Dear Families 

This week we celebrate the outstanding creativity and leadership of our students, share encouraging NAPLAN results and provide important updates about student image consent, Parent-Teacher Interviews and upcoming College events.  

Family Reminders 

Parent-Teacher Interviews – Bookings open through Compass from today. Interviews will be held online via Microsoft Teams next Thursday evening.  

Pupil Free Day – Friday 21 August is a Pupil Free Day. Students will not attend school.  

Clonard College 70th Anniversary Dinner – Ticket sales close this Friday. We encourage families and alumni to secure their tickets and join us for this special celebration.  

Students Shine in the Performing Arts Showcase 

One of the great joys of education is seeing young people surprise and inspire us with their talents. 

Last Thursday evening, students from across the College presented the 2026 Performing Arts Showcase, a celebration of song, dance, drama and theatre. Under the leadership of student directors and choreographers Ella Plowman and Lily Chamberlain, the performers created a vibrant and engaging evening that showcased both talent and confidence. 

It was wonderful to see so many family members and friends attend to support our students and celebrate their achievements. 

Protecting Student Images Online 

The eSafety Commissioner has recently advised schools to review how student images are shared on social media due to the increasing risks associated with AI technologies. 

As a College, we have been reviewing our current practices and discussing additional measures to further protect students. We have also sought feedback from students, who strongly emphasised the importance of student consent alongside family consent. 

As a result, we will be: 

• Updating family consent processes for the use of student images. 

• Seeking student consent alongside parent or carer consent. 

• Following eSafety recommendations regarding the use of group, distance and side-profile photographs. 

• Exploring additional ways to share images through Compass.  

Families will receive further information about updated consent arrangements in the coming weeks. 

Encouraging NAPLAN Results 

Our 2026 NAPLAN results show encouraging growth across both Year 7 and Year 9 cohorts. 

Some highlights include: 

• Overall performance is trending upward across both year levels. 

• Several learning areas have reached four-year highs. 

• Year 9 students achieved their strongest results across all five domains since the introduction of the new reporting scale in 2023. 

• Year 9 Writing was a particular strength, achieving the highest result in the four-year dataset. 

• Year 9 Grammar and Punctuation showed significant improvement. 

• Year 7 Numeracy achieved its strongest result in four years. 

• Reading results continue to improve steadily across both year levels.  

The data also identifies areas where we can continue to improve, particularly in spelling and in accelerating growth for some students. 

To support ongoing improvement, we have introduced targeted small-group literacy and numeracy interventions across Years 7 and 8 this year. These programs complement our College-wide focus on literacy, numeracy and effective learning practices.  

Strengthening Communication with Families 

Recent research confirms that parents value communication that supports the development of the whole child, including social, emotional and academic growth. 

One of our goals has been to make communication simpler and easier for families. Through Compass, families can now receive notifications about commendations as well as incidents, providing a more balanced picture of student engagement and progress. 

Families in Years 7-10 have also recently received New Metrics for Success Fan Profiles, highlighting their daughter’s strengths across a range of important competencies and capabilities. 

We hope that Compass continues to provide a convenient one-stop location for accessing important information and communicating with the College.

Parent-Teacher Interviews 

Bookings for Parent-Teacher Interviews are now available through Compass. Interviews will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams next Thursday evening. We encourage families to take this opportunity to discuss their daughter’s progress and learning goals with teachers.  

Pupil Free Day 

A reminder that Friday 21 August is a Pupil Free Day. 

Staff will use the day to continue developing their use of Compass, strengthen support processes for student learning and wellbeing, undertake professional learning, and analyse NAPLAN data to inform future improvement strategies. Staff will also participate in faith formation activities connected to our Catholic and Brigidine tradition.

Anniversary Celebrations 

Ticket sales for our 70th Anniversary Dinner close this Friday. 

We look forward to gathering with current and past members of the Clonard community to celebrate this important milestone in our College’s history. If you have not yet booked, please do so before bookings close. Book now. 

Blessings, 

Luci Quinn 
Principal