Tidings Edition 9

Upcoming Events

In 1980, Canberra Girls High School Griffith changed its name to St Clare’s College and, at this time, the College had four Houses; Clare, Gilmore, Chisholm and Lourdes. At the end of Term 1, 1986, the House system was reformed as six Houses with new names: Alinda, Japara, Makara, Wareen, Wibalu, Wirana (suggested by Year 7 student Katina Grant). These names were selected to represent the strength of women as highlighted within indigenous culture.

While I found this information embedded within the archived Yearbooks of the time, I was inspired to look for it by our guest speaker at our family breakfast last week, Annie O’Rouke. Annie is an alumnus of 1988 and has she has gone on to be the founder and Chief Creative Officer of 89 Degrees East, a national strategic communications consultancy. She had her “first political adviser job interview, to the most junior member of the Labor Opposition Front bench team - a guy called Anthony Albanese” and after this appointment has since been a political advisor to Prime Minister Keven Rudd, as well as working with Cate Blanchett.

Annie spoke eloquently about the Principal at that time, Sister Joan, and highlighted her wisdom and strength in choosing these “out of the box” House names. “In her changing the names to First Nations people and their spirits, she wanted to give us an understanding of the strong and vibrant Indigenous culture that surrounded us and encourage us to explore how those spirits and stories could be of interest, relevance and used in our lives.

• Japara the woman who created fire,

• Warren the amazing female hunter,

• Makara the clever snow maidens

• and my personal favourites the soaring Wirana female sea eagles

all amazing examples of women having different personalities, skills, experiences that were all equally valuable.”

Two new Houses; Kipara and Ulamina, were added in 1997. There have been various groupings of students within the Houses over the years, but the shift to vertical House-based Pastoral Care in 2024 will put a renewed and strengthened focus on our Houses. We aim to reinvigorate the cultural identity of each House, as enlivened by Sr Joan, while continuing to build upon our Franciscan spirituality as lived by St Clare.

Over the last two days, I have been privileged to interview 24 students in Year 11 who have applied for 2024 School Profile Captain positions. They all represented themselves exceedingly well and I thank them all for their considered applications and their clear expression of their commitment to this wonderful College. Going by their thoughts and plans, 2024 will be a great year! Without exception, it was heartening to hear how each one, within their selected profile position, aimed to build connection throughout the year levels and their plans to leverage off the vertical pastoral care system. Irrespective of shortlists and votes next week, we are blessed to have such a wonderful group of young women ready to lead the College through the next morphosis of the House system.

Ann Cleary Principal

Defence School Mentor

My name is Alice Coleman and I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you. I am the new Defence School Mentor (DSM) at St Clare’s College.

I am a Defence Spouse and have supported my husband through his Army career for the past 7 years. As with most Defence families, his career has seen us go through various training establishments, postings and multiple periods of distance living. I have a vast understanding and appreciation for the lifestyle that comes with being married to a member of the Defence force and appreciate that it comes with both advantages and hardships. Personally, I have a strong passion for supporting others and have often been a support to other Defence spouses and their families during difficult times. I moved to Australia from London when I was at the beginning of high school and so have an understanding for the emotional and academic strains that moving can place on a student and their family. We have been living in Canberra since the beginning of 2021 and have been embracing and enjoying life in the Capital. We love exploring all of the playgrounds and outdoor spaces with our son and as we are both coastal kids at heart, we’ll often pop to the coast to recharge in the salty air!

As the Defence School Mentor, my role is to monitor and support the social, emotional and academic wellbeing of Defence students at St Clare’s College. I will bring awareness of the Defence lifestyle to the College community as a whole, support students during parental absence, and provide information to Defence Families regarding support services available. In order to create a sense of community, I will plan and run events within the school to encourage your daughters to foster relationships with students that have similar life experiences. I will be a support through times of change, welcoming and farewelling Defence students at St Clare’s College. My office is a place in which the students are welcome to come to discuss any issues they may be having and I encourage them to pop in to also share any life highlights with me so that we can celebrate the positive together as well!

I look forward to getting to know your daughters as we commence regular events throughout Term 4. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is anything you feel should be highlighted or if you require some support options for your daughter.

Email address:

alice.coleman@stcc.act.edu.au

Phone number: (02) 6260 9421.

My office hours are:

Tuesday 0800-1600

Wednesday 0800-1630

Friday 0800-1230

When do I contact the DSM?

→ Enrolment - Upon enrolment, liaising with the DSM can assist us in welcoming your daughter, integrating her into the school community, minimising the impact of relocation on learning outcomes between different education systems, and helps us to identify any programs or support services that may be needed.

→ Challenges - If your daughter is experiencing any challenges settling into St Clare’s College, or throughout the year.

→ Parental Absence – Letting us know when an ADF family member will be away, whether it be for deployment, extended work-related travel, or posting unaccompanied, allows us to ensure appropriate supports are in place for your daughter.

→ Farewell – If you are posting to a new locality or leaving the school, your daughter will be supported leading up to this transition, farewelled and given a farewell pack.

→ Information / Services – If you require information on support services, such as education support for students with special needs, or about the Education Assistance Scheme to access services like tutoring, I can assist you in receiving the information and contacts you may need.

Alice Coleman Defence School Mentor

RACI Titration Competition

The RACI’s Titration Competition is an annual event, designed to encourage secondary students who enjoy Chemistry, particularly its practical side, to develop their scientific skills and understanding.

Students in a team of 3 compete in their state. St Clare’s College had two teams to compete in May for the first round where they performed a 90 minute titration challenge. Each team member performed two sets of acid-base titrations in order to determine the unknown concentration of a weak acid in a solution that was supplied to them.

Our students completed their experiment and one team qualified for the finals in late August. We congratulate Charlotte, Tylah and Maarij who participated in the State finals. Charlotte was awarded a gold medal, and Tylah and Maarij received silver medals.

It is important to mention Charlotte’s remarkable achievement as the concentration she got was the most accurate of all the participants of the finalist from ACT. The actual concentration was 1.887 and her result was 1.891. A difference of 0.004!

Meraj Qamaruddin Science Teacher

Japanese Speech Contests

Congratulations to our senior student, Abigail Cubitt who participated in the online ACT Senior Japanese Speech Contest on Saturday 19 August. A very interesting topic about the environment and sustainability delivered with courage and aptitude.

The ACT High School Division Contest was back in person on Saturday 9 September and Irine Suraj and Maaeri Ranawat bravely entered into it with both of them placing third. Irine spoke about her milestones and Maaeri spoke about her hometown, both with beautiful supporting PowerPoint slides. The topic is open and students can choose what they would like to talk about for 2 to 3 minutes. There was a particularly competitive field in Year 10 so this is a great achievement.

Lisa Bourne Leader of Learning - Languages

Mission and Ministry

CSYMA Shine Conference

On Friday 1 September Mrs Adams and Mrs Manning’s Year 10 Youth Ministers had the pleasure of attending the annual CSYMA Shine Conference at Merici College.

The Theme for the day was Let your Light Shine. Students had the opportunity to participate in many workshops based around running retreats such as Testimonies/ Ice Breakers/Drama and Music as well as hearing from experts on topics such as Homelessness/Leadership/ Power of Prayer Care for Creation. Outside the workshop’s students listened to guest speakers including Hip Hop artist Josh Angrisano; participated in a liturgy, and a Q&A session. Our Youth Ministers found the day enriching, insightful, and a great opportunity to collaborate with Youth Ministers from other Catholic Colleges in the Diocese. Many thanks to Mrs Campbell for accompanying the students on the day.

The Karinya House Gala Dinner

The Karinya House Gala dinner was held on Friday 8 September and Dr Cleary and Mrs Manning had the privilege of taking our Profile Captains, Ulamina and Wareen House Captains to this annual event. As always our students were wonderful ambassadors for the College.

The night was filled with fun and dancing and was a beautiful way to celebrate the efforts of Karinya House, as well as praise the change they make within our community.

- Alicia

The Karinya Gala Dinner was an amazing and inspiring opportunity to witness the remarkable generosity of the Canberra community and learn more about the important role that this organisation plays in supporting woman and their children. - Mackenzie

The Karinya Gala dinner was a great night surrounded by so many amazing people (and their dance moves). It was so special to be a part of celebrating this amazing organisation and all that the work that they do. - Ava

Marie Manning

Mission and Ministry Coordinator

Year 9 Reflection Day - Tuesday 29 August

The YMT from Sydney brought a series of very engaging, fun and hands on activities that helped Year 9 recognize and learn important topics, for example our relationship with Jesus and the importance of being ourselves. I thought that the different group activities they introduced were unique and fun as the whole grade participated and everyone seemed to have a great time! There were also chocolates given out which made everyone a little more excited for each game we did.

Andi - Year 9 SRC

Sydney YMT brought lots of fun and inclusive games, and rewards to encourage us to answer the questions about the topics. The dramas were a different way of showing us the important messages they were trying to convey to us instead of just talking at us. Overall a great day.

Kaitlin - Year 9 SRC

R U OK Day

On Wednesday 14 September, St Clare’s held an R U OK event to promote healthy conversations. During Pastoral Care, students were given the opportunity to engage in activities that reiterated the importance of lending support when needed and building relationships with those around us. Staff and students were able to collect a handmade crocheted flower made by the Social Justice Team during lunchtime and gift it to someone they care for as a way to inspire and empower individuals to stay connected. This was accompanied by a lunchbox concert that was organised by the Arts and Culture Team as a part of strengthening the College’s sense of community.

Mackenzie Social Justice Captain

Year 12 AST

Year 9 Camp

What an incredible adventure our Year 9 Students have had this last week in Sydney. Students were placed into small teams, with a teacher and Urban Challenge guide. Students participated in a variety of interactive activities all over Sydney. Some of the highlights included: exploring Pitt Street; Central Park; trying different types of cuisines at lunch; staying at the beautiful Cockatoo Island Camp Ground; enjoying a silent disco (which was not so silent!) and getting involved in in the Cook4Good program just to name a few.

Cook4Good is an opportunity to give back to the community by preparing nutritious meals for people experiencing homelessness and food scarcity and STCC students prepared over 900+ meals!

Year 9 Camp was incredibly successful, fun, educational and a wonderful opportunity for students to be able to form deeper connections with one another. The College would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the amazing teachers who joined Year 9 on this adventure. We are blessed to have such caring, supportive and dedicated staff and we cannot thank them enough.

House Activities

In the Classroom

Year 7 French

The Year 7 French classes are learning to describe family members including pets. Students could choose an imaginary pet if they didn’t have a pet at home. In preparation for their upcoming speaking assessment task where they have designed pet posters, which then can become the model for describing the other members of their family (their actual family or an imaginary family).

Here a few examples of student work:

Year 10 French

The Year 10 French class and their teacher wishes a ‘bon voyage’ to Klara, who is going on exchange to Brittany France for the next 6 months.

The class have spent time looking at the region and filled in a file about the most striking aspects. The class noticed the existence of another language other than French in that region, the Britton language, which is related to ‘Welsh’, the language of Wales, England.

As the Aboriginal languages here were forbidden so was the Britton language banned in schools for about 60 years, but since the 1970s it is authorised and taught in the French schools in that region. So, Klara might hear some of it as well as the folk dances and costumes whilst living in this region. The class studied and tried the basic steps of the folkdance, ‘An-dro’.

SWITCH

The SWITCH Club had a brilliant few days in Adelaide as finalists for the AIIA Awards. Although the team missed out on a win this year the skills, knowledge and experiences learnt together has been invaluable. The judges commended the students on all that they had achieved. It is safe to say that this is only the beginning for the SWITCH Club with their minds already planning their next innovative project.

Finishing off the trip, the team visited the zoo and observed the automation at Haigh’s Factory (and sampled some chocolates too) – a well earned treat!

The College would like to extend our gratitude and appreciation to the accompanying teachers Ms Bridgid Sutton and Ms Juliette Major - for their consistent encouragement and support of young women in STEM.

Ms Major has mentored, inspired and dedicated countless hours to the SWITCH Club and our community is incredibly grateful to have such wonderful teachers.

The College would also like to thank our sponsors for their support: Grazing Gundaroo, Synergy Group and Canberra Data Centers.

Congratulations to the SWITCH team!

Careers VET NEWS

Reminders for Year 12:

• SRS – applications for the Schools Recommendation Scheme close 18 September

• Early Bird UAC Round – all students are encouraged to apply for university via UAC by 29 September

• University of Canberra – UC Open Day is Saturday 16 September

• Need Assistance? – See Mrs Brown ASAP

Congratulations

Congratulations to the Year 12 students who received early offers for ANU, UC and/or UOW. Early offers are generally based on Year 11 results so this is an admirable achievement by these students.

C.A.S. Hawker Scholarship – Attention Year 12

The C.A.S. Hawker Scholarships are privately funded scholarships perpetuating the memory of scholar, soldier and pastoralist, Charles Allan Seymour Hawker and commemorates the achievements of this respected statesman. The scholarships are available to undergraduate student. Each residential scholarship is valued at up to $60 000 over three years. The scholarships are available to all Australian students with most awarded to those entering first year university. Selection is largely based on personal qualities and demonstrated leadership as well as academic ability. Four scholarships are awarded each year. This scholarship opens on Monday 4th December and closes on Friday 5 January 2024. More information can be found here: https://www.hawkerscholarship.org/

Year 10 H-Course Information

A H-Course is an extension/accelerated pathway program for senior secondary students provided by a higher education provider. ANU and UC both offer H courses. H-Courses can be included as a BSSS Minor and may contribute towards a student’s ATAR rank. H Courses are well suited to students with an enquiring mind, a desire to develop a relationship with a particular university and/ or an interest in a particular subject area. Information sessions have been provided to current Year 10 students as part of Career Chat Tuesday and Year 10 Flex.

If your daughter missed these sessions, she is encouraged to see Mrs Brown for details. Applications will open shortly.

More information can be found here:

https://www.canberra.edu.au/campaign/acceleratedpathways-program

https://extension.anu.edu.au/

Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA)

Dr Michelle Burg escorted three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to University of Canberra on 31 August to be part of the High School to Deadly Careers (HS2DC) program to promote and showcase the diversity of health careers. Students participated in interactive stations and discovered a variety of health professions, which can set them on a pathway towards a career in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, Allied Health Assistance or as an Allied Health Profession, such as Physiotherapist, Dentist, Optometrist, Pharmacist, Podiatrist, Radiographer, Social Worker, Dietitian, Speech Pathologist to name a few! Through the HS2DC program, students also gain insights into how they can become advocates for their own health, and the health of their families and communities.

More information on the HS2DC program can be found here: Indigenous Allied Health Australia - HS2DC

Trish Brown Leader of Learning Careers and Future Pathways

Over the past three weeks we have had teams compete in events in football (soccer), basketball, Oztag, track and field and netball. At the time of print, we are eagerly awaiting weekend netball grand finals, with teams qualifying in five out of the seven intermediate/cadets divisions at South Canberra Netball Association. Our girls have achieved excellent results in the following events over the past three weeks:

→ SSACT Football Finals (Soccer) year 7/8 team –Winners

→ SSACT Football Finals (Soccer) year 9/10 team –Runners-up

→ ASC Basketball Championships year 7/8 team – Third place

→ ASC Basketball Championships year 9/10 team – Fifth place

→ ASC Basketball Championships year 11/12 team – Winners

→ Oztag ACT Secondary Gala Day year 7 team – Round matches

→ Oztag ACT Secondary Gala Day year 8 team – Round matches

→ Oztag ACT Secondary Gala Day year 9 team – Round matches

→ Oztag ACT Secondary Gala Day year 10 team – Round matches

→ SSACT Track and Field 12&U

→ SSACT Netball Finals year 9/10 team – Third place

STCC Sport

UPCOMING SPORTS OPPORTUNITIES

Sports events are subject to excursion approvals and may change at any time. Upcoming events:

19 September – SSACT Track and Field Championships 13&O

19 October – Beach Volleyball College Gala Day (years 11-12)

20 October – Beach Volleyball Secondary Gala Day (years 7-10)

25 October – Brumbies Rugby 10s competition (years 7-12)

3 November – Softball Secondary competition (years 7-10)

17 November – Tennis ACT Secondary Schools participation day

In the Headlines

CELEBRATING OUR ACHIEVEMENTS

See below for a snapshot of recent outstanding achievements. Please share your sports achievements and photos via email to louise.patton@ stcc.act.edu.au

BASKETBALL

Congratulations to Sophie Brennan on her outstanding achievement of selection to attend the Basketball Australia u17 national selection camp at the Centre of Excellence (AIS). This was a selection camp for the Australian Sapphires team for the upcoming FIBA U17 Oceania Championships in Papua New Guinea.

TRACK AND FIELD

Congratulations to Arabella Gabriel who qualified for the SSACT Track and Field 12&U Championships. Arabella was our sole 12&U representative; our team of 13&O qualifiers will compete next week. Arabella ran a quick 800m in a hot field.

SWIMMING

Congratulations to Chloe Smith (Year 8) who represented the ACT in the School Sport Australia Swimming Championships in Sydney. Chloe swam brilliantly to qualify for finals and achieved four top-ten results.

NETBALL

Congratulations to Alannah Culnane (Year 10) on her selection in the Netball ACT Umpire Academy.

Alannah has been very dedicated to her umpiring over a number of years and is a highly valued member of our weekend netball umpiring group. This is great recognition of her umpiring ability.

Congratulations to Ava Wrathall and Sipa Maka (Year 7) who have just competed for the ACT in the School Sport Australia 12&U Netball Championships in Perth. This follows outstanding junior representative seasons.

Congratulations to Sally Hill (Year 11) who was awarded the Netball ACT U17 Player of the Season following the end of the state league season. Jaida Crowle (Year 10) was awarded Most Valuable Player in the Netball ACT U17 state league grand final. A full wrap-up of the weekend netball season will be provided in the next edition of Tidings. Best of luck to our grand final teams!

FOOTBALL

Congratulations to Alyssa Di-Campli (Year 11) who was selected in the SSACT team to compete at the School Sport Australia 18&U Football (Soccer) Championships in Canberra. The championships are continuing at the time of print, with the SSACT team in medal contention.

GYMNASTICS

Georgia Peach (level 6) and Erin Howard (level 7) were selected to represent the ACT in the Bigham Cup. The Bigham Cup sees the top 6 gymnasts for national level 6 and level 7 women’s artistic gymnastics from across Australia compete in team and individual disciplines. The girls both competed brilliantly against very tough competition, with podium awards all round. Georgia was awarded silver overall in the level 6 team event and went on to secure gold on vault and gold on beam for her individual performances.

Georgia’s high scores also secured her a silver medal overall in the individual category. Erin finished fourth overall in the level 7 team event and went on to secure a bronze for her individual beam routine.

HOCKEY

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected into ACT State Hockey Teams to play at the Australian Outdoor Championships in Newcastle and Darwin in September - Annika Plenty (U15), Abigail Coghlan (U15 shadow player) and Paige Sloan (U13).

AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL

Congratulations to Ashley Patton (year 11) on her selection in the National AFLW Futures Squad. Ashley took part in a camp and game in Melbourne. Ashley was also hosted recently at a reception at Parliament House with Federal Sports Minister, Anika Wells, and local members of parliament David Smith and David Pocock, following her return from competing for Australia in the Women’s Baseball World Cup.

In the Headlines

Erin Miles (Year 10)

Erin will be attending the Australian Girls National Choir Tour from the 15 - 22 September!

Well done Erin!

Maggie Dickens (Year 12)

Congratulations to STCC student Maggie Dickens on her achievement of becoming a finalist for ACT VET awards. Her dedication, diligence and passion for Hospitality is inspiring!

Maggie says, “My vocational training provided me with the knowledge and practical experience for current and future work opportunities in the industry, a long-term career and life goal.”

Well done Maggie! The College is incredibly proud!

Notices

CDC Canberra Bus Notice

Please register your child for a bus pass to avoid overcrowding.

If a child does not have a travel pass - please fill out an application form online here If they have changed school, they can update the pass online here

Elizabeth Roberts (nee Kerr) Class of 2003

My name is Elizabeth (Liz) Roberts (nee Kerr). I graduated from St Clare’s in 2003. Following graduation, I went to the University of Canberra and studied nursing. I married my wonderful husband in 2016 and have 2 incredible boys. I have remained living near Canberra and love the lifestyle it offers.

I have very fond memories of St Clare’s, from the teachers that supported me to the life-long friendships I made. It wasn’t an easy journey –and I remember needing to advocate for myself as much as anything, to achieve what I wanted but I know that the support was there if I needed it.

I had wanted to become a registered nurse for as long as I could remember, and although I didn’t get the marks to enter the degree from Year 12 directly, I pursued and forged my own way to achieve my dream. After completing my undergraduate studies in 2007, I worked at Calvary Hospital in a few areas for around 8 or 9 years, finding a passion for education and training.

I was lucky and found a position at the University of Canberra as a Clinical Liaison Nurse – a position I proudly hold today.

I describe my nursing career as a jack of all trades, I worked predominantly in operating theatres and emergency, while having some time in intensive care while completing post graduate studies. I found a love of teaching early and have been fortunate enough to complete a Master’s in Nursing - Leadership and Clinical Education, and having my final literature review published in the journal ‘Clinical Simulation in Nursing’.

My words of wisdom – keep searching for what you are passionate about. Once you find it, don’t let others turn you off. Life is tough at times, but knowing you are honest with yourself is what makes life better.

Contributions are greatly welcomed from past students. Send 300 words plus a current image to media@stcc.act.edu.au