Principal’s Message – Term 2, Week 2

Principal's Message

Welcome to Term 2
We warmly welcome all students, staff, families, and community members back for Term 2. We hope everyone enjoyed a restful break and are ready for another term filled with learning, growth, and exciting opportunities. As always, we encourage our students to embrace challenges, pursue their goals, and support one another throughout the term.

Congratulations to Thomas Quinton
We are extremely proud to acknowledge the achievements of our past student, Thomas Quinton. Thomas has been selected as a Residential Advisor at St Ann’s College in Adelaide, where he will reside while pursuing his studies in physiotherapy. We wish Thomas all the very best in this exciting chapter and congratulate him for his continued leadership and dedication.

ANZAC Day Dawn Services
Clare High School was privileged to have representatives at four local ANZAC Day Dawn Services: Clare, Watervale, Auburn, and Mintaro. A sincere thank you to our student leaders for their commitment and for representing our school community with pride and respect at these important commemorations. Your participation is valued and appreciated.

Youth Opportunities Program  – Year 10
We are pleased to announce the commencement of the Youth Opportunities program for our successful Year 10 applicants. This program offers a unique chance for personal growth, skill development, and leadership — and we look forward to seeing our students achieve great outcomes.

Whole School Capture the Flag Competition
The end of Term 1 saw the entire school come together for an energetic and engaging Capture the Flag competition between Houses. It was a fantastic way to finish the term, with impressive teamwork and participation shown by all students. Congratulations to everyone involved in making this day a memorable experience.

Movie Night Fundraiser Success
Our Year 10 Humanities class recently hosted a Movie Night fundraiser at school, and it was a resounding success. Thank you to all who attended and supported the event. The initiative and organisation demonstrated by our Year 10 students is to be commended.

Upcoming Sports Events
We are heading into our first knockout winter sports events for the year, starting with cross country and open boys’ football. We wish our athletes all the best as they compete and represent Clare High School.

We look forward to sharing further updates and celebrating achievements throughout Term 2. Thank you for your continued support.

Warm regards, 

Natasha Dunn
Principal, Clare High School 

LEADING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM – A CHS SUCCESS STORY
CHS alumni Thomas Quinton is making his mark at St Ann’s College in North Adelaide, where he has been selected as one of just 12 Residential Advisors for 2026!

Now in his second year at St Ann’s, Thomas is studying a Bachelor of Physiotherapy at Adelaide University and has already shown the kind of community spirit that makes this role such a great fit for him.

As an RA, Thomas will support the pastoral care and social wellbeing of nearly 200 resident students. True to form, he’s already thinking about how to make new students feel at home: “I want to be a friendly face that students can come to when they need anything. My goal is to help the new students settle in during Welcome Week.” 

Those who knew Thomas at CHS won’t be surprised – he was deputy head prefect, SRC rep, and captain of numerous sports teams before heading off to Adelaide. He hasn’t slowed down since!

We’re so proud of you, Thomas. Clare’s loss is North Adelaide’s gain!
GUESS WHO WAS ONE OF JUST 26 YEAR 10 STUDENTS SELECTED FOR THIS INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE….
We are so proud of Year 11 student Ellie, who was one of just 26 Year 10 students selected from across South Australia to attend the prestigious SA Space School camp in December 2025!

The SA Space School is designed to provide a stimulating educational experience for talented Year 10 students, with a focus on inspiring careers in science and engineering. Hosted at Hamilton Secondary College, the program’s home since 1997, students get to role-play real space experiences including mission briefings, flight control, and simulated Mars exploration.

The highlights didn’t stop there. Ellie also had the incredible opportunity to meet and hear from astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg, 2026 Australian of the Year, who gave a talk and spent time with all of the participants.
What an unforgettable experience for Ellie. The sky is definitely not the limit!
ANZAC DAY 2026
Last Saturday, members of our Student Representative Council had the honour of attending four ANZAC Day services across our region, representing our school community with pride and respect.

▪️ Clare: Amali, Paige, Ruby, Savannah & Scarlett
▪️ Mintaro: Angus
▪️ Auburn: Flynn
▪️ Watervale: Kezia & Jorja

ANZAC Day is one of the most significant and sacred days on our nation’s calendar. It is a reminder of the immense sacrifices made by our veterans and a call to ensure that their stories and courage are never forgotten.

We are proud to see our young people stepping up to honour this legacy in their own communities. By being present, laying wreaths, and standing in silence, they carry forward a tradition that connects us all to who we are as Australians.

Lest We Forget.
Know Someone Thinking About Clare High School? Spread the Word!

Do you have friends, family, or neighbours considering high school options for their child? We’d love for them to come and see what makes Clare High School such a special place to learn and grow!

Our Principal’s Tours are the perfect way for prospective families to explore our campus, meet our leaders, and get a real feel for our school community – all in a relaxed, no-pressure setting. Tours are personally led by our Principal, Natasha Dunn, and run every second Wednesday at 4:30pm during school terms.

📅 Upcoming Tour Dates:
• Wednesday, 13 May 2026
• Wednesday, 27 May 2026
• Wednesday, 10 June 2026
• Wednesday, 24 June 2026

Tours are by booking only – prospective families can secure their place using our online booking form.

Can’t make a tour date? No problem! Families are welcome to contact our Student Services team to arrange a meeting with our Wellbeing & Enrolment Leader, Mandy Knight.

You know better than anyone what a great school community we have here – so please, share the word and help us welcome new families to CHS!

SCHOOL CALENDAR

See More
16Jun

Year 11 – Stage 1 PE Class – 70km Relay

12:00 am - 11:59 pmClare High School
16Jun

11/12 Girls Knockout Netball Round One

12:00 am - 11:59 pmClare Oval Precinct
17Jun
17Jun

Year 10 Youth Opportunities

12:00 am - 11:59 pm
24Jun

Year 10 Youth Opportunities

12:00 am - 11:59 pm
24Jun
26Jun

Wellbeing Resources & Events

The Wellbeing Barometer survey is an annual check-in that helps us better understand student wellbeing at Clare High School. It provides valuable insights into students’ experiences, highlights areas of concern, builds on strengths, and supports early intervention.

This year, the survey has been updated to give clearer, more meaningful feedback from parents and carers, while continuing to prioritise privacy and confidentiality. Your participation is encouraged. Please take a few moments to complete the survey for each of your children, based on the past 12 months.

If the content raises any concerns, please contact the school or seek professional advice. Your feedback is always welcome.

COMPLETE THE WELLBEING BAROMETER SURVEY HERE

Missed the SchoolTV webinar, Anxiety and Depression to Foster Resilience? The recording is available until Monday 18 May via the link below or on the Webinar Series tile on our SchoolTV homepage. Don’t forget to download the KEYpoints flyer to support conversations at home.

Understanding Anxiety and Depression to Foster Resilience (Part I)

We look forward to delivering Part 2 of the Webinar Series in Term 2, with further details to be shared in early Term 2.

Bullying can have a profound and lasting impact on a young person’s wellbeing, sense of belonging and confidence. It is not always visible and can include social exclusion, verbal abuse and online harassment, often occurring repeatedly over time. Research shows that bullying can increase the risk of anxiety, low self-esteem, social withdrawal and difficulties with learning and peer relationships.
 
For parents and carers, it can be difficult to know how best to respond. However, recognising the signs, listening without judgement and maintaining open communication can make a significant difference.
 
Do It For Dolly Day is a national reminder that kindness matters and that everyone has a role to play in creating safe and inclusive communities. This Special Report provides practical guidance to help families understand bullying, support their child and promote empathy, respect and positive relationships, ensuring no child feels alone.
 

Community News

2026 School Photos Update

We are currently finalising proofs in collaboration with MSP Photography and are pleased to advise that School Photos and Student ID Cards are anticipated to be delivered mid-Term 2.

We appreciate your continued patience and look forward to sharing these with you and your children soon.

Serve Up Some Fun – Could you Support Our Table Tennis Appeal!

We’re on a mission to get a table tennis table for our students to enjoy at lunchtime and we need your support to make it happen!
 
A table tennis table means more students have the opportunity to be active, connected, and have fun during the school day. It’s a simple investment with a big impact on student wellbeing and inclusion. 
 
Every donation, big or small, brings us one step closer to the goal. If you’d like to contribute, please contact Rebekah Holland on 0436 451 893.
 
Thank you for supporting our amazing school community!

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD)

Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). The NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about supports provided to students with disability. These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD guidelines (2019).

Information provided about students to the Australian Government for the NCCD includes:

  • year of schooling
  • category of disability: physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional
  • level of adjustment provided: support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary, substantial or extensive.

This information assists schools to:

  • formally recognise the supports and adjustments provided to students with disability in schools
  • consider how they can strengthen the support of students with disability in schools
  • develop shared practices so that they can review their learning programs in order to improve educational outcomes for students with disability.

The NCCD provides state and federal governments with the information they need to plan more broadly for the support of students with disability.

The NCCD will have no direct impact on your child and your child will not be involved in any testing process. The school will provide data to the Australian Government in such a way that no individual student will be able to be identified – the privacy and confidentiality of all students is ensured. All information is protected by privacy laws that regulate the collection, storage and disclosure of personal information. To find out more about these matters, please refer to the Australian Government’s Privacy Policy (https://www.education.gov.au/privacy-policy).

Further information about the NCCD can be found on the NCCD Portal (https://www.nccd.edu.au).