Dear Parents & Friends of St Clare’s

Welcome to St Clare’s Week 6 Newsletter, I hope you and your family are fit, well and in good spirits.

This week marks the 200^th Anniversary of Catholic Education in Australia:  from humble beginnings, the Catholic School system has become a major provider of Preschool, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Education to thousands of Australians each day.  As a product of Catholic Education, I am acutely aware of the sacrifices many parents make to ensure that their children attend a Catholic School.

We do know the impact that the countless nuns, priests, brothers and lay teachers have had in ensuring that all those who attend a Catholic school receive a faith filled quality education that allows all students to develop their skills, talents and faith throughout their lives.

NAPLAN testing of Years 7 and 9 was completed last week.  The exams are a major undertaking and their successful administration is heavily dependent on the reliability of our national online infrastructure, which, for the most part, allowed our young people to complete tasks with a minimum of fuss.  My thanks to St Clare’s NAPLAN Coordinators Assistant Principal Theresa Avery and IT Coordinator Phill Carney and their team (Melissa Northam, Jeremy Hobbes, Ian Evans, Stacy Posadas, Niko Campbell-Ellis and Bernadette Boere) for their excellent organisation and collaboration across a busy two-week period.

I have had a limited response to my request for feedback from parents regarding the recent Years 7 to 11 Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews.  If you would like to share some thoughts, please do so via the admin email address:  admin@tareesc.catholic.edu.au.

St Clare’s was one of five hubs used to conduct the Diocesan Synod.  Each of the hubs were connected electronically to allow people from across the Diocese (delegates from Krambach, Forster and Taree Parishes gathered in the Josephite Centre) to speak and share ideas in preparation for the National Gathering in November.

My thanks to Ministry Coordinator Denise Ryan who served as Site Coordinator, Ben Gibbs, St Clare’s IT technician who kept watch on the technology and Mal Cadd who worked in a caretaker capacity on the day.  Forster Parish members Ian and Anne Evans who completed a wide range of duties and staff members Bernadette Boere, Laure Boere, David Hutchison, Lyndall Laurie, Deacon Vince Ryan and Leann Sullivan who represented their Parish and the St Clare’s community.

Thanks also to members of the Diocesan Office who organised food and logistical support across our region.

Facilitator Mark Spencer will lead a third staff meeting on 2 June as staff continue the process of drafting the St Clare’s Vision and Mission Statement.  I am hoping that we will be able to present the draft to the community for comment in the newsletter in coming weeks.

Recent events in Victoria and South Australia have shown us how quickly COVID-19 can disrupt plans and impact negatively on our day-to-day lives.  St Clare’s staff continue to follow safe hygiene processes and do all to ensure that students and staff remain fit and well.

Our planning for the Year 9 and 10 Canberra/Snowy Excursion and the Year 12 Graduation ceremonies continue with the understanding that, due to the pandemic, all plans and activities are subject to change with little notice.

Readers can find the latest COVID-19 guidelines from Catholic Schools NSW following the Principal’s Report.

God bless

Peter Nicholls
Principal