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Dear parents and students
There is a saying that “so many hands build a house but so many hearts build a home”. In this fortnight’s newsletter I wish to highlight and focus on how Mount Carmel Catholic College continue to develop a learning community which assists students, staff, and families to grow in their ability to relate respectfully and reverently to each other to enable our College to be grateful not just for the wonderful facilities we have but also for the College community that our culture is so enriched with.
This is of course framed through our Marist characteristics that reflect the many personal qualities of St Marcellin Champagnat himself - a genuine love for the individual; a concern for family spirit; a lack of pretence and show; an outreach for those with particular needs; a passion for excellence and hard work.
Mount Carmel actively looks to create and maintain valuable and meaningful opportunities, forums, and initiatives to nurture a sense of community and belonging for parents to engage with the College throughout the year, and one of those important forums is through engagement with the P&F.
The College P&F Executive are a dedicated and caring team that openly welcomes all parents to their termly meetings. I had the pleasure of attending the most recent meeting on Tuesday night this week, where after careful consideration and discernment, the P&F voted to support a request from Mr Lo Cascio for assistance in funding three important projects for 2025:
- The continued funding of a CatholicCare counsellor one day a fortnight to expand the number of days that counsellors are available on site to help support students.
- To fund additional seating within the new COLA to provide more collaborative seating for students to engage with each other outside of the classroom at break times.
- To assist the College in funding a large electronic signage board at the end of the COLA to increase the communication pathways and visibility for students of important messages, house point updates, and bus information of an afternoon. It will also increase the capability of the space to accommodate Year Group Meetings, parent gatherings and potential large scale College gatherings.
On behalf of Mr Lo Cascio and the staff and students at our College, I would like to sincerely thank the P&F for their substantive financial contribution to these projects.
I also take the opportunity to wish Mr Lo Cascio a relaxing short break over the next week whilst he is on leave.
Stay safe, go gently, take care.
Ms Samantha Giles
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Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B Mass of day with Lectionary and Missal texts of Sunday Ord Time 33 Yr B First Reading Daniel: 12:1-3 At that time there shall arise Michael, the great prince. Second Reading Hebrews 10:11-14, 18 Jesus has made one offering for all our sins. Gospel Mark 13:24-32 Watch for the signs of the coming of the kingdom. |
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Year B Mass of Solemnity with Lectionary and Missal texts of Christ, King of the Universe Yr B First Reading Daniel 7:13-14 Vision of the son receiving kingship, dominion and glory. Second Reading Revelation 1:5-8 The Lord is the Alpha and the Omega. Gospel John 18:33-37 Pilate questions Jesus about his identity. |
Mrs Christine Meharg
Year 11 (Yr 12 2025) will begin their first HSC school based assessments next week. Students are reminded to be making their best effort to ensure that they maximise their learning opportunities in these first assessment tasks. Following the College Assessment Policies and Procedures is also vital, if students are absent due to illness or misadventure they are reminded that they need to notify their teacher and follow the illness/misadventure procedures. Senior Afterschool Study continues to be available on Tuesdays 3-6pm this term. This provides a focused learning environment for Senior students to study individually or collaboratively.
Yr 10 are encouraged in their final weeks of Stage 5 to focus on working with their class teachers to ensure that they are continuing the development of their skills that will be carried into Stage 6. Now that they have received their confirmation of Year 11 subjects, they should be focusing on what they can be doing now to be prepared for Year 11.
Students in Year 7-9 are also encouraged to maximise their opportunities over the coming weeks to ensure that they are prepared for the next year or stage of their learning in 2025. Students in Years 8 and 9 have received their confirmation of electives for next year, so can be preparing for their new chosen courses.
HSC Minimum Standards Tests - Year 10
Students in Year 10 who have not yet attained the minimum standard in the reading, writing or numeracy tests will be provided with another opportunity this Thursday. Students should check their emails for information from Mr Teuma regarding when these tests will be scheduled.
Year 7-11 Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews
Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews provide an opportunity for parents and students to meet with their class teachers to review academic progress and discuss areas for growth. This conversation provides valuable feedback and enables the opportunity to ask questions to support students as they progress through their secondary education.
Interviews for Years 7-11 2024 are being held on Wednesday December 18 via Zoom. There will be 3 sessions across the day. Interview sessions can be booked online through the Compass Parent Portal and will open in Week 7. In some cases, teachers may be unavailable for these Parent/Teacher/Student interviews and in these circumstances, the respective teachers may make contact with you regarding how you can obtain additional feedback about your child’s academic progress.
Further to the upcoming interviews, please note that Semester 2 Academic Reports for students in Years 7-10 will be made available via Compass on Friday 13 December at approximately 3:30pm.
If you have any questions regarding the upcoming interviews, please do not hesitate to contact the College via an email to info@mcccdow.catholic.edu.au or a phone call to (02) 9603 3000.
TERM 4 |
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| Week 6 |
Year 9 Mathematics Core and Paths - See assessment notification for specific date Year 8 Visual Arts - See assessment notification for specific date Year 7 Music - See assessment notification for specific date HSC 2025 19/11/2024 - Modern History 22/11/2024 - Investigating Science |
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| Week 7 |
HSC 2025 25/11/2024 - ITT 25/11/2024 - SLR2 28/11/2024 - Work Studies 2 |
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| Week 8 |
HSC 2025 2/12/2024 - Mathematics Advanced 3/12/2024 - Biology 5/12/2024 - English Advanced, Standard, Studies 5/12/2024 - Mathematics Standard 1 6/12/2024 - Food Technology |
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| Week 9 |
HSC 2025 9/12/2024 - SOR2 9/12/2024 - SOR1 9/12/2024 - Music 10/12/2024 - Ancient History 11/12/2024 - PDHPE 11/12/2024 - Mathematics Standard 2 11/12/2024 - Numeracy 12/12/2024 - Chemistry 12/12/2024 - Business Studies 12/12/2024 - CAFS 12/12/2024 - Mathematics Ext 2 |
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| Week 10 |
HSC 2025 16/12/2024 - Physics 16/12/2024 - Society and Culture 16/12/2024 - Mathematics Ext 1 |
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Leader of Learning - Curriculum Pedagogy & Leader of Learning - Curriculum Administration
Pastoral Assemblies
A change in timetabled days to accommodate the staff professional learning days meant that our Pastoral Assemblies were held yesterday instead of the normal Friday pattern. All year groups conducted a range of targeted wellbeing and learning activities within individual pastoral classes. These included:
- Year 7 - Goal setting, Vision Boards and Posters
- Year 8 - Positive online interactions
- Year 9 - Respectful relationships, Effective Study techniques and Preparation for upcoming Final Assessments
- Year 10 - Responsible use of Social Media activities
- Year 11 - Retreat Reflection and Preliminary Report Reflection activities, Goal setting for Year 12 and preparation for U Turn the Wheel Driver Safety program next Thursday (21/11)
- Our Year 10 House Leaders also launched our annual Christmas Door decorating competition, which is an entertaining way to engage all pastoral classes in connecting with the Christmas season.
The Year 8 and 10 cohorts had a particular focus on Responsible use of Technology, Social Media and Cyber Safety, which centred around reflection and discussion relating to the potential implications of the misuse of technology and various platforms. The stimulus for this presentation was an English video clip titled “Tagged”, which can be accessed from the following link Tagged Cyber Safety Video. Thanks to our Year Coordinators and pastoral teams for the preparation and supervision of these important initiatives. Whilst on the topic of Cyber Safety, we have engaged the services of our local Police to conduct presentations to Years 7 to 10 on Friday December 13th. This normally occurs earlier in the year, but changes to local Police staffing have not provided this opportunity until this point in time. Coming into our Christmas break, the information provided will be timely so that students are fully aware of the responsibilities, and potential consequences, that are associated with being a user of technology.
Earlier today almost 50 students and 6 staff participated in Haka Warriors, a cultural event conducted by PCYC. Our students, led by Ms Abra and Mr Daniels, have put together a 15 minute routine showcasing Indigenous, Samoan, Tongan, Maori and Cook Islander cultural traditions.The event took place at Ken Rosewall Arena at Homebush and was a great opportunity for our College to showcase our diverse cultural backgrounds. Thanks to all staff and students for the work that they have put into the preparation of this event over the past 3 terms.
As we head towards the end of a busy year, it is important that attendance and engagement with learning is maintained at a high level, as much of our next 5 weeks is centred ion preparation for 2025 as it is for concluding the current year. Should you have any issues regarding your son or daughters learning and wellbeing, please contact their respective Year Coordinator or the College Office.
Mr Simon Huntly & Mrs Theresa Moore
Pastoral Care & Wellbeing Coordinators
eSafety Commission: Free Webinars for Parents and Carers
eSafety 101: How eSafety can help
- Wednesday 4 December, 12.30 pm AEDT
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Around the Grounds
Hello and welcome to Weeks 3 and 4 of sport! We've had a couple of big weeks of MISA action that have helped keep Mount Carmel Catholic College in the hunt for the MISA Overall Championship. With multiple strong results, the competition is going down to the wire in a close battle between us and John Therry.
On November 15, we also have the CDF Diocesan Sports Awards evening, which celebrates outstanding sporting achievements by students from our College within the Wollongong diocese. We look forward to seeing which awards our nominees will take home! Keep an eye out on our social media page for more sporting updates.
Term 4 MISA Results
Round 3 - 5 November
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Sport |
Result |
MVP | Short Report |
|
Softball Years 7-9 Girls PONT |
VS SBCC Loss 8-0 |
Emilia Rennert |
The girls had a tough day at the office after a strong performance against SBBC. The girls batted first and unfortunately all first three batters got out running to first base. The girls then pitched and fielded well only letting 3 across. The misery with the bat continued with none of the girls managing to make it to home plate making it impossible to win the match. Well done girls and good luck next week! |
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AFL Years 7-9 Boys KAWA
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vs THAC Win 69-11 |
Samson Brcic |
The boys have put together an incredible performance this week against newly promoted side THAC. The boys started off timid but grew into the game as Samson Brcic bagged 4 goals in the match to help our boys earn our first win of the season. The boys showed true determination and grit as they excelled all over the park. Congratulations to all involved and hopefully we can continue this into the following weeks. |
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AFL Years 7-9 Girls ABRN |
vs MAS Loss 39-21 |
Selena Misfud |
The girls finished strong; however it took a while for them to warm up. Our team is developing and progressing each week. We are strong in defense but need to work on getting the ball down our end and making more accurate goals. A fantastic effort by our MVP Selena. She worked very hard alongside Keira, Eva, Fua and Ella today. Emily never disappoints and is consistent every week. Keep up the great work ladies! |
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Indoor Cricket Years 7-9 Boys SULLJ |
vs MAG Loss 73-51 |
Brendan Dias |
The boys put together a valiant performance this week against the team to beat, Magdalene Catholic College but unfortunately came up short. A game which was quite even on balance, however numerous dropped catches from our boys and lots of quick singles from the Magdalene boys allowed the opposition to make more runs than what they should have. Some big hitting from the MCCC boys was not enough to reach the large total of 73 set by the boys from Magdalene. This was the first loss of the term for the MCCC boys, and they were very keen to direct their attention to next week's match and get back to winning ways! |
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OzTag Years 7-9 Boys KING |
vs THAC Win 10-6 |
Ace Phomasaeng-Hoang |
After a very disjointed first half where we were not able to control the ball, we were down 5-3. At the half time break the boys spoke about using the substitutions more and ensuring they don’t stay on tired. With the boys taking control of the ball and the game, we won the second half 7-1 and came out winners 10-6. |
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OzTag Years 7-9 Girls HEAS |
vs THAC Win 5-3 |
Janet Le |
Our team showed incredible resilience and determination, securing a hard-fought 5-3 victory in our first win against Thomas Hassell. Janet Le created great attacking patterns of play, while Disney Teiotu made 3 intercepts, with the last being a successful full field break away. Looking forward to next week. |
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Ultimate Frisbee Years 10-12 MARP |
vs THAC Win 34-4 |
Joshua Manson |
We started the game poorly against Thomas Hassall, conceding 2 goals in the first few minutes. Once we got that out of our system however, we dominated from there on in. Hudson Warren was throwing some amazing long-range passes, Jayden Kurniawan’s movement off the disc was unstoppable, and Beth Martin worked hard in defense. The Mount Carmel team is made up of two separate teams, and so they were able to compete amongst themselves. The game ended with team 1 up 16-1, and team 2 up 18-3. With equal goal difference the most valuable team this week will have to be team 1, having only conceded 1 point. The most valuable player, however, goes to Joshua Manson. Josh plays as a shadow player in the squad but filled in on team 2 due to an injury. His effort and focus at training and in the game was commendable. We’ll be looking forward to playing Macarthur Anglican next week, as we try to improve our forearm passing game and conversion rate. |
|
Volleyball Years 10-12 OCOB |
vs OPAC Win 2-1 |
Adrian Capitly | The boys came into Tuesday’s matchup after a bye last week and a convincing win against John Therry the week before, must be nice. OPAC fielded a solid team that were determined to take the win, and after a strong first set, Oran Park took the first after some teething issues from MCCC. Not wanting the game to peter out into a loss, the MCCC boys rallied and came back with a number of convincing power moves to take the second set. Full of gusto the boys came into the third set determined to take the win. The MCCC boys used all their special skills to take the final set and came away with the win. Take a bow boys!!! Well done! |
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Volleyball Years 10-12 Girls NIMM |
vs STP Win 2-1 |
Dominique Bzdega & Luciana Powell | The girls came into this week confident after a strong start against John Therry in the first round and a bye last week. They started the match strong with solid serving; however, STP rallied with several classy pieces of play to take the lead and win the first set. Despite the shaky start, the girls came back in the second set determined to overcome the strong play from STP. They pieced together a few impressive sequences, showcasing great serving from multiple players. Luciana and Dominique led the defensive efforts, fighting for every point with relentless energy. The team rallied together, ultimately lifting their game as a unit. Luciana and Dominique’s hard work and skill earned them the MVP award, a testament to their solid contributions and stellar performance throughout the match. Fantastic effort girls, well done! |
Round 4 - 12 November
|
Sport |
Result |
MVP | Short Report |
|
Softball Years 7-9 Girls PONT |
vs MAS Loss 7-5 |
Ava Weir |
The girls were out to show force bringing in some tight runs in the first innings, getting 2 across with some excellent base running. Our fielding was a tough slog with some excellent work on the mound by Lyla Grech, and some brilliant support deep in left field from Ava Weir, leaving Macarthur Anglican up 4 runs to 2. Things swung back in our favour through power-hitting by Emilia Rennert and Ebony Johns giving a slight edge going up by one with the bottom of the 2nd innings to play. The wet weather seemed to get the better of our fielding with the team losing by a close 2 runs. I want to thank the girls for their spirit and enthusiasm, hopefully, this is the start of a strong run home! |
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AFL Years 7-9 Boys KAWA |
vs MAG Loss 45-35 |
Valentino Spano | The boys came out firing today against a tough outfit in MAG. After a defeat in round 1, the boys were adamant to put in a good performance. Unfortunately after taking the lead in the first half (20-14) the boys let in 24 points within 5 minutes of the restart which made the match extremely heated in the battle for victory. A special mention to our player of the match (Valentino Spano) who put in a great shift with 4 major scores to keep the game tightly contested. Congratulations to all the players in a solid performance and we hope to put in a solid display next week against competition front runners JT. |
|
AFL Years 7-9 Girls ABRN |
vs SPC Loss 57-8 |
Makeilah Langhi | A tough game against St Pat’s, but as always MCCC never gave up. The girls found it hard to defend the St Pats players, as they were faster and more agile. It was a great game to work on our defensive skills and to give new positions to different players. Our versatility and cooperation are great assets for the team, and this was shown from our MVP this week, Makeilah Langi, Emily Cooper and Eva Alvarado also had a great game. Congratulations girls for never giving up! |
|
Indoor Cricket Years 7-9 Boys SULLJ |
vs MAC Win 69-68 |
Nathan McGuiness | The boys came into this game needing a victory to secure a top two finish. The toss was won by Chase Finn who elected to bowl first. The bowling was very consistent from all bowlers. The MAC batters struggled to get going due to the accuracy that was displayed by the MCCC bowlers. After 6 overs, MAC were only on 27 runs and MCCC were in a good position. However, some incredible batting from one of MAC’s big hitters, allowed MAC to score 41 runs in the final two overs, making for a very interesting and competitive second innings. Jivesh and Brendan got MCCC off to a good start and this continued thanks to a couple of solid partnerships between Kodah and Nathan followed by Ashton and Jack. In the last two overs, with Chase and Henry in as batters and still needing 14 runs to win, it looked like it was going to be a tight and nervy finish. Both boys held their nerve and played very sensibly, not making any big shots and playing for singles and doubles. On the final ball of the innings, Chase knocked the ball away for a quick single to secure a dramatic one run victory. |
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OzTag Years 7-9 Boys KING |
vs BAC Win 5-4 |
Caleb Matamua |
The boys put in a fantastic effort yesterday, edging out Broughton Anglican College in a close match, winning 5 tries to 4. They took the lead at halftime, up 3-1, with incredible defensive work that consistently held Broughton back and forced several errors. The second half was challenging, as they conceded three tries, but the team dug deep and added two more tries to secure the win. Congratulations to our try scorers: Braxton Cashman-Priday, Zachary Keith with a double, Ryder Faiai, and Caleb Matamua. This week’s MVP went to Caleb Matamua for his outstanding defensive play, one try, and two try assists. With two wins in a row and a much-improved defensive effort, the team has earned a spot in the finals and is shaping up to be a formidable opponent. |
|
OzTag Years 7-9 Girls HEAS |
vs BAC Loss 6-3 |
Ava Paea |
The girls' showed resilience despite a 6-3 loss, displaying strong teamwork and determination on the field. Charlee made some impressive tags that stopped crucial plays from the opposition, while Janet, Disney and Isabella led several sharp attacking plays that kept the pressure on their defense. Shante also had a great game with 2 tries that gave the girls a boost in attack. Looking forward to next week. |
|
Ultimate Frisbee Years 10-12 MARP |
vs MAS Draw 11-11 |
Hudson Warren | It was a close game. The Macarthur team had us for height, and they also attacked the disc well, and so forced many turnovers. Our handlers struggled to work the disc up the field from our own half. Macarthur also played with boys in the endzone, which we did not react to quickly enough. It meant Macarthur was able score many 1-point goals, and it was only our 2-point goals that kept us in the game. The lead changed three or four times, and a couple catches here or there could have decided it for either team. This game has given us a lot to think about, particularly in our back half offence. They also managed to work the disc up far too easily, so we will need to tighten up the front half defense if we are to face them again. The man of the match will have to go to Hudson Warren for his big efforts in |
|
Volleyball Years 10-12 OCOB |
vs BAC Win 2-1 |
Elijah Tran |
The boys were keen to win a first set after having to come back from one set down for the last two games. Unfortunately, some simple mistakes allowed BAC to take the first set convincingly. The boys rallied and were able to take back the second set with some sagacious and scintillating serving from Elijah Tran. Using the momentum from the 2nd set the boys were able to comfortably take the 3rd set which took the match. Congrats to the boys for a continued undefeated run so far this season. Let’s keep it up. |
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Volleyball Years 10-12 Girls NIMM
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vs BAC Win 2-1 |
Sethma Rajapakse & Monte Sauvao |
In a close and tightly fought contest, both teams displayed excellent teamwork and classy play. The girls started strong, showcasing some good serving and impressive shots. They faced a formidable Broughton side, who matched them with solid returns and cohesive teamwork. After a narrow win in the first set, Broughton came back fiercely in the second, scoring several unanswered points in a close set to level the match. However, the girls rallied in the third set with powerful serves, classy shots, and solid teamwork to secure the match. Today's MVPs, Monte Sauvao and Sethma Rajapakse, were recognised for their determination, consistency, and sportsmanship. Fantastic work girls! |
As always, students are encouraged to sign up and trial for representative teams. Below you will find registration links for both our DIO and NSWCCC events. If you require any further information please visit the Diocese of Wollongong sports here.
Representative Pathways
| MISA Website | https:/wwwwmisaonlineeorgg.au/ |
| Diocesan Sport News | Updates and news on Wollongong Diocese sport events and trials can be viewed here |
| NSW CCC/CSNSW Sport News | Higher level CCC trials and events status can be monitored here. |
| School Sport Australia Sport News | More School Sport Australia information can be found here |
| Award | Recipient |
| Year 11 Sportspersons of the Year |
Avanta Antala Nathan Williams |
| The College Contribution Award |
Mateo Andrews Rebecca Biju |
| Dr Mike Freelander Outstanding Service to Community |
Onyx Holmes |
| Outstanding Academic Excellence |
Jessica McMillan |
| Thye Reuben F Scarf Award for Committment |
Azura Pereira |
| The Brother Neville Award |
Seirasa Smith Sophie Connolly |
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P&F Clothing Pool |
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| Date | 9am-11am | 2pm-4pm |
| 25/11/2024 | Open | |
| 9/12/2024 | Open | |
Existing Familes in our College with Instalments.
If you are currently paying by instalments there is no need to complete another Request to Pay by Instalment as your request carries over from year to year unless you wish to amend the frequency of your payments eg Weekly to Fortnightly.
Existing Families in our College without Instalments
If you would like to pay school fees by instalments in 2025 and have previously not taken up this option for payment, please complete a Request to Pay by Instalment Form which is available on the College's website or from the College's administration office. On completion of the request either email it to instalments@dow.catholic.edu.au or submit at the College office. Following receipt of the request, instalments will be generated on your school fee account during the process of invoicing 2025 school fees. Your school fee statement will provide a list of scheduled payments and their due date depending on the frequency you have chosen eg Fortnightly, Monthly, etc.
IMPORTANT: Please note that if you currently have a child or children at another school in the Diocese and you are paying by instalments at this location, you will not need to complete another Request to Pay by Instalment. The instalment request carries over from school to school with the same frequency of payment eg Weekly, fortnightly, etc.
School student travel information for parents and students
School Travel Passes
Applications are now open for 2025 School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) travel.
Students in the Opal network applying for an Opal card (including a Term Bus Pass) for the first time will receive their School Opal card at their nominated postal address from mid-January 2025.
Students who requir a School Opal card or travel pass but have not yet applied need to apply or update their details as soon as possible.
In the Opal network, students should travel with a Child/Youth Opal card until they receive their valid School Opal card. If outside Greater Sydney, parents should contact their local bus operator to discuss their travel needs.
Students living in rural and regional areas will receive their travel pass from their nominated transport operator. It may be issued via their school or be sent directly to them at home. Note: some rural and regional operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.
It is a condition of the use of a School Opal card that students must tap on and tap off every trip at an Opal Card Reader, when they travel to and from school. Please refer to the Transport for NSW website for further details. We encourage you to talk to your child and remind them to comply with the Transport NSW requirements.
