Tidings Edition 4

Tidings

There is a palpable buzz around the College. Your daughters have been learning, playing, and volunteering with great enthusiasm. During this enrolment period, we run scheduled group and tailored school tours for prospective families. Regardless of the time or day, visitors to the school witness firsthand our students’ active engagement in learning, polite behaviour in the hallways, and constructive conversations with staff. Even navigating through the busy lesson change time with a group is a smooth experience!

For our Open Night, over 200 students volunteered to lead tours around the College or to work in their favourite faculty to demonstrate what they love doing the most. Our junior and senior volunteers for our Try-A-Day provided genuine displays of ‘sisterhood’ to our Year 6 visitors. Due to unmet demand, we are running a second Try-A-Day in Week 4. I have the immense joy of welcoming our guests to the College and then the joy of watching on as the girls take charge and build on relationships with their peers and members of our graduating class of 2030! Please remember, it’s crucial that even if you have a daughter at St Clare’s already, you do need to ensure that your Year 6 daughters are enrolled by 31 May to secure their place.

I had the privilege of attending the Year 12 Retreat over the 3 days in Week 3. Mrs, Maria Tolfree organised a wonderful program, allowing our Year 12 students time for spiritual and reflective practices. They had time for solitude, group activities, and large gatherings. They were able to reflect on what makes each of them special and also express their appreciation for their peers. Many of the students and staff I spoke to highlighted the Pearls of Wisdom: personal reflections delivered by teachers during the Retreat.

At St Clare’s, we are incredibly fortunate to have so many dedicated teachers who willingly give their time, even away from their families, to attend the Retreat. During this time, they give so much of themselves. Mrs. Logan, Mrs. Sheehan, Mr. Markcrow, Mr. Chifley, Miss Mead, Ms. Fisher, and Mr. Buck all shared stories of significant events in their lives, from which they drew strength, learned resilience, and showed gratitude. Even in the face of deep tragedies, some of our staff shared with the girls how their lives continued in unexpected but beautiful ways. They demonstrated how simple daily activities can reshape our ways of thinking, changing our brains to recognize and value the goodness that happens in our everyday lives. These happenings don’t have to be earthshattering to be counted as good.

Indeed, in our Year of Community, how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity (Psalm 133:1).

Ann Cleary Principal

Upcoming Events

Combined Colleges Band

St Edmund’s College Canberra and St Clare’s College Combined Band spent the morning (Thursday 16 May) with the professional musicians of the Band of the Royal Military College (RMC). This exciting and invaluable experience allowed students to further develop their performance skills and we cannot thank the RMC enough for sharing their time, knowledge and expertise.

STCC students in Years 7-8 and students from St Edmund’s College Canberra were even lucky enough to enjoy a truly spectacular and unforgettable performance from the Combined College Band and RMC musicians.

ON STAGE

Dance, Drama and Music!

You are invited to an evening celebrating our talented students in Performing Arts at St Clare’s College!

When: Thursday 30 May 2024

Time: Doors open at 6:15pm for a 6:30pm start

Location: St Clare’s College Hall

RSVP: Please RSVP through the QR Code

Cost: Free

St Clare’s College Presents

Over 130 students involved! This is a show not to be missed!

Showtimes: Wednesday 24 July, 6:30pm

Thursday 25 July, 11:30am

Thursday 25 July, 6:30pm

Friday 26 July, 11:30am

Friday 26 July, 6:30pm

Location: Erindale Theatre, Wanniassa

Tickets: Purchase tickets via QR code

ANZAC Commemoration

The St Clare’s College community has over 100 staff and students with immediate Defence connections and we see it as our honour to be able to commemorate ANZAC Day each year. On April 10 we gathered as a school to commemorate ANZAC Day. We acknowledged the historical and continued impact of military service and how many have paid the ultimate sacrifice. We focused on the Spirit of the ANZACs and how students can demonstrate these characteristics in their day to day lives. Students of Defence families took ownership of the commemoration by delivering poems, prayers and by laying wreaths and crosses.

Guest speaker and St Clare’s parent Commander Susan Harris, CSM gave our students a presentation about her experience as a Naval Officer. Thank you again Commander Harris for providing such an interesting insight into your career and how you were a pioneer for women in so many spaces within the Royal Australian Navy.

We paused as a community to reflect and remember those who have served and continue to serve and finished with a piece of music played on the bagpipes by an ex Regimental Piper.

Alice Coleman Defence School Mentor

In the Classroom

Languages

Year 10 and Senior Italian students enjoyed an authentic Italian lunch at Colosseum Italian Street Food at Fyshwick markets. The students got the opportunity to use their language in a real-life situation, ordering their Roman-style pizza in Italian. For some of the students who are preparing to attend the Italy Study Tour in September, this lunch was the ideal way to practise their language skills. Thank you to the staff at Colosseum for allowing the students to put their studies into practise, and for a delightful lunch!

Sonia Conte Italian Teacher

Senior Economics class were able to secure tickets to the reading of the 2024-25 Federal Budget on Tuesday night. It was a great opportunity for the students to relate their current learning about government spending and taxes to the Australian real-world context. Announcements drove some positive debates in class the next day.

Phil Coe

AP Learning and Teaching

Alinda and Japara Social Justice

St Clare’s College was visited by Josh and Caroline from Marymead CatholicCare Canberra & Goulburn as they will be receiving support from Alinda and Japara House this year (Alinda- MacKillop House and JaparaMarymead). We discussed ways to assist their charity such as fund raising as well as donations of children’s clothing, women’s sanitary items and smaller tokens of goodwill such as baked goods, artworks and letters.

Rebecca Lee Head of House Alinda

Name: Flavio Cappelletti

Subject: Italian

I also speak/know: English, Portuguese, Spanish and a bit of French

Why I became a language assistant:

My passion for teaching started in 2018 when I was an Italian language assistant in Australia for the first time. Back then, I was not completely aware of the importance of this job because in doing so you represent a bridge between the culture of the country you live in and your own one. I have decided to come back to Australia because I have always had a deep bond with this incredible place. Indeed, it is the country that has become part of my family’s home. What is more, I have always felt accepted and welcomed by its people.

Besides that, another reason that pushed me to be an Italian language assistant is my pride about coming from one of the most beautiful, beloved, and popular countries in the world. Sharing my culture and my heritage is a pleasure and an honour. At the same time, it is a great opportunity to enrich my linguistic, cultural, and working skills thanks to the amazing people who I am able to meet during this journey.

Senior Economics

OzClo

In the Classroom

On Wednesday 6 March, 2 teams of students from Years 7 – 10 spent 2 hours competing in the online regional round of the Australian Computational and Linguistics Olympiad (OzCLO). This contest is a real challenge that encourages students to develop their own strategies to solve problems about real languages. The teams spent time during Term 1 practicing decoding languages by working on past problems as a group. The online set of problems they faced on the competition day were particularly challenging but we are so proud of how all the teams persisted and found joy in solving the problems together. Congratulations goes to both of our teams for achieving bronze awards.

Team 1

• Alex Scheiffers (Year 10)

• Brianna Howard (Year 10)

• Grace Harris (Year 10)

• Jade Cox (Year 10)

Team 2

• Amelie Lederer (Year 9)

• Jasmine Wright (Year 9)

• Katie Gronow (Year 9)

• Avanthika Jino (Year 7)

Sarah Parry Leader of Learning Innovation (Acting)

Da Vinci Decathlon

The 2024 da Vinci Decathlon was held at Canberra Grammar School with our Year 9/10 team competing on the Thursday 2 May and our Year 7/8 team competing on Friday 3 May. This prestigious academic event brought together some of the sharpest young minds from across the region, igniting a spirit of competition, camaraderie, and above all, a thirst for knowledge.

The da Vinci Decathlon, inspired by the multifaceted genius of Leonardo da Vinci himself, challenges participants across ten disciplines, encompassing areas such as Mathematics, Science, English, Code Breaking, Art & Poetry, Creative Producers, Engineering, Ideation, Cartography, and Legacy - each requiring a blend of critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration.

The theme of the 2024 challenges was Technology & Innovation with students challenged to demonstrate their breadth of knowledge, crack codes, express themselves creatively, and design innovative solutions to real-world problems. Artistic expression was a particular strength of our students, with both teams ranking highly in the Creative Producers and Art & Poetry events.

Amidst the intensity of competition, the Da Vinci Decathlon also served as a platform for building friendships and fostering collaboration. It was an absolute joy to observe our students actively working together throughout the day to create amazing pieces of work.

A big congratulations is extended to all the students who showcased their intellect, creativity, and resilience throughout the event. We are so proud of their teamwork and positive approach to all the challenges they faced throughout the competition. A special mention goes to the Year 7/8 team for their remarkable accomplishment in securing 3rd place overall. Here’s to the continued pursuit of excellence and the limitless potential of young minds.

Competition results:

Year 7/8 Team Members

Year 9/10 Team

Avanthika Brigid

Sophie Jocelyn

Chloe Jade

Delia Brianna

Alannah Jasmine

Lillian Amelie

Bianca Elena

Olivia Jazzlin

Mentoring Teacher: Mrs Parry

Sarah Parry Leader of Learning Innovation (Acting)

Members

RACI Titration Stakes

Every year, St Clare’s College enthusiastically participates in the Royal Australian Chemical Institute’s titration competition. This prestigious event, held at various local universities nationwide, pits teams against each other in a quest to be named the top titration team in their state.

Titration is a precise chemical technique used to determine solution concentrations with high accuracy. It demands meticulous use of specialized equipment, a keen eye for detail, and remarkable patience.

This year, St Clare’s College was represented by three Year 12 students – Sophie, Annie, and Nicola. Despite the initial intimidation of competing against 129 other chemistry students from across the ACT, and the challenge of detecting subtle colour changes in their titrations, the team demonstrated remarkable teamwork and composure under pressure, successfully determining the concentrations of three acetic acid solutions within just 1.5 hours. We are immensely proud of their efforts, placing in the top 50% of teams from across the ACT.

Sarah Parry Leader of Learning Innovation (Acting)

Jackson Day Science Teacher

College Captain

Captains’ Corner

Welcome back STCC to Term 2!

St Clare’s is overflowing with community this term, starting off the term welcoming students and families to the school with our vibrant Open Evening and fun Try a Day! As a school we took part in the World’s Greatest Shave to raise awareness for leukemia and we will soon be participating in our Family Breakfast.

Over the holidays I re-watched one of my favourite TV shows, The Office. There is one quote that really resonates with me and most likely many of the Year 12 students as we make our way to retreat and through our last year together.

“I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.” – Andy Bernard, The Office

It’s a sentiment that resonates deeply with me because it reflects the tendency to only truly appreciate moments once they’ve become memories. It’s a key reminder to cherish the present and to recognise the value of these moments as they’re happening. This is something that I will prioritise during my last year at St Clare’s College.

Jemma College Captain

Arts and Culture

Hey STCC! What an incredible Term 1 we have had, from starting musical rehearsals, to Open Evening, to Harmony Day, and our first Lunchbox concert on International Women’s Day, our first term has been absolutely amazing! Huge congratulations to Imogen in Year 12 Kipara, for her lead debut in Bring It OnThe Musical, the show was such a hit, and our very own Ms Gearside / Morphett was choreographer.

This term we have a lot going on in our Arts and Culture world, so take a peek below to find all the must know details!

• Multicultural / World Day Tuesday 21 May

• OnStage Thursday 30 May

• Mamma Mia rehearsals (stay updated on Teams)

• Lunch Box Concert on Friday of Stress Less Week

• Mamma Mia performance dates 24– 26 July

Speaking of Mamma Mia, we have SOLD OUT for our Friday tickets! There is only around 200 tickets left over the Wednesday and Thursday night shows, so be sure to get in fast!

Alongside all the fun stuff happening this term, we also have our usual events and co-curricular activities continuing this term, see everything below for details:

• Arts and Culture Committee every Wednesday Day 8 (even weeks) in A009

• Dance Ensemble every Tuesday and Wednesday Lunch in A105

• Vocal Ensemble every Thursday lunch in A101

• Combined College Band Friday mornings 8am

• Strings Program see Ms Morphett for more information

• The Studio see Ms Knight for more information

• Language Club every Tuesday lunch 2 in C107

• Art Club every Thursday lunch in FLC

• Arts and Crafts Table every lunch in SDLC

I cannot wait for this term and everything it has to offer, and I can’t wait to see you all get involved in our beautiful school community!

Annaleisha Arts and Culture Captain

Sustainability Captain

Hey Greenies,

Sustainability is abuzz this year with multiple events being both wrapped up and started this term!

This term we finished off our extremely successful Easter Foil Challenge! Everyone has been keeping their Easter foils to collect them in House-based competition and after four weeks of tireless saving and collecting the Sustainability team made giant foil balls. This was done to raise awareness that foil can only be recycled if compressed into a shape bigger than a tennis ball. Each House’s foil ball was weighed to crown a winning house, with Wibalu House coming first, with their foil balls combined weighing over 1kg!

Immediately following the Easter Foil Challenges completion, the Sustainability team began working with the Social Justice Captains’ Mission and Ministry committee and Ulamina House to put together the Annual St Clare’s Clothes Swap. This ongoing initiative requires students to clean out their wardrobes and bring unwanted clothes, accessories, and shoes to participate in the clothes swap. During lunch on Wednesday 22 May students have the chance to purchase clothes from the swap for a gold coin donation. There will also be a raffle taking place for the best item of clothing.

There is so much being planned for this year and the Sustainability team is so excited to share them all with you. Live long and prosper keen bean green machines.

Jessica Sustainability Captain

Faith and Community

Welcome back to Term 2!

We have an exciting Term ahead of us in the Faith and Community space, but I want to first reflect on Term 1. We started the Term with Opening Mass and the Ash Wednesday Liturgy and then concluded the Term with the beautiful Easter Liturgy led by members of the student leadership team.

This gave students an opportunity to reflect on their connection to St Clare through their House and the Easter story.

Term 1 also saw the commencement of the newly formed Mission and Ministry team, a combination of the Youth Ministry and Social Justice teams into one mega team! They run every week on a Thursday at lunch and are keen to see everyone there

Now we have a message from our amazing Music Ministry Captain!

Hi! I’m Imogen, the Music Ministry Captain for 2024.

Music Ministry is our school’s church choir, who lead the hymns and musical accompaniment in school Masses and Liturgies. This year, we have sung at the whole school Opening Mass and Easter Liturgy.

My plans for this year are to encourage more students to become involved with our school Masses, whilst also allowing them to grow their confidence in performance and group singing skills.

Imogen

Music Ministry Captain

I am really looking forward to what the Term will bring because we have such amazing activities planned! God Bless!

Julia

Faith and Community Captain

Try a Day

Open Evening

Careers VET NEWS

St Clare’s College is committed to providing each student with a viable learning pathway with the tools and skills to make the transition from Year 10 to Year 11 and beyond. We have a Leader of Learning for Careers and Future Pathways as well as Vocational Education and Training to assist students and parents along this journey.

Contact Details

Career and Future Pathways Coordinator

Mrs Trish Brown

Email: careers@stcc.act.edu.au

Phone: 6260 9454

VET (Vocational Education and Training)

Mrs Annette Martin

Email: annette.martine@stcc.act.edu.au

Phone: 6260 9447

St Clare’s College has a school Careers website for students and parents/caregivers: www.stclarescareers.com.au. This is a “one stop shop” for student needs with access to career planning, general information, ASBA’s, post school options and more, including a resume creator. Please take the time to explore the website including the ‘For Parents’ tab. Students are required to use the ‘Book an Appointment’ icon on the home page to make a time to speak to Mrs Brown or Mrs Martin.

UAC (Universities Admissions Centre) –

Attention Year 12

For Year 12 students needing assistance with their university applications, help sessions are being held in the Campfire space in the Learning Commons each Tuesday lunchtime from 1pm during May.

UC Discovery Day Excursion 23 May –

Attention Year 10

Year 10 have started preparing for their upcoming all-day excursion to explore life as a university student. Parents will find the excursion details in Compass along with permission details. UC also requires a media release form to be signed by parents which is accessible via your daughter’s personal email account. Parents are asked to have their daughter in full winter uniform at school by 8:45am on the excursion day. Note that no academic classes will run for Year 10 on this day. Any excursion questions should be directed to Trish Brown.

Save the Date - 4th June –

Attention Year 10, 11 & 12

St Clare’s and St Edmund’s will be holding a combined schools Career Expo on Tuesday 4 June in the St Clare’s Learning Commons from 4:30 – 6pm. With over 60 stalls, there will be something for everyone. Students, parents and friends all invited for this free event with a coffee van, light refreshments and merchandise also available.

Trish Brown Leader of Learning Careers and Future Pathways

St Clare’s College & St Edmund’s College

Expo Careers

Join St Clare’s College and St Edmund’s College for our combined schools Careers and Future Pathways Expo. The event will take place at St Clare’s College and is suitable for Year 10, 11 and 12 students and their parents. Delicious coffee and refreshments will be available on the evening. With over 60 stall holders this event is not to be missed!

Tuesday 4 June

4:30pm - 6:00pm

St Clare’s College San Damiano

Lucia in Year 9 performed in the QL2 Dance production:

‘Subject to Change’ at the Canberra Playhouse, which runs from the 16th-18th May. QL2 are a local youth contemporary dance company and dancers are required to audition for their annual productions. Congratulations on an amazing performance Lucia – we are so proud of you.

Erin competed Level 8 at the Australian gymnastics championships for ACT this week on the Gold Coast. She had a great comp and was very proud to make Finals.

Erin trains 21 hours a week to be able to compete at this level.

Congratulations Erin!

In the Headlines

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Our tutors can offer flexible times to suit your schedule and we aim to provide interactive and engaging learning experiences for all our students.

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A huge congratulations to Year 12 student Alyssa, who has just returned from Texas USA with a select soccer touring team. The team incredibly took out the championship of the prestigious Dallas Cup. Alyssa starred for the team and scored a goal in the semi-final. Pictured is Alyssa with the winning trophy!

We were delighted to welcome back to the College one of our 2023 Top academic performers, Hannah, to formally recognise and celebrate her achievement for Academic Excellence 3rd to Dux 2023. Congratulations Hannah!

Notices

Attention STCC Community!

The Class of 1969 to 1974 are preparing for their 50th School Reunion! Please share this with your networks and spread the word so we can reach alumnae that graduated during this time.

1969-1974 Alumnae can RSVP to this event by emailing: CGHSReunion1974@gmail.com or joining the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/340016672021305/

Fiona McKergow Class of 1987

Fiona McKergow (currently Australian High Commissioner in Cyprus) graduated St Clare’s College in 1987. After finishing university with an applied science degree Fiona went on to have a professional career that spanned wildlife conservation (as a ranger in the hills and national parks around Canberra), agricultural and UN climate change negotiations around the globe, and development and aid work supporting Pacific Island communities confronted by the dire consequences of climate change.

Her community-based focus led to working with communities in countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. A key highlight was driving Australia’s humanitarian efforts to support the displaced Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, where she spent many a muddy day in the largest refugee camps in the world in Cox’s Bazar. This adventurous phase in her career dedicated to international humanitarian law and humanitarian efforts led to an opportunity to serve in West Bengal in India during COVID - representing Australia in the Consulate General in Kolkata/ Calcutta (the home of Mother Theresa, which some would say was the ultimate humanitarian figure).

From starting off as a wildlife ranger to ending up as an accidental diplomat was really driven by Fiona’s desire to experience new challenges and environments and “get out of the comfort zone” and reinvent herself. The opportunity to takeup further studies later in life in totally different fields (from applied science, to international trade law, then international humanitarian law) was a privilege not lost on Fiona. Having worked in some of the poorest of communities in far flung places has been instrumental in shaping her approach as a diplomat. She is a strong advocate for empowering and advocating for women and girls, diversity and inclusion, and ensuring women are represented in leadership roles.

As the current Australian High Commissioner to Cyprus she continues to advocate for understanding, collaboration, and empathy in international relations - and her favourite expression, often said to her own daughter (Evangeline Grmek, who also attended St Clare’s), is “…that’s a first world problem….”

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