National Poetry 

This week, I was delighted to receive the news that Year 10 student Shiloh Herzberg Nicholls has been shortlisted in both the National Poetry and National Novella categories.  This is an incredible achievement, and furthermore, Shiloh was the only student selected for both, which is truly special!  Shiloh now has the opportunity to attend the Storyfest Writing Festival, where participation in writing workshops, networking with other talented writers, and attending the awards ceremony will provide a unique and enriching opportunity to support Shiloh’s growth as a writer. 

Jubilee Celebration 

On Sunday, 2 March, I had the pleasure of attending the launch of the Jubilee in the Newcastle-Maitland Diocese.  The day commenced with a 4km walk to the Cathedral, followed by a Mass and a festival celebrating the beginning of the Jubilee Year of Hope.  It was wonderful to see Fr Kevin representing our Parish, along with other members of our school community. 

Ash Wednesday 

As a school community we gathered to celebrate the beginning of Lent with a meaningful liturgy. Deacon Vince reflected on the need to look within and think about how actions can make in a difference in the lives of others.  Ash Wednesday also sees the launch of Project Compassion where we raise money for Caritas.  This year St Clare’s will be participating in The Big Water Walk in Week 10 to raise funds and awareness for people in Africa, Asia and the Pacific who walk to collect clean water every day.  This will be completed during Sport time and students are able to nominate themselves to take part. 

International Women’s Day 

On Saturday, we celebrated International Women’s Day.  Unfortunately, due to inclement weather, our Senior Leaders were unable to attend the afternoon tea at the Taree Quota Club. However, they came together to share with the St Clare’s community the stories of women who have inspired them and explained why.  The video of their reflections was posted on Facebook, and we are pleased to also share it with you in this newsletter.

School Visits and St Clare’s Open Afternoon 

Over the past two weeks, I, along with the Assistant Principals and some of our current Year 7 students, have had the opportunity to visit Year 6 classes to discuss what high school entails. The Year 6 students have shown great curiosity, asking numerous questions about subjects, homework, sports, the canteen, and buses.  We eagerly anticipate welcoming Year 6 students and their parents and carers to St Clare’s for our Open Afternoon on Monday, 17 March. Registration will commence at 3:30pm, with tours lead by our student leaders beginning at 4pm.

Year 7 and Year 12 Parent Teacher Interviews 

This term we will further increase parent engagement with a Parent-Teacher Night for Year 7 and Year 12 only on Wednesday 2 April from 3:35 – 6:45pm. Bookings will open via Compass on 18 March and close on 31 March.  I encourage all families to attend with their child. 

Bus Behaviour 

We have recently had some disappointing incidents on the buses and want to remind everyone of the importance of respectful and responsible behaviour. It is essential that all students look out for one another, especially younger students, and ensure a safe and positive environment for everyone. Bus companies are within their rights to ban students from the bus, so please encourage your child to make good choices when travelling to and from school. 

Finally, I would like to extend my gratitude to all members of our community for their support and understanding during the recent school closures. Congratulations to all students who also adapted seamlessly to the online learning environment.  

Christine Harmer
Principal

Forster-Tuncurry Catholic Parish 

Current Mass times are Saturday, 9:30 am & 5 pm, Sunday 8 am and 10 am. 

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

Taree Catholic Parish

Saturday

5:30 pm Our Lady of the Rosary, Taree:  Mass 

Sunday

9:30 am Our Lady of the Rosary, Taree:  Mass
7:30 am every 1^st and 3^rd Sunday of the month Our Lady of Fatima, Old Bar:  Mass
7:30 am every 2^nd Sunday of the month St Therese, Lansdowne:  Mass
7:30 am every 4^th and 5^th Sunday of the month Star of the Sea, Harrington:  Mass
4:45 pm Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Wingham:  Mass 

Further updates can be viewed on the Taree Parish Website:

So… here we are again volunteering at the Community Kitchen for another year.  There are lots of people to thank for this but one of the main supporters is Mrs Carol Healey.  When I say ‘supporters’ I should say, in reference to Carol, that she is the major reason we are still able to give the students this wonderful opportunity. 

Shiloh Herzberg Nicholls, Jake Guppy, Denise Ryan, Rylee Wicks & Oliver Collins 

“It was a great day.  I enjoyed the atmosphere of the kitchen, and of course the lolly box.  It was also kind of fun to make up the boxes of hot meals with the different foods.  It was challenging when we ran out of hot meals, and we didn't have enough for the people who came in which felt very disappointing.  I was also challenged by being assigned to cutting the meat, because I don't particularly enjoy the texture of raw meat and I'm not very good at cutting it.  It was interesting but also a bit confronting to hear people's stories, but everyone who came in was friendly and polite.” 

“Something I found confronting was serving the people and also hearing their story and how they are struggling, which made me quite sad.  Something I enjoyed was making the people say that we brightened their day and also making the food and how good that it all smelt”. 

Year 10 students 

How many meals do we prepare on Wednesday when we go?  We serve up to 120 meals (approx.).  There is also bread to hand out, limited fruit and vegetable and other odds and ends. 

On Mondays Carol Healey prepares anything up to 250 meals (approx.).  This gives you an idea of the needs of people in our community and is a sad indictment of the society in which we live. 

Aside from this is the realisation that the number of volunteers that the kitchen relies on is also increasing.  Can you please help with one day a month or maybe two?  No cooking expertise is necessary, just a willing and compassionate heart. 

Denise Ryan
Religious Education Teacher

Pope Francis continually reminds us of the importance of moving out of our comfort zone and serving others.  "Love and charity are service, helping others, serving others.  There are many people who spend their lives in this way, in the service of others.  When you forget yourself and think of others, this is love".  St Clare's staff and students certainly moved out of their comfort zone when volunteering at the Community Kitchen.  They experienced firsthand how to prepare and serve a nutritious meal to those in need in the community.  They organised over 50 packs of tea, coffee, sugar and UHT milk for the diners who were very appreciative.  Portia Chaplin-Ferguson, Lin Zhao LimSchneider, Aidan Armitage and Brady Gogerly, together with Mr Morson, engaged in cheerful conversation with the diners putting them at ease and showing them that the youth of today are aware of the needs others in the community and are prepared to respond to the needs.  Congratulations to staff and students at St Clare's it was a pleasure working with you.

Portia Chaplin-Ferguson, Lin Zhao LimSchneider, Brady Gogerly, Mr Morson & Aidan Armitage 

Carol Healey
Community Care Volunteer

Congratulations to all students in Years 7 and 9 on their preparation and behaviour during their recent NAPLAN tests.  Tests will continue throughout Week 7 and all students are reminded to bring their fully charged device and headphones.

Theresa Avery
Assistant Principal
Learning & Teaching

Mathematics Workshop and Homework Support takes place on Fridays at lunchtime in Room 13  Students have the opportunity to have support for homework or be in a space with a mathematics teacher present to complete more challenging work or preparing for tasks.  This is available to all year groups. 

Michael Morson
Leader of Learning, Mathematics

On Wednesday, 26 February our Year 11 & 12 students enjoyed learning and participating in various labs and activities that extended their knowledge about Human Movement, Biomechanical Analysis, training techniques, using up-to-date technology to reduce the risk of injury. 

The students loved: 

• Interacting through lots of practical activities.
• Complementing theory content with practical application.
• Year 11 – found the running analysis using the VueMotion and AI extremely interesting and helpful with identifying correct running techniques.
• Year 11 - enjoyed unpacking the Baseball Throw using the HumanTrak program and learning how to measure the range of movement was very interesting and helpful particularly to identify when an athlete can Return to play.
• Year 11 –found jumping on the force plates very interesting and learning how to analyse the jump time and height and many other aspects very useful with reducing the risk of injury.
• Year 12 - Gym work/running activities/GPS trackers/seeing data afterwards
• Good balance between theory and prac/not sitting down for too long at a time. Staying engaged throughout the day. 

GPS Tracking, GPS, Jumping Lab, Running Exercises, Running Technique, Running, Strengthening Exercises & Stretching 

Karina Hogan
Leader of Learning -PDHPE

In Year 10 Geography we are learning about the functioning of environments and the scale of human-induced environmental change that is challenging sustainability by using pictures.

Students were asked to find their own picture to show a natural environment issue, give the picture a title, describe the picture to someone who cannot see the picture and explain why it is a geographical issue for us and the environment. Students in the class then voted on the issues and Lin’s work was voted the best in the class.

Lyn Tilbrook
HSIE Teacher

Shopping for Cheap Trash

Description: 

A woman who appears fashionable carries with her four large paper shopping bags as well as her purse.  She stands among a field of rubbish (a landfill presumably).  She has a rather unbothered look on her face, like she is browsing through a shopping centre. 

Why is this a geographical issue for us and our environment? 

This picture is about overconsumption.  The woman represents people.  People go shopping.  They buy stuff for cheap and are cheap in quality, or that they have no real use for; they buy it because it looked cute or nice and it was cheap.  Humans continue with their purchases, on and on and on.  They have now accumulated a large amount of stuff, and they need to get rid of it to have space for more cheap things, so they throw it away.  It was cheap so it does not really matter anyway. 

By overconsuming goods, humans use vast amounts of energy and water to produce the large quantity (e.g. One kilo of cotton needs almost 10,000 litres of fresh water), most of which are sent to landfill (which fills up too quickly).  Over 200,000 tonnes of clothing is sent to landfill annually, in Australia alone.  They slowly degrade as they are often made of plastic (think cheap toys and accessories).  The water could instead be used for people to drink or to be a part of the ecosystem it was originally taken from (a lake for example) to support biodiversity and residents who surround it. 

Lin Zhao LimSchneider
Year 10

By Georgia Hartley Year 10 – school playground

In a remarkable achievement, Kannika Broadbent, a dedicated student of Forster Dance Elite, has been accepted into the highly competitive Associate Program for Commercial and Contemporary Dance at the National College of Dance in Newcastle.  This prestigious program will see Kannika attending 19 days of intensive dance training throughout the year, honing her skills and expanding her artistic horizons. 

Her acceptance into the National College of Dance's Associate Program is a significant milestone, not only for her but also for Forster Dance Elite.  It highlights the studio's commitment to nurturing and developing young talent, providing them with the tools and opportunities to succeed. 

After hearing the exciting news, I reached out to Kannika to ask her to share a little about her dance journey and future aspirations: 

 

Early Beginnings 

Kannika's passion for dance began at the tender age of six, when she started with just one jazz ballet class per week at Dance Elite.  Her talent and dedication quickly became evident and by the age of 10 she was invited to join the performance troupe, marking the beginning of her journey towards excellence. 

Training 

Kannika dedicates four nights a week to training at Forster Dance Elite specialising in the dance genres of Ballet, Contemporary and Jazz, showcasing her versatility and love for a variety of dance styles.  Additionally, she has developed a strong proficiency in aerials, excelling in both silks and the lyra.  Her diverse training regimen reflects her commitment to mastering multiple facets of dance. 

Challenges 

Balancing her dance training with other commitments has been one of Kannika's biggest challenges.  She has had to find time for other sports such as swimming, athletics and cross country, all while maintaining a social life.  Her ability to manage these demands speaks volumes about her dedication and time management skills. 

Achievements 

Kannika's dance journey is adorned with numerous proud moments, including recently participating in a Sydney Dance Company workshop in January.  Kannika has also been invited to join the Dance Elite performance troupe.  In her first solo performance Kannika achieved first place and reached the 'opens' level after only 12 months.  Additionally, she attained the position of Apprentice Dance Teacher at Dance Elite, further highlighting her exceptional talent and leadership qualities. 

Future Goals 

Kannika has set both short-term and long-term goals for her dance career.  In the near future, she aims to perform her first ballet solo in May this year whilst long-term, she aspires to improve her skills in aerials and ballet and to become more expressive in Lyrical and Contemporary dance. 

Professional Plans

Kannika plans to pursue dance professionally, with dreams of performing as a dancer in a major production.  She also has a passion for teaching and hopes to inspire the next generation of dancers through her experiences and knowledge. 

Role Models and Inspiration 

Kannika's dance teacher, Miss Hayley, has been a significant source of inspiration for her.  Miss Hayley has supported Kannika since the beginning of her dance journey and has had a successful career in dance herself.  Her exceptional skills as a dancer and choreographer have left a lasting impact on Kannika. 

Advice for Aspiring Dancers 

Kannika's advice for other young dancers is simple yet profound:  "Eat healthily, keep fit, and never give up."

 

Her journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, passion, and hard work. 

As Kannika embarks on this exciting new chapter, the St Clare’s community will be celebrating her success.  Her story serves as an inspiration to aspiring dancers everywhere, proving that with dedication, hard work and passion, dreams can indeed come true. 

I would like to thank Kannika very much for sharing her story and encourage others who are willing to share their talents and achievements within the field of Creative Arts to reach out to me throughout the year, so that as a community, we can celebrate together! 

Mrs Rebecca Huett
Creative Arts Leader of Learning

Year 7 and 8 TAS students embarked on their first cooking class making bruschetta with basil and some tomatoes from our garden.

Danya Gillard
Hospitality Assistant

Diocesan Sport Website Guide

Maitland Newcastle Touch Team Selections 2025

Congratulations to the following students who were selected in the Maitland-Newcastle Touch teams to represent at the NSWCCC Selections to be held from 29 to 30 April in Tuggerah.  

Boys 15s
Arlie Atchison
Lachlan Polson
Jaxon Whyte Butler 

Girls 15s
Taylor Brown
Beth Harris
Stella O’Connor 

Boys 18s
Rory Clarke 

Girls 18s
Sara Harris 

Sara Harrs, Jaxon Whyte-Butler, Arlie Atchison, Lachlan Polson, Stella O’Connor, Taylor Brown & Beth Harris 

Luke Rowe
Leader of Learning - Sport

Diocesan Swimming Championships 2025

The Diocesan Swimming Championships was held on Tuesday 11 March at The Forum Aquatic Centre in the grounds of The University of Newcastle. 

All students that attended displayed a tremendous effort throughout the day to compete and do their best in each event they participated.  A big thank you to all the parents that attended to support their child/ren and all the St Clare’s students.  Thank you to Mr Laurent Gonfond and Mrs Roxanne Dunn for their assistance as officials at the event.  There were great individual and relay team efforts on the day with a few placegetters and an Age Champion. 

Congratulations to: 

Carter Cox
3^rd - 12-14 boys 200m Freestyle

Yasmin Cassidy
2^nd - 15 girls 50m Backstroke
1^st - 15 girls 50m Freestyle
3^rd - 15 girls 50m Buterfly 

Sophie Scislo
1^st - 15-16 girls 200m Freestyle
1^st 16 girls 100m Freestyle
2^nd 16 girls 50m Freestyle
1^st 16 girls 50m Butterfly
16 girls Age Champion

The St Clare’s swim team on the day consisted of the following 15 students: 

Milly Atchison, Nate Bevitt, Yasmin Cassidy, Gionne Celestino, Carter Cox, Levi Dodds, Xavier Hammond, Eva Sansom, Sophie Scislo, Luen Stanley, Milla Thompson, Sara Uprety, Mia Wheeler, Sophia Whitehouse-Miotto, Adele Whitehouse-Miotto. 

Lastly, congratulations to the two students below who gained selection in the events listed to represent the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese at the NSWCCC event to be held in Homebush over two days - Wednesday 2 April to Thursday 3 April. 

Yasmin Cassidy
15 girls 50m Backstroke
15 girls 50m Freestyle

Sophie Scislo
15-16 girls 200m Freestyle
16 girls 100m Freestyle
16 girls 50m Freestyle
16 girls 50m Butterfly
16 girls 100m Butterfly

Luke Rowe
Leader of Learning - Sport

Beach 5s 

Year 9 student Callum Sheridan travelled to North Beach, Wollongong to compete in the Beach 5s.  The event was held on 22 February.  Callum’s team won the Beach 5 Grand Final and, depending on sponsorship, will be heading to New Zealand later in the year. 

Congratulations Callum! 

Todd Curtis
Year 9 Leader of Wellbeing & Engagement

Careers Corner 

Welcome to Chapter 2 of the St Clare’s High School Careers Corner. 

We will soon be starting our industry presentations courtesy of Erin Lute (RIEP), during our Year 12 Careers Sessions on Friday mornings.  Further details will be forthcoming as this is organised. 

Our Careers Day with Year 12 will be happening on Tuesday 1 April, due to the fact that it had to be postponed due to the School Closure on Tuesday, 11 February.  We will be talking to the students about this over the coming weeks. 

We will also be talking about the various university Early Entry pathways.  Several students have already applied to CSU with their Early Advantage Pathway. 

UONHRH Careers Forum 

On Tuesday, 4 March, 10 Year 11 students and I attended the annual University of Newcastle Hunter Regional Health Careers Forum in Taree. 

This was a wonderful opportunity for the students to see what is involved in several different health and allied health careers. 

The sessions were extremely informative and quite “hands on” and the students were able to practice some of the techniques that they would have to use in many different situations requiring care. 

There were a range of Health Careers covered including:  Medicine, Radiography, Nutrition & Dietetics, Nursing, Midwifery, Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Paramedicine, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy and Emergency Care. 

The students were excellent and participated well in the many different scenarios offered. 

In fact, the St Clare’s students featured in the local NBN coverage of the event with Ramona and Ebonie being interviewed by NBN – go girls! 

Our thanks to all those who provided the sessions and information and to the organisers of the event. 

It was an excellent session and as usual, the St Clare’s students were an absolute pleasure to be with. 

The photos speak for themselves.

Work Experience for 2025 

Work Experience (W/E) in 2025 at St Clare’s will be available as targeted work experience.  Mrs Nicole Lovern will be looking after this in 2025. 

W/E will be for the following students: 

• Transition to work students identified by Learning Support.
• Students in Year 9 and 10 interested in leaving school to find employment at the end of 2025/2026.
• Students in Year 11 and 12 who need W/E as part of applications for courses, scholarships and employment. 

W/E can be done in the following forms: 

• One day a week – transition to work programs for Work Studies students.
• One day/week for five weeks or one week organised in conjunction with the school calendar for students looking to leave school
• During holidays for Year 11 and Year12 students, and for Year 10 students - ONLY if two supporting St Clare’s teachers are available as monitors. 

Work Placement (W/P) for VET students will continue as normal in designated weeks. 

Process for W/E 

• Students wishing to be involved in a work experience program in 2025 will need to collect and fill in an application form (See Mrs Lovern).
• Each application will require an interview with Mrs Lovern and a discussion of the reason for wanting to be part of the program which must be supported by parents.
• All students will need to complete a “Work Ready” booklet which is in the W/E pack.
• All students will need to complete “Go2Workplacement”.
• An annual insurance fee applies to all students involved in W/E or W/P programs. 

White Card Course 

I have recently sent an email and Compass Notification to students and parents in Years 9, 10, 11 and 12 regarding a White Card Course which will be run at St Clare’s on Wednesday 7 May in Term 2. 

This is being run by Learning Live and will cost $140. 

Any student who is thinking about doing Work Experience in the Construction Industry will need to have a valid White Card. 

All students doing Year 11 Construction at school, will also need their White Card if they haven’t already got one. 

I have asked the students to email me if they are interested.  There are only limited places, so it is important to let me know as soon as possible so that they don’t miss out on this opportunity. 

UCAT 

For those students considering a career in Medicine or Dentistry in 2026 please see below the dates and costs for the UCAT. 

UCAT ANZ 2025 Registration opened on 4 March 2025 

Students considering a career in medicine or dentistry, during Year 12 will need to sit a compulsory entry exam known as the UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test) before they can apply for relevant placements in the aforementioned fields of study within most universities in Australia. 

The first time a candidate is eligible to sit the UCAT is during their final year of school, that is, Year 12 (in Australia) or Year 13 (in New Zealand). Candidates can repeat the UCAT yearly. The UCAT is held once a year. 

UCAT ANZ 2025 Key Dates  

Candidates taking the UCAT ANZ in 2025 for entry to universities in Australia and New Zealand in 2026 should note these key dates.  Deadline times are 11.59 pm AEST - Australian Eastern Standard Time. 

UCAT registration is available only via the UCAT ANZ website - ucat.edu.au

Test fees 

The test fee is payable at the time of booking by major debit/credit card: 

All fees are charged in Australian dollars. 

Your bank may charge an additional international transaction as Pearson VUE is a United States merchant.  If you have queries about this, please contact your bank for information. 

Late fees 

Bookings close on 16 May 2025 at 11:59 pm AEST.  The late fee of $85 applies to all bookings made during the late booking period (12:00 am AEST on 17 May - 11:59 pm AEST on 30 May). 

Late bookings close at 11:59 pm AEST on 30 May 2025.  The final late fee of $185 applies to all bookings made during the final late booking period (12:00 am AEST on 31 May - 11:59 pm AEST on 6 June). 

*The late fees are non-refundable. 

Refer to the information here about Booking your Test. 

Who is eligible to sit the UCAT? 

The UCAT ANZ test is only available to a candidate whose educational level at the time of sitting the test is that they are undertaking or have completed the final year of secondary schooling, or higher.  For example, candidates registering for UCAT ANZ 2025 should have completed, or plan to complete their final year of secondary schooling in 2025, that is, Year 12 in Australia. 

Candidates are eligible to sit UCAT ANZ if they have commenced or completed an undergraduate degree. 

It is noted, however, that not all undergraduate degree programs for which UCAT ANZ is a prerequisite will offer places for non-school leavers.  Candidates are advised to check the UCAT ANZ Consortium university websites for further information. 

It is also worth noting that there are several practice tests available on the UCAT site – these do not cost and are definitely linked to the UCAT ANZ exam.  It is strongly recommended that any student who is going to sit the UCAT, avail themselves of these.  (There are also several companies who provide these at a significant cost – UCAT ANZ have stated that these are not directly related and will not verify their content). 

The latest information from the CAA is as follows: 

Information Sessions for Students & Parents, Open Days, Expos for Students 

Virtual Open Day Catch Up | Torrens University For students who missed Torrens University's February Virtual Open Day, the recording is now available. Hear from academics about courses, scholarships, internships and what sets Torrens University apart.

UCAT and Pathways into Medicine Webinar Recording and PDF Slides Students in Year 9, 10, 11 or 12 considering a career in medicine or dentistry, and missed the previous ‘UCAT and Pathways into Medicine/Dentistry’ information session, you can access the recording and PDF slides of the presentation here

Study in the US | Virtual Information Session Hosted by Internationally Educated Come learn about studying in the US and the US university application process directly from a former Assistant Director of Admissions. Q&A session will follow. Suggested for students in Years 9-12. Wednesday 19 March 6.00pm AEDT, registration required. To register:

CQUniversity Online Chat Session | Thursday 10 April, 3.00pm (AEST) CQUniversity’s Online Chat Session is where students can get real-time answers to CQU-related questions. Whether students are curious about courses, entry requirements, scholarships, or student life, they can connect directly with CQU experts. To register:

Western Sydney University Open Day | Sunday 6 July The date for Western Sydney University's 2025 Open Day has been set for Sunday 6 July. Taking place at our vibrant Parramatta South Campus, Open Day is a fantastic opportunity for future students, teachers and the community to tour the facilities, chat to academic staff and current students, and learn all about what Western has to offer. For more information visit

Interview Academy Australia | Interview Skills, Resume Writing & LinkedIn Interview Academy Australia partners with Careers Advisers in High Schools to deliver tailored, collaborative & interactive workshops focusing on interviewing skills, resume writing, LinkedIn & networking for Years 9-12. Students develop essential competencies to successfully enter the workforce. For more information visit

or email Vicky Lazarus at info@interviewacademy.com.au.

NexGen High School Program NexGen is breaking stereotypes and inspiring the next generation of construction leaders. Through school programs, site tours, and hands-on experience, NexGen show young people—especially women—that construction offers exciting careers beyond traditional roles. To book a free session email hello@nex-gen.au or visit

Courses & Workshops for Students

National Fashion College| Free High School Masterclass - 10 Spots Left Free five-week High School Masterclass for students starts April 1. Led by an industry expert, this program explores fashion careers from Fashion Communications to Creative Direction, ending with an exclusive in-person Styling Masterclass in Sydney. For more information email morgan@nationalfashioncollege.com.

Year 11-12 Considering Medicine or Dentistry? Head-Start Medical School Interview Preparation April 2025 workshop dates are nearly full. To register:

For more information visit

or email enquiries@nie.edu.au or call 02 4367 0404 or 0404 197 178.

Pathways to University of Newcastle with Hunter Education Hunter Education Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas offer credit transfer of 1 year and 1.5 years respectively to students interested in a Bachelor of Business or a Bachelor of Tourism, Hospitality and Events. Practical skills, vocational training and internships before embarking upon university. For more information go to

Paul Wade | Life Skills – Employability Former Socceroo Captain Paul Wade can inspire students to stand up and start taking ownership of their lives. For more information visit

or call Valerie on 0408 219 482.

Arrive & Thrive | Understanding Your Morrisby Profile Module Morrisby is an incredible tool to help high school students understand some of the occupations they may want to pursue post-high school. Unfortunately, it can be hard for schools to unpack profiles individually. Arrive & Thrive has developed a self-paced module to help students understand their profiles. For a free trial of the module, email hello@arrivethrive.com.au or for more information visit

Traineeships, Cadetships, Apprenticeships - Information & Opportunities

Apprentices May be Eligible to Receive Between $5k - $10k over the Course of their Apprenticeship The Australian Government is providing assistance of up to $10k to those entering an apprenticeship/traineeship under the priority list. To support Australian Apprentices, the program is to attract and retain apprentices/trainees to address the skills shortage. Gain practical skills and be paid wages and receive up to $10k. For more information visit

Scholarships, Early Entry, Alternative Pathways 

Western's HSC True Reward Early Offer Program HSC True Reward acknowledges that students are much more than their scaled ATAR. The program recognises a student’s subject performance, which best reflects their strengths and areas of interest, as an indicator of future success at university. Offers based on Year 11 or 12 results are made from September. For more information visit

Western Sydney University Indigenous Entry Pathway Program The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pathway Entry Program is an alternative University Entry Program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Applicants can gain entry to any undergraduate degree at Western by completing the entry assessment and be supported throughout their education. The next assessment days are online and on campus in June 2025.  For more information visit

Early Offers are Approaching at UC Sydney Hills Early Offer applications for the University of Canberra Sydney Hills open on 19 May. Tour the campus and explore the programs, helping students make informed decisions for next year and secure early offers confidently. For more information or to book a campus tour, email Kartina.Ayoob@canberra.edu.au

Resources for Students 

The Importance of a USI A Unique Student Identifier (USI) is a student’s education number for life. All students undertaking nationally recognised training such as VET or a First Aid course, must have a USI to get their certificate. Higher education students need it to access a Commonwealth Supported Place, HELP loans and to graduate. Students can create their USI in under 5 minutes using their ID. For more information visit

or email stakeholders@usi.gov.au.

Other Information

Sydney Actors School Graduates Performance | The Moors The Moors, a dark gothic comedy, is playing at Sydney Actors School from 8-16 March. It is the debut production of Waterloo Studios Theatre Company, a new initiative designed to give Sydney Actors School graduates independent theatre opportunities. Suitable for students aged 16 and up. To book tickets visit

I am happy to meet with anyone who would like to talk about post school pathways and can be contacted by phone on 6552 3300 or by email karen.mccann@mn.catholic.edu.au

Karen McCann
Careers/VET Adviser

Term 1 2025

Term 2 2025