Celebrating Pentecost
In the readings of Pentecost, we hear the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples in fire and wind filling them with wisdom, strength and unity.
Pentecost reminds us that the Spirit continues to move among us today in all that we do. Through the inspiration of the Spirit we are called to be people who bring encouragement, understanding and compassion to our community. We are reminded through this feast that we do not do the work of bringing about the ‘good news’ alone, we are always accompanied by the Spirit. This was the focus of Fr Minh’s homily at the class mass held this week in our chapel.
We pray this Pentecost that we are open to the quiet movement of the Spirit within and around us. May we have the courage to bring peace where there is tension, hope where there is uncertainty and generosity where there is scarcity.
Launching our ‘Give 70 for 70’ Campaign
To mark our 70th anniversary the College is constructing a new sacred outdoor space situated between the Oak Centre and Clonard House. This space will incorporate a symbolic representation of St Brigid’s well with a water feature surrounded by six curved seats naming our core values. A border of ballerina apple trees that connect to the story of St Brigid and the apples will border the space. On the adjacent exterior wall of the old Science block we are installing an honour roll of all the Brigidine Sisters who have served at Clonard with a poem written by Jo Ryan titled ‘Women of Fire and Light’. Finally our Kildare Ministry cross that was blessed at the 10th Anniversary conference hosted by Clonard will find a new home in the space.
Our current community, alumni and past staff are invited to help us honour the legacy of the past 70 years by making a tax deductible donation towards this project.
Any combination of $70 or a custom amount would be greatly appreciated. Inspired by our Strategic Intention to be ‘Bravely Ambitious’ we would love to raise $70000 to ensure this space is something that captures the hearts and minds of our community and is a fitting celebration of our story.
We are already on our way with our first three donations being made.
Details about the project and ways to donate can be found via charidy.com/ccg
Compass going live in 32 days – 22 June
Staff have commenced training this week in using our new software system Compass. A number of families may already be familiar with Compass from other settings. Compass will be replacing SIMON. In the short term SIMON will be maintained for reporting purposes however by 22 June all attendance, timetable and student medical information will be moved to Compass.
A great deal of work has been taking place in the background to migrate information from SIMON to Compass.
An online information session for families will be held on Wednesday 10 June at 6.00pm. Save the date- details to follow. Parents are encouraged to download the Compass app for ease of access in preparation for the changeover.
Senior Years Information Evening and Subject Expo
Thanks to all those families who attended on Monday evening. It was great to see a full house and many engaging interactions with College staff, university and TAFE providers. We had some very positive feedback about the evening. Pathways and subject selection processes will continue to take place across the rest of Term 2 and into early Term 3. Information on subject selection can be found here.
Clonard Community Connects
Last Thursday we commenced a new initiative aimed at connecting our students around matters where their voice and actions can make a difference. This aligns to our strategic intention to be ‘Thriving Change agents. We hosted a whole school online meeting via Teams with myself, Lana and Ruby as College Captains, the Year 10 SRC Lucy and Layla and Justice Leaders Georgia and Kyah The purpose of the meeting is to share ways students can engage with the College, seek feedback on issues and then provide the feedback from student voice. We launched with a conversation about our Justice project ‘1000 hours for Justice’ and the survey to support the review of our sports uniform. Students have shared how much they appreciated being a part of the conversation.
Families were also invited to contribute feedback to the sports uniform review. If you haven’t yet had a chance to respond, the survey closes Friday and can be accessed via this link Clonard College Sports Uniform Review – Community Feedback Survey
An Invitation
Our Ministry Leader Paul Skippen has offered to host an evening of spirituality for our students and a significant person in their life, parent, grandparent, carer. We are offering two evenings, Monday 22 June for Years 7-9 and Tuesday 23 June for Years 10-12. The evening will be held in the College chapel beginning at 6.00pm with a simple shared cup of soup followed by a time for reflection, prayer and connection in a welcoming and inclusive manner, concluding by 7.00pm. This is something new for the College and we are thankful to Paul for his leadership in providing this offering.
Upcoming Information Sessions for Families
Please note the upcoming information session for families:
Timor Leste Trip 2026 – Wednesday 27 May at 5.30pm onsite
Year 9/10 Big Picture Learning Pathway 2027 – Wednesday 27 May at 6.00pm onsite
Compass for Families – Wednesday 10 June at 6.00pm online
French Trip 2027 – Wednesday 10 June at 6.30pm online
Spirituality Night – Monday 22 June for Years 7-9 and Tuesday 23 June for Years 10-12 at 6.00pm in the Chapel
It is certainly a dynamic time at the College with lots happening.
We wish out Year 10 students and the accompanying staff every blessing as they venture down the coast for their annual camp in Anglesea.
Blessings
Luci
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