Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to Term Three.  It was great to hear the many student stories of holidaying in our local area last week.  It is a beautiful time of the year to explore Queensland. I’m sure many families will take advantage of the long weekend this week (Tully Show Holiday Friday 24^th) for another adventure. 

We welcomed three new students last week – Mia (Yr 1) and Wilson (Yr 2) have returned to St. Clare’s and we welcome Paul (Yr 6).  At the end of Term 2 we said goodbye to Hugo (Yr 2) and hope that he and his family return to us in the future. We also welcome back Mrs Brumley who will be teaching Prep for Term Three.

This week we welcomed Miss Layne Threlfall to our Yr 5 class. Layne is doing her teaching practicum with us and will visit over the next few weeks.  Welcome Layne!

Over the recent school holidays our major building works commenced with the demolition of Block B.  Allan Sultana Constructions were the successful company with the tender process and we look forward to working with them over the next 6 months during our building project. At the moment they are preparing for the slab and retaining wall to be done as the initial start to the new building.

Our nature playground is close to being completed and the students are ready to get in there and play.  G-Force Landscaping have been managing the project and it looks fantastic!

Our COVID19 protocols are continuing and will be reviewed again at the end of the month.  Important messages regarding COVID below:

• Parents/Carers, please continue to drop off and pick up.
• Prep/Yr1 and siblings will continue to be picked up at 2:50pm for Term Three.
• Parents/Carers who need to be on-site, please keep your social distancing (including after school pick up times).
• All adults coming on site must sign in at the office.
• Please email or Seesaw class teachers as your first point of communication.
• Assemblies have commenced with students and staff only and we hope to invite parents to join us soon.
• Students are being reminded to sanitise and wash hands regularly.
• Students who have cold/flu like symptoms are to be kept away from school.
• Tuckshop will commence in Week 3 – maximum of three people in the tuckshop
• All volunteers entering the school are to arrive after 8:45am and leave before 2:30pm

Catholic Education Week

Next week is Catholic Education Week (Wk 3). This week is an opportunity for all 307 Catholic schools in Queensland to celebrate and promote their distinctive mission and ethos, which we will do in a different way in 2020.

Due to COVID-19 we will not be taking our Yr 3-6 students to Innisfail as we have done each year. We will be having liturgies with our students and staff at St Clare’s. Further information can be found in the APRE News.

Satisfaction Surveys

This year surveys will be sent out via EdSmart and will be in a different format to previous years.  A key focus will be on the Learning at Home experience. Families should receive these in coming weeks.  Your feedback is valuable to us as we forward plan into the future.

Prep 2021

Interviews with students and their families for Prep 2021 have commenced.  If you know anyone with a child born between 1/7/2015 and 30/6/2016 who intends on coming to St Clare’s but hasn’t enrolled yet, please ask them to contact our office asap.  I’ve met some wonderful future students in past weeks and look forward to getting to know them further at our transition program in Term 4.

Best wishes for the week ahead and enjoy the long weekend,

Narelle Harney

Welcome   Community   Hospitality

Welcome back to Term Three!

Catholic Education Week

The Cairns Catholic Education Community will celebrate Queensland Catholic Education Week (CEW) during July 26 – August 1. However, our celebrations this year may look very different than in other years which has seen events such as large scale masses and other liturgical celebrations, parent and grandparent days and award presentations held.

This year’s celebrations may evoke an image of community from Acts 2: 42-47 where small groups gathered in a family-like atmosphere, encouraging one another, laughing together, enjoying each other’s presence, and offering love and support in personal and meaningful ways drawing on the teachings of Jesus.

This year we’re seeing festivities move from those large scale events to smaller more intimate simple celebrations:  In Week 3 at St Clare’s, we are preparing for a Year 4 to 6 Liturgy on Wednesday, 29^th July and a Prep to Year 3 Liturgy on Thursday, 30^th July. Unfortunately, due to the limited number of people able to enter the church due to COVID restrictions, only staff and students will attend the liturgies.

Early Christian communities were models of what our schools in the Diocese of Cairns strive to live out each day as they commit to supporting the dignity of each person, practising Christian hospitality, and proclaiming its values through word and action.

This Catholic Education Week within our school communities across the Cairns Diocese, we will celebrate our identity, our achievements, and strive to strengthen relationships between students, staff, families and parish, especially relationships with our First Nation brothers and sisters, the traditional owners of the land on which our schools stand.

May we use this week and the weeks that follow to not only celebrate what is done in our schools, how it is done and who is doing it, but to explore and commit to ways of how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia and in our own school community.

(Sourced from CES Identity & Outreach Directorate)

Saints ANNE & JOACHIM: GRANDPARENTS OF JESUS 

On July 26th we celebrate the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne. This saintly couple are parents to Mary and grandparents to Jesus. With such amazing offspring, Joachim and Anne must have shared an extraordinary love. They have long been held up as exemplars for married couples, and in fact, they are one of the few married couple saints canonised in the Catholic Church.

They must have been special people to raise such a person as Mary who was so trusting and faithful to God. It is written that they helped Mary and Joseph raise Jesus too.

To all our grandparents, thank you for all the gifts of life and faith you share with all. Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions we are unable to hold the whole school morning tea we celebrated during Catholic Education Week last year. We offer this special prayer:

Let us pray.

Loving God,

who loves us and cares for us like a loving parent,

we thank you for the gift of our grandparents.

Fill our hearts with love and respect for all

that they bring to our lives.

Help us to value and cherish their wisdom and understanding.

We ask this prayer in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

(sourced and adapted from https://liturgyritualprayer.com/blog/primary/)

May the Grace of God be with you,

Kath Kennedy

School Calendar

School Fees

School Fees for term 3 will be sent out in week 4. All invoices will be sent by email to all parents. More information in the newsletter of week 4.

HCC Tuition Fees

Please remember that families without a concession card who are experiencing financial stress are encouraged to contact their principal to discuss fee concessions. These conversations would be strictly confidential and respectful.

You can contact the school office 40659550 or email the principal with any concerns. 

Thank you.

• Student photo envelopes were given to each child yesterday but if you prefer to go online you can order by using the code above. 
• Sibling photo envelope can be collected from school office or order can be done online. 

All Students are to wear their Academic Uniform for photo day.