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Dear parents, friends, staff and students,
“Treat others as you would like them to treat you” (Luke 6: 27-38).
The above phrase from this Sunday’s Gospel is perhaps one of the simplest and best-known teachings of Jesus. The concept, if applied to every decision we make, would automatically create a world where the dignity and care of the other person is paramount in our actions. In large communities, this is sometimes difficult to achieve because we are to some extent, conditioned to compete and to ensure that we accumulate wealth and power. Our success, however, does not need to be at the expense of others. We can compete against ourselves to ensure improvement. We can compete as a team to overcome a hurdle or obstacle. We can compete with what we know to be wrong or unfair. In each of these, the competition can be positive focussed and based on mutual benefit. If our goal is for improvement but our philosophy is to treat others the way we wish to be treated, we can achieve both outcomes.
Whilst we are only three weeks into the year, we have already held a number of events that highlight the vision of the College. Our Year 10 and Year 11 families have attended Commencement evenings which explained our processes around assessment procedure and expectations as well as reinforcing our core business of learning. All members of the College participated in our Beginning of Year Mass, which drew our attention to the Catholic journey and focus of our year. Our Year 7 parents and students attended the Meet and Greet evening where they were able to look around the College and speak with Pastoral Advisors and visit the classrooms where their child learns every day. These special events reinforce the notion that Mount Carmel Catholic College is a “Christ-centred community providing opportunities for excellence”. This vision needs to be the focus of what we do and how we do it and students make a deliberate decision to reinforce this in their own actions. Over the coming weeks, there will be many more opportunities and as always, I encourage involvement wherever possible.
Next Wednesday evening (Feb 26) we will be hosting our Yr 7, 2026 Info evening. This evening commences at 6pm with an opportunity for anyone to tour the College and visit classrooms and view Key Learning Area (KLA) displays. After these tours led by our student volunteers, there will be a formal presentation by key staff commencing at 7 pm in the Champagnat Centre. This formal presentation will outline what the College stands for and expects. It is an opportunity for those already in our community to reinforce what you know and for those new to us to experience welcome and understand who we are. For these reasons, I encourage anyone who is considering submitting and enrolment application for Year 7 next year to attend this evening. Both students and parents should attend and prospectuses can be collected on the evening. Please let your friends know of this evening if they have a child in Year 6.
On March 6, Transport NSW will have representatives at the College to observe students and the use of OPAL cards on the afternoon school buses. Please be aware that the number and frequency of buses is determined by Transport NSW and they rely heavily on OPAL card data to decide this. Students are expected to tap on and off every trip so the correct need for buses can be fulfilled. It also goes without saying that we would expect the highest level of respect and cooperation to be shown by students to bus staff and other passengers. Please have a conversation with your child if they catch a bus to ensure they have an OPAL card and use it every trip.
Finally, on Tuesday March 4, our Parents and Friends will hold their AGM. At this meeting, the P&F Executive for 2025 will be elected and some formal requests for funding will be made by the College. The P&F is a vital contributor to the College both financially and in policy direction. I encourage parents to come to these meetings and be an active part of the College community. The meeting will commence at 7pm in room I3 (at the front of the College).
Ite in Veritate
Mr Steve Lo Cascio
Every day at Mount Carmel we encourage students and staff to walk in the footsteps of St Marcellin Champagnat, by showing service, hospitality, love of work, simplicity, and love of family through all their encounters. Already in a short space of time this year, our college has journeyed through special events such as Year 7 Meet and Greet; Year 10 and Year 11 Commencement Evenings, High Achievers Assemblies, College Opening Mass and House liturgies.
As mid-term approaches, there are even more college community events that are on the near horizon:
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Week 5 |
College Invitational Swimming Carnival - Wednesday 26 February Year 7 2026 Enrolment Information Evening - Wednesday 26 February Year 7 Camp – Thursday 27 February and Friday 28 February |
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Week 6 |
P & F Meeting – Tuesday 4 March Interfaith Iftar Dinner - Tuesday 4 March College Ash Wednesday Liturgy – Wednesday 5 March PUPIL FREE DAY - Friday 7 March |
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Week 7 |
Diocesan Representative Swimming Championships – Monday 10 March Year 7 and 9 NAPLAN – Wednesday 12, Thursday 13 and Friday 14 March |
STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY – Friday 7 March
Staff will be participating in a staff development day on Friday 7 March (Week 6). The focus of this day is for staff to journey on a pilgrimage to Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney and reflect and nurture their spiritual development and formation. Students are not required to attend the College on this day.
Stay safe, keep well, go gently.
Ms Samantha Giles
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Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C - Mass of day with Lectionary & Missal tests of Sunday Ord Time 7 Yr C Sunday February 23 First Reading: Samuel 26:2 7-6, 12-13, 22-23 David spares Saul. Responsorial Psalm: Ps 102:1-4, 8, 10, 12-13, R, V.8 (R) The Lord is kind and merciful. Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 Jesus is the new Adam. Gospel Acclamation: John 13:34 Alleluia, alleluia! I give you a new commandment; love one another as I have loved you. Alleluia! Gospel: Luke 6:27-38 Love your enemy. |
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Eigth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C Sunday March 2 First Reading: Sirach 27: 4-7 Speech shows state of mind Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:54-48 Death has no victory. Gospel: Luke 6:39-45 Take the plank from your eye. |
At the College, there will be a College Liturgy and all students will receive ashes on their foreheads in the shape of a cross. The ashes, made from burned palm leaves from the previous year’s Palm Sunday, symbolise our mortality and the need for repentance.
At Mount Carmel, the Youth Ministry Leaders or Year Cooridinators will apply the ashes to the forehead saying, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return," or "Repent and believe in the Gospel."
Catholics are encouraged to reflect on their sins, seek forgiveness, and prepare spiritually for Easter. Many also begin Lenten practices such as fasting, giving up certain foods or habits, and doing acts of charity.
Ash Wednesday is a solemn and reflective day that reminds Catholics of their faith, humility, and commitment to spiritual growth.
Assessment Handbooks
Students have now all received their 2025 Assessment Handbooks. Students and parents are encouraged to read these carefully to ensure that College and NESA Assessment Policies and Procedures are followed and due dates for formal assessment tasks are met. We ask that families be mindful of the assessment dates for their child if planning to apply for Leave from the Principal and to encourage them to use their College diaries and online calendars to assist with their organisation in completing these.
Year 10-12 Assessment tasks - Leave Applications & College Representation
With a number of students representing the College for external sport or other events in coming weeks, please remember that all hand in tasks must be submitted by the due date and time. If students are going to miss an in-class task, they are expected to pre-organise a change of date to complete the task during the first available opportunity. This can be organised well in advance following the Request to Reschedule a Task process. If an absence is due to a planned holiday, the Leave Application form must first be completed. Any impacted students should visit either Ms Miller or Mr Hagan to commence this process ahead of time.
NAPLAN
In the lead up to NAPLAN tests from the 12-14 of March (Week 7), students of Year 7 and Year 9 have been asked to ensure that they have updated their software to ensure that the NAPLAN lockdown browser is installed and ready to be used for the familiarisation tests. The familiarisation tests will occur on Thursday 6 March (Week 6) and are designed to ensure students and staff are able to access and utilise all components of the software ready for NAPLAN. Catch up sessions will be completed on Monday 17 of March for any students who miss one of the tests. Finally, a friendly reminder to all that student devices and headphones need to be fully charged each night prior to the NAPLAN assessment dates.
| TERM 1 | |
| Week 6 |
Year 12 05/03/2025 Numeracy 06/03/2025 Industrial Technology:Timber 06/03/2025 Physics Year 11 03/03/2025 Sport, Lifestyle & Recreation (2 unit) 05/03/2025 Mathematics Advanced 05/03/2025 Mathematics Standard 1 05/03/2025 Mathematics Standard 2 |
| Week 7 |
Year 12 12/03/2025 Music 1 12/03/2025 Sport, Lifestyle & Recreation 13/03/2025 English Advanced 13/03/2025 English Standard 13/03/2025 English Studies 13/03/2025 Mathematics Standard 1 13/03/2025 Mathematics Standard 2 14/03/2025 Food Technology 14/03/2025 Spanish Extension Year 11 10/03/2025 Work Studies (2 unit) 11/03/2025 Business Studies 12/03/2025 Mathematics Ext 1 12/03/2025 Modern History 12/03/2025 Investigating Science 13/03/2025 Health & Movement Science |
Ms Chardy Miller & Mr Jay Hagan
Leader of Learning - Curriculum Pedagogy & Leader of Learning - Curriculum Administration
HATS REMINDER
Students have been reminded on several occasions about the need to wear hats over the past few weeks while they are on the ovals, courts or walking around the College during breaks, before and after school. For more information visit sun safety at the Department of Education website.
DELIVERIES DURING THE SCHOOL DAY
All deliveries must come via the College front office. Parents are reminded that students are not permitted to access the car park during the school day to collect equipment or food. If your child forgets their lunch or any school equipment, please drop the item to the office and we will have it delivered to your child.
Secondly, food deliveries such as Deliveroo or Uber Eats, are not permitted at any time. Any student who orders food to the College will have the food confiscated and the parents will be contacted to collect the delivery from the office. This is essential in ensuring the safety of all students.
HOUSE ASSEMBLIES - This week, students from Avila, Howard, Mackillop, and Murray Houses gathered for their respective house assemblies, each featuring a meaningful liturgy. These ceremonies reflected on the life and virtues of their patron saints, the values of the Marist characteristics, and the theme of being "pilgrims of hope." The assemblies provided an opportunity for students to connect with their house identities, deepen their faith, and embrace the spirit of unity and hope within our college community.
PREPARATIONS FOR YEAR 7 CAMP - Attention Year 7 parents and carers: As camp approaches, we kindly ask for your support in helping your child prepare for this exciting adventure. Please refer to the Camp Note for all the necessary information and ensure your child packs according to the guidelines provided. Let's work together to make this a memorable experience for everyone.
“WALK IN TRUTH”
We encourage our Mount Carmel students to embrace our College motto “Ite in Vertetate” in their daily lives: TRUTH
Be Tenacious – Seize every opportunity for excellence, faith, learning, and growth.
Be Resilient – Rise to the expectations of being a student at MCCC, adapt to change, and overcome adversity.
Be United – Support one another with honesty and integrity, fostering a strong and connected year group and community.
Be Trustworthy – Build positive relationships, care for each other, and lead with reliability.
Be Honourable – Commit to being the best version of themself in all that they do.
Live these values each day, and together, they will shape a legacy of character and success.
THE MYSTERIOUS WORLD OF THE ADOLESCENT BRAIN - PARENT SUPPORT AND REFLECTION
Andrew Fuller is a Clinical Psychologist who lectures in child, adolescent and family psychology and consults with communities and schools about the promotion of resilience.
Andrew Fuller - "Don't Waste Your Breath" An introduction to the adolescent brain
Mr Simon Huntly & Mrs Theresa Moore
Pastoral Care & Wellbeing Coordinators
Around the Grounds
It has been a very eventful week in sport with the conclusion of MISA Round 1 and even more sporting events on the horizon. Our teams had a strong start to the MISA season, with most gaining valuable points in their respective divisions. Looking ahead, Term One is shaping up to be action-packed, with multiple events taking place over the next four weeks.
A big thank you to everyone involved in these events and our upcoming competitions!
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- 26 February; Wednesday Week 5 - Competitors only School Swimming Carnival
- 28 February; Girls; Diocesan Touch Footbal
- 6 March; Boys; Diocesan Touch Football
- 10 March; Diocesan Swimming Championships
- 11 April; Thursday Week 10 - Cross Country Carnival
- 19 June; Friday Term 2 - Athletics Carnival
Swimming Carnival
Mount Carmel Catholic College is excited to announce the upcoming 2025 Annual College Swimming Carnival! As part of our commitment to providing students with diverse opportunities in academics, sports, creative arts, and extracurricular activities, this event allows our competitive swimmers to showcase their talent and school spirit. This year's carnival is an event for competitive swimmers only. In the event of a cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances, parents will be informed via Compass. We look forward to an exciting day of competition, sportsmanship, and school pride! Let’s make the 2025 Swimming Carnival a fantastic experience for our students.
Event Details:
- Date: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
- Location: The Gordon Fetterplace Aquatic Centre, Bradbury NSW 2560
- Start Time: 8:30 AM
- Finish: 3:00 PM
- Uniform: College Summer Sports Uniform
- Food: Students must bring their own food and drinks
MISA - TERM 1
| Sport | Result | MVP | Short Report |
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Volleyball Years 7-9 Boys OCOB |
Win 2-1 | Tyler Fuller |
The boys came into the first round today full of enthusiasm to perform at the highest level. The boys started strong with a convincing 25-16 first set win, with some outstanding serving by Tyler Fuller. The nerves seemed to take hold for the second set with some simple errors creeping into play. After some anxious moments the second set ended up at 25-25, a deadlock that could only be broken by getting up by two points. The boys managed to win those final two precious points only achieved by passion, persistence and perseverance. Well done on a solid start to the season. |
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Volleyball Years 7-9 Girls NIMM |
Win 2-1 |
Manizort Siackhasone & Alice Lardzibal |
The students started slowly, falling behind by five points but made a strong comeback with solid serving to win the first set. They carried their momentum into the second set, using strong defense and serving that St. Pat’s struggled against. Despite being a relatively new team, they displayed impressive cohesion and teamwork. Manizort and Alice were this week’s MVPs for their consistent serving and movement in play. A fantastic all-around effort—well done to the team! |
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Basketball Years 10-12 Boys KAWA |
Win 54-47 |
Isaac Ramos |
The boys took on heavyweights JT in this thrilling clash of the titans. The game started off evenly matched with both teams looking equally likely to take a distinct lead. The second half saw Mount Carmel show true grit and determination taking advantage of quick counter attacks with all players involved. A special mention to Isaac Ramos who showed incredible skill at both ends of the court. The boys were faced with adversity being up by 9 points, with 4 minutes to play, then the lead being cut down to only 3 points with 2 minutes to play. The boys responded well by holding onto the ball and taking advantage of loose passes from their opposition. Congratulations to all involved. |
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Basketball Years 10-12 Girls ABRN |
Loss 25-45 |
Sophia Borromeo |
The girls played a great game today, despite the scoreboard. Their defence stopped JT from scoring on so many occasions. The girls managed to put the pressure on JT’s star rep player, and they made her work for every basket. In the second half, MCCC’s cobwebs were dusted off and they came back hard. Although JT was tiring, the girls left their run a little too late. MVP was awarded to Sophia Borromeo with Eva De Guzman being our major point scorer. Great work girls! |
|
Oztag Years 10-12 Boys CAML |
Win 11-4 |
Preston Gallant & Hudson Warren |
The boys made an impressive start to the 2025 MISA season defeating Broughton Anglican College, 11-4 in warm conditions The boys started extremely fast, jumping to a 4 - 0 lead early in the first half. Some incredibly impressive ball movement from Paul Mikaele, Preston Gallant and Hudson Warren saw some very impressive tries to Joshua Manson, Onitolosi Latu and Hudson Warren. The boys defended as a unit, keeping B.A.C to 4 tries, despite some individual brilliance from the Broughton players. The boys responded well to new incoming Coach, Mr Campbell displaying an incredibly positive attitude and responsiveness to some new plays and attacking shape. The season ahead looks to be a positive one. |
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Oztag Years 10-12 Girls PONT |
Draw 4-4 |
Charlee Yule |
The girls demonstrated their resilience and ability to keep a level head in their game today after heading into the second half 4-1 down. Despite the opposition's lead, the girls never dropped their heads and kept playing with patience and determination to snatch 3 quick tries in the second half to secure a 4 all draw. Lauren and Janet were relentless in defense and Charlee’s kicking game not only secured us some advantageous field position but also led to a well executed try. Looking forward to next week!!! |
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Softball Years 7-9 Boys HAGJ |
Loss 7-0 |
Whole Team |
Was a tough start to the season with the boys against a strong Magdalene side. The boys went down 5-0 after the first innings making it very difficult for them to get anything from the game. Their batting let them down again in the second innings not going anyone across the home plate giving MAG the win. The boys did improve in the second innings only letting the opposition get 3 home runs. Well done to an inexperienced side. |
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Hockey Years 7-9 Girls ELID |
Loss 2-0 |
Malia Pameti |
The team played extremely well in extremely warm conditions and for most of them the first time picking up a stick. We started the game in high spirits and Khloe came close to scoring the opening goal. Lyla Grech was dominant and led the team throughout the game providing guidance and leadership. Malia Pameti, in her first game as a goalkeeper saved multiple penalty corners and one on one shots at goal. Unfortunately, St Benedict's had a few experienced players and scored off two short corners. The team showed great character and are excited to improve throughout the term. |
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BYE Indoor Cricket; Years 7-9 Girls; HEAS |
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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 |
Year 7 2026 Information event for students wishing to attend the College in 2026 will be held on Wednesday 26 February 2025 commencing at 6pm. This will be followed by an information session in the College Hall. Applications for the 2026 will open after the information evening. We encourage parents to attend the evening prior to completing an enrolment application.
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.
