I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the staff, students, and parents for the incredibly warm welcome in my new role as Principal of St Clare’s High School.  These past few weeks have been bustling with activity! 

In Week 1, we had the pleasure of welcoming 118 Year 7 students into our community.  We also saw the return of our Year 11 and Year 12 students, followed by the rest of the school the next day, including new students across Years 9 to 11.  Alongside our new students, we are excited to have several new staff members joining St Clare’s, with some of our existing staff taking on new leadership positions. 

New positions 

Teaching Staff - Ms Naomi King (Mathematics) 
Learning Support Teacher - Mrs Sarah Blundell and Mrs Megan Brown 
Learning Support Assistant - Mr Jackson Starr and Miss Amelia Lunney, Mrs Karina Warner and Miss Sophie Gogerly
Support Staff: - Mrs Chelsea Wann (Science) and Ms Loretta Tener (Office)
Onsite Casual Staff: - Ms Victoria Merillo

 Victoria Merillo, Sarah Blundell, Sophie Gogerly, Megan Brown & Karina Warner

New Leadership Roles 

Mrs Karen McCann - Ministry Coordinator 
Mrs Nicole Lovern - Wellbeing Mentor and Careers 
Ms Tanith Reardon - Pedagogical Mentor 
Ms Erin Lawler - Friday Science Leader of Learning 
Mrs Rebecca Harris - Learning Support Coordinator  
Mr Jeremy Hobbes – Year 10 Leader of Wellbeing & Engagement
Mrs Linda Davies - VET Coordinator   

Dux Assembly 

At the end of our first week, we proudly celebrated the remarkable academic achievements of 2024 with our Dux Assembly where were joined by Head of Schools Jacqueline Wilkinson and Assistant Head of Schools Kate Drake.  The assembly featured awards presented to our top achievers, which included:

Ms Jacqueline Wilkinson, Head of Catholic Schools & Phoebe Hinchliffe - Dux 2024

ATAR 90+ 

Phoebe Hinchliffe – 94.20
Elise Miles – 94.0
Trinity Waterhouse – 91.95
Booyong Dykshoorn – 90.85 

Diocesan First In Course: 

Earth & Environmental Science – Phoebe Hinchliffe
Agriculture (Equal) – Lucinda Kern
Drama – Elise Miles
English Advanced (Equal) – Elise Miles
Japanese Beginners (Equal) – Elise Miles
English Extension 1 – Trinity Waterhouse

Record of School Achievement (RoSA) - Year 10 Academic Achievement (Six or more Grade A’s) 

Benjamin Cooper
Cornell Estibeiro
Amelia Johnson
Bonnie McMaster
Tessa Rourke

Cornell Estibeiro, Bonnie McMaster, Ms Jacqueline Wilkinson, Head of Catholic Schools, Amelia Johnson & Benjamin Cooper 

A heartfelt thank you to our Assistant Principal, Theresa Avery, and our dedicated hospitality team for their incredible efforts in making this occasion truly special. 

Grounds and Maintenance 

During the holidays, St Clare’s underwent significant major works, including improvements to our Aboriginal Education space, classrooms, and various other maintenance projects.  I would like to extend my gratitude to our diligent grounds and maintenance team for their hard work in coordinating these projects throughout the break.

Opening School Mass 

We came together again this week to celebrate our Opening School Mass.  This year is very special in the Church Calendar as Pope Francis has declared 2025 the Jubilee Year of Hope.  A Jubilee is a special year of grace, typically lasting approximately one year.  The theme for this Jubilee is “Pilgrims of Hope,” as the Pope urges all Catholics to renew their hope in Christ.  And in the words of Ryan Gato, Assistant Head of Schools Religious Education and Spirituality Services, “As we celebrate this Jubilee Year of “Pilgrims of Hope”, let us embrace our mission with joy and enthusiasm, knowing that each step we take with God brings us closer to a more hopeful future”.

Swimming Carnival 

This week's school Swimming Carnival was graced with beautiful weather, making it a fantastic community day filled with standout performances.  Congratulations to Lawson for being awarded the Spirit Trophy and to Gordon for emerging as the Champion House.  A special thank you to our house leaders and to Mr Rowe for his exceptional organisation of the carnival.

Parent Partnership 

In 2025, we aim to enhance opportunities for engagement with our parent community.  While more details will be provided soon, I would like to extend my gratitude to all the parents who participated in our community events over the past three weeks. 

Davis Street 

As you are aware traffic along Davis Street is restricted to outside school time zones.  Can I please ask for parent support in this matter and not use Davis Street during these peak times.  Students are to be picked up in Cowper Street.

School Uniform 

It's been encouraging to see most students returning to school in the correct uniform.  However, some students are wearing incorrect school shoes, which do not meet our presentation standards.  Please remember that shoes must be "black, leather, tongued, lace-up and polishable"  This is also a WHS requirement for practical and Science subjects.

Creative Arts 

I would like to extend my thanks to our Creative Arts staff, who spent three days in Sydney for the Senior Creative Arts excursion and attended Bravissimo in Port Macquarie.  Both events provided incredibly valuable educational experiences for our students.

Lastly, I want to express my gratitude to the entire school community for their patience and understanding as we navigated the storm damage that led to the school closure.  While it was certainly not an ideal start to 2025, I felt incredibly grateful for the team around me, who worked together tirelessly to ensure we were operational again within such a short timeframe.  

Kind Regards

 

Christine Harmer
Principal