Dear parents, friends, staff and students,

In the Gospel this Sunday (John 21: 1-19), Jesus is waiting for the apostles to come back from a fishing trip. When they arrive back, they have a meal and Jesus and Peter have a conversation where Jesus askes Peter “do you love me?”.  Peter answers yes, and Jesus asks again, to which Peter replies yes again. Jesus then asks a third time and Peter, with a little frustration, tells Jesus “You know I love you”. I have often wondered why Jesus askes Peter the same question three times only to get the same answer. It was not until someone linked this story with that which we heard on Easter weekend where Peter denied Jesus three times. When we think about this exchange, it becomes important to realise that Jesus has given Peter the same opportunity to acknowledge Him that he had to deny Him. It reinforces the point that our God is willing to forgive and ensure our loving relationship whenever we are willing to repent and acknowledge our love for Him.

At the end of this month, 18 of our senior students will be attending the Community Service Ball which will be held at Ottimo House. This ball is a recognition of the work of these students in contributing back to the community. It will involve a formal presentation of the students and will be accompanied by a meal. This is a reintroduction of an event that was popular at the College prior to COVID and is well-received by the students. An invitation to this ball (with associated costs) is included later in this newsletter and families and friends of those being presented are welcome to purchase tickets. As it is a school event, there will not be any alcohol available.

Enrolment applications for Year 7, 2026 closed on the last day of term 1. We are now in the process of meeting with all applicants in order to appropriately apply the enrolment criteria as set by Catholic Education, Wollongong. Over the next two weeks or so, some 15 staff will be interviewing all applicants for positions. Thank you all for helping to establish Mount Carmel as a school of choice for so many families in our area.

We have been asked to publish a comparison chart of the major parties’ views on non-government schools and funding arrangements. This appears later in this newsletter. I encourage all parents to read this information before casting your vote in tomorrow’s Federal election.

In the next few weeks, the College will be undergoing some self-review and will be sending out a few surveys to ensure we get meaningful feedback. The students will be asked to complete two surveys which will both be conducted during school time. Parents will be invited to contribute via the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) platform. This is the same survey that we have conducted for the past few years and will help to establish trends in our performance. Each parent will be emailed a link where you can have your say on a number of things within the College. Whilst I understand that surveys are sometimes cumbersome and take time, they are the best way for us to determine if we are fulfilling your expectations or need to review processes. I encourage you to participate in this anonymous survey.

From week 3, Mrs Christine Meharg will be taking six week’s leave and we wish her all the best. During this time, we have appointed Mrs Kristine Borg to the role of Acting REC. Congratulations to Mrs Borg and I thank her for accepting this important role within Mount Carmel Catholic College.

Before our next newsletter, the community will be celebrating Mother’s Day. On behalf of Mount Carmel, I thank and congratulate all mothers for your selfless care and boundless love of your children. May God keep and protect you and you always have the support of a loving family.