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Check the links to read more about past and future events.

• Christmas Mulled Wine Evening
• St. Clare's Current Parents' Lunch
• St. Clare's Association Annual Reunion Weekend – 3/4 June 2006
• Recent Leaver's Reunion – Saturday 17 June 2006
• Open Letter from the Principal

Christmas Mulled Wine Evening
On Monday 19 December St. Clare's held its annual Christmas Mulled Wine Evening. This year guests were entertained in the beautifully decorated candle-lit entrance hall by two alumni from 2005, Thomas O'Connell and Oliver Thompson, playing the clarinet and the bassoon. Lucy Williams, Academic Office Secretary, who has now gone on to study at the Royal Northern College of Music, also delighted guests with her beautiful voice. Over 80 alumni, current and former parents, staff and governors enjoyed mulled wine, mince pies and canapés at what was, once again, a wonderfully festive occasion.

St. Clare's Current Parents' Lunch
On Sunday 8 January more than 50 parents of current IB and Pre-IB students attended a lunch with the new Principal and various members of senior staff. It proved to be an excellent opportunity for parents of Pre-IB and first year IB students to speak to the parents of second year students, listen to advice and share experiences. The lunch was such a success that we are planning to make it a regular event. We are also hoping to establish more events for parents at other times of the year.

Summer Events  

The St. Clare's Association Annual Reunion Weekend – 3/4 June 2006
The St. Clare's Association Annual Weekend is open to all members of the Association including alumni from 1953-1996, former staff, parents and governors as well as current staff and friends of the College. There will be a full weekend of events, likely to begin at Saturday lunch time and continue through until Sunday lunch; these are still to be confirmed. We are currently arranging our guest speaker and we will let you know as soon as this is confirmed. There will definitely be an event, so please feel confident to book your flights if you haven't already done so. Invitations for this event will be sent out via email and in the post, but if you would like to reserve a place in advance you can either use the event booking facility within St. Clare's Alumni Online or email alumni@stclares.ac.uk.

Recent Leaver's Reunion – Saturday 17 June 2006
This year the Recent Leaver's Reunion will be open to alumni who were at St. Clare's during the years 1997 to 2005. The event details are yet to be confirmed, but it is likely to be a light BBQ or buffet and drinks reception on the St. Clare's Banbury Road Campus from 6 pm until 8 pm. Invitations will be sent out via email and in the post, but if you would like to reserve a place in advance you can either use the event booking facility within St. Clare's Alumni Online or email alumni@stclares.ac.uk. Please note that there will be a small charge to cover event costs.

Open Letter from the Principal 

Dear parents, alumni and friends of the College,
Since starting at St. Clare's in September I have been busy absorbing information about this dynamic and fascinating organisation. Time is going very quickly so I want to take a few moments to write to you and tell you a little more about my professional background and why I decided to come to St. Clare's.

I was born and educated in South Wales and was lucky enough to have been taught by several inspirational teachers. From them I learned both the importance of hard work and the importance of "stretching" young minds to consider difficult problems and issues.

I graduated from the London School of Economics and spent three years in the financial services sector before moving to Hong Kong and entering the teaching profession. I have been fortunate in having spent so much of my working life overseas. Over the last twenty-five years I have taught and counselled young people from all over the world. I have taught in the Middle East, South Korea and Hong Kong as well as here in the United Kingdom and have also had direct experience of the American school system. I was Head of the Latifa School in Dubai as well as Ashford School in Kent. As a result, I feel very much at home in the international environment which St. Clare's embodies. I also have a background in EFL and Applied Linguistics which helps me understand and appreciate some of the challenges which our students face studying in this country for the first time.

One of the reasons I came to St. Clare's is because of the College's mission - to promote international education and understanding. Founded over 50 years ago, the St. Clare's mission has withstood the test of time and is just as important to our current generation of students as it was in 1953.

We have had two Open Days and I was delighted to see the enthusiasm with which our students represented the College. One of the highlights was a session along the lines of "A Day in the Life of a Student at St. Clare's". The students who talked about their typical day emphasised that the academic work is clearly very important but is balanced by the extraordinary range of sporting, voluntary and other activities which form such a significant element of the IB programme as a whole.

Although I have only been here a very short period of time, I have come to realise that St. Clare's is a very special place. I believe that the College gives meaning and life to its mission and that students who receive an education here will receive something of lasting benefit, an education, moreover, which may well change how they think about the world.

If you are visiting Oxford I would be delighted to meet you. I can be contacted at principal@stclares.ac.uk. You can be very sure of a warm welcome.

With my best wishes