St Clare’s High School Davis Street, Taree 2430

Telephone (02) 6552 3300

Fax (02) 6552 3656

NEWSLETTER 15/2016 20 MAY 2016

Dear Parents and Friends of St Clare’s

While driving home this week I listened to a very interesting conversation on Radio National

about church attendance, faith and values. According to the national census and related research,

61% of Australians regard themselves as Christian. Approximately 20% of Australians say they

have no religious belief. Of those who identify as Christian, approximately 8% attend worship

on a weekly basis and somewhere in the vicinity of 20% attend a place of worship on a monthly

basis; meaning that about ¼ of the population attend a Christian religious ceremony each month.

While three to four million people gathering at least once a month to engage in Christian religious

practice is a large number it means that our Christian Churches are not attractive to an even larger

number of Australians.

Further research has shown that, while a large number of our neighbours are not regular attenders

at church or may not have any religious belief, 80% like to have a church in their neighbourhood

and feel “reassured” when they drive past a church and see people gathering around the church.

They take heart from the idea that their neighbourhood has people who have a faith that allows

them to put faith based values into practise. Values like honesty, respect for the rights of others,

being helpful to those least able to help themselves, being compassionate and forgiving, seeing

the good in others, welcoming a stranger and engaging in self-reflection to ensure that what we

say and do are aligned to our religious faith.

The committed catholic knows that if we follow the example of Jesus we will be doing God’s

work in the world. That is what we aim to do each day at St Clare’s High School. Follow the

example of Jesus and teach our young people, your sons and daughters, to do the same.

God Bless

Principal

P & F – NEXT MEETING, WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2016

6 PM HOLY NAME PRIMARY SCHOOL, FORSTER

PRAYERS: Please pray for those who are currently experiencing health difficulties and continue

to pray for community members experiencing challenges, pain, sickness and grief in their lives

at this time.

CHAPLAINCY/PASTORAL CARE: A reminder to all that the school has a Chaplain. Please

feel free to contact our Chaplain, Deacon Vince Ryan, through the school office if he can be of

assistance to you or any member of our whole school community.

Mass Times

Our Lady of the Rosary,

Taree 75 Albert St, Taree

Saturday Vigil: 6:00 pm

Sunday Mass: 9:30 am

Our Lady of Perpetual

Help, Wingham

8 Farquhar Street,

Wingham

Sunday: 8:30am

St Bernadette’s,

Krambach Bucketts Way, Krambach

Saturday: 6:30 pm

Sunday: 9 am

(Mass is celebrated on

alternate weekends – please

speak to Deacon Vince or

Mrs Denise Ryan at school

for information on which

weekend mass will be

celebrated)

Our Lady Star of the Sea,

Harrington

Pilot St, Harrington

Saturday Vigil: 6:00 pm

(1st, 3rd and 5th Saturdays

in each month)

Saturday Liturgy of the

Word

and Communion: 6:00 pm

(2nd and 4th Saturdays of

each month)

St Therese's, Lansdowne Cundle Rd, Lansdowne

Saturday Vigil: 6:00 pm

(2nd and 4th Saturdays of

each month)

Our Lady of Fatima, Old

Bar 20 Hall St, Old Bar,

Sunday Mass: 7:30 am

St Patrick's, Cundletown

River St, Cundletown

Sunday Mass: 6:00 pm

Forster-Tuncurry

Catholic Parish

Holy Name of Jesus

Parish Church, Forster 33 Lake Street, Forster

Sunday Mass: 9:00 am

St Mary, Star of the Sea

Church, Tuncurry 15 Peel Street, Tuncurry

Saturday Vigil: 6:00 pm

Sunday Mass: 7:00 am

PRAYER POINT: TRINITY SUNDAY – 22 MAY

ACCLAMATION: CF REVELATION 1:8

Alleluia, alleluia!

Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit:

to God who is, who was, and who is to come.

Alleluia!

What does the theology of the Trinity say to us? Firstly, the Trinity is about the Godhead of 3

Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit - all equal, all God. I can’t get my head around that.

Secondly, though, the Trinity is about relationship - a seamless intimacy between three distinct

Persons who cannot be divided, who flow into one so that there is no beginning and end. The

Trinity is Communion at its deepest. For us today, this is the model for how our relationships

should and could be. In this Communion there is an end to the thinking that separates man from

woman, economic development from the environment, us from them, black from white or earth

from heaven and the ‘haves’ from the ‘have-nots’. It’s the end to that ‘either - or’ thinking and

becomes ‘and - both’.

Have a great week

Denise Ryan, Ministry Coordinator

Fr Rob Galea is a singer and songwriter with an international fan

base. Fr. Rob has appeared on the X Factor and has recorded with

several renowned artists, including Guy Sebastian, Paulini, Garry

&, Natasha Pinto & Amelia Farrugia. Fr Rob has a significant

evangelistic and outreach ministry, speaking and singing at

schools, conferences and churches around the world.

Manning Entertainment Centre on Friday 3rd June commencing at

8.00pm. Tickets are $5.00 for Students under 18 years and $15.00

for Adults.

Tickets may be purchased at the MEC telephone 6592 5466 or via

their website mec@gtcc.nsw.gov.au

Event promoted by Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Parish,

75 Albert Street, Taree NSW 2430

Fr. Rob Galea in

Concert

CAREERS CORNER:

Year 12 Careers Day 2 for Year 12 students was very successful, helped by the fact that 100% of

available students were present – only those with TAFE commitments were absent. The quality

of the presentations was excellent and students intending to pursue a university or non-university

future were assisted. Special thanks to former student, Noni Hardes (nee Loughland) and former

Careers Adviser, Carol Healey, for lending their expertise in terms of organising and running

the day.

One exercise students were asked to complete was to identify possible courses of study

(university, TAFE, other tertiary providers) in NSW and Queensland. In doing so, students have

been asking for clarification of the differences in entrance scores. Below is a brief summary and

a table of score comparisons.

ATAR versus IB versus OP

In Australia, students going straight from Year 12 to

university normally seek entry through one of three

qualifications:

1. ATAR – Australian Tertiary Admission Rank which

is determined by following courses run by all states and

territories (except Queensland). It is also known as the

Nationally Agreed Common Index;

2. IB – International Baccalaureate is an international

educational qualification headquartered in Geneva,

Switzerland, founded in 1968. It has been developed to

facilitate the mobility of students internationally, so

specialises in preparing students for a more global

environment. The IB is recognised by leading

universities in Australia and around the world.

3. OP – Overall Positions, only used in Queensland, are

calculated and used similarly to the Australian Tertiary

Admission Rank (ATAR) in other states. Instead of

being a percentile rank (0.00 - 99.95), however, the OP

is a number from 1 to 25, where 1 is the highest and 25

is the lowest. This range of possible results is bell curved

so the percentage of students receiving the very highest

and very lowest results is much less common than those

receiving mid-range OPs. Overall Position (OP) scores

will be scrapped for Queensland's senior high school

students and replaced by the ATAR ranking system to be

introduced in 2018. The new system will include a mix

of internal and external exams, starting with students

entering Year 11 in 2018 - 2016 Grade 9 students.

Year 11

Year 11 Mid-Course Examinations commence on Monday, 23 May. Provided that a

Parental/Carer Permission Note has been completed and returned to the school

(acknowledging parental/carer responsible for duty of care), students are not required to be at

school unless an examination is scheduled.

Year 10 Year 10 Careers Classes continue by withdrawing students on a rotational basis from Thursday

afternoon sport. It is envisaged that all students will receive two such lessons. It has been

encouraging to note the enthusiasm with

which the students approach the work –

maybe after a little initial hesitation. It is also

encouraging that students have ALREADY

sought advice on how to fund their intended

tertiary studies through scholarships. Again I

mention the CEF Scholarship Guide which

lists about 800 scholarships, although not all

apply to students enrolling in the first year of

a course

Years 10-12

The University of NSW will offer a full Medicine course at Port Macquarie from next year –

2017. If medicine is on your career list, check out the following Open Day info for this Saturday,

21 May 2016.

Ian Evans, Careers Adviser

YEAR 12 HOSPITALITY EXCURSION: Year 12 Students have again been putting their

skills into practice as part of the H.O.T.E.L school in Queensland. Those students excelled

themselves during the three days in all duties performed. They followed instructions from their

direct supervisors in all sections of the hotel and restaurant.

Duties included:

Room service

Dishwashing

Kitchen

Porters

Front office

Conferences/banquets

Housekeeping

ALL the students led by example and received high praise from the management of the resort as

well as the guests. I would like to express my thanks to Karen McCann for all her help, as the

success of these days was due to effective team work.

Laurent Gonfond, Hospitality Teacher

EISTEDDFOD

Last Thursday, 12 May, the Year 10 Elective Music students competed in the Secondary School

Rock/Modern/Folk Bands section at the Taree Eisteddfod. The students were fabulous. Not only

were they competing against each other, but eight other items from local secondary schools. The

competition was fierce.

The guys performed first: Ethan Bosmans

(bass), Sam Brown (piano & guitar),

Daniel Davis (vocals), Sam Holliday

(cello & guitar), Saksham Lama (drums),

Nicholas Parsons (vocals) and Hamish

Ross (vocals & violin). Their opening

song was Home by the Foo Fighters, a

slow, ballad which demanded accurate

intonation and musical feeling. Their

second item was Holiday, Greenday which brought

the house down. The adjudicator commending the

‘liveliness’ and how they ‘drew the audience in!’

The ladies, Hannah Dormor (vocals & beat-box),

Teisha Farr (bass guitar, piano & vocals), Charlotte

Higgins (guitar & drums) and Clare Sephton (vocals,

violin & percussion), demonstrated they were not

going to let the boys off easy. Their performance of

Sia’s Breathe Me was captivating. The adjudicator

commented on how the ‘building of texture through

this piece was excellent.’ Their second item, Ghost

by Ella Henderson once again demonstrated the

versatility of the class.

We narrowly missed out on the top spot. First place going to Forster High, who were deserving

winners. However we came home with two trophies, 2nd (94) & 3rd (93) places. Out of eight

items, that’s a great result. I was very proud of the students.

At the end of May Cadence will compete in the Secondary School Vocal Section. Cadence will

compete in the Secondary School Group section.

Good luck to Mrs McKendry and Cadence.

ST CLARE’S VOCAL GROUP

The Vocal Group is in the final stages of preparation

for the Ubuntu African Children’s Choir tour and

concert. We have our last combined rehearsal with

St Joseph’s, Taree next Thursday with Mrs

Brotherton and the wonderful Joey’s choir.

The Ubuntua Concert is on Friday, 27 May 2016, at 7 pm at Taree Baptist Centre, 441

Kolodong Rd, Taree.

This is a very exciting collaboration and will be an excellent concert. Our students will open

the show and will perform the finale with the African Choir.

Tickets are:

$20.00 for an adult and

$10.00 for a child (under 16)/concession

$50.00 for a family of four.

Tickets are available at www.kwaya.org.

A reminder to our performers that $5.00 for their ticket is due to the Bursar on Monday.

DIOSOUNDS

DioSounds is an annual event that captures the amazing musical talent of our secondary students

in the diocese. It is on Thursday, 2 June at 6:30 pm at the Civic Theatre, Newcastle. Tickets

are available from the Civic Theatre box office or Ticketek.

Many of our Elective Music students are preparing for the concert. This year marks 10 years of

DioSounds and the theme is ’The Decades’. St Clare’s will present items from the 1950’s.

Viva la Musica,

Mrs Brown

Raise your voice & come along to

St Clare’s Vocal Group

Monday Lunch

Room 36

ALL WELCOME!!!

ST CLARE’S SOCIAL JUSTICE IMMERSION TRIP TO SYDNEY: During our last

school holidays 12 members of our Year 12 group spent three days of social justice work with

various agencies who support people who feel marginalised or isolated.

On our way to Sydney we visited our friends from Penola House in Newcastle where we chatted

with refugee families. The stories we heard were amazing, particularly around the

resourcefulness of their human spirit to survive incredible hardships. On Sunday night we went

to St Mary’s parish at North Sydney to enjoy celebrating with other young people at Mass. The

singing and joyfulness was inspiring.

The following two days we spent working with the Salvation Army Street Mission which offers

a variety of services including a drop in centre where breakfast and lunch is served. Our group

engaged with the people who used the facilities, we also provided an evening meal, entertained

them and made a fun night extra special. We also supported the centre’s op shop helping to sort

clothes that were donated. We re-decorated the gateway to the centre which was much

appreciated by all who use the centre facilities.

On our last day we visited Ozanam Industries which is a supportive workplace for people with

a range of disabilities. This was a relaxing and fun activity and a great way to finish our three

days.

Some feedback from the students…

“I found the trip broadened my outlook on those who live on the margins of society.

The conversations I had were inspiring, considering their challenges in life. They were

able to stay positive and appreciated the time I gave them.”

“I had a once in a life time experience, not only did I get to bond with amazing people

and listen to their inspiring stories, I got to bond with my peers and connect with them

on a deeper level.”

“It was really great to just sit back and see just how happy our guests were to be at this

dinner altogether, having fun and laughing. Although for some, revisiting their

childhood is painful, the guests participated well in our games and interacted really

well with both each other and us kids. It was just a really fun and happy occasion for

everyone.”

“I cannot tell you how much I have taken away from this trip; it was just wonderful.”

We would like to thank all the staff who came along – Deacon Vince, Mrs Ryan, Mr Masters

and Miss Rowsell.

SPORTING NEWS:

Rugby 7’s: On Tuesday of Week 10, Term 1 five teams from St Clare’s competed at the Local

Rugby 7’s competition against schools from the area reaching as far as Wauchope. All teams

enjoyed themselves and played well throughout the day. The U14 Boys showed a high level of

skill in this sport and were undefeated. The U14 Girls was a team of novice players who

improved massively throughout the day. As the day progressed they grew in confidence and

become more familiar with the game of Rugby. With a lack of numbers the U16 Boys’ team

combined and assisted each other in all of the games. They had some wins and some losses

throughout the day. The U16 Girls continued their success within this sport and were undefeated

at the end of the day. I would like to say a huge thank you to the parents Lance Bungie, Ben

Hunter and Mark Coble that assisted on the day, your help and expertise in the sport of Rugby

was invaluable. I would also like to thank Lachlan Daczko and Lenae Simon who were

extremely helpful on the day assisting.

The Under 14 Boys and U16 Girls progressed through to the next level at Coffs Harbour which

was played early this term. Under 14 Boys were again very successful on this day continuing

their winning streak! Unfortunately this was the furthest the U14’s can progress; however, they

are a very strong side and will be a team to watch in the next few years. The Under 16 Girls’

played exceptionally well and were narrowly defeated by their rivals Wauchope. The teams are

to be congratulated on their sportsmanship and their dedication to this sport.

9/10 Touch: On 6 May a boys and girls 9/10 touch team travelled down to Newcastle to compete

in the All Schools 9/10 competition. St Clare’s usually competes at Port Macquarie in this

competition, however, due to a clash of dates we had to travel to Newcastle. This was a good

experience for the players to see what the competition was like in other areas. Both teams played

well throughout the day, showing that they were very capable of matching the sides from

Newcastle. The boys had mostly wins in their round games which was great to see. The girls

had varying results in their round games and progressed to the quarter finals, coming up against

a team they played earlier in the day. The girls put in a huge effort in this game and they fought

hard until the final hooter but unfortunately they ended up losing 1-0. It was an impressive game

for the girls to finish on.

The students that were involved in the teams are listed below:

Boys Team: Mitchell Black, Tanna Hinton, Lleyton Henry, Kieran Fowler, Will Smith, Jack

Wood, Jacob Cross, Isaac Cross, Travers Anderson, Jake Jones, Patrick Luckie and Mathew

Luckie

Girls Team: Emma Yarnold, Makayla Foster, Ruby McIntosh, Chelsea Green, Olivia Stewart,

Thalia Simon, Molly Aiken, Bianca Debono, Kiana Richardson, Kiara Andrews, Thalia Kladis

and Madison Hancock.

Jenna Rowsell, Representative Sports

RUGBY: On Thursday, 5 May, Ms Stacey Posadas and I drove some very excited students up

to Coffs Harbour for the next stage of the Rugby 7’s. The second round students included U14

Boys of Ryan Young, Drey Mercy, Dane Hinton, Kye Andrews, Lewis Bramble, Braydon

Bungie, Lachlan Wright, Jake Saunders and Zenyn Proctor, coached by Lance Bungie and

the U16 Girls of Nicole Griffis, Klaiha Waugh-Ridgeway, Thalia Kladis, Olivia Stewart,

Madison Hancock, Corinna Mundine, Thalia Simon and Chloe Coble and coached by Leane

Simon.

The Boys group played exceptionally well in their pool games against St Columbia Anglican,

Macksville High School and St Joseph’s Regional, winning all games convincingly. They

dominated the second ranked team being St Joseph’s Regional 8-3 in the final.

The Girls team beat St Joseph’s Regional and Macksville High School in the pool games. In the

final they played their arch rivals Wauchope High School in a very tough and close game, but

unfortunately Wauchope won 3-2.

Although the U14 boys were victorious in the northern region there is no state final and the U16

girls will have to wait and see if they are able to gain a wild card entry into the state finals in

Sydney.

A huge thank you to Ms Stacy Posadas for looking after all students and also thank you to Lance

Bungie and Lenae Simon for their efforts coaching the teams. Jason Koenig

MATHS WORKSHOP - Mathematics Workshop provides the opportunity for every student to

obtain assistance and support in improving their understanding of

mathematics. Four mathematics teachers are available each week

to explain the concepts you are finding difficult or give assistance

to enable you to complete your homework, assignments or any

work that you may have missed due to absence from class.

WHEN IS IT ON? Wednesday lunchtime - every week.

Bring your lunch!

WHERE? Room 10

We hope to see you there!

Mrs Julie Rowsell- Mathematics Coordinator

LEAVE NOTES & STUDENT MESSAGES: It would be appreciated if parents/guardians

would send in a written note if their child needs to leave early for appointments etc. Notes

should be handed in at the front office in the morning before roll call. If parents/guardians need

to notify their child of a change of afternoon arrangements, it is necessary to phone the school

prior to 2:25 pm (End of Lunch – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday) or prior to 1:55

pm (End of Lunch – Thursday Sport) as it is often difficult to locate students if their last lesson

is a PE Prac or there has been a room change. Students cannot be collected from the school

during school hours by anyone other than a parent or guardian without written permission.

Thank you.

LATE NOTES: Lateness to school is recorded as a partial absence and must be explained to the

school the same way as other forms of absence. Arriving Late for school requires a

handwritten note from a parent/carer or a phone call from a parent/carer or the absence is

recorded as an unexplained partial absence. Thank you.

SCHOOL CLINIC: Students are reminded that if they are unwell whilst at school they are to

advise their teacher who will then send them to the Front Office. If necessary, the office staff

will contact a parent while the student waits in the Clinic. Students are not to contact parents on

their mobile phones as this leaves teachers and office staff unaware of the situation and is also in

breach of the school policy – use of mobile phones. Thank you.

MONDAY 23/5 Help Urgently Required

TUESDAY 17/5 Sue Lythgoe

WEDNESDAY 18/5 Lyn Simpson, Wendy Moon

THURSDAY 19/5 Help Urgently Required

FRIDAY 20/5 Greta Crowe, Mel Chalmers

VACANCIES STILL EXIST

MORE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS & THURSDAYS

IF YOU CAN ASSIST PLEASE CONTACT CHERYL KINGSFORD

AT ST CLARE’S: 6591 2104, HOME: 6552 1857 OR

VIA EMAIL: cheryl.kingsford@mn.catholic.edu.au

COMING EVENTS - 2016

Term 2

Week 5 Monday 23/5 ♦ Year 11 Mid-yearly Exams commence

Thursday 26/5 ♦ Reconciliation Mass, Hamilton

♦ Dio Tennis

Friday 27/5 ♦ Year 8 Reflection Day

Week 6 Tuesday 31/5 ♦ Year 11 Mid-yearly Exams conclude

♦ Year 10 Half-yearly Exams commence

♦ ICAS Science Competition

Thursday 2/6 ♦ DioSounds

Week 7 Monday 6/6 ♦ Year 10 Half-yearly Exams conclude

Tuesday 7/6 ♦ Year 11 2017 Information Evening

♦ CCC Touch

Wednesday 8/6 ♦ P & F Meeting – 6 pm (Holy Name Primary School, Forster)

Thursday 9/6 ♦ Year 7 to 9 Half-yearly Exams commence

Week 8 Monday 13/6 ♦ Public Holiday

Wednesday 15/6 ♦ Year 10 Aboriginal Students excursion to Uni, Port Macquarie

Friday 17/6 ♦ Year 7 to 9 Half-yearly Exams conclude

♦ CCC Cross Country

Week 9 Tuesday 21/6 ♦ RYDA Program – Year 11

Week 10 Thursday 30/6 ♦ NAIDOC Day Assembly

Friday 1/7 ♦ Last Day of Term 2

Term 3

Week 1 Monday 18/7 ♦ First Day of Term 3

Week 2 Monday 25/7 ♦ Students from Kobe Kaisei arrive

Week 3 Sunday 31/7 ♦ Year 9 Snowy Excursion Departs

Wednesday 3/8 ♦ P & F Meeting – 6 pm (St Joseph’s Primary School, Wingham)

Thursday 4/8 ♦ Kobe Kaisei students depart St Clare’s

Friday 5/8 ♦ Year 9 Snowy Excursion Returns

Week 4 Friday 12/8 ♦ St Clare’s Feast Day Celebrations

Week 6 Thursday 26/8 ♦ Year 7 Vaccination – 3rd dose

Week 7 Wednesday 31/8 ♦ P & F Meeting – 6 pm

Week 10 Friday 23/9 ♦ Last Day of Term 3

Term 4

Week 3 Wednesday 26/10 ♦ P & F Meeting – 6 pm

Week 7 Wednesday 23/11 ♦ P & F Meeting – 6 pm