Dear Parents, Carers and Community Members

I would like to extend best wishes to all for a happy and healthy new year.  It’s a pleasure to see all the students, teachers, and ancillary staff back at school after a long and well-deserved break.

As we enter a new year and term, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that has taken the time to wish me well as I take on the role of Principal of St Clare’s for the 2023 year.  I don’t see this year as a year where I am just filling the shoes of Mr Nicholls.  As I have spoken to the staff and students, I intend on being me, a visible Principal, with a clear focus on building quality relationships.  A connected school where students, parents, carers, and the wider community work collectively to provide a high-quality learning environment where there are opportunities for all our students to achieve ‘Be successful’.

St Clare’s has and always will provide its students with a faith based, healthy and competitive learning environment to help the student grow in every sphere, be it academics, creative arts, industrial arts, sport, or any other extracurricular area.

In the first weeks of school, I have challenged our students to be the best they can be ‘to be successful’.  I asked them to think about this question.  How are you going to achieve personal excellence, be successful this year?  This will require them to take ownership for their learning, set themselves clear goals on what they want to achieve and then work hard to achieve these goals.

Last Sunday’s gospel reading Matthew 5:13-16: included this statement “Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds’.

We want our students use their gifts given to them by God and to ‘let their light shine’ for all to see, so as a community we can celebrate their successes with them.

Welcome to our community for 2023

A big welcome goes our new Year 7 students who have started the year very well, finding their way in a new environment and what high school is all about compared to primary school.  I’ve had the opportunity to say hello as a collective group, but also meet a number of them individually.  It was great to see their smiling faces at the end of the first week.  I would also like to welcome all the other students that have joined us in Years 8-11.  You are all most welcome and I am looking forward to getting to know all of you as the year progresses.

We also welcome several new staff members, Michael Morson - Mathematics Leader of Learning; Tanille Gardner – Religious Education Leader of Learning; Sally MacKay – teacher of TAS; Ben De Somma – Teacher of English; Leilanie Andrews – Aboriginal Education Worker & Learning Support Assistant, Larissa Collins – School Counsellor; and Lisa Millard – Bursar.

We welcome back, after taking leave in 2022, Mr Bruce Bielby – HSIE Teacher; Mr David Hutchison – Teacher of Religious Education and TAS.

Positional changes for 2023

Assistant Principal, Wellbeing – Marian Parvin
Religious Education Leader of Learning – Tanielle Gardner
Mathematics Leader of Learning – Michael Morson
Wellbeing Mentor – Bronwen Davidson (Years 8, 10 & 12) and Nicole Lovern (Years 7, 9 & 11).  Both will continue in their role of Leaders of Wellbeing in their respective cohorts of Year 12 and Year 11
Year 9 Leader of Wellbeing – Jamaya Pearce
Year 9 Assistant Leader or Wellbeing – Matthew Hanlon
Year 10 Assistant Leader of Wellbeing – Jeremy Hobbs

Finally,

‘Together with Christ we serve our community’
Inspired by GOSPEL VALUES and the practical examples of St Mary of The Cross MacKillop and St Clare of Assisi our Mission is to…
CONNECT LEARN ASPIRE RESPECT ENGAGE

Kind regards

Phillip Gibney
Principal