Dear SCA Families,

After 23 incredible years, the time has come for me to say goodbye and hand over the reins to the wonderful Carlie Temple, who I know will embrace this role wholeheartedly and welcome you with open arms.

It has been an absolute privilege to serve this community and to get to know all our families. Your children have brought such joy to my days – making me laugh, cry, and everything in between. Seeing the children grow, and now having former students return with their own children, is such a humbling and rewarding experience. 

While it’s hard to say goodbye, I want you to know that this isn’t a farewell forever. It’s more of a “see you later.” SCA has been such an important part of my life, and I will always carry this community in my heart.

Thank you for your trust, your kindness, and your support over the years. It’s been an honour to watch your children grow and to share in the milestones of this beautiful school. I’m excited for what’s ahead for SCA.

Wishing you all the very best,

Karen Snowball

A Christmas Blessing

May the grace of Christ bring you hope and joy,

and may the peace of Christ be yours.

May Jesus, the Lord, the miracle of God,

fill your heart with Christmas love.

May you hear the songs of the angels this morn'.

May you feel the joy that Jesus Christ is born.

May the beauty of Christmas surround you today.

May you find joy this Christmas Day.

May you thank the Lord for the hope that He brings.

May you know the love of Jesus Christ, the King.

May you always believe that Christ came to save.

May you find hope this Christmas Day.

May the peace of Christmas bring joy with no end.

May you feel the love of family and friends.

May the wonder of Christmas surround you today.

May you feel peace this Christmas Day.

May you share this day with our Jesus in prayer.

May you share this day and show all you care.

May you gather together with loved ones this day.

May you find Christ this Christmas Day.

                  Author -  Marcia A. Newton

On behalf of St Clare of Assisi School staff, I wish your family a happy and holy Christmas and a peace filled 2025.

We thank you for the support you have provided the school, and therefore your child, throughout this year.

We look forward to seeing you again when school resumes on Tuesday 4^th February, 2025. (And to our Year 6 students, all the very best for high school.)

May the true spirit of Christmas enrich you all during these holidays.

Dear SCA Families,

Congratulations to our Kindergarten students and their teachers for their fantastic Christmas Nativity on Monday. Our Kindergarten students have made remarkable progress since the start of the year. What wonderful performances! It was heartening to see so many parents and relatives at the event. A special thanks to the teachers for their immense efforts in preparing our students—it was no small task. We are also deeply grateful to the many parents who assisted, especially with assembling the costumes.

This evening, the Year Six students, supported by their parents and staff, will formally mark the end of their primary schooling. We congratulate our Year Six students on successfully completing this important milestone and offer our blessings as they embark on the next stage of their journey. We extend our heartfelt thanks, in advance, to Nick Purcell, Crystal Wilkes and Mel Laver for their dedication and organisation of the ceremony.

To all the families concluding their association with St Clare of Assisi this year, thank you for your dedication to our school and for contributing to what makes SCA such a wonderful community. We wish you all the best for the future.

To the staff members leaving us this year (as mentioned in last week’s newsletter), thank you for your contributions to the life and spirit of our school. You leave with our gratitude and prayerful best wishes.

A special farewell to Mrs Karen Snowball, our exceptional Office Manager, who is retiring after twenty three years of dedicated service to SCA. We are deeply grateful for her hard work, which has enriched the lives of countless children and parents and provided tremendous support to our staff. Karen, your impact on our school community is immeasurable, and you leave with our heartfelt thanks and best wishes for a fulfilling retirement.

Reports

Today, Wednesday 11^th December, your child’s Semester Two Report will be published via Compass. Reading the reports has filled me with pride, reflecting the students’ remarkable achievements this year and the excellence demonstrated by their teachers. So many children have worked exceptionally hard, and they deserve recognition for a successful and rewarding year.

Meet the Teacher

Tomorrow, Thursday, students will meet their teacher for 2025. Please note that, due to privacy considerations, class lists will not be provided to students or displayed publicly. I ask for your understanding that no changes will be made to class placements for 2025.

If your child feels a little unsettled about their class placement or the year ahead, I encourage you to remain positive and reassuring. Remind them that making new friends and working with different teachers can be an exciting experience. While it may feel unfamiliar at first, they will soon settle in and enjoy a wonderful year.

School Fees

A reminder that school fees are now overdue for families who are not on a regular payment plan. I kindly ask that outstanding accounts be settled by tomorrow to ensure we can meet our budgetary commitments.

It was once said…

Matt Egan-Richards

Principal

matt.egan-richards@cg.catholic.edu.au

Dear Parents and Friends,

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Staff, Students and Community for your support over the past 2 years as Assistant Principal. It has been a pleasure to serve here at St Clare of Assisi. I would like to thank Principal Matt Egan-Richards for his visionary leadership, wisdom and kindness. Mr Egan-Richards and all Staff invest 110% every day to ensure your sons and daughters receive the best education possible; the proof is literally in the pudding, as our results have been splashed across the front pages of the Australian and Canberra Times!

Congratulations SCA!!

As we reflect on the Gospel for the Third Sunday of Advent, we hear John’s message to the crowd, the tax collectors, and the soldiers about embracing both a spirit of generosity and a generosity of spirit. A generosity of spirit is revealed in the way we approach others, with kindness, positivity, and hope. This attitude has the power to transform even the most challenging situations. 

As we prepare for Christmas, it’s also a time to take practical steps of generosity. For many, this time of year can feel overwhelming rather than joyful, especially for those facing financial hardship. Simple acts of kindness and support can bring hope and make a difference to families in need during this season of giving.

Important dates and reminders: 

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Congratulations to our Year 4 students who recently celebrated their Sacrament of Reconciliation through the Second Rite Liturgies. It was a meaningful and special occasion shared with our parish schools, marking an important step in their faith journey.

St Vincent de Paul's Christmas Appeal - Splash of Christmas cheer - THANK YOU!

Our Splash of Christmas Cheer was a tremendous success, and we are truly grateful for your generous donations! Your support will make a meaningful difference. Vinnies will be collecting all donations this Friday. Thank you for helping spread joy and kindness!

Farewell Masses for Fr James 

Our parish will be holding farewell Masses for Fr James this weekend. Everyone is warmly invited to attend and share their thanks and farewell messages. Light refreshments will be served after each Mass. We hope you can join us in celebrating Fr James' time with us and wishing him well on his next journey.

Christmas Masses 2024 at Corpus Christi Parish Tuggeranong South  

Tuesday 24 December 
Christmas Eve

6 pm outside at St Francis of Assisi School grounds.

(bring a chair or rug to sit on)

9 pm Holy Family Church Gowrie

Carols begin at 11.30 pm

Wednesday 25 December 

Christmas Day

Midnight Holy Family Church Gowrie

8 am Holy Family Church Gowrie

10 am Holy Family Church Gowrie

This week White Cards will be presented on Friday Morning Assembly at 8.45am. Congratulations to the following children.

The dress code for students attending the Year 6 Graduation:

• Top: Leadership shirt for all students
• Bottoms: Formal school uniform bottoms (navy skorts or shorts)
• Footwear: Black leather shoes with white socks

Please ensure your child adheres to this dress code for the event.

Thank you for your support in helping our students look their best for this special occasion.

The last day the Canteen will be open for 2024 is

Thursday 12th December.

If your child has any medication stored at school  please remember to collect all medications from the front office by Monday 16^th December. 

As the school year comes to a close, we’d like to remind all Year 6 parents and families of students leaving St Clare of Assisi at the end of 2024 to download or print your child/ren’s school reports for your records.

Please note that after the cut-off date of 20th December, your access to the school Compass portal will no longer be able to retrieve school reports.

We encourage you to take a moment now to ensure you have copies of these important documents for your reference.

Thank you for your cooperation, and we wish your family all the best as you transition into the next chapter of your educational journey.

On Friday, Sophie P (4R) and Emily R (5R) were presented with a very special award from her excellency, the Governor General of Australia, Lady Baiden Powell. 

The girls recently completed their Junior BP badges for Girl Guides. These are the highest possible badges for their age group and involved a lot of effort and commitment from the girls. The Junior BP Award in Girl Guides is a challenge that encourages girls to set goals and achieve them. The award is about challenging oneself to do one's best, according to their abilities, knowledge, and experiences. Completing a challenge enables a girl to develop personally.

One example of a challenge Sophie completed was coordinating a pantry drive within the guide unit. The donated items were presented to Marymead CatholicCare to be provided to people who experiencing homelessness in Canberra. Sophie even arranged for their deputy CEO to attend a guide meeting and provide some education about homelessness. 

It was an incredibly exciting afternoon for the girls being hosted at government house and receiving the awards. Below is a quote from Lady Baden Powell, which does a great job of summing things up. 

Have courage in seeing problems as opportunities. Lady Baiden Powell 

Social media is always a lively topic of discussion. There’s no doubt that for many of us, social media has become integrated into our daily lives. It provides us with laughs, inspiration, connection, but it also comes with some of the tougher stuff like bullying or content we might not have wanted to see. This is the case especially for our children and young people.

The Federal Government’s social media ban may come as a relief for many of you who have been concerned about the impact of social media on your children and their friends.

Your child/young person you may be feeling upset, worried, or angry about these changes. They may have a lot of questions about how it will all work. No matter of your stance on the ban, the holidays is a great time to open up a conversation and try to understand their feelings and work together to navigate its impacts.

The following information maybe the questions that will most probably be asked of you and has been taken from Headspace.

What are the facts? Social media ban FAQs

Please note: the conversation around the social media ban is evolving and this page will be updated to reflect new updates as they are available.

What is the social media ban?

The Government has legislated that people under the age of 16 will not be able to sign up for social media accounts. To do so will be against the law.

Why are they doing this? 

The Government have said they are introducing the ban due to their concerns about the negative impact of social media on young people, in particular on their mental health and wellbeing. 

Who does the ban apply to? 

The legislation will apply to people under the age of 16 years in Australia at the time the legislation comes into effect. 

When will it happen? 

We aren't sure yet, but it will be at least a year on from when the legislation was passed. Because Parliament passed the legislation in November 2024, the ban itself won't come into effect until at least December 2025.

Can’t I just get my parent’s consent? 

No, parents (or other guardians) won't be able to give their consent for their young people to access social media before they are 16 years of age. 

If I already have an account, will I be kicked off? 

Even if you already have accounts, after the ban come into effect, anyone under 16 will not be allowed on certain social media platforms.  

What platforms are being banned?

While the specifics are still being confirmed, the ban is expected to impact most of the major platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. 

What are these exemptions I hear about? 

The Government has said that ‘education and health’ services (like headspace, Kids Helpline and Google Classroom) will be exempt, as well as messaging apps and online gaming services. YouTube will still also be accessible, because users can watch videos without first creating an account. However, the full list of exempted platforms is yet to be confirmed.  

How will they enforce it? 

Hate to say it…but again, this isn’t entirely clear at the moment. At a minimum the platforms will have to use some form of age verification. There are a lot of age verification trials and discussions happening but not one clear approach. The government has said that they want the responsibility to sit with the platforms and not young people and families…but we’re not sure what that means or how it will work yet.  

When the ban is in place, will there be a consequence if I lie about my age? 

We understand that it may be tempting to try and find ways around the ban and keep your current social media access. We don’t, however, encourage anyone to lie about their age. Saying you are over the age of 16 can expose you to adult content that can cause harm.

The government has stated that there will not be any punishments for young people or their parents if they break the law by using social media under the age of 16. The responsibility will be on the social media platforms to make sure they follow the rules.