Compassion  at Clonard College

This year we took the theme of Compassion and joined it with ‘connection’ following two years of feeling really disconnected. These are some of the ways we have connected to show empathy for all. 

Connecting the generations

The Year 8 students have been undertaking an intergenerational project with a local aged care facility. Their regular visits have brought great joy to the residents, many of whom have experienced great loneliness over the past couple of years. Sharing information, interests and experiences supported the development of understanding, compassion and kindness across generations. It has also brought out gifts and qualities within the students that they perhaps hadn’t realized through the opportunity to appreciate.

Connecting with First Nations People

Clonard continues to support our First Nations students and build partnerships with the local Wadawurrung community especially with the guidance of Aunty Sue Collins. Our FIRE Carrier Leaders led us through a powerful liturgy during National Reconciliation Week and created an artwork using the painted hands of so many students and staff. This has now been hung in the upstairs section of the Brigidine Centre. The artwork represents the joining and overlaying of hands in support of Reconciliation. Our indigenous garden continues to flourish under the care of our Lab Technician Craig Billows with many students learning the importance of this space through their annual reflection days. With Aunty Sue’s assistance we have begun the process of creating a Reconciliation Action Plan for the College.

Connecting through Reading

Prior to the pandemic our students were regular volunteers at a breakfast club at St. Thomas Aquinas Primary School in Norlane. This has been reimagined into a weekly reading program where our students show outreach and connection by reading to young students who may not have anyone else in their lives who are able to do this with them. Five of our Year 9 – 12 students visit for pre-school reading and listening to students from Grades Prep – 2 with their readers. Knowing the power of literacy as a transformative force, this program has been strongly supported by students and staff volunteers. Each week up to 30 primary students gather in the library, keen to meet our Clonard volunteers.   

Connecting for Timor Leste

A team of student leaders has been working for 12 months to host a music festival with the combined Catholic secondary Colleges of Geelong. The TriUMPH festival aims to raise awareness and funds to train teachers in Timor Leste. Due to ongoing concerns around the spread of COVID19 the festival was changed into a TriUMPH Lite and held on individual school sites. These amazing leaders were focused on ensuring the people of Timor were not let down and worked to raise $4000 to go to the cause. 

Connecting with Saltbush Balnarring

Ensuring we were connecting with compassion to our own community works through Kildare Ministries, we reached out to Saltbush Balnarring. Our VCAL class is now in partnership to create projects to enhance the facilities and a staff group will head across the bay for the weekend to take part in a working bee prior to the busy summer period. 

Celebrations – Farewell to the Brigidine Sisters from Geelong

Our Mass of Celebration and Thanksgiving for the Ministry of the Brigidine Sisters in Geelong was a wonderful occasion in the story of the Brigidines and the College. With a number of the sisters, past Principals and community members present, the Mass and liturgy of farewell wove together both Celtic and First Nations music, symbols and rituals. Following a smoking ceremony, Sr Louise Cleary handed over stewardship of a perpetual flame for safekeeping by the College, the choir sung a blessing over the sisters and Jo Ryan presented a poem titled Women of Spirit and Fire, a copy was then gifted to the sisters. It was with deep gratitude that we reflected on the selfless giving of the sisters who called Geelong home at some point in their vocation. Following the Mass, staff and guests gathered for refreshments and the opportunity to share memories. It was a wonderful team effort and the feedback from those who gathered reflected that the core values of the Brigidines and in turn Kildare Ministries were clearly evident in the way the community gathered and marked this moment in time.