Tidings Edition 8 2021 by St Clare's College Canberra

Tidings Edition 8 30 July 2021

Highlights 4 Captains’ Corner 10 NAIDOC Week 14 Semester 1 Junior Awards 16 Semester 1 Senior Awards 30 Stem Mentors Dinner

Contents In this edition

Executive Message

From the desk of the AP

Captains’ Corner

NAIDOC Week

Charity Assembly 2

Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching

Semester 1 Junior Awards

Semester 1 Senior Awards

Inclusive Education

St Clare’s Day

Year 11 Ylead

Year 12 Retreat

The Seeker Program

Business Q&A

ACT Chess Comp

Languages News

VEX Robotics

GROK Competition

STEM Mentors Dinner

STCC Sport

In the Headlines

Notices

Careers News

Inspirational Women

Executive Message Welcome to Term 3, I hope the holiday break provided opportunity for rest for your families. We find ourselves in a position of uncertainty and change with the continuing fluctuations as a result of COVID-19. The College is aware that restrictions may come into place in the ACT if the territory were to be impacted by COVID-19 and we are ensuring both staff and students are well placed if this was to occur. With this in mind, it is important to focus on the fortunate position that we are currently in and remain a community of hope. We are hopeful that we will continue to return to school each day to engage with our spirited learning community face to face. We are hopeful that we will continue to engage in our community events, and share in these occasions together. We are hope-filled and that whatever comes our way we will support each other on that journey. Amongst all of this, we continue to share in many College events and opportunities to start the term, and this edition of Tidings is a true reflection of the opportunities the girls engage in each week.

We started Term 3 in recognition of NAIDOC Week, with this year’s theme of Heal Country. NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but also by Australians from all walks of life. A number of our girls were fortunate to attend the annual NAIDOC Week Mass at St Christopher’s Cathedral to mark this event. The Junior and Senior Award Ceremonies were held in Week 2 and 3 of term, and provided an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of students based on the work of Semester 1. Key awards presented include academic and endeavour award, which recognises effort and academic growth. Congratulations goes to the awardees for a splendid effort to date. Many of our girls worked tirelessly throughout Semester 1 in preparation for the Marist College musical Grease, which played throughout Week 1 of term at Marist College; this was a great

opportunity for the girls to work alongside their peers from Marist. This coming week sees the opening the St Clare’s College production of Wyrd Sisters, playing on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Belconnen Community Centre. The Year 12 Retreat took place in Week 2 attended by the Year 12 cohort and Pastoral Care team. The Year 12 Retreat provides a timely opportunity for the Year 12 girls to gather in readiness for their final semester of secondary schooling and their time together. The retreat is traditionally a time for reflection of their journey to date and a celebration of what they have achieved together. The time away from the busyness of life and to share together was certainly a memorable one for the girls and staff. Best wishes for the weeks ahead. Monica Bailey Assistant Principal Pastoral Care and Wellbeing

From the desk of theAP Operations and School Development Most of us are familiar with school timetables – for students, they are a road map of their daily lessons, identifying their courses and teachers, and what rooms they need to be in at any given time. Many of our junior students display them in their lockers, carefully colour coded for ease of reading and planning. For our senior students, they are checked with anticipation for allocated study periods! For those of us who are no longer students, we might recall with mixed emotions our own school timetables; the excitement (or trepidation!) of checking which classes we had been assigned, who would be our teachers, or how far we had to travel to lockers or the canteen. Nevertheless, at the core of a school timetable is curriculum, and an intricate system of considering the nature of courses we intend to provide to offer rich and diverse learning opportunities for students. This system is a complex one to create. The complexities and considerations of timetabling It would be reasonable to assume that, in 2021, a software package might exist that could create our St Clare’s timetable with the simple press of a button. After all, we recently watched a couple of billionaires make their way into space! In reality, creating our timetable involves a great deal of thought and preparation, factoring a range of important considerations. We must ensure that St Clare’s meets the requirements of the Australian National Curriculum and

of the Board of Senior Secondary Studies, offering a full suite of mandatory and elective subjects, and calculating the number of lessons required to align with the prescribed indicative hours for each of these learning areas. We must account for the numbers of students in classes, and ensure that these will meet the constraints of spaces and facilities, particularly in our practical and specialist subjects. Naturally, we must factor in our staff allocations, looking to engage with teacher expertise and passion to ensure they are teaching the classes that are a best fit for the needs of their Faculty and the College. We must plan for studentcentred approaches to Pastoral Care, developing structures that support opportunities for regular engagement at year group or PC level. Our focus should be on student choice, through carefully analysing the data provided by student subject selections to identify the courses that students want to take, and look for opportunities to be fulfil the vast majority of these choices across the course of a school year.

From the desk of theAP Operations and School Development No amount of software brilliance can account for the human factor of deciphering this data and making decisions that work in the best interests of our staff and students. Whilst we do rely on advanced technology solutions that assist this herculean task, the process is lengthy, and requires us to commence early – subject selection processes began for students in Term 2, and our teaching staff are wrapping up their own preference process this week. The timetable is also a vehicle for helping us to continue to shape opportunities for innovation and curriculum development, and our Leaders of Learning play a crucial role in developing new courses for consideration by students to follow their interests and desired paths of study. Our structures adapt as our community develops Our timetable has followed the same 10-day structure for many years now, but that does not mean it is static! New course suggestions and opportunities are sought from Leaders of Learning each year as part of the development of our Junior and Senior Course Guides, and these provide the vision for how we build our curriculum offerings each year. However, it is not only the course offerings that are flexible. We recognise that, as a growing community, we must be looking for ways to refine and adapt our structures to best support the goals we are seeking to achieve.

As part of our considerations for 2022, senior students and parents have been invited to engage in consultation regarding specific structures for our Year 11 and 12 students. Historically, students in Years 11 and 12 have been allocated the majority of their study periods on a designated Senior Study Day (Day 1 on our current timetable). The construction of our new Learning Commons facility is rapidly drawing towards completion, and we are excited by the opportunities this space will provide in terms of designated study spaces, as well as access to resources and collaborative learning environments. This facility has the potential to offer senior students the support to maximise their study lessons during the school week, and enhance opportunities for specific study lines to enable greater access to teaching staff. The feedback from surveys completed by the community will form an important part of this process, and we are grateful for the engagement of those who were able to offer their thoughts.

that will have the best outcomes for student success. You might not see the careful designing of the timetable when you open up your diary to check your Period 2 class, but perhaps with this knowledge you can sense that it is student learning that is the focal point of this process. Nicola Edghill Assistant Principal Operations and School Development

As part of our ongoing work in implementing Visible Learning approaches, we have been challenging our teaching staff to consider the impact of what we do in the classroom, using research from John Hattie on the mind frames that we need to adopt in order to maximise student success. This drives our College Leadership Team when reviewing our structures to consider those

Captains’ Corner Welcome back to another term and a new semester! Hope you all enjoyed burrowing into your oodies and watching movies all day long, and for the lucky people that got to go away, I hope you enjoyed living it up on the ski fields or at the beach. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, a giant concrete wall was being built… It’s so exciting to finally see the new learning commons progress – the future place of wisdom seeking is being built! These holidays were also a stark reminder however, that Covid is something we will have to live with for a while longer so it’s more important than ever to sanitize, sanitize and sanitize until Dettol themselves sponsor us. Whether it was thinking interdependently to sort out plans with friends when no one is free at the same time, persisting in

making those plans and thinking flexibly to finally come up with some plans, or whether you just questioned and posed the problem of why The Office is so addicting to watch, there’s no doubt you used the learning dispositions during the holidays. Now that we are all back at school, let’s keep it going. Apply your past knowledge of movies, TV and fashion to come up with a St Clare’s Day costume, persist in doing those assignments, in reading those books, in taking those notes; work as a team, and don’t stop asking those questions and seeking wisdom in answers. Last term, our SRCs worked tirelessly to produce a fun, stressrelieving Stress Less Week for the students prior to exam week. It was a great success with Disney movies, workshops and a communal scream to let out frustration being the highlights.

This term is packed full of the events that make St Clare’s and our community who we are. A blast from the past is coming and we can’t wait to see what funky costumes you come up with for St Clare’s Day! The athletics carnival is soon to follow and we cannot wait to celebrate and run as fast as our legs will carry us. Congratulations to all students who received an award to recognise their achievements from Semester 1, whether they be academic or effort. I encourage everyone to start this semester afresh; whether it is your last semester or your first at St Clare’s, give it your all! The very best of luck for all of your Semester 2 studies – I know you all will smash it! Laura Spelic College Captain

Tidings – 2021

Captains’ Corner Welcome back to a brand new Semester! First of all, a huge thank you for all your support on last terms’ events. We raised $370 during our Mother’s Day raffle which supported the communities affected by Cyclone Seroja in East Timor and our first two charity days were a big hit all thanks to our amazing House Captains! Term 3 holds a number of exciting events that I can’t wait to share with you all. In Week 7, we will be remembering loved ones who have or are battling cancer for Daffodil Day. In Week 9 we will be wearing yellow ribbons and will also be starting the conversation for R U OK Day by checking in on each other as a reminder that we should be constantly doing this. For girls who are keen in being a part of planning, organising and running these events, you are more than welcome to come down and join the Social Justice Committee in W210 on Wednesday lunchtimes! As well as organising exciting events during these weekly

meetings, we will also continue to create beanies, blankets, toys and other knitted products to donate to our house charities. Like last term, the Social Justice Committee will also be welcoming a few more guest speakers throughout the term so look out for more information to come! A few little reminders that Little Dresses for Africa is on every Monday in the sewing rooms and Breakfast Club will also be up and running again every second Wednesday morning (Day 3) in the Hall kitchen for those who might not have the chance to eat breakfast. Don’t forget: Every day is a new blessing - A new chance to make a change. That’s all from me and I hope everyone has had a great start to the new semester and I can’t wait to see what we can do together to make a difference this term! Kristine Villanueva College Leader Social Justice

Term 3 Upcoming Events: Social Justice Charity Day 3 (Karinya House – Alinda and Kipara)

Week 7 Wednesday 25th of August

Daffodil Day

Week 7 Friday 27th of August

Charity Day 4 (Japara and Makara)

Week 9 Wednesday 8th of September

R U OK Day

Week 9 Friday 10th of September

Charity Week Donations

Week 10 Monday 13th – Friday 17th of September

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. - St Francis of Assisi

Captains’ Corner Hey girls! It seems like it’s been so long since I’ve written and spoken to you all. Welcome to Term 3 - the most exciting and stressful time in the school year. It’s so exciting to see that the Youth Ministry Team keeps on growing every year! As usual every Thursday lunchtime we will commence our Youth Ministry meetings in W210, so come join us - everyone is welcome! Each term so far this year, we have been focusing on having faith formations motivating the girls to build personal relationships with each other and we are continuing to do that as Term 3 commences! We have been so lucky to have the MGL Sisters coming in every odd week to support and teach us new things, especially the important events in the religious calendar. Last term, we celebrated the month of Mary during May with the MGL sisters, which was a beautiful and reflective time. We have also been a part of many outreach events over the last term, including our Twilight Retreat and several overlapping meetings with the Social Justice Committee. Morning Masses are still available for all students, and this takes place every Friday in the chapel celebrated with Fr Trenton. As a reminder, Tuesday lunchtimes Day 2 in W210 is Music Ministry. The amazing music students meet with Lara Pulciani and Mrs Manning to discuss College events. If there is anything you’d like to know about music ministry, email Lara Pulciani or Mrs Manning for more details.

If there are any concerns or questions, don’t hesitate to email me or find me around the school! I love receiving emails and I’m always up for a chat. This term’s events are as followed: Shine Conference with the YR 10 YM team, St Clare’s Day and the Feast Day Mass, YR 11 Reflection Day and the Youth Rally. Check emails for these events as well as other events which are currently TBC. Throughout this year, I have made it a goal to work closely with the Youth Ministry girls and Mrs Manning to bring joy and enthusiasm. We hope to share this love of Christ to the College. Happy Term 3 girls! Ceiwein Velasco College Leader Faith and Community

Term 3 Faith and Community Events Youth Ministry Meetings

Thursday Lunchtime W210

Music Ministry Meetings

Tuesday Lunchtime Day 2 W210

Shine Conference

Venue: Marist – TBC

St Clare’s Feast Day Mass / St Clare’s Day

Wednesday 11th August Week 5

YR 11 Reflection Day

Wednesday 18th August Week 6

Youth Rally

Friday 3rd September 5 – 9pm Week 8

Tidings – 2021

Captains’ Corner Hello girls, Welcome Back to Semester 2 and what a Term there is ahead. I cannot wait to keep showcasing how amazingly talented our St Clare’s community is and embody what Arts and Culture is all about! I’m so excited to see how we as a community and functioning network are exposed to this as we walk through our College hallways. So, let’s have a Look at the amazing efforts our community engaged with last term. We held our first for the year Lunchbox Concert, an event where students were able to perform in front of our whole school, raising great recognition to the artistic talents St Clare’s possesses. The College held our On-Stage performance night where students of drama and dance performed in front of their families and loved ones. Marist College held their production Grease the Musical where many of our students starred in and did an absolutely wonderful job.

We also held our Senior and Junior Art Exhibition where our visual art students were able to tell an audience all about what they had been working on in the past semester and give them the opportunity to showcase their hard work and artistic eye. Year 12 started off this term on our Year 12 Retreat where we reflected on our time at the College, engaged in knitting, painting and creating our beautiful Year 12 banner that captures the essence of the legacy we want to leave behind whilst illustrating our Year 12 culture and artistic abilities that lies in all of us. This Term, we have our School Production “Wyrd Sisters” coming up starring our utmost talented students putting their amazing works and efforts on display in front of a grand audience. Showcased from the 3 -4 August at Belconnen Theatre, there will be updates on where to buy tickets in your emails and make sure to let our drama students know to break a leg.

Mrs Smith and our Visual Art Students have put in a tremendous effort to create the backdrop for this production so make sure you all go along and see the remarkable talents of our visual and performance artists. During this Term, Lunch Box Concerts will be back so make sure to keep an eye out on your emails! Our Arts and Culture Committee and Captains’ team will be working hard to create new events and keep you posted on what will be happening this term. Get ready for another big Term for Arts and Culture and a great Semester! So, let’s seek greatness and seek wisdom! Georgia Keogh College Leader Arts and Culture

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. - St Francis of Assisi

Captains’ Corner Welcome back St Clare’s! First and foremost, a big thank you to everyone who was a part of the sporting community in term 2, we couldn’t have done it without you. As we learnt in Semester 1, sport has the ability to empower young women to gain confidence and be a part of an inclusive community, that welcomes people of all backgrounds and levels of experience. Now with the Olympics upon us, Term 3 is sure to embody the spirit of Australian sport in the next 10 weeks of exciting events. Speaking of the Olympics, St Clare’s will be demonstrating its very own Olympic talent, inspired by the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, through a number of new and exciting sporting events and activities. These will invite members of the whole school community to participate in our very own St Clare’s Olympic challenges.

Stay tuned for these exciting opportunities, more information to come. This Term, St Clare’s will be focusing on creating more opportunities for students to take part in day to day, lunch time sporting activities. These activities will encourage students to stay active and make the most of their break with friends while utilising the sporting equipment and facilities that St Clare’s has to offer. In addition, we will be focusing on acknowledging the students of St Clare’s on their sporting efforts and commend them on their outstanding achievements to the broader community on a more regular basis. Students will be recognised each fortnight for their excellent participation in school sports.

Sporting days such as Oz-tag and netball. Students with a range of experience are invited to play in a number of fun competitions that showcase the schools sporting talents and encourage a sense of community across Canberra’s schools. With the hopes that Covid doesn’t stand in our way, Semester 2 will be an opportunity for every student to strive for greatness and unleash their full potential. Embodying the spirit of St Clare’s, the network of sport at the College will continue to get stronger and each student will inevitably be a part of a lasting legacy of empowered young women. Harriet Sharp College Leader Sports

In Term 3, the College continues to bring a number of teams from a range of age groups to Interschool

Tidings – 2021

Captains’ Corner Semester 1 of 2021 was full of some fantastic events and campaigns from the Sustainability Committee. We kicked off Term 2 with our Easter Foil Recycling Competition, and followed up with Wombat Day and a Stress-Less Week Workshop in later weeks. The SCC community showed their overwhelming support for the Committee - green thumbs galore! A huge thankyou from the Sustainability Committee Members, we couldn’t have done it without you.

We are also hoping to get another sustainable workshop running and maybe feature a guest speaker or two – keep your eyes on your emails for updates! This term is looking to be full of learning, growing and a whole lot of fun, make sure to appreciate every moment. Best wishes! Sophie Chandler College Leader Sustainability

Term 3 is sure to bring some excellent stuff from the College’s greenest gals. With St Clare’s Day fast approaching, we are determined to find ways to make the event not only fun, but eco-friendly.

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. - St Francis of Assisi

NAIDOC Week On Friday 16 July, the annual CE NAIDOC Mass was held in Manuka at St Christopher’s Cathedral. Every year this mass is put on to celebrate the diverse Aboriginal groups across the Canberra/ Goulburn Archdiocese. This year, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students were especially excited for the mass, as the mass was cancelled in 2020. Due to COVID, only 6 students were allowed to attend, however what the group lacked in size it made up for with enthusiasm. “It was good because I felt connected to people in the community. I could connect with other people and it was good to see the other schools also take time to come together for NAIDOC Mass. I also liked that my sister was there because I like her some – most of the time.” – Sarah Moyle A strong sense of community surrounded the cathedral as groups from many schools came together and a smoking ceremony from Wiradjuri Echoes was held as we all entered mass. Many of the students found the homily from Archbishop Christopher Prowse resonated with them when he called the youth of today to see the extraordinary in the ordinary and act as leaders for their generation. At the end of the ceremony sisters, aunts and friends from across the diocese came together to share in the joy of the day and get a bite to eat for lunch, a particular highlight for Jallamara Gardner. “I like that we had Elders at the mass. Also the smoking ceremony was really good.” – Kiarra Morgan “NAIDOC is important because in order to celebrate the 65000 years of rich culture, you need to understand it.

This is a time where both indigenous and non-indigenous peoples can come together and share stories. From generation to generation, these stories have been passed along, to keep the spirit running, the unit amongst community is crucial. This is what NAIDOC is all about.” Lily McConnell At the end of the ceremony, NAIDOC week awards were presented and this year the St Clare’s community was very proud to have our own Lily McConnell as the recipient of the Education Award, which is presented to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students to recognise the young person’s ongoing effort, success and commitment to their further education. The selection panel looked for students who are dedicated, attending regularly and are determined to achieve. Lily had the following read out in support of her award “Lily is a student determined to do her best in all that she does. Her attendance for this year so far is at 95% and it has been consistent since starting at the school in Year 7. Last year she received As and Bs across all of her subjects and the most impressive thing about her grades is how she goes above and beyond to achieve them. Lily regularly attends supervised after school study sessions in the school library and actively seeks out feedback on her progress from her teachers. She persists through challenging work and shows real determination to do work she can be proud of. Lily is someone who sees her education as something worth working for and every day she shows that in her classes.” Avril Baker Indigenous Student Support

Jallamara Gardner (left) and Sarah Moyle (right) with Sarah’s sister.

Students entering mass with a smoking ceremony

Brea Rogers receiving the Academic Achievement award on behalf of Lily McConnell

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at the mass with CE staff and Archbishop Christopher Prowse

Tidings – 2021

Charity Assembly 2 On Wednesday 14 July, the College held its 2nd Charity Assembly. We introduced our four guest speakers from Catholic Mission, Karinya House, Marymead and St Vincent de Paul, who shared many inspiring stories about why we need to support these Charities in Semester 2. Yet again we were grateful for their presence. Kristine Villanueva Social Justice Captain Marie Manning Mission and Ministry Coordinator

Fundraising Days – Term 3 and 4 Week 5 Wednesday 11 August

St Clare’s Day – Fundraising for all House Charities

Week 7 Wednesday 25 August

Charity Day 3 – Karinya House – Alinda and Kipara

Week 8 Friday 3 September

Athletics Carnival Canteen - Fundraising for all House Charities organised by Social Justice Committee

Week 9 Wednesday 8 September

Charity Day 4 – Marymead – Japara and Makara

Week 10 Monday 13 – Friday 19 September

Collection of donations for all Charities (House Points awarded for each donation given)

Week 13 Wednesday 20 October

Catholic Missions – Soxtober - Fundraising organised by Social Justice Committee

Term 3 - 4

St Vincent de Paul activities

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. - St Francis of Assisi

Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching St Clare’s College aspires to be a visible learning school. Our intent is that all learners: 1. Develop and apply effective habits of thinking and doing (our College learning dispositions). 2. Are assessment capable – knowing where they are, where they are going and what their next steps will be. 3. Understand how to learn through the application of learning strategies and thinking about their thinking; and 4. Seek, receive, act on and give feedback. The beginning of this year saw the roll out of our College learning dispositions - persisting, thinking flexibly, questioning and posing problems, thinking interdependently and applying past knowledge to new situations. The characteristics of an effective learner. The habits of thinking and doing. The inclination toward behaving intelligently when confronted with problems. The application of these learning dispositions underpins the learning achievement and growth that the College recognised and celebrated during the recent Academic Awards assemblies for Years 7 to 9 and Years 10 to 12. It is these occasions that I often take the opportunity to share a story with the College. The Crow and the Pitcher. A pitcher you say. What is a pitcher? Did you say a large jug? You would be correct! Ok, now the story…

The Crow and the Pitcher A crow, dying with thirst, flew with joy to a pitcher hoping to find some water in it. When the crow landed and put its beak into the mouth of the pitcher, it found that only very little water was left in the pitcher. After repeated efforts to put its beak into the mouth of the pitcher, the crow learned that they could not reach far enough down to get at the water. The crow proceeded to try, and try again, to overturn the pitcher so at least they might be able to get a little of the water, but the pitcher was too heavy. The crow eventually gave up in despair. Then a thought came to the crow. Seeing some pebbles with which the ground near was covered, the crow took a pebble in its beak and dropped it into the pitcher, but there was no change. The crow decided to take another pebble and drop it into the pitcher, but still no change. The crow took another and another pebble, dropping these one at a time into the pitcher. Still no change. This continued for some time before at last, at last, the crow saw the water start rising toward the top of the pitcher, and after casting in a few more pebbles one by one the crow was able to quench its thirst and save its life.

An effective learner is a bit like the crow. They persevere. They stick at it! If they cannot succeed in one way, like the crow sticking their beak repeatedly in or trying to knock over the pitcher, they set their mind to work upon another and another solution – questioning and posing problems. They do not hesitate about stepping off the old beaten track, which has been thoughtlessly pursued in a roundabout way by thousands before them. They think flexibly like a crow. Learning is dispositional in nature. Dispositions are the tendencies toward certain patterns of intellectual thinking that are under conscious control and will as opposed to being automated. They are learned over time and are repeated patterns as opposed to single events. Dispositions are dynamic and characteristic of the context they are used rather than prescribed actions rigidly carried out, are more than desire, and will. They must be coupled with the requisite knowledge, skill and ability. Dispositions not only motivate, activate, and direct abilities; they foster capacities (resourcefulness) that develop knowledge, skills and capabilities. Intelligent action in the world is what counts most. Knowledge of content is only part of performance. Of equal importance is becoming alert to occasions for the application and the inclination to put skills and knowledge into play. What we cannot accomplish by strength, we may by ingenuity and industry.

Tidings – 2021

The ability to never give up (persist), think flexibly and learn from new or trying problems little by little does the trick! The present state of the world, enlightened by arts (creative thinking), technologies and sciences, is proof that difficulties seemingly unsurmountable, and undertakings once imagined to be impossible have been accomplished. This ought to be kept in mind as a spur to continued effort and persistence (grit): for we are not acquainted with the strength of our own minds until we exercise them, nor to what length our abilities will carry us, until we put them to the test. If you don’t use it, you lose it! The messaging is not to give up at the first sign of failure. In fact, never give up trying to find solutions and thinking flexibly! Any obstacle (or problem) can be overcome, and often little by little does the trick. Remember; where there is a will, there is a way!

Academic awards are informed through the compilation of academic data generated from semester reports that enables the College to calculate a grade point average (GPA). This GPA offers a quantitative benchmark to determine academic excellence across the full portfolio of subjects. The GPA does not isolate just the number of A grades achieved but also factors in achievement for those subjects where an A grade has not been achieved. This is a deliberate point of difference and a conscious standard to raise the profile around the receipt of an academic award shifting attention to the recognition of a higher standard across all subjects studied. The College congratulates all award recipients and encourages all students to reflect and consider how they are going to be an effective learner this semester? Dearne Marrapodi Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching

Endeavour awards are awarded to students who for the majority of their subject studies have (key word) consistently demonstrated effective learning dispositions favourable of academic growth and achievement. The Endeavour award also recognises significant improvement and growth in either learning dispositions or academic achievement. This semester we also recognised those students who have accelerated their senior studies in Year 10.

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. - St Francis of Assisi

Semester 1 Awards Junior Semester 1 Junior Awards Ceremony recognised students in Years 7 to 9 for their outstanding academic performance. Thank you to the College Vocal Ensemble for the musical item performed - Take me home. Congratulations to all award recipients.

Tidings – 2021

Year 7 Award Recipients

Year 8 Award Recipients

Year 9 Award Recipients

Leya Binoy

Ella Baker

Georgia Andrighetto

Georgia Bozic

Tayla Bray

Imogen Baggoley

Bhagya Bulathgaha

Gabrielle Buckley

Abigail Banks

Sophie Carrabs

Gemma Casey

Katrina Brown

Misha Gaur

Catherine Charles

Ella Collins

Elisa Harradine

Laura Crocker

Jenna Collins

Charlotte Hunt

Olivia Doyle

Alyssa Di-Campli

Rosemary Liston

Sophie Freeman

Jazlyne Duvenhage

Ann-Maria Mathew

Olivia Hicks

Talia Enchong

Pia McGhie

Louise Hill

Alannah Furner

Phoebe McLachlan

Matilda Holmes

Isabeau Goodall

Bridgid Norgrove

Georgia Kerr

Siena Goodwin

Noora Ratin Kheradmand

Amy Maka

Lara Hipwell

Gabrielle Scott-Cameron

Shivani Manikandan

Bella Ivaschenko

Alyssa Sjoberg

Amelia Nettleford

Sophie Jeffrey

Charlise Webb

Ella Norton

Caitlin Kerr

Stella Woods

Anna Pisani

Isabella Mann

Annika Plenty

Georgia Mertz

Maaeri Ranawat

Ella Murphy

Emily Roger

Georgia Owens

Emily Rowell

Christana Papandrea

Ruby Scanlan

Amelia Pucci

Bethany Smith

Giorgia Rhodes

Emilie Sydlarczuk

Olivia Rickard

April Taylor

Clare Rosin

Angelina Thomas

Jessica Schischka

Sophie Walker

Claire Smyth

Evie Williams

Georgina Spurrett

Hannah Williams

Imogen Stokes

Chloe Zamin

Tiffany Taylor Jade Wendt Molly Wright CASE Ocean School Scholarship Eleanor Leiper 2021 NAIDOC Week Recognition Award for Academic Achievement Lily McConnell

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. - St Francis of Assisi

Semester 1 Awards Senior Our Senior Awards Assembly recognised students in Years 10 to 12 for their outstanding academic performance over Semester 1. The College Cello Ensemble performed Alla Tedesca (Valentin Haussmann) and Road to Dunegal. Congratulations to all the students acknowledged for their outstanding efforts during Semester 1.

Future Leaders Photography Prize recipient Bronwyn Kneeshaw 2022-2023 College Scholarship recipients Academic Scholarship Grace Worley Arts and Culture Scholarship Katharine Pearce Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Scholarship Tylah Baker Health and Physical Education Scholarship Amy Gasnier Faith and Community Scholarship Alicia Thomas The Principal’s Scholarship Imogen Johnston

Tidings – 2021

Year 10 Award Recipients

Year 11 Award Recipients

Year 12 Award Recipients

Ella Asplund-Meinecke

Olivia Agostino

Abbey Alexander

Tylah Baker

Isabel Bujaroski

Sophie Bailey

Halle Blewitt

Jessica Charles

Mackenzie Bale

Chloe Brassil

Deon George

Georgia Boyes

Lauren Codd

Venetia Goodall

Sophie Chandler

Isabella Condemi

Rachel Hill

Lily Curtis

Abigail Cubitt

Mollie Hill

Laura Cusack

Abigail Davidson

Olivia Kirkcaldie

Jasmin Dawes

Sophie Davis

Clare Langford

Jacqueline Dunn

Ella Dawes

Anais Ledbrook

Sophia Finch

Ainsley Fisher

Clare Maguire

Melanie Gray

Amy Gasnier

Jessica McIntosh

Laura Harrison

Mackenzie Graham

Sarah Mooney

Tayla Julien

Charlotte Guthrie

Naomi O’Keeffe

Connie Kambouris

Loucia Hanns

Olivia Phelps

Bridie McArthur

Bente Helgeby

Aislinn Ryan

Eilish McLennan

Jenna Hempstead

Molly Scott-Cameron

Jessica McLeod

Charlotte Hillsdon

Alexis Smith

Wendy Morton

Peytan Hughes

Phoebe Sofatzis

Paris O’Connell

Imogen Johnston

Liliana Staltari

Lara Pulciani

Amelia Leahy

Alice Tooth

Millie Raymond

Frances Malone

Georgina Trotman

Lara Robertson

Olivia Maron

Mia Woods

Maia Schyvens

Mikaela Martin

Laura Spelic

Claire McCormack

Francesca Stuparich

Layla McLaughlin

Ava Warren

Hiba Mohemmad A Rasheed

Piper Webb

Lara Myers

Georgina Williams

Claudia Oldfield Evangeline Osborne Claudia Osborne Patrice Parker Katharine Pearce Elizabeth Pickering Amelia Quirk Sophie Reis Josephine Sander Anleen Shaji Hannah Sharman Isabella Spurrett Alicia Thomas Louise Val Donna Wilson Grace Worley

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. - St Francis of Assisi

Inclusive Education The Inclusive Education faculty has continued to create opportunities for neurodiverse students to excel and develop lifelong skills. This year many alternative programs have been thoughtfully designed to enhance engagement and build upon skills some students find challenging. As diversity within our college continues to grow so does the need for learning to support all students within our college. Inclusive Education continues to grow and is a priority within our College. The Inclusive Education faculty is committed to supporting teachers build capacity in their classrooms to ensure the student’s needs are being met. The College has employed a Learning Support Teacher, Aiofe Doran, to support staff in ensuring all students are able to access and engage in the curriculum. Regular teacher meetings have taken place to guide staff’s development of modified curriculum and support the process of ensuring students have access to the curriculum at an appropriate level suited to their needs. The College has been working closely with Michaela Vergano a Teacher Education Lecturer at the University of Canberra. Michaela has a special interest in Inclusive Education and is currently completing an Education Doctorate. Her research project is seeking to understand how secondary teachers use the Personalised Plan for students in their classroom as a tool to inform teaching and learning. The research study is geared around what information needs to be in the Personalised Plan to better inform and support teachers to enable best practice and an inclusive classroom.

It also looks to understand what pedagogical and content knowledge secondary teachers require to effectively use the Personalised Plan. It is viewed that College engagement will help to build professional capacity and support teachers in achieving an inclusive classroom. Michaela is hoping to gain an understanding to what particular aspects of the Personalised Plan relate to content and subject specific strategies. Michaela will present feedback to the College, which will assist us to continue to build on inclusive practices.

MenU and PEERS Program: The MenU program is designed to help young people understand their bodies, their emotional and social needs and their relationships with others. The program was offered to a selected group of students and is delivered each week for one hour. The program includes group-based learning which focuses on: •

Developing social skills

•

Understanding the concept of consent

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How bodies change and grow

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Healthy and hygienic habits

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Protective behaviours to stay healthy

The PEERS program was offered to a selected group of students and is delivered each Thursday afternoon for one hour. It is an evidence based social skills program that focusses on the following: •

Conversational skills

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Use of social media and electronic communications

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Assessing humour and feedback

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Friendships

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Get togethers

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Being part of a team

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Handling arguments and disagreements

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Bullying and rejection

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Changing reputations

Life Skills Program: A new Life Skills program was carefully designed and planned and is in addition to the PEERS and SOSAFE Program. The purpose of the program is to build on social skills used in everyday life. The program will be delivered every Friday. The program is skills based that encourages collaborative group discussion around purpose and effective procedure, which then allows the students to practice these skills in real life situations. The program focuses on the skills needed to live independently and communicate effectively in society. The program includes activities such as: •

Purchasing items from the grocery shop to make their own lunch or create a platter for afternoon tea

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Catching a bus to do the grocery shopping

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Ordering food online

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Creation and maintenance of a vegetable garden

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Kitchen safety skills

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Laundry skills

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Daily living skills

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Communication skills in the broader community

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Everyday problem-solving skills

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Access to the community, for example making appointments.

Tidings – 2021

WISDOM Program: The WISDOM program has continued in Years 7 and 8 which is a targeted literacy intervention program that enables students to build on those skills they find most difficult. The class focuses on the skills needed to be successful in all classes and to build upon independent learning. Students learn to find a love for reading and are able to access written literature with a range of tools that they were unaware of or unable to use. Auslan has been introduced as a small part of the program.

Pathways to Work and Learning: The Pathways to Work and Learning subject is offered and will continue to grow in numbers to support students who aim to: •

Develop language, literacy and numeracy skills for the workplace

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Making informed career choices by exposure to a range of workplaces’

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Make informed career decisions

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Developing an action plan for Work

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Learning lifelong work skills

As part of the Pathways to Work and Learning subject the college will introduce the Pathways to Work and Learning Business Centre. This initiative allows students to practice and demonstrate: •

Task skills – undertaking specific work place task(s)

•

Task management skills – managing a number of different tasks to complete a whole work activity

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Contingency management skills – responding to problems and irregularities when undertaking a work activity, such as: breakdowns, changes in routine, unexpected or atypical results, difficult or dissatisfied clients; and

•

Job/role environment skills – dealing with the responsibilities and expectations of the work environment when

undertaking a work activity, such as working with others, interacting with clients and suppliers, complying with standard operating procedures or observing enterprise policy and procedures. The Pathways to Work and Learning Business Centre initiative allows students the opportunity to establish and practice the desired skills. The simulated business centre will operate out of the College Flexible Learning Centre (FLC). The time commitment will involve one lesson a cycle. Students will rotate through the different positions such as office manager, finance manager, office assistant and receptionist completing exercises using documents and processes that support the dayto-day working of the business. Students will reflect on their experiences identifying challenges and sharing progress during scheduled staff meetings. Students will have the opportunity to produce work just like they would in the real world.

Students in Year 7 – 9 are assigned to a senior student to meet with once a week or cycle to gain assistance with homework and/ or assignments. Student can email if they are requiring support academically or even socially to meet with a senior to gain further guidance.

Transition to High School: In the upcoming weeks a number of students from their current primary schools will commence transition to high school. The student will be buddied with a current Year 7 student and mirror a typical day at the College. This allows neurodiverse students to become familiar with the setting and build relationships prior to the 2022 school year Belinda Maher Leader of Learning Inclusive Education

The Pathways to Work and Learning Business Centre will offer services to the St Clare’s community once a cycle including shredding, photocopying, laminating and binding. We will add services as we progress throughout the semester. The business centre will share a promotional flyer in the upcoming week.

Table Tennis: Selected students will be invited to attend a small table tennis social competition on Mondays for two hours at ACT Table Tennis. Students with lower abilities will have opportunities to meet and play students from Gold Creek High School and Lyneham High School. The goal of this program is to create opportunities for students to meet other students with similar abilities and socialise in a relaxed environment whilst developing hand-eye coordination and participating in sport.

Cross-Age Tutor Program:

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. - St Francis of Assisi

Inclusivity Report The Inclusivity Report allows a teacher to detail and report to parents the adjustments/provisions made (or planned) for a student with a modified program or Personalised Plan (PP). The report is informed and responsive to the modified program or Personalised Plan. As per the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, students with disability and additional learning needs, adjustments (detailed in the Personalised Plan) should be made and evidenced. The provision and release of the Inclusivity Report provides a summary of the areas of adjustment (listed below) and strategies implemented (or to be implemented) to date across subjects studied for the semester: •

Curriculum Instruction and Assessment

• Communication •

Social Skills

The report replaces previous independent email communications to parents and helps to ensure consistent communications that align with adjustments/provisions to be actioned. Where an adjustment category is not detailed in the Personalised Plan, a teacher will report not applicable. Teachers will report one of the following in response to the areas of adjustment: Implemented (provisions to support have been implemented) Plan to Implement (provisions planned for action) Not Applicable (the Personalised Plan does not detail provisions for action). The Inclusivity Report comment details and informs the provisions implemented and those planned for implementation. Inclusivity Reports will be released to parents mid this term. Belinda Maher Leader of Learning Inclusive Education

Tidings – 2021

St Clare’s Day The College will celebrate St Clare’s Day on Wednesday 11 August, the Feast Day of St Clare, a day that combines fun and games as well as an opportunity to recognise our quiet strength and determination in support of a just life, as inspired by our Patron St Clare. The day will begin with Mass, celebrated by our College Chaplin Father Trenton van Reesch and followed by a carnival afternoon and talent quest. The girls will be able to prepurchase food and games deals as well as unlimited ride wristbands. Super saver deals and prepurchase unlimited rides can be ordered through QKR! from Monday 2 August to Friday 6 August. Students who do not take the opportunity to pre-order tickets will be required to purchase tokens on the day for food, games, raffles, showbags and rides. The pre-purchase offers include: •

Super saver deal- includes 2 hot foods, drink/sweet, game and a showbag for $15

•

Pre-purchase unlimited ridesrides include super cha, cup and saucer, giant slide and inflatable castle for $20

The theme for the day is “Blast from the Past” and each year group has been assigned a decade: Year 7- welcome to the 60s Year 8 – stay groovy in the 70s Year 9- get big and bright in the 80s Year 10 – grunge it out in the 90s Seniors- your bedazzled flip phone is calling – hello 2000s!

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. - St Francis of Assisi

Year 11 YLead Empowering Year 11 students to be positive leaders! On Thursday, the Year 11 cohort engaged successfully and positively in a virtual and interactive program delivered by YLead via Zoom. This introductory session into leadership stimulated conversation, challenged thoughts and affirmed leadership values shared by the cohort. The purpose of the introductory session was to empower students with the understanding that leadership is not defined by a badge, but by the actions that create their legacy. Each student was asked to brainstorm and categorise values which were most important to them and to describe how these can be actioned in everyday life. Students were also encouraged to consider what ‘together has power’ looks like in their cohort at present and what they want this to look like throughout Year 12 as they lead St Clare’s College in 2022. Although the program was virtual, the girls were given physical challenges throughout the session to get the girls moving around the room. The girls were asked to engage with other students in their cohort outside of their usual friendship groups and to share their ‘Values Tree’ virtually with the presenters and the cohort for positive feedback.

Here are a few thoughts from Year 11 girls regarding what resonated the most with them from the YLead session: Zoe Sugerman - Alinda: The Ylead session was fun and engaging. It allowed me to reflect on my personal values and develop strategies to take action based on them. My take home message was that anyone can be a leader as long as they have the willingness to take action and have the right mindset to do so. Alisha Crowle - Ulamina: The YLead session was a great opportunity to develop my understanding of what it truly means to be a leader at St Clare’s College. I discovered that the real essence of being a leader lies within how you be yourself, and not within being the person that you believe you should be. Although the session was virtual and done over zoom, I still found that the session allowed Year 11 to connect more not only as a cohort, but also as sisters. This showed me that our cohort are already leaders through the sisterhood and community that we continue to strengthen with one another. I am looking forward to the other YLead experiences coming up and hope they will further my own leadership skills, as well as the rest of Year 11’s!

Clare Macguire - Makara: YLead for me empowered the idea that every one is a leader and that we all can make a difference. These key ideas has helped me to open up my mind and explore the possibilities of becoming a captain next year and the legacy or impact that I can make on the College. Ylead was engaging and I enjoyed listening to the young presenters share their experiences and talk about where they are today. Callie Robertson - Kipara: During the session with YLead, I was able to reflect on the core values I already demonstrate that will assist me in my leadership journey as seniors of 2022. We were asked to think about what opportunities we would like to grab in our last couple of years in high school and this allowed me to reflect on what I have done at St Clare’s and what I still wish to do. After my experience with YLead, I was able to grab opportunities, such as participating in Year 7 mentoring and forming relationships with the junior students. Lyndall De Ambrosis Year 11 Coordinator

Abbey Hall - Kipara: The Ylead session allowed me to reflect on the qualities and attributes I possess and how I can use them in a positive way to help me become a great leader. One thing that stood out to me was that to be a leader you must focus on ‘who you are’ and ‘what you do’. This message is something that resonates with me as it reminds me that by doing things that bring out the best in myself and who I am, I can use it to lead others to bring out the best in themselves.

Tidings – 2021

Year 12 Retreat We embarked our Year 12 Retreat to Greenhills camp at the Cotter. It was a perfect time for us to stop and reflect on our schooling so far and to also consider our futures. The retreat theme of ‘butterflies’ was symbolic of the growth we had undergone and the changes to come. It was not lost on us how the development of the butterfly takes time and can be painful, making them stronger and more able to fly away to achieve elsewhere, just like our own journey. This was a perfect metaphor for us as we approach graduation. The first day was focused on our past including our years at St Clare’s, the challenges, achievements, support systems, friendships and growth in each of us. We took time to acknowledge each other’s skills and recognise the things we admired and appreciated in our fellow peers, something we often forget to do in the chaos of senior life. While it was quite cold, we did get the chance to get outside and get moving.

The vertical challenge saw us scaling ropes and ladders and there was time to relax in nature with a meditative bush walk which followed the beautiful flowing Cotter river. There was also plenty of sport challenges in free time. We learnt some new skills too such as knitting. We made blankets and scarves for our house charities, a very rewarding experience. Day 2 was about relationships and love.

Of course, our retreat would not have been successful without the insane efforts Mrs Manning put into making it such a special couple of days, so a big thank you to her! Retreat was a perfect time away to reflect and renew us for the last stretch of high school. We are back into the swing of the term now and more ready than ever to face the challenges life throws at us, all hand in hand with our fellow Year 12 sisters.

Taking time to reflect on our current ones (both romantic and platonic), provided us with the ability to identify what healthy and unhealthy relationships in our future may look like. That night we read letters we had written to ourselves in Year 7 and ones our parents had written to us. Needless to say, there were a lot of tears and laughs. Day 3 concluded with Mass with Father Trenton and the creation of a ‘Class of 2021’ banner - a memento that is sure to reappear in reunions to come.

Maia Schyvens Year 12 Student

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. - St Francis of Assisi

Olivia Graham Year 12 Student

The Seeker Program The Year 9 and 10 Seeker Program adopts a project based learning approach where students learn by actively engaging in real world and personally meaningful researched based projects. Supported by specialist teachers and collaborating with experts in the identified disciplines, projects are modelled for the context and students, from launch to culmination while allowing for a degree of student voice and choice. Students interact with adults, businesses and organisations, and their community, and can develop career interests. Throughout the semester unit, students move from a choice of structured projects to more student driven and independent projects. Projects investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem or challenge.

Students demonstrate their knowledge and skills by creating a public product and/or presentation for a real audience. As a result, students develop deep content knowledge as well as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication skills. To answer a driving question and create high-quality work, students need to do much more than remember information. They need to use higher-order thinking skills and learn to work as a team. In Term 1, students completed an Introduction to Design Thinking unit in which they examined what it means to be an innovator, build crucial collaboration skills, and adopt the ‘fail fast’ mindset of prototyping. They then worked in groups to investigate the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and were tasked with using the Design Thinking Process to design a product to tackle one of these goals. Projects ranged from helping to close the numeracy gap in remote Australian communities, to combatting the hunger and housing crisis in Africa.

In Term 2, students used the project based skills they had learnt to develop a negotiated project of their choosing. Once again, the project topics were varied. Final products included a guide to backyard beekeeping, a podcast on the use of solitary confinement in Australia, a feature article on the effects of caffeine on the teenage brain and the development of a new cupcake flavour. In Term 3, Seeker students are embarking on a new design challenge called ‘The Block.’ In this unit students are tasked with creating a new learning space which promotes wellbeing in all its forms, as well as promoting innovative learning. They are currently conducting extensive research into innovative building design and exploring how buildings can promote wellbeing. The case studies have been inspiring and we look forward to seeing the amazing designs our Seeker students present at the end of the term. Renee Jones Leader of Learning - Learning Commons

Tidings – 2021

Business Q&A Year 10, 11 and 12 Business Students had the opportunity to take part in a Business Q&A session with our fabulous panel who fielded a range of questions and inspired our future Business women! A big thank you to Mrs Diana Bencic, Mrs Alexandra Webb, Ms Mackenzie Brown, Ms Sofia Estanillo, Ms Cecilia Blewitt and Ms Ashleigh Bujaroski for their time with our Business Students. Sandra Fernie SOSE Teacher

ACT Secondary Schools Chess Championship On 22 July, 9 trailblazing St Clare’s students ventured over to Telopea Park School for the ACT Secondary Schools Chess Championship. This was the first time in recent memory that St Clare’s has participated. The excitement was high and nerves were jangling. Throughout the course of the day the St Clare’s students played 7 games against students from Grammar, Queanbeyan High, Deakin High and Telopea Park. There were a range of skill levels and both boys and girls gave it their all for their school. For most of the St Clare’s girls this was their first experience in a tournament setting and win or lose they fought to the very end in each game. Although St Clare’s did not place in the top 3 individual teams we performed admirably and qualified for the final stage of ACT Secondary Schools Chess Championship final. All in all it was a fantastic day and the girls had a great time. Antony Eggler Teacher

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. - St Francis of Assisi

Bastille Day and Belgian National Day In week 2, St Clare’s students celebrated Bastille day as well as the Belgian National Day. Students enjoyed eating traditional French madeleines- small butter cakes in the shape of a shell - and Belgian gaufres- waffles- during lunch.

The canteen was also decorated with French and Belgian flags for the occasion and contemporary Belgian and French music was played in the background, which contributed to the festive atmosphere.

Year 7 students created posters which were displayed in the canteen with some fun facts on waffles and madeleines as well as information about how French and Belgian people celebrate their respective national days.

This was an opportunity for students to discover that the French language is not only spoken in France, but in many other countries such as Belgium. According to the ‘Organisation Mondiale de la Francophonie”

(the international organisation of French speaking countries) there are currently 300 million French speakers worldwide and French is the 5th most spoken language in the world. Marie Lancaster French Teacher Catherine Verscheure French Teacher

Japanese Speech Contest Opportunities For Juniors:

For Seniors:

Language Club:

This year the ACT High School Division Japanese Speech contest is back and are inviting students all over the ACT to participate. This is a great opportunity for students to practice outside of the classroom and have a chance at winning a prize. The topic is open which means students can choose what they would like to talk about in the time allocated to their division.

The JPF/ANU College Speech contest will be held on 28 August (Sat) from 10:30 am (specific division times will be finalised after registrations close).

Language club is one every Monday lunch 2 in C107. Come and join in the fun.

Conditions: Length of speech: 2-3 minutes for Y9 & Y10, 1-2 minutes for Y7 & Y8. Props or Slides are not allowed. Contestants should not read their speeches. Contestants may refer to their notes or palm cards, however, excessive consultation will result in marks being deducted; Uniform is compulsory; however, neat presentation is encouraged; Location: Time: 9.30 am – 12.30 pm, Saturday 11th September 2021. Venue: Alfred Deakin High School (111 Denison Street, Deakin) If you would like your child to be part of this great opportunity, please email your child’s Japanese teacher or Lisa Bourne: lisa.bourne@stcc.act. edu.au

We plan to hold this year’s contest in-person. However, we may switch to Zoom format, if the COVID situation becomes a concern. Participants must register by 11:59 pm 23 August (Monday). Participants will need to provide the Japanese and English titles for their speeches at time of registration.

Would you like extra help, a crossage tutor, conversation practice with native speakers, games extension, enter a competition (speech contests, video competition, art competitions) to win a prize. Lisa Bourne Leader of Learning Languages

Registration can be completed online at: http://goo.gl/KDJYGY Divisions/Speech length: College (year 11 & 12) Division 2.5~3 minutes Open Division 4.5~5 minutes Background Speaker Division 4.5~5 minutes First place winners in the College and Open divisions will progress to the Australian final in Sydney on Saturday, 2 October 2021. The Japan Foundation Sydney will provide transport cost and accommodation allowance for candidates travelling from interstate. Further information and guidelines have been emailed to Senior students.

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. - St Francis of Assisi

Year 7 Mass On Thursday the 22 of July half the Year 7 cohort, alongside their teachers, walked to the Saint Christopher’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in Manuka to meet with Father Trenton and participate in Mass. Students are studying how the Catholic Church is represented in Australia and the hierarchy within the Catholic Church. The girls listened intently to Father Trenton and asked a plethora of questions to deepen their understanding. Savannah Meiklejohn and Lara Watts read the readings during midday Mass and were eloquent in their delivery. The girls were excellent representatives of the St Clare’s Community and I hope they gained a better understanding of the Catholic Church in the Australian context. April Flannery Acting Leader of Learning- Religious Education

Vex Robotics The Canberra Goulburn VEX Robotics season kicked off with the IQ Scrimmage in Canberra today. Missing our Goulburn school teams because of travel restrictions, 6 teams from St Clare’s College and Daramalan College participated in their first Scrimmage of the season. Congratulations to all teams who have worked hard to re-enter the VEX Robotics Competition world. Juliette Major Leader of Learning - ICT

Tidings – 2021

GROK Cyber Competition Students in Digital Technologies competed in the online GROK Cyber Competition at the end of Semester 1. These awards were made to students who demonstrated their knowledge of cybersafety and cyber awareness during the competition. Participation Certificate: Zali Napthali Natasha Munjal Hayley McLaren Joanna Mammoliti Annalise Lutz Matilda Kite Heidi Gulan Sophie Fenotti Merit Certificate: Asmi Sharma Isla Neumann Leilani Netting Gabriella Nash Alivia Nappo Jasmine Nagel Chelsea Moore Ann-Maria Mathew Samantha Lloyd Charlotte Hunt Elise Harradine Eloise Hardy Molly Fogarty Lara Swaysland Scarlett Robb Sharni Petty Keira-Jay Hearn Ella Hargreaves Madeline Fagatele

Credit Certificate: Chanel Page Deon George paige Berkelmans Donna Wilson Anleen Shaji Neena Matthee Isla Skipper Gemma Noble Kadee Millbank Emily McCoy Mia Martin Zahli Lockhorst Georgie Jones Annabelle James Eilis Hughes Jasmine Hooper Sarayah Garnett Chloe Stevenson Bridget Stuart Sophie Spilker Lilly Skazlic Niya Shijo Sienna Rixon Lily Richards Maaeri Ranawat Danielle Quinones Poppy Prince Annika Plenty Angela Philippa Ashlyn Pengelly Molly Patterson Bronte Pass Kyrie O’Brien Gabriella Novak Jorja Nicholson Freya Moss Isabelle Moore Sophie Gruber

Distinction Certificate: Josephine Sander Katherine Kneeshaw Bente Helgeby Charlotte Guthrie Seerat Ahmed Carys Luck Iris Hanscombe Misha Gaur Brianna Taylor Emilie Sudlarczuk Sienna Stefanou-Brown Tegan Stackpoole Megan Snell Sophia Sigala Olivia Seselja Ruby Scanlan Eva Rowley Emily Rowell Emily Roger Anna Pisani Ruby Pavlic Searle Erin Murray Jacinta Monteleone Nadia Miller

High Distinction Certificate: Hiba Rasheed Emma Major Lucy Maher Sage Haling Isla Gibson Bonnie Wilder Bethany Smith Ella Skinner Annabelle Schmierer Erica Sandison Nanama Opoku Ella Norton Amelia Norton Amelie Nettlefold Emily Myers

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. - St Francis of Assisi

STEM Mentor Dinner St Clare’s College, along with staff from KPMG, hosted the STEM Mentors Dinner on Friday 23 July. The dinner event invited female students from Canberra High Schools to partner with industry mentors. The girls had an opportunity to participate in STEM related activities, hear from STEM industry professionals and meet with mentors to talk about their careers and pathways to study and industry. Alumni students Bec Catanzariti and Sally Coulston who now work for KPMG were part of the panel along with KPMG Technical Advisory Team Manager; Belinda Patterson.

All three women spoke about their experiences as they found their niche in their industry. The panel took questions from the attendees who got to ask their burning questions for women they aspire to be like. The College Hospitality students catered for the event which gave the students experience in providing for large gatherings and assisted them in their completion of the Hospitality certificate. Senior IT students assisted in the set up and running of the event giving them experience in preparing for large scale IT events.

The College would like to thank KPMG, the speakers: Bec Catanzariti, Belinda Patterson and Sally Coulston, Sarah Louise MacDonald, industry partners from PEGA Systems, Aust Cyber, Ricoh, Australian Signals Directorate, Australian Department of Defence, SAP, Robogals, Australian Computer Society and Shearwater for their generous support of the students. Juliette Major Leader of Learning - ICT

Co-Curricular Sport Olympic fever has hit! Loud outbursts of cheering through the corridors can be forgiven this week and next as we cheer on our sports stars. On Wednesday night all eyes were on the pool to support our very own Habibat Oganbunwo, who represented Nigeria in the 100m freestyle! ‘Tis also the season for netball. The St Clares netball nursery continues to churn out champions across all five ACT netball districts and Queanbeyan, and we are very proud of our eight students who have been selected to represent the ACT.

OZTag News Ten of our students have been selected in ACT Oztag Cougars representative teams to compete at the Oztag Australian Championships. Congratulations to Adelaide Norris, Alannah Furner, Alicia Trevethan, Brea Rodgers, Brianna Simon, Callie Robertson, Eden Morrissey, Emily Kite, Jemima Grimmond and Matilda Kite.

Our Opens basketball team (year 9-11 students) had a great day at the Kate Tominac Cup on Wednesday, finishing runner-up against the older Lake Ginninderra team. Great effort girls – a sign of bigger things to come! Our snow sports team of 19 had a productive time on the slopes of Perisher last week. Unfortunately COVID scuttled the Southern NSW Interschools Snow Sports Championships that were to be held, but our team took the opportunity for some targeted training. We congratulate our Oztag representatives who have been selected for ACT and NSW Country teams, as well as the talented

Congratulations also to Assistant Principal Curriculum, Mrs Dearne Marrapodi, who has been selected in the women’s representative team. Adelaide, Alicia, Eden and Emily were also selected for the NSW City v Country championships, a great achievement. Let’s hope COVID is kind for upcoming events!

Samantha Nealon who has been selected into ACT teams for both rugby league and rugby union! Term 3 continues with Oztag, football (soccer), netball and hockey competitions over the next three weeks. As always, girls need to keep an eye on their emails for opportunities to trial or express interest for gala days and competitions. If you have sports news to share, please contact me via louise. patton@stcc.act.edu.au, we love to hear about student achievements. Louise Patton Sports Facilitator and Attendance Officer

Snow Sports Camp 2021 During the last week of Term 2, the Snowsports team headed up to Perisher to commence our camp, where we were to spend three days preparing for the upcoming Interschools races. We headed up on the morning of Wednesday, 23 June, in shared cars, only to arrive to rain and horrible conditions on the mountain. Due to these conditions, the decision was made not to have the girls ski on the first day, and instead spend the day doing bonding activities, in order to foster stronger relationships within the team. The girls were split into two teams for the morning and were given a scavenger hunt to do, having to complete activities such as interviewing a parent about the weather report and serenading passers-by at the hire shop with the school hymn. After a fun morning in the Perisher centre, the team headed up to Bluecow for lunch. Whilst up at Bluecow, the team went over what it’s like to race, with the older girls getting a chance to talk to the younger ones and tell them about their racing experiences. Three different group talks and games were done in the dry and warm confines of Blue Cow terminal. By the second day, the weather had slightly improved, with the rain giving way to snow, and the girls finally got the chance to put on their skis. The team split off into three groups for the day and worked through a series of three activities in order to prepare for the upcoming interschools races. The first of these three activities was practising race starts with Mrs Batch, the second of these working on turning with Ms Sheldrick, and the third practising race stops with Ms Baker. The idea of these exercises was to familiarise the girls with the separate components of the race, in order for them to put all three together on the days of the upcoming races.

For the third and final day of camp, the team caught the ski tube up to Bluecow for the morning to work on consolidating the basic skills of skiing. We started off the morning by working on our skating skills on the early starter slope, and later learning the skill of backwards skiing. Learning these two skills allowed the girls to have more control in their skiing, and therefore stay safer when we are out on the mountain. After going in for lunch, the girls were once again split off into three groups, and spent the afternoon skiing around Bluecow and Perisher, with the focus being on implementing any new skills that they had learnt throughout the duration of the camp. Over the course of the snow camp the team, teachers, and parents stayed in a lodge in Jindabyne called Kookaburra. Each night while at the lodge, we would have a team meeting where we would get information on the activities of the next day, as well as sharing what we’ve learnt, and getting to know not just the other girls on the team, but also the parents and teachers that made the trip possible. The two nights we stayed at Kookaburra, we also went out to dinner as a group, with the girls all getting a chance to relax and socialise amongst themselves. This socialising also continued in the shared rooms each night, with the girls getting a chance to bond with the others in their same age group. Overall, this camp was a successful one for getting their girls on the slopes and beginning to prepare them for their upcoming races, and it was one the girls seemed to enjoy immensely. Carolyn Batch Snowsports Coordinator

Netball We are very proud of our students who have been selected to represent the ACT at the national level. Congratulations to Alisha Crowle, Amber Thomas and Eleni Lolesio who were selected in the Netball ACT under 17 team; and Harriet Sharp who was selected in the Netball ACT under 19 team, along with former students Lauren Thomas and Lily O’Brien (graduated 2020). Heartbreakingly, COVID outbreaks across the country meant the u17/ u19 National Netball Championships were cancelled for the second year in a row, just four days out from the girls’ departure for Hobart.

Congratulations girls on your selection to represent at the national level, and for your hard work and commitment to training for the event. Last week, four of our students were selected in the Netball ACT Academy for under 14-16 years. Congratulations to Annabelle Wheadon, Ashley Patton, Brooke Mead and Ella Hill who will commence training with the squad this weekend.

Some of our girls are now ACT Champions in their divisions!

Around 40 of our students were selected to represent their districts at the ACT Junior Championships and the NSW State Titles (Senior) in the lead up to the school holidays.

“Photo Credit: Natalie Hanna (SCNA) and other photos as supplied”

Basketball Congratulations to our Basketball team who came runners up against Lake Ginninderra at the Kate Tominac Cup on 28 July. Students in the team were Alana Kunovec, Alysa Enchong, Ava Boyes, Ava Mooney, Ella Collins, Hannah Briskey, Lara Stincic, Sophie Brennan, Talia Enchong and Tori Hayes. Our students from Years 9-11 had a great day convincingly beating CGS and SFX in the pool rounds. Our young team took it to Lake Ginninderra in the final however ended up losing 2765. A big thank you to Riley Madsen (Old Girl) for assistant coaching and our awesome parents for their support and help with bench duty. Our future looks extremely bright in basketball. Renee Macdonald HPE Teacher

The winter netball season continues this term, with our 19 teams competing at the South Canberra Netball Association on Saturdays. The weather has not been kind lately, surely we are through the worst of it. Best of luck to our teams as they move past the half-way point of the competition.

IN THE HEADLINES Bethany Cramp Year 12 - Alinda Congratulations to Bethany Cramp in Year 12 who has dedicated a lot of time and energy to her chosen sport of Judo. She has experienced a lot of success over the years and recently came third in Judo Nationals.

The fights go for 4 minutes and to get into the final, Bethany fought for 11 minutes only losing on penalties. Juggling her senior studies and House Captain duties with the level of training required to present at this level is a commendable effort.

Samantha Nealon Year 10 - Japara Congratulation to Samantha Nealon who has been selected in three ACT representative rugby league teams. •

ACT Brumbies Rugby U16 girls team (selected from 80+ girls)

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ACT Schools U16 Girls Rugby League team

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Canberra Raiders U17 Girls Rugby League squad

Samantha is now busy with multiple training sessions in addition to her club duties with Vikings and Rams! Four of our students have been selected in the Netball ACT Academy squad for 14-16 year olds. Congratulations to Ella Hill, Brooke Mead, Ashley Patton and Annabelle Wheadon who were selected on the basis of their performances at the recent Netball ACT Junior Championships! The girls will commence training in August.

Tidings – 2021

IN THE HEADLINES Under 17’s ACT representatives - Amber Thomas (Year 11), Alisha Crowle (Year 11), Eleni Lolesio (Year 10) and Under 19’s ACT representatives Harriet Sharp (Year 12)were selected in their respective age groups to represent the ACT. Unfortunately the National Netball Championships were canceled however we could like to extend our acknowledgment and congratulations to Amber, Alisha, Eleni and Harriet for their selection, training and preparation.

Congratulations to Moala Taione and Adelaide Norris for their selections in the ACTJRU Brumbies Under 14’s team. Moala and Adelaide will be playing NSW Country in the weeks to come. We wish both students all the best in their preparations and training.

Olympics Congratulations to Habibat Oganbunwo (graduating year 12, 2021), who represented Nigeria in the 100m freestyle on Wednesday night! Habibat has been based in Russia on a FINA scholarship in preparation for the Olympics. Her name is now etched into the history books as an Olympian, competing against the likes of Cate Campbell, Emma McKeon and Sarah Sjöström in her event. She swam an incredible race – winning her heat, slashing her personal best time to swim under the one-minute mark for the first time, breaking the Nigerian record in the process! The effort she has put into her training for many years, from the pools of Canberra to the foreign shores of Russia at such a young age, is an incredible achievement. We are so proud of you, Habibat!

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. - St Francis of Assisi

NOTICES St Clare’s College presents: Wyrd Sisters! For more information or to book a ticket follow the link: https://fb.me/e/1Ah6hHGF8

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. - St Francis of Assisi

NOTICES LEARN A STRING INSTRUMENT AT ST CLARE’S St Clare’s offers a beginner string program where students can learn either the violin, viola or cello. The cost is $230 for the entire semester, which is fantastic value and includes the hire of the instrument for the semester. Students will attend Wednesday morning Beginner Chamber Orchestra rehearsal from 8:30am to 9:40am where they will receive tuition from an expert string teacher and experience what it is like to play with a large group! Students will also attend 1 small group lesson during the school day with the tutor in order to develop their skills with more individual attention. If your daughter is interested in pursuing the violin, viola or cello after the 6 months, private tuition with the tutor can be arranged. If you would like your daughter to be involved in this exciting opportunity, then please email: Alison McEwen: alison.mcewen@stcc.act.edu.au

Semester 2 - Weeks

PROPOSED MASS TIMES at St Clare’s Semester 2 2021 3

30 July

6 August No Mass

13 August No Mass

Tuesday 17 August Feast of the Assumption 1.00 – 1.30 pm Friday 20 August

27 August No Mass

3 September No Mass

10 September

(Subject to Father Trenton’s availability) All Staff, Students and Parents are welcome to attend Mass at St Clare’s College on a Friday morning in the Chapel from 8.20 – 8.45 am and Holy Days from 1.00 – 1.30 pm.

10 17 September 11 8 October 12 15 October 13 22 October 14 29 October 15 Tuesday 2 November All Souls/Saints Mass 1.00 – 1.30 pm Friday 5 November 16 12 November No Mass 17 19 November No Mass 18 26 November 19 3 Dec Mass 20 10 Dec End of Year Mass at 9.30 am

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. - St Francis of Assisi

Do you want an opportunity to ask questions, have fun, and make some more friends? Mary Help of Christians South Woden is hosting Alpha Youth, where you get to do exactly that! Groups are held fortnightly during school term in the parish centre behind the church in Pearce.

Alpha Youth

CASE Ocean School

Find more details on the parish website: http://www.mhoc.org.au/ ministries/youth-young-adults/

Bookings are now open for CASE Junior Ocean School 2022! Join leading schools around Australia and New Zealand on this new and unique experiential learning adventure for students in years 7-9.

When: Fortnightly from 17 July Years 5-8: 4:30pm-6pm Year 9-12: 7pm-9pm

Did you know Canberran households waste thousands of dollars every year by throwing away food that could have been eaten?

Food Waste Challenge

Sign up to the three-week Food Waste Challenge for a step-by-step recipe to reduce food waste in your household. Plus, the first 1500 ACT residents that complete the challenge, including the final survey, will be eligible for a $30 IKEA voucher. act.gov.au/foodwaste

The ultimate JUNIOR ocean adventure casts off June-July 2022! CASE Junior Ocean School is the Australian adventure of a lifetime for students in years 7 to 9, inspiring a future generation of STEAMskilled ocean explorers. Attend our online Information Evening, 6pm Wed 11 August 2021. https://actura.com.au/ discoveryau/

Canberra Academy of Languages The Canberra Academy of Languages provides courses for Year 11-12 students and early access students to study their chosen languages, where these courses are not available through their schools. CAL will hold an information evening on Thursday 16 September 2021 from 6 pm to 7 pm about our senior secondary programs in languages for 2022. At this session, we will provide information about CAL programs in French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Tamil and possibly other additional languages for 2022. The event will take place, COVID safety permitting, at Ainslie School, 33 Donaldson Street, Braddon. If COVID safety requires alternative arrangements, we will set up a teleconference link and advise registered participants. To register, interested participants should email info@cal.act.edu.au. Details are on the News and Events pages on CAL website: https://cal.act.edu.au/

Tidings – 2021

Elevate Education 2021 Parent Webinar Series Elevate Education is providing parents of St Clare’s College exclusive access to their Parent Webinar Series for Term 3, 2021. The webinars continue on Wednesday 4th August at 7pm. To reserve your spot, you can register for free below, The webinar is run live online from 7pm – 8pm where the presenter will share Elevate’s key research and skills, and will conduct a live Q&A so you can ask them questions directly. Upcoming sessions:•August 4th - Technology devices and how to stay focused and balanced.•August 18th - Note taking skills to help your child deepen their revision.•September 1st - Exam Homestretch and how to support your child in the final weeks. Should you have questions or would like to contact Elevate directly, their details are listed below. •

1300 667 945

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auscoaching@elevateeducation.com

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https://au.elevateeducation.com

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https://www.facebook.com/ElevateEd/

St Thomas the Apostle Parish - Youth Alpha 6 to 12 Years! Alpha is a video series that explores and asks big questions about your faith and world. Alpha aims to create a space where youth are able to wrestle with their big questions and have those conversations. A normal Alpha night will look very similar to this, meet either over some food or a game. Afterwards moving into the night’s talk/ video, with each episode opening up a different topic of the Christian faith. Throughout and after the video we’ll have time to talk in a small group/guided discussion, allowing you to really think, question and learn about these topics. The next topic is Jesus: Who is he? Jesus Christ is the most famous person in history and there’s evidence to suggest Jesus was more than a great religious teacher. His life, death and resurrection is the centrepiece of the Christian faith. The resurrection not only suggests that God exists, but also that God has revealed himself through Jesus. The Youth alpha will be in the Parish Centre (37 Boddington Cres, Kambah), next to the Church, from 3.30 - 5 pm on, 25th July 24th Oct 8th Aug 31st Oct 22nd Aug 14 Nov 29th Aug 28th Nov 10th Oct 11th Dec RSVP to the parish email (Kambah@cg.org.au) or by phone (02) 6231 9219, for any questions, food requirements or ideas contact the Parish office with the same details. To keep updated with youth ministry events happening in the parishes and surrounding Church follow @kambah_ym on Instagram.

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. - St Francis of Assisi

Vinnies Winter Appeal The Vinnies Winter Appeal provides emergency relief to people at risk and experiencing homelessness. Your donation and support will help ensure that families at risk of homelessness get the financial and emotional support they need to keep themselves and their children safe.

Particularly in these colder months we ask for: •

Blankets

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Large Jackets

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Large Jumpers

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Warm Gloves and Socks

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Sleeping Bags

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Donations of Coffee, Tea, Sugar and Hot Chocolate.

These donations then go directly to people in need in our community or sold at our Vinnies Centres to generate funds for other forms of assistance like case management and assistance with utility bills. St Clare’s will launch the Winter Appeal in Term 3. There will be ‘drop off points’ located in the College. Many thanks in anticipation of your donations, The Vinnie’s Committee.

St Clare’s College is participating in Dance Festival 2021. Canberra Dance Festival is a widely recognised, enjoyable event, with the emphasis on sharing our love of Dance rather than competition. It is a chance for schools all around Canberra to share their passion for dance. The theme for the festival is a digital dystopia/ utopia. The Year 10’s have collaborated and developed the sub theme of “Are We Being Watched”. Year 11 and 12 students are creating a piece called “Man Bites Dog” which looks at fake news and its impact on society. We are very excited to represent our interpretation of the theme at the Canberra Theatre. Participation is part of our assessment. Over the next few weeks, the Dance students will be working hard to achieve a polished dance piece and would love the community’s support. Year 10, 11 and 12 will perform on Monday 6th September. Tickets can be purchased from the Canberra Theatre website: https://canberratheatrecentre.com.au/show/ausdance-2021/

Tidings – 2021

Dear Families, As you may be aware there was a positive COVID-19 case reported in Goulburn on 13 July 2021. This has not affected our School’s which continue to operate as normal. As always, please continue to follow COVID Safe Practices. St Clare’s College remains a safe place for students and staff during this time. We remain in close communication with government health authorities and have not been advsied of any cases within our school community at this time. Should this change, I will update you regarding any potential temporary closure of our school and provde advice on how this will be managed.

20% off Schoolwear at Lowes Two days only: 5 - 6 August

Upcoming Events School Production Wyrd Sisters

Australian Mathematics Comp

St Clare’s Day

3/4 August

6 August

11 August

Year 11 AST Trial

Year 9 Healthy Relationships

Year 11 Reflection Day

12/13 August

13 August

18 August

Market Day #1 Year 9 Business

Charity Day

Family Breakfast

20 August

25 August

27 August

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. - St Francis of Assisi

Careers News

GUEST SPEAKERS

Year 10, 11 & 12 students are invited to the following 1pm lunchtime talks in A108: • • • •

28 July – International Relations Careers by Nick McCaffrey (parent) 6 August – Forensics Careers by Ashlee Kinnane (ex-student) 25 August – Law Careers by Andrew Frazer 15 September – Studying at UNSW by Professor Eggler

UC H COURSES – ATTENTION YEAR 10 Year 10 students who are interested in commencing a UC H Course as part of their senior package in Term 2, 2022 can find more information on the UC website: Accelerated Pathways Program - University of Canberra ACT UNIVERSITY OPEN DAYS Year 10, 11 & 12 students are encouraged to take advantage of the ACT university open days coming up in August. As several institutions are open on the same day, Year 10 & 11 students are encouraged to start their research early as visiting numerous venues in one day is a challenge. ACU Saturday 7 August AIE (Academy of Interactive Entertainment) Saturday 15 August ANU Saturday 21 August UC Saturday 21 August UNSW (ADFA) Saturday 21 August UNIQUE STUDENT IDENTIFIER (USI) Year 10, 11 & 12 students are encouraged to apply for their USI number, if they do not have one already. This number is a student’s individual lifelong education number. Students will be provided time during Pastoral Care this semester to enrol for their USI. Their USI number will be recorded on their student profile to support future transitions from school to post-school education. It is super easy to get a number, so if your daughter does not want to wait, she is encouraged to get organised for study by jumping onto this site: www.usi.gov.au Trish Brown Trish Brown Careers and Future Pathways Facilitator Ph: 6260 9454 E: careers@stcc.act.edu.au

Key Dates UAC Pins will be Re-sent Year 12 Via email 1 August VTAC Opens Year 12 wishing to study in Victoria 2 August CANBERRA CAREER EXPO 4 August CANCELLED DUE TO COVID ANU Early Round Offers Released Year 12 9 August UC Early Entry Offers Released Year 12 12 August UOW Early Entry Applications Close Year 12 22 September AST EXAMS Year 12 College Hall 31 August & 1 September ACU Early Entry Applications Close Year 12 24 September UOW Early Entry Offers Released Year 12 11 October

Libby Thomas

Class of 2012

In 2012 I graduated from St Clare’s and planned to go straight to uni to study nursing and midwifery. I went to Tanzania (Africa) for 6 weeks first to volunteer in a hospital. This was a real eye opener, but I really found my passion to study a health degree. When I returned to Australia, I moved to Brisbane to commence my Bachelor of Nursing at ACU. This was a huge shock for me, moving from a small country town to a big city where I didn’t know a soul. I soon made some great friends and got stuck into my studies. I loved any practical component of my degree, but I especially loved talking to patients. Half way through my nursing degree, I decided I didn’t want to go onto study midwifery. I became very interested in ethics and advocating for the rights of people in the health care system. I graduated as a Nurse and applied to study Law. I was accepted into a Bachelor of Law (graduate entry) at QUT. I went onto study 3 years of a law degree and a year of practical legal training. I was then admitted to the Supreme Court as a lawyer. Throughout my legal studies, I worked full time as a Registered Nurse

and then became a Clinical Nurse in private practice. I assisted specialists in conducting medicolegal assessments for people who had been involved in workplace injuries and motor vehicle accidents. I found that my passion for helping people could be more than from a medical perspective, but from a legal perspective too. I’ve recently been offered a position as a personal injury lawyer on the Sunshine Coast. It’s an extension of what I am already doing, but just from a different side. I plan to maintain my Nursing registration doing some casual hours here and there, but I will put my focus into my work as a lawyer. I am so fortunate that I have the support of my wonderful husband and my little boy, Milo. I wouldn’t be able to do it without them! My biggest advice for others, and what I plan to share with Milo when he’s older, is to challenge yourself and to take a leap. I was never an academic student and attended school for the social aspect only. I definitely never planned on becoming a lawyer! But here I am and I have worked really hard to get here - I am so pleased that I did.

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

Contact us (02) 6260 9400 media@stcc.act.edu.au St Clare’s College 1 McMillan Crescent, Griffith ACT 2603 stcc.act.edu.au

Tidings Edition 8 2021

Articles inside

Inspirational Women

In the Headlines

STCC Sport

STEM Mentors Dinner

GROK Competition

Year 12 Retreat

Languages News

VEX Robotics

The Seeker Program

Year 11 Ylead

St Clare’s Day

Semester 1 Junior Awards

Inclusive Education

Charity Assembly 2

NAIDOC Week

Captains’ Corner

From the desk of the AP

Executive Message