Dear parents, friends, staff and students.

This Sunday’s Gospel reading is perhaps one of the simplest yet most powerful messages that Jesus gives to each of us. It is in this Gospel (John 13: 31-35) where Jesus gives us the ‘new commandment’; “Love one another just as I have loved you”.

As a people of faith in Jesus Christ, we know and accept that the love that God holds for each of us is unlimited and complete. His love can conquer all and is the most precious gift that we can receive. We know that Jesus ‘laid down His life for His friends’ and this is a reflection of the magnitude of His love for us. The message that we are given; to love one another as He loved us, can be used to direct our decisions and actions. Whilst recognising that we are only human, we can try to emulate God’s complete love for others even though we may never fully achieve this. Our love can be reflected not only in what we do and how we do it but possibly more importantly in why we do it. Sometimes we need to make difficult decisions that may negatively impact others, but we should ask ourselves ‘has this decision been based in love and in an attempt to improve the life of another’? In my first year of teaching, an elderly Marist Brother (Brother Fingal) gave me a piece of advice that has stayed with me for over thirty years. He told me that even when a teacher has to discipline students, they should do it with a love for them in their heart. This is a simple way of moving toward the idea of loving others as He loved us.

On Wednesday our English teachers hosted the first of two Year 7 Literacy evenings. These evenings are an opportunity for Year 7 parents to come up to the College and hear what teachers are doing to support and improve student learning in the area of literacy. Enhanced understanding in this area will improve learning across all subjects. We were blessed to have over 60 parents at this cold and wet evening, and many walked away with a far better knowledge of what their children were doing but more importantly, how they might support that learning. The second of these evenings will be held this coming Wednesday. I thank the English staff for volunteering their evenings and for sharing their knowledge and wisdom. I also thank the parents who came up, as you are an essential component for the success of your children.

This week our Year 7 and 9 students completed their NAPLAN tests. We traditionally do not put a great deal of emphasis leading up to these in an attempt to ensure that the snapshot of their achievement is a fairly accurate reflection of what they can do at a particular time. The data does give us evidence of what students are able to do and helps to inform our teaching along with other student data. The tests themselves went very smoothly and I thank Mrs Kripal and Mr Grana and the staff who administered these tests for their calm and transparent approach.

On Tuesday May 24, Week 5, we will be holding our next Parents and Friends’ meeting at the College. This will be our normal mid-term meeting, and once again I invite all parents to join us. Mr Simon Huntly (Pastoral and Wellbeing Coordinator) will be the guest speaker at this meeting and will be explaining some of the Pastoral Care supports available at the College. We will also be outlining some of the options we are exploring for enhancing learning from 2023 including lesson lengths and how our senior school is arranged. We are still looking for a president and treasurer for 2022. The P&F is an extremely valuable consultative and supportive body essential to the effective running of a school. I encourage all parents to attend on this evening and look forward to you joining us.

Earlier this week parents/guardians were sent a link to our TTFM survey. Thank you to those parents who have already provided feedback for this. We will send a text message out at the start of next week with the link for those who may not have had the chance to do this. This is an important part of our self-evaluation loop and will assist us in developing our School Improvement Plans for the next four years.

Ite in Veritate

Mr Steve Lo Cascio

As you would be aware, we are looking forward to our annual College Athletics Carnival this coming Friday 20th May at Campbelltown Athletics Stadium. At present, the weather looks promising for an enjoyable community day. Should the forecast change to the point that we need to cancel the day, any official communication will be made via Compass to all parents and students. Should this be necessary, a normal school day will run according to our regular Friday B timetable. 

I also take the opportunity this week to inform you of two additional events taking place in Week 5. Our Year 11 PTS interview sessions will take place on Wednesday 25th May from 4pm-8pm in the Champagnat Centre. Bookings for these opened earlier this week and can be made via Compass. I also remind our families of our upcoming staff development day on Friday 27th May. I thank parents in advance for making alternate supervision arrangements on this day so that our staff an be available to engage in this worthwhile professional development opportunity. 

Finally, this week I remind everyone of our COVID-safe guidelines for Term 2 which stipulate that whilst household close contacts who have no symptoms may continue to attend school, they must adhere to the following requirements:

• The school is notified that they are intending to return as a close household contact
• They must wear a mask indoors except when eating or exercising
• Once they have completed their 7-day isolation period, they should wear a mask for an additional 3 days (for days 8 to 10)

Please note that students who test positive for COVID-19, or who are unwell or showing COVID-19 symptoms, must continue to isolate at home.

All the best for the week ahead.

Mr David Cloran

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR C

First Reading  Acts 14:21-27  Paul and Barnabas journey extensively, returning to Antioch.

Second Reading  Rv 21:1-5  John sees a new Jerusalem.

Gospel  Jn 13:31-35  Jesus issues a new commandment, love one another.

Let us remember when we take care of others, we are sharing our love for them.

As we lead up to our Champagnat Day celebrations, each Monday morning, we begin the week with prayer. The focus of these prayers is the Marist Characteristics.

Thanks to the Youth Ministry Leaders who are writing these prayers and leading the College in prayer.

We commenced with In the Way of Mary, then in Week 4 it is Simplicity, Week 5 Family Spirit, Week 6 Presence and the final week is Love of Work.

You might be wondering what these characteristics mean. These characteristics are ideals that all Marists - students and adults alike, commit to.

Below is a summary of the five characteristics:

In the Way of Mary… seeing Mary as a perfect model of being Marist, tender, strong, constant in faith, open to God’s calling us to our own journey of discipleship

Simplicity… being straightforward and genuine, humble and modest, ‘doing good quietly’

Family Spirit… relating to each other as members of a loving family, building community, offering the warmth of welcoming, acceptance and belonging, sharing our successes and failures, setting clear standards of honesty, mutual respect, and tolerance

Presence… caring for each other, seeking relationships founded on love, being attentive and welcoming with a sense of openness

Love of Work… being generous of heart, constant, and persevering in our daily work, confident, visionary, decisive in meeting the needs of our community, and encouraging each other to discover the dignity of our work with young people and with each other

Year 12 Retreat Article

By Shania Menezes

 The “Year 12 Retreat”

An event spoken about by all those lucky enough to experience it. An event that has been heard about through each school year that has come and gone. It was something that the 2022 graduating class had no hope for, as COVID posed an obstacle. However, due to the effort of the teachers and other staff, especially that of Mrs Meharg, our grade was able to take a break from stress to make memories with those we grew up with.

The retreat was about creating bonds. It was about looking at the people around you and realising that each of them carry burdens that have shaped them into who they are today. We came to understand that it is the struggles and achievements that we have lived through that have given us our names.

The retreat was a time of vulnerability and reflection, where perceptions of those once disliked or avoided have been changed into ones of understanding and acceptance. It was a time of storytelling, and although no one told their full story, the blurb of their life journey was enough to invite the memory of the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover”. However, this was only achieved through the effort of each student and for that I am thankful.

There were also times of laughter and times to create memories with those we hold dear. We had no reason to think of all the stresses plaguing our lives as we enjoyed the opportunity to relax, surrounded by the beautiful nature around us. It was freeing in a way, being away from our phones and, as a result, loosening the hold that a technologically-dependent society has on us, even just for a few days. We were able to enjoy our free time breathing in the fresh air and enjoying the moments together.

The retreat allowed us to create many fond memories with those that we wouldn’t have thought possible. We learnt what our names meant and what other peoples’ names meant and through we got a glimpse of the stories that are untold.

Year 10 Catholic Studies Vocations Panel

Currently, Year 10 are studying the unit Sacraments of Service, with a specific focus on Marriage and Holy Orders. To enrich their learning, we were able to convene a panel to discuss this area and answer questions that the students have raised.

Today, Year 10 was blessed to hear the stories of Vocations from Sister Berna, Father Dwayne, and Alyce and Joel Duval. 

We are thankful for each of them sharing their stories about their life and their vocations

Mrs Christine Meharg
REC Coordinator

Like reading, writing is another key literacy element. Writing is critical because it helps us think and make sense of experience. When we write, we write our way into meaning, discovering ideas and generating understandings. We write to clarify, to solve problems, to get in touch with our thoughts and feelings, and to communicate to others in the public and social spheres of our lives. Learning to write is critical because ultimately, we write to learn.

As teachers, we aspire for our young people to become competent, motivated and confident writers. Yet, the challenges we face in engaging students in purposeful writing, in generating their enthusiasm for writing, and in developing their writing skills, are substantial. The social and private worlds of many of our young people are increasingly framed through written language that is instantaneous, often fragmented and conveyed in the moment as direct speech communicated via a digital platform. Text messaging, Instagram, Twitter, and other forms of social media have become the usual channels for constructing identities, forming relationships and interacting in a range of contexts. Immersed as they are in digital technology, many of our young people are confident and capable when it comes to participating in everyday online communication. However, when it comes to the more complex and formal writing demands of the school curriculum, the situation is quite different. The academic context of school writing rewards written, literate and standard English as distinct from the more informal, spoken English dialect used in casual communication. Equipping young people with the wide range of writing capabilities which will allow them to succeed at school and in the workplace, is a responsibility which educators take very seriously.

Writing has been described as one of the greatest of all human inventions as it promotes self-expression, creativity, confidence, reflection, critical thinking, communication, and comprehension. Surprisingly, a presenter at a writing workshop I attended some years ago likened writing to dog training. She urged writers to ‘sit and stay’. Her second piece of advice was to ‘fake it until you make it.’ I’ve never forgotten these two suggestions. They highlight the commitment and the perseverance required to develop this most critical of human endeavours.

Mrs Clare Murphy

English Coordinator & Literacy Instructional Coach

Good afternoon everyone

With current Covid restrictions preventing us from having whole school assemblies, our Pastoral teams again delivered a range of learning and wellbeing activities to each of the respective year groups. These included:

Year 7 - Tell Them From Me survey, Bullying and Respectful Relationships presentation

Year 8 - TTFM and Pastoral Class activities

Year 9 - NAPLAN

Year 10 - Vocations presentation as part of Catholic Studies program

Year 11 & 12 - Tell Them From Me survey and independent work.

Thanks to all members of our respective teams for the organisation and supervision of these activities.

eSafety

The constantly changing landscape of technology and social media brings with it newer and unique challenges, many of which do not come with a simple user’s manual. The Federal Government eSafety Commissioner’s website is a reliable point of call for any student or family member who may require some information regarding the many of the questions that are often raised courtesy of new technologies and services. Questions such as:

• How much screen time should my son or daughter have each day?
• How do I provide a safe and secure Social Media environment for my child?
• What sorts of apps are out there and what do they do?
• What are the laws regarding age of consent for using Social Media apps?

The following links to the eSafety Comissioner’s site may assist families with being able to investigate and find answers to some of the issues that may confront families from time to time relating to this matter of cyber safety. 

eSafety guide to games, apps and social media

eSafety parents tips

eSafety online safety basics

Elevate Education

The webinars return next week and will take place for 6 consecutive weeks between May 18 and June 22 across Term 2. Registration is essential and is free for parents of Mount Carmel Catholic College. Next week’s seminar is on 

 Time Management & Beating Procrastination

 And will address issues such as:

• How to avoid fights over homework and study; 
• Strategies to ensure your child is balanced, stress free AND productive; 
• The most common causes of procrastination and how to avoid them; 
• What types of work the top students prioritise to get top marks.

 You can register by clicking here.

The presenter will share Elevate’s key research and skills, and will conduct a live Q&A so you can ask them questions directly.

Mr Simon Huntly

Pastoral Care & Wellbeing Coordinator

Mount Carmel Second Hand Uniform Shop sells pre-owned College uniforms at less than half the cost of new uniforms. 

You can bring your child's uniforms to the shop when they no longer fit or you no longer need them (Uniforms must be clean and in good condition. Blazers must be dry cleaned). The Second-hand Uniform shop will sell the uniforms on your behalf, and after they sell the P & F Committee will transfer the money to your nominated bank account.  The P & F will keep 10% of all sales.  You are also able to donate the uniforms and then the P & F will benefit from 100% of the sales.  

The uniform shop is open from 2.30 - 4pm on the days listed below, usually the first Monday of each month.  The shop will next be open on Monday 21 March 2022. The shop is run by parent volunteers to raise money for the P & F Committee and to help families of the school with low-cost uniforms. 

If any parent wishes to volunteer in the Second-hand Uniform Shop please contact the school office.

Term 2 2022

Monday 6 June

Term 3 2022

Monday 1 August

Monday 5 September

Term 4 2022

Monday 7 November

Monday 5 December

Cash only - no EFTPOS facilities

Last Saturday, all teams played 2 half games to make up for cancelled wet weather games and the results were:

30/4/2022

15’s defeated by Ingleburn 4 - 14

Grad C’s defeated Bluejays 30 - 8

Division 6 defeated by Phoenix 11 - 23

Division 5 defeated Ingleburn 21 – 17

7/5/2022

15’s defeated Glenquarie 11 - 7

Grad C’s defeated Glenquarie 10 - 7

Division 6 defeated by St Thomas Moore 10 - 19

Division 5 drew with East 11 - 11

To register, please click here

The latest school fee statements have been forwarded to families via email from the Catholic Education Office.

Families who have not re-entered into an instalment plan and have fees overdue may also have received an overdue reminder letter from CEO. If you have since paid the outstanding amount, no further action is required. If you are unable to pay the overdue amount please make contact with the Finance Team.

Please be aware that payment agreements from 2021 are not automatically rolled over to this year.

The College fully understands that in the current climate many families are under financial pressure, please remember we are here to help.  Please email the College via mccc-finance@dow.catholic.edu.au or alternatively call the College finance office on 9603 3000, all communication is confidential.