Austin’s Butterfly 

Across the semester in different forums I have been sharing the story of Austin’s butterfly to help create an understanding about striving for excellence. Most recently I shared the story in our Clonard Community meeting held virtually each Day 9 during Wellbeing. 

Austin was a first grade student who was asked to create a scientific drawing of a Tiger Swallowtail butterfly as a learning task. The story shows the 6 iterations that Austin completed as he listened to peer and teacher feedback and continued to strive for the best version of the butterfly that he could create. It speaks to persistence, agency, acting on feedback and belief that something greater is possible. The final image was incredibly close to the photographic version and one could be forgiven for thinking that it was not created by a 5 or 6 year old. It is a powerful story about striving for excellence and one that has allowed us to find a simple shared language as we come to the end of semester.  

Before the GAT exam I was able to remind the students to strive for the ‘yellow butterfly’, and in passing students in the yard I am asking ‘what has been a yellow butterfly moment for you this week?’ It is easy to google Austin’s butterfly, and you will find the story and images of his 6 attempts. Perhaps this might be something you adopt in your conversations with your daughters as we finish exam week, complete end of semester assessments and look to the start of our next semester on Monday.   

Compass Goes Live Monday 22 June 

After six months of preparation and a power of work by our staff team we are ready to go live with Compass on Monday morning. This launch is part of our One Pace Beyond School Improvement Plan aspiration to be ‘Thriving Change Agents’ with the commitment of ‘Optimizing the creative, productive and ethical use of digital technology.’ Our first phase will include attendance, medical, timetable, calendar, excursions (known as Events in Compass) and chronicle entries. 

Parents have been sent a resource manual and instructions for how to access the Parent portal via the web or the Compass app.  

Students will engage in a Compass orientation via a whole school online meeting on Monday during Period 1.  

As with any significant technological change, we recognise there may be some slight glitches on Monday in spite of the preparation we have in place and we ask families to be patient with us as we make this transition. Staff have engaged in multiple learning sessions and today we ensured all our casual replacement teachers became familiar with the new system. We look forward to the ease of integration that this program will provide the community as we bring on future modules across Semester 2. 

70th Anniversary Garden Donations and Celebratory Dinner  

We have reached the $4000 mark with our giving campaign for our new sacred space between Clonard House and the Oak Centre. Every donation will help us to fulfill this dream. It is anticipated that work will start in the upcoming school holidays. We hope the project will be complete in time for Brigidine Day celebrations late in Term 3. 

All donations to the project are fully tax deductible, which may be helpful for potential donors as we come to the end of the financial year. Donations can be made here. 

We are currently working with the Brigidine Sisters to ensure we have captured the names of all the sisters who served at Clonard over the past 70 years. We hold the sisters in our prayers as they celebrate their own 140th anniversary on 9 July, Bishop Daniel Delaney’s day. 

Tickets are on sale for the anniversary dinner to be held on Friday 28 August at Truffleduck. It has been 10 years since we have gathered as a community of current and past staff, families and alumni. The evening promises to be a wonderful celebration and time to remember with gratitude. We especially encourage our alumni to reach out to your old classmates and form a table. Tickets can be purchased individually or discounted with tables of 10. The booking link can be found here.

World Refugee Week – a call to Live Justly 

The theme for this year is ‘A Million Stories’. Currently in our Library foyer we have a world map that shows where all our families come from. We have students and families that come from over 42 different countries. Clonard has had a history of welcoming refugee families. Our experience is that they have made us richer for what they have brought to us. 

Paul Skippen our Ministry Leader reflects on world Refugee Week in his article ‘Who gets placed under our cloak: Strength and kindliness in a displaced world.’   This is included in this fortnight’s newsletter. 

This reflection invites us to pray, 

Brigid of Kildare, widen our hearts and stretch our vision. Give us the strength to challenge exclusion and the kindliness to create belonging. May we be a community that chooses welcome over fear, hope over indifference, and action over silence. Help us build a world where every person can find safety, dignity, and a place to call home. Amen. 

As the last newsletter for Term 2 we wish every family a safe and happy holiday break and look forward to the students return for Term 3 on 13 July. 

Blessings 

Luci