Dear parents, friends, staff and students,

Over the last few weeks, we have celebrated the time of Easter and the subsequent appearances of Christ after His resurrection. In this Sunday’s Gospel, (John 10: 11-18), Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd. On a number of occasions throughout the New Testament, we see references to shepherds and sheep and whilst this had a specific contextual importance at the time, it still has deep meaning for us today. Jesus says that the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep and that he knows them and loves them. This is an image of a caring and compassionate guide and protector. This shepherd is not just an employee working for someone else but has a deep and unwavering interest in what happens to the sheep. In the same way, Jesus knows us, loves us and laid down His life for us. Our reliance on His guidance is both necessary and beneficial. As we move out from the time of the Resurrection, we can gain comfort in the knowledge that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is with us and caring for us.

Over the past week, we have been conducting the majority of our enrolment meetings for Year 7, 2022 applicants. Once again at these meetings, many parents and potential students speak of the reputation of the College and of the positive impression that is made by our current students at information evenings and within the community. I would like to congratulate the majority of our students for the way they behave in public and the way that they enhance the reputation of their College. Thank you for continuing to work toward the values and standards of a Mount Carmel graduating student. Thank you also to the staff who have worked extremely hard to hold these meetings and build these relationships with our potential future students.

For parents who have been associated with the College for the last few years, you would be aware that one component of our School Improvement Plan is focussed on feedback. Toward the end of term 1, members of our community were provided with a link to comment on the strategic plan of Catholic Education, Diocese of Wollongong. At the end of term, students were given an opportunity to provide feedback to their individual teachers on their own classes. The last of this round of feedback to us is provided now to enable parents to comment on the College as a whole. This survey titled ‘Tell Them From Me’ (TTFM) contains the same questions that were asked last year to enable us to track trends and improvements. We would greatly appreciate this feedback to enable us to build this into our own strategic plans. To access this survey please click here.

Upon return this term, the students would have noticed a large number of Builder’s markings on the concrete around the College. These are the result of the decision to move forward in our planning for the development plans that I outlined at the last P&F meeting. These plans are currently with council. Once we have final approval for these plans, I will show them to the students and provide more detail for parents. 

Earlier this week, we conducted our annual evacuation drill. Once again, the students were very cooperative and evacuated in an orderly and calm manner. These drills help us to provide a safe environment and whilst they are a minor disruption, they are an important requirement.

Next week, Mount Carmel will be hosting staff from around the Macarthur who will be undertaking a Mini Certificate of Gifted Education (Mini-COGE). A number of our staff will also be undertaking this training in order to improve their skills in this area. Whilst the training will have minimal impact on Mount Carmel, I encourage the students to say hello to these guests if they see them around the College.

Mr Steve Lo Cascio