Mount Carmel Catholic College Varroville eNewsletter

Principal's Report

Dear parents, friends, staff and students,

As we head toward Christmas, it is worth remembering that the weeks leading to this celebration are known as Advent. During the Advent period, we are asked to prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus by reflecting on our journey and what we are doing to make our world a better place. Just as we would clean the house and ensure everything is in its right place if we were to have a special guest come over for a visit, we are encouraged to do the same thing in preparation for Christmas. Reflection is a powerful tool moving toward improvement. We constantly ask or students to reflect on their work and take feedback with a view to improve. In the same was, Advent is an opportunity to do this in our lives. We need to be careful that the busyness in preparation for the day does not take away from the opportunity to slow down, and be present to others. In the Marist tradition, this presence, along with simplicity and family are ways that we can prepare for the celebration of Christmas.

On December 4 we welcomed Bishop Brian Mascord, Mr Peter Hill (director of

Education at Catholic Education, Wollongong, Mr Nathan Hagarty (State Member of Leppington) and around 15 other special guests for the Blessing and Opening of our STEM building and major College refurbishments. The ceremony was full of formality and pride and enabled us to showcase our facilities with enthusiasm.

At the conclusion of the blessing, our parents and guests moved to the lower floor of the building for a light morning tea. There were many positive and complimentary comments from our guests, and it was

obvious that the students were very proud of their school. Thank you to all the staff and students who were involved in the ceremony and to our guests who took time out of their day to celebrate with us.

Earlier this week, Mount Carmel has been named as the champion MISA school for 2024. This means that we are the 2022, 2023 and 2024 Champion school, which reflects the high standard of representation of our students and the way that they strive for excellence. One of the defining factors is that our students won one category and were second or third in every other category. This reflects consistency and shared responsibility for efforts. Given that MISA involves sport, performance and cultural activities such as chess and debating, the Champion School award shows the all-round nature of our students. Congratulations to all our MISA students and coaches and an excited “well done” for the College community.

This week and next we recognise our high achieving Year 7 – 10 students in academics and sport. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our students for their high levels of success and effort. Congratulations to each of the students who are named and also to those who contributed consistent effort throughout the year.

As this is the last newsletter of the year, I would like to thank all our parents, students and staff for your contributions and efforts during 2024. Our vision of being a ‘Christ-centred community providing opportunities for excellence’, is only possible with a combined community effort. I wish all members of the Mount Carmel family a restful and rejuvenating break and encourage the students to ensure that your parents also get a calm and restful break over Christmas. School will resume at the end of January, and I encourage all students to return with a new energy and positive approach for your studies.

Ite in Veritate

Mr Steve Lo Cascio