Dear Families,

Did you know that on 1st July 2005, Corpus Christi Parish was formed, following the realignment of Holy Family Parish, Gowrie and St Francis of Assisi Parish, Calwell. Our Parish is one of the largest in the Canberra & Goulburn Archdiocese and comprises the suburbs of Banks, Calwell, Chisholm, Conder, Fadden, Gilmore, Gordon, Gowrie, Isabella Plains, Macarthur, Richardson, Theodore, Tharwa and rural surrounds.

On Friday 7th June, we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi with a combined Schools Mass at Holy Family Church. Our Parish Schools are St Clare of Assisi, Conder, St Francis of Assisi, Calwell, Holy Family in Gowrie  and our Secondary School, St Mary MacKillop College which has 2 campuses one in  in Wanniassa and the other at Isabella Plains. St Mary MacKillop will bring along their Year 9 and 10 CYSMA Youth Ministry Team to run a combined games after Mass with all the students.

The Feast of Corpus Christi reminds us of the transformative power we are gifted when we participate in the Eucharist. The Eucharist gives us the grace to be the head, heart and hands of Jesus. It connects us with each other in communion.  Being connected in our community, in our parish and in our schools, we are truly the body of Christ.  A great way to deepen our understanding and continue to build this is to be open to attend our Corpus Christi Parish Assembly on Saturday 15 June from 9.00am – 1.00pm. This beautiful gathering will be held at the Holy Family Church. The Theme of this event is Belonging in and to the Corpus Christi Parish.

St. Teresa of Avila wrote a beautiful prayer reminding us of our mission as Jesus’ disciples.

We are his hands and feet here on earth. Dedicate some time to say this prayer with your family. 

Christ Has No Body

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

Can you please keep all of Year 6 in your prayers, especially our Confirmation Candidates as they continue to learn about the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and prepare for their confirmation on Wednesday 19th June.

Learning Journeys- Tuesday 18th June

As we near the half-way mark of the school year, our students and staff would like to open our classrooms to share the learning and achievements that has been taking place. Please set aside some time on Tuesday 18th June, between 3.00 pm – 4.30 pm, to visit your child’s classroom to celebrate their learning. 

Sovereign’s Birthday Public Holiday

On Monday, 10th June, the ACT will celebrate Sovereign’s Day with a public holiday. As it is a public holiday, all schools in the ACT will be closed on that day. The timing is perfect as it will enable all of the students to recharge for the final few weeks of Term 2.

School Fees

School fees are now due. To help us pay our bills, please pay yours. Thanks to those families who are up to date. As always, if you are facing difficulties in meeting your fee commitments, please arrange a time to meet with us.

Sun Safe – Swap your hat for a School Beanie! 

The Cancer Council ACT does not recommend sun protection in Canberra during June and July, SCA does not enforce the wearing of hats during this time. The “no hat, no play” rule is shelved for the next two months. Bring on that Vitamin D!

Leaving SCA?

Don’t forget to let us know if you are planning to leave St Clare of Assisi at the end of the year. (Year 6 exempt of course!) We will soon commence the process of planning enrolments and class numbers for 2025.

https://stclareconder.schoolzineplus.com/form/10

Kindergarten Enrolments

It has been an absolute joy meeting many families who wish to enrol their children into SCA for Kindergarten commencing 2025. We still have space in Kindergarten, so please spread the word about our wonderful educational community.

Term Three Starting Date – Tuesday 23rd July

Monday 22nd July is a pupil free day in all Catholic Primary Schools in Canberra. Teachers will be working together and receive Professional Development in the areas of High Impact Teaching Strategies, Coaching and Curriculum. All students will commence Term Three on Tuesday 23rd July.

Let’s keep everyone safe!

The speed limit in our school carpark and entrance drive is a strict 10 km per hour or below! For the safety of all, especially our precious children, please adhere to this limit.

As always, thank you for your continued support in all that we do to support and guide your children.

Blessings to you and your family.

Jo Reed

Assistant Principal

The Resilience Project

We all know the importance of tackling youth mental health crisis, especially when we see 1 in 4 primary students and 1 in 3 secondary students report high levels of anxiety, depression, or both (Resilient Youth, State of the Nation Report, 2023). While these statistics are alarming, we’re not letting this deter us; and we are more passionate than ever in our mission to change the narrative and shift these figures in the right direction here at SCA.

On Tuesday, 29th a number of Staff attended The Resilience Project Professional Development held in Sydney. The School Wellbeing Program has been curated by all of our Staff. As you know, it is designed to inspire all of us through evidence-based principles linked to positive mental health: Gratitude, Empathy and Meditation/Mindfulness (GEM) and Emotional Literacy.

We were so fortunate to listen to inspiring stories from Hugh van Cuylenburg the Founder of The Resilience Project, Leah Stevenson presented ‘Looking After Ourselves’ and showed us how to build mental reflexes and toolkit and Elias Karageorgiou talked about Curriculum, GEM chats and how we can continue to flourish on our journey. Martin Heppell was our final speaker of the day – he was loud, shared his experiences growing up in Borneo in a small village of headhunters, playing AFL at an elite level, the highs and lows of family and the overwhelming joy of teaching Primary School students. His message was clear: We are a team! We don’t derive strength from our individualism, but rather from our collective ability to plan, communicate and work together. It is our privilege to serve our beautiful community so we can continue to connect, strive and flourish in Gods love.