Dear Parents & Friends of St Clare’s

I hope you and your loved ones are safe, fit and well.

HSC exams commenced this week and it was wonderful to welcome our senior students onto the grounds to complete their secondary education.  While the annual exams always present particular challenges to students, the 2021 cohort has worked under extraordinary pressure and circumstances over the past two years, while preparing to sit their Higher School Certificate.

I am very proud of the way in which students have approached the many challenges that have been presented to them in their senior years.  They have shown resilience and perseverance and are a great credit to their families and our school.

I am pleased to report that the students made a great start to the exam period and reported that they felt that they had been well prepared by their teachers for the challenges ahead.

Over past month’s staff have been working on a review of the St Clare’s Vision & Mission Statement.  I am delighted to announce that the Bishop’s Office and Catholic Schools Office have endorsed the final draft which you will find at the link below:

The Vision & Mission Statement will inform the operation, style and form of all other policies and procedures that we follow at the school.  Parents, students and staff can expect to see regular reference to the document over coming years.

I thank Mark Spencer and St Clare’s Mission Coordinator Denise Ryan for their extensive input into the development of the document and St Clare’s staff who invested considerable thought and effort into construction of the statement.

St Clare’s continues to operate under Level 3 Guidelines.  This means that masks must be worn by students and staff while they are inside and that only adults who are twice vaccinated are able to enter the campus.  These guidelines have a considerable impact on the usual rites of passage and significant celebrations that the St Clare’s community enjoy towards the end of each school year.

Information regarding the Year 12 Graduation Ceremony (held at the school) and dinner to follow at the Racecourse has been sent to all Year 12 students and their families.  Attendance at these community gatherings is dependent on all adults being doubly vaccinated and presenting proof of vaccination at the point of entry to each venue.

The Year 10 Social will be held at Club Taree on Wednesday, 8 December.  It is a condition of entry to the Club that all guests (students and supervising teachers) are all doubly vaccinated.

While the pandemic continues to impact on the day-to-day lives of all in our community and there is considerable fatigue around the provisions under which we all have to live, our excellent staff are doing all in their power to ensure that the young people in our care are engaged in their learning.

The extra sporting sessions, special CLARE gatherings and guest presenters are designed to help the young people to maintain their wellbeing and mental health and to ensure that they emerge from the pandemic as people confident in their abilities and sensitive to the needs of others.

My thanks to Student Representative Council Coordinator Jeremy Hobbes and School Captains Charles Pitt, Medinah Wells, Lachlan Monks & Lucy Green for leading the St Clare’s Community Remembrance Day Reflection at 11 am, Thursday, 11 November.  Lest we forget.

You will be aware that COVID is present in our community.  If your son or daughter is even minimally “off colour” please keep them at home until they have recovered.

My thanks to parents, students and staff for your support of each other as we continue to work together to ensure the best outcomes for all the young people in our care.

God bless

Peter Nicholls
Principal