We respectfully acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work and learn, and pay respect to the First Nations Peoples and their elders, past, present and emerging.
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Dear Parents and Carers,
This Saturday, 3rd December we celebrate the International Day of People with Disability.
What image pops into your mind when we say ‘disability’? It’s probably a mental image of someone you’ve seen that has an obvious appearance of disability. When you hold the image of that person in mind, what is it you focus on? What is it about that person that brings to mind ‘disability’?
Many people don’t feel comfortable to talk about disability…and that’s okay. It’s often simply because they don’t know how to talk about something, they feel unfamiliar with. I don’t know how to talk about soccer because I don’t know anything about it!
There are many families in our community who know someone, often a loved one, with a disability. Though they have a lived experience of disability, even they feel challenged in their thinking at times. They also don’t mind when other people don’t know how to talk about disability. They’re always happy to help a person who genuinely wants to understand.
So how do we understand about disability today?
Society is always learning and growing and the way we understand and think about disability today is very different to many years ago.
Traditionally, society has taken a medical model approach to disability, which focuses on a person’s physical, mental, psycho-social or intellectual impairment or ‘deficit’, always with comparison to ‘normal’ people. Under this model, these impairments or ‘deficits’ need to be ‘fixed’ or changed by medical treatment, surgery or other intervention, even when the impairment or difference does not cause pain or illness. This model creates low expectations and leads to people losing independence, choice and control.
While the medical model focuses on what is ‘wrong’ with the person, the social model of disability says that disability is caused by the way society is organised, specifically because of the assumption that all people’s needs are the same. It says that disability occurs because society has focused exclusively on one group’s needs — those who do not have impairment. The social model shows that impairment need not lead to disability and focuses on how to remove the disabling features of contemporary society. This is a wonderful step forward and I think we can go even further.
I am inspired by the work of Professor John Swinton who approaches the idea of disability from a theological perspective:
‘There is no such thing as a normal human being….difference is the norm…it is our common humanity.’
It is so refreshing to think that there is no normal. Look around and you’ll notice that there is only difference. It begins with eye, skin and hair colour. It extends to hidden differences such as preferred learning styles, emotional responses to events, personality traits, life-long health issues such as eczema, diabetes or epilepsy. Then there are the more noticeable differences such as missing or inactive parts of the body or speech and understanding differences.
When we think that there is a ‘normal’ person then we automatically see everything else as ‘not normal’ and any more extreme versions of this as a disability. But if we change the way we think…that there really is no normal…that it is our normal human experience to just be different to each other, then we see every person for who they are, a human being, wonderfully made.
At St Clare of Assisi, as in society, the challenge then becomes not one of ‘integrating’ people with disabilities into the ‘normal’ classroom. It becomes one where we recognise how our school is structured and operates for a ‘normal’ majority and change it so every person, no matter what the difference, can access and participate in the full life of faith and learning that we all enjoy.
On Saturday as we celebrate the International Day of People with Disability let us understand, embrace and celebrate our common humanity.
Thank you for your ongoing care and partnership in your child’s learning.
God bless.
Rachel Smith
Principal
Principal’s Notes
Advent
This Sunday marks the second week of Advent in our Catholic Church. The church sets aside the season of Advent so that we might prepare our hearts to welcome Jesus at Christmas. Advent is about prayer and reflection. The word ‘Advent' is from the Latin ‘Adventus,' which means ‘coming.' Advent is the beginning of a new liturgical year (in the Western churches), and begins from the fourth Sunday before Christmas, until the Nativity of Our Lord is celebrated - Christmas. The liturgical colour for this season is purple.
Like Lent, Advent is a preparatory season. It has significance because it is a season of looking forward and waiting for something greater; both for the annual celebration of the event of Christ's birth, and for the time when Christ will come again.
Each Sunday in Advent a candle is lit on an Advent Wreath, reminding us that Christmas is coming. The first candle is called the Prophet’s candle. It reminds us of the people who spoke God’s word for hundreds of years before Jesus was born.
Another tradition in the Catholic Church is that of the Jesse Tree. It is a representation of Jesus’ family tree, all the way back to Jesse – the father of David. The tree image is taken from Scripture where it is written; “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse.” Isaiah 11:1
Grandparents and Grand Friends Day
It was so wonderful to have so many special people join us last Monday for our first Grandparents and Grand Friends Day in three years. The day was extremely well attended with many Grandparents travelling from interstate to attend. Please pass on our thanks to all who attended and helped to make it such a special occasion.
School Hats
A reminder that school hats must be worn before school, at Recess, Lunch, sport times and after school. We ask for your support in ensuring that the students have school hats with names labelled very clearly.
Lunches in Hot Weather
As the temperature rises it may be worth considering putting frozen blocks in lunch boxes.
Home Reader
Please check at home for any misplaced home readers and return them to school. All families are encouraged to maintain a reading regime during the holidays - it is amazing how much progress can be lost if reading is abandoned during the long Christmas break. Don’t forget to read in front of your children - this is a very powerful message.
Semester 2 Student Reports
These will become available for parents through COMPASS on Friday. They are designed and written for parents, not students. We understand that students want to know how well they have achieved, and we give them feedback throughout each and every week at school. As you read the reports and share the relevant sections with your child, I encourage you to focus on the positive and celebrate successes and begin with skills and habits. They are far more valuable than we realise.
2023 School and Term Dates
Please be aware the term dates will be as follows for next year;
- Term One 31 January - 6 April
- Term Two 26 April - 30 June
- Term Three 18 July - 22 September
- Term Four 9 October - 14 December
Congratulations to the children who will be awarded white cards at the 8.45am Friday Morning assembly
| Kinder | |
| Year 1 | |
| Year 2 | Thomas C, Delilah C, Liam H, Mia M, Ivy M, Sienna O'M, Zachary R, Michael W, Adelaide W-K |
| Year 3 | |
| Year 4 | Amelia A, Cooper U |
| Year 5 | Tristan E, Emily M, Mikayla M |
| Year 6 | Nikita C, Nethidu K, Shreya S |
TERM 4
WEEK 8 (28th November to 2nd December)
Thursday 1st December - 2023 Kinder Orientation Morning
Friday 2nd December - Semester 2 Reports go live on COMPASS
Friday 2nd December - I.C.A.S Certificates will be presented at morning assembly
WEEK 9 (5th December to 9th December)
Parent Teacher Conferences start 5th December
Friday 9th December - End of Year Mass
WEEK 10 (12th December to 15th December)
Tuesday 13th December - Kinder Christmas Concert
Wednesday 14th December - Farewell Assembly
Wednesday 14th December - Year 6 Graduation
Thursday 15th December - Year 6 Big Day Out
Thursday 15th December - Last day of school for all students 2022
Friday 16th December - Pupil Free Day
2023 TERM 1
Tuesday 31st January, 2023 - First Day of school for all students
Yesterday, Parent Teacher Conference bookings went live through Compass. If you wish to make a booking please do so through the app.
If you have any problems please contact the Front office on 6294 1860.
|
YEAR 6 PARENTS & OTHER LEAVING FAMILIES Just a reminder if you have a Direct Debit in place you will need to fill in a cancellation form, once your fees are finalised. Direct Debits are not automatically cancelled we need your authority. The forms are available on the school website. |
Dear Parents,
WILL YOU HAVE A CHILD AT ST CLARE OF ASSISI PRIMARY IN 2023 AND AN OLDER SIBLING IN A SYSTEMIC SECONDARY SCHOOL?
The systemic school system includes Merici College, St Clare’s College, St Francis Xavier College and St Mary Mackillop Catholic College.
It does not include Marist, Daramalan or St Edmund's.
If so, this form must be returned by Friday 9th December 2022 to ensure your fees are billed correctly in 2023.
https://stclareconder.schoolzineplus.com/form/157
Thank you in advance.
If you have any questions please contact Jo McCarthy on 6294 1860.