at the Taree library in the near future in case anyone would like to attend.  Thanks Anne, for giving up your time to talk to the students.

Below is a wealth of information for parents and students regarding numerous post school pathways, courtesy of the Careers Association of Australia.

Courses & Workshops for Students

Connect Incursions Career’s Day. Year 6 - 7 Transition. Applying for a job Workshop. Build a Resume. Call 0410487986. Early Booking 10% Discount.

MedEntry UCAT Prep MedEntry Medical Interview Strategy Day with Dr Ray. Learn the strategies needed to succeed in a day long session with Dr Ray Boyapati, Consultant Gastroenterologist with 20 years’ experience in medical interview training. This will be followed by full length mock interview with comprehensive feedback.

TAFE NSW Get skills fit this summer with fee free*short courses. Students who are leaving school permanently in 2022 can access a range of fee-free* short courses designed to give them skills in industries where there are immediate job opportunities. Explore courses in Hair and Beauty, Hospitality, Business and more. Find out more:

*Eligibility criteria applies. Training is subsidised by the NSW Government.

TAFE NSW You don't need an ATAR to study a degree with TAFE NSW Study. A Bachelor degree, post graduate or higher education qualification with TAFE NSW, and graduate with strong theoretical knowledge, practical experience and industry connections that will give your students a head start in their career. Applications are closing soon, find out more:

Tocal College, NSW DPI Application deadlines extended. Course Vacancies in Agriculture and Performance Horse qualifications exist. Interested potential school leavers from Year 10 onwards (and over 16 by course start) are encouraged to apply @

or contact youth.ed@nsw.dpi.nsw.gov.au ASAP. It is unprecedented to have potential vacancies in the high demand ACM30817 Certificate III in Performance Horse at this stage of the year.

University of Sydney Quantum Computing Summer Camp Applications open soon for the SydneyQuantum and QubitXQubit Quantum Computing Summer Camp for students in years 9-12. Scholarships are available to dive into this emerging technology during a 1-week virtual summer camp on 16-20 January 2023. Learn about a range of quantum phenomena, no prior quantum or coding knowledge required! For more info visit:

Information Sessions for Students & Parents

The Women's College within The University of Sydney Want to succeed at uni? Take advantage of academic support at Women's College while enjoying a full calendar of sporting, cultural and social activities. Main round offers released at end of November. Start your application now:

Info Day: 15 Dec

William Angliss Institute Are you passionate in the Hospitality industry? With industry-leading courses in foods, tourism, events, and hospitality, there’s something extraordinary for everyone at William Angliss Institute. Study at Angliss will gain the necessary skills and valuable experience that prepare students for job ready. Book a one-on-one course chat now to find out more! Visit:

Tocal College NSW DPI Campus & farm tours. Prospective students who may not have attended an Open Day during the year are able to book a visit @ youth.ed@dpi.nsw.gov.au. This is a good option for those families that had to cancel due to regional flooding earlier in the year. A Virtual Tour of courses, campus & farms is available at

Applications currently accepted via

Macquarie University Explore Your Options From 12 – 23 December 2023, prospective students can book a 1:1 consultation with one of our friendly students, attend an info session, join a campus tour to discover Macquarie’s amazing facilities and stunning grounds, get help with enrolling or finding their own unique pathway into university. Register now:

BiG Day In Join us at CSU on 8 June for the 2023 BiG Day In Port Macquarie. Bring your Year 9-12 students to learn where a STEM/STEAM career can lead & hear from organisations such as Australian Signals Directorate, Australian Space Agency, Essential Energy & more - no charge to attend & lunch provided.

University of Sydney Join us for Info Day on 16 December. Students attending will have the opportunity to get personalised course advice before finalising their UAC preferences, along with information sessions and campus tours. This is their chance to experience Sydney. Students can register now to plan their schedule and utilise all the resources offered on Info Day to embark on their dream study and career journey! Register now at:

CQUniversity Change of Preference Online Chat Friday 16 December 9am - 11am (AEST). For any Year 12 student who didn’t receive the ATAR they were hoping for or has changed their mind about the course they want to study in 2023, CQU is here to help. Students can join CQU’s Online Chat Session and receive guidance on how to change their preferences, learn more about alternative entry pathways and find the best study options that will lead them to their dream course.

Job & Work Experience for Students

AFL SportsReady Applications now open for the 2023 AFL Young Leader Traineeship program. Do you have students wanting to launch a career in sports administration and/or sports development? This traineeship will introduce them to all aspects of the AFL NSW/ACT business with a focus on program delivery, customer service, events, leadership and working with volunteers. Best of all, trainees will be trained by experts in their field to support local clubs and competitions. Working onsite with AFL NSW/ACT, students will be paid the national training wage and receive a FREE qualification – a Certificate III in Business. View the traineeship here:

Long Track Pantry Long Track Pantry, Jugiong NSW Gap Year Programme! Wanting an adventure as well as learning hospitality skills along the way?
We are always in search of enthusiastic and energetic people to join our young team. We offer 6 and 12 month gap year placements and you will be placed through our extensive training programme. Accommodation available with flexible work days and hours. Apply today

or email careers@longtrackpanty.com.au  for more information.

YouthXP The First Dedicated Jobs Platform for Young Employees between 15-24. If you're aged 15-24, YouthXP is here to get you a job! YouthXP is designed with features such as the ability to add your specific availability, recognition of your achievements in school and sports, and much more, to fit in with your lifestyle. YouthXP aims to break the cycle which so many young people find themselves in, where every job requires experience, but none are willing to provide it. Visit

and sign up today!

Resources for Students

Charles Sturt University Resources for Year 10 students. It’s an exciting time for Year 10 – we’ve got their back when it comes to making decisions around subjects, career prospects and further study. Our Year 10 guide is a downloadable resource to help students identify their strengths, passions and can go on to help inform their subject choices. Get the guide here:

Charles Sturt University ATAR advice for Year 12 students. If your Year 12 students would like more information to browse regarding life after high school, how preferences work or just what it’s like living on campus – we have a dedicated page for them. This page is exclusively for Year 12 and offers extensive FAQs to help them too. Find it here:

Charles Sturt University Give your students a head start to uni with Study Link
If you have students who might be feeling a little nervous about university-level study, Study Link subjects are available and free for most Australian residents. These subjects are perfect for the summer break; they’re short, self-paced, non-credit bearing and they’re a great way to get a taste of uni before their course commences. Find more information here:

Internationally Educated The SAT, an admission test for many US universities, will be moving to a digital format from March 2023. We've written about the changes and provided links to practice tests and registration in our recent article:

The University of Notre Dame Australia Experience what it's like to study at The University of Notre Dame Australia on Thursday 15 December! Students are invited to explore uni life by taking part in a variety of taster lectures, workshops, and activities at either of our two Sydney Campuses, Broadway, or Darlinghurst. Places are limited, so register to reserve your spot today:

UAC launches free ATAR estimator. ATAR Compass estimates a student’s ATAR using scaling statistics from the past five years and, as the organisation that calculates the NSW ATAR every year, UAC has direct access to accurate historical data. Students select their HSC courses and their estimated or actual exam marks to receive an estimated ATAR which they can use as a guide to make decisions about their future study options. Find out more:

Western Sydney University The WSU How Uni Works? website provides information and tips to navigate the transition from high school to university. Western has developed an array of useful resources for students to prepare for uni study which includes important dates, what to expect and what to do before you start. Visit here:

Scholarships, Early Entry, Alternative Pathways

Public Education Foundation World’s Largest Student Scholarship valued up to $500k for 15- to 17-year-olds: the Rise Scholarship. Do you know a talented teen? Rise finds brilliant people who need opportunity and supports them for life as they work to serve others. The program offers 100 Global Winners access to benefits that last a lifetime including scholarships, a fully funded residential experience, mentorship, and more. Have your students join Rise via:

University of Sydney¿The Josiah and Myra Roberts Scholarship is for students wanting to pursue the study of both physics and mathematics at university and is valued at $10,000 per year for a maximum of three years. Applications are now open until 16.01.23. An EAS application must also be submitted via UAC by 22.12.22 to be considered. For more info, visit:

Western Sydney University The College is the official pathway provider into Western Sydney University for current and non-current school leavers. Students can apply now for University Foundation Studies or Diploma programs into Western. Explore our programs and apply now:

Traineeships, Cadetships, Apprenticeships - Information & Opportunities

1300apprentice Landing your first job is made easy with 1300apprentice, a specialist GTO in NSW & ACT. An apprenticeship is both a job and a training program at the same time. An apprenticeship has $0 costs compared to university, no ATAR score, and a high employment rate on completion. If you want a meaningful and long-term career start with 1300apprentice today. Search FAQs, wages, enrolment:

Locations from Newcastle to Illawarra, Southern Highlands, and Canberra in a wide variety of vocations.

National Indigenous Culinary Institute 2-week Sydney-based Hospitality Pre-Apprenticeship Course for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15+, commencing mid-January 2023. Upon completion of the training NICI work with world class restaurants to place candidates in apprenticeships or traineeships. For more information contact Program Co-ordinator Ainslie Regan at ainslie@nici.org.au or 0409 539 790.

Parramatta Community College Summer Skills Youth Program 16-24 years: Calling All School Leavers! Find out about the range of fee-free short taster courses on offer: Apply for Jobs and Interviews; Beauty - Tanning, Lash/Brow Services, Design and apply make-up, Manicure and Pedicure; Hospitality - RSA, RCG, Barista, (Operate a Bar); Community Services/Early Childhood - First Aid and Retail. Enrolments open now and close 31 December. Please call Dianne 04500 411 60 or email dianne@pcc.edu.au for further information.

Other News

Bedford College Bedford College has opened a new campus in Sydney City and is now taking enrolments for 2023. Bedford has taken over St Patrick's College's domestic operations and are offering a Diploma of Business and a Diploma of Leadership and Management in their new city campus. Email enquire@bedford.edu.au or call 1300 174 174 for more info.

University of Sydney Transforming health and medical research - $40 million funding boost. This year, Sydney University’s Medicine and Health Faculty was awarded almost $40 million under the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund to support research projects spanning from cardiovascular disease to dementia, genomics and more. The Medical Research Future Fund aims to transform health and medical research and innovation, improve lives, build the economy, and contribute to health system sustainability.¿For more info, visit:

Western Sydney University Western Alumni can get a Complimentary Pass to hear from Western Sydney’s leaders and thinkers at Catalyst West 2022. Western’s Catalyst West forum will see up to 500 collaborators from the community, government and industry come together to envisage how we bounce forward as a region. Open to all:

Year 10 have almost completed their Transition Program for the year.  This is a wonderful program which covers a great deal of important information for Senior School and post school possibilities.

We have been very lucky to have Elizabeth and Hayley from UNE come in and run the “My Future Finder” program with the Year 10 students.  This is a great program which allows the students to look at their strengths and abilities and see what post school possibilities are available to them.  Thanks very much, Elizabeth and Hayley.

It has been wonderful to see Work Experience return in full force this year.  We have had many students take advantage of this opportunity to find out more about a given post school pathway. I am looking forward to this continuing in 2024.

It has been excellent to see many of our students gain full time apprenticeships and traineeships over the past few weeks, and we wish them well in their post school endeavours.

If anyone would like to come and talk to me about anything careers, they can email me or put their names down on the sheets attached to my office door.

Karen McCann
Careers/VET Adviser

Term 4 2022

Term 1 2023