Dear parents, friends, staff and students,

This Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 14:25 – 33), as always, sends a message that can be relevant to us in many different ways. Jesus asks if anyone would “intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it” and “what king marching to war…would not first sit down and consider whether… he could stand up to the other”. His message was about planning and preparation. Whilst this obviously directly refers to how we live our lives with a focus on God and eternity, the message is a simple one for our everyday decisions. For our Year 12 students who are heading into their final few weeks, how has their preparation and planning placed them into a good position for their final exams. The beauty is that there is time for reflection and improvement. We can use this as a broader message in our lives to ensure that we are conscious that we are heading in the right direction with a focus on God’s Kingdom.

On Wednesday evening, the College hosted our annual Major Works presentation. This year it focussed on Music, Industrial Technology – Timber and Society and Culture. The students develop these projects throughout Year 12 and are rightfully proud of their accomplishments. It was a small but lovely evening, and all involved are to be congratulated.

On Thursday evening, I attended the Bishop’s Excellence Awards held in Wollongong. Each year one Year 12 student from each diocesan school receives this award which recognises their often quiet but extremely valuable contribution to their college community. This year, we were proud to nominate Azura Pereira for this award. Her commitment across a range of fields made her a worthy recipient. Congratulations Azura.

On Thursday, our 2026 SRC students attended a Leadership Day where they discussed in detail what it means to be badged leaders at Mount Carmel. The day is very productive and ensures that students are able to consider leadership in all its forms and with all its responsibilities. Congratulations to these students for their input and efforts. The specific roles within the SRC will be announced early next week.

In the last few weeks of this term, we have a number of events that finish our year 12 students’ involvement in the broader college. Our College Captains and Vice Captains will attend a Mass and Lunch with the Bishop, the Principals and the Year 12 Coordinators from each of our schools. This is a recognition of the work they have completed and is one last opportunity for the Bishop to touch base with these students, their thoughts and aspirations.

On Wednesday Sept 10, our Year 12 students will have their final Parent/Teacher/Student meeting at the College. This meeting is the last opportunity to get formal feedback on their performance and areas for improvement before the HSC exams commence. I encourage all parents and students to take this opportunity for feedback to ensure they get the best outcomes in their final exams.

On Monday we will be hosting our annual Father’s Day Breakfast. We hold these on the Monday to remove any possible conflict with events at primary schools (which are often held on the Friday before). I welcome fathers and grandfathers to this breakfast and short liturgy and wish all fathers a happy day on Sunday.