Dear parents, friends, staff and students,

Next Wednesday (Feb 22) is the day in the Catholic church that we call Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent which is the season where we prepare for the events of Holy Week and the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Just as we prepare for the birth of Christ at the end of the year, so we now make preparation for the memorials that will begin 40 days after Ash Wednesday with the entry of Jesus to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. This is a reflection of the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert preparing for His public ministry.

The first reading this week reminds us of the notion of love of neighbour (Leviticus 19: 17-18) which is expanded on by Jesus when He tells us that we should not just love those who are near us but also our enemies and those who persecute us (Matt 5: 38-48). Our preparation for the events of Holy Week might include a reflection on how we carry out this command to “love our enemies”. This might be withholding a nasty comment or forgoing the negative gesture or facial expression. It might involve actively forcing ourselves to be nice to someone or to respect our shared environment by placing rubbish in a bin or caring for furniture. In any event, the process of loving others is about active commitment to provide a safe and healthy environment for them and support them by our decisions and behaviours.

Part of our School Improvement Plan for 2023 is to promote the engagement of parents through invitations to events at the College. This has been a difficult practice over the past few years but has improved so far in 2023. Last week, our Year 11 parents attended the Commencement evening and this week, the Year 7 parents were present for our Meet and Greet. Both events were lovely for us to have parents participate. As suggested last week, we have further opportunities over the next few weeks with our Opening College Mass to be held on Wednesday Feb 22. Parents are welcome at this celebration which will begin at 9am in the College Champagnat Centre (Hall). We do ask that you notify the College if you wish to attend so that we have sufficient seating in the hall. We will also offer refreshments afterward, however given that it is Ash Wednesday, these will be minimal.

A few reminders again in the following paragraphs beginning with our P&F AGM which will be held in week 5 on Tuesday 28 Feb at 7 pm, in Room I3. The AGM is an important event where parents can vote for a leadership team that will work closely with the senior college staff. During 2022, we did not have a permanent president and this year a number of the P&F leadership will not be standing for re-election as their children have finished at the College. I encourage parents to attend the meeting and to consider taking up a leadership role. The demands are quite small, and your impact will be very important. If we have sufficient time and interest, we will also have a tour of the refurbished Mathematics building.

On Friday March 3 (Week 5), our staff will be attending our first Staff Development Day for the year where we will be working on curriculum professional development around Growth Mindsets. This is the theme for 2023 where we have asked the staff and students to include positivity into their thinking. We will ask the question “what do I need to do in order to achieve a particular goal”? A reminder that these days are pupil free as all staff will be involved in the Professional Development.

Our Year 7, 2024 information evening will be held on Wednesday March 8 (Week 6) in the College Hall. This evening is designed to give prospective students and parents an understanding of what Mount Carmel is about, what we stand for and how we work. Enrolment packages will be available on the night and students and parents will have an opportunity to look through the College and visit faculty displays. More information on this evening will follow in the next few newsletters. If you have a child in Year 6 or know someone who does, please mark this date in your diary.

Ite in Veritate

Mr Steve Lo Cascio