Dear parents, friends, staff and students,

This Sunday we celebrate the solemnity of the most Holy Trinity. The concept we have of the Trinity as Christians and specifically as Catholics is unique to our faith. The Trinity refers to our belief in God as three persons in one being. It is a concept that many other religions have difficulty understanding as they cannot comprehend how God can be three yet only one. The Irish missionaries under the authority of St Patrick often used the symbol of the shamrock to explain this concept. The idea that it contains three segments but is one leaf may be a little easier for us to understand. Our faith explains that God exists as the Father - creator, the Son – Jesus and the Spirit. In the Creed, we speak of Jesus as being ‘consubstantial’ with the father. This literally means that they are of the same substance. In believing that God exists as three persons helps us to recognise that He has been in existence since before the beginning of time but remains with us in a personal and guiding sense throughout our lives and those around us. In allowing the spirit into our lives, we can grow in God’s love and make decisions that benefit those around us.

Today we celebrated Champagnat Day. Whilst this is not the official feast day of Mount Carmel (this occurs at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Day at the start of next term), it has always been a day of great happiness and celebration. We take the day to acknowledge our foundations in, and charism of, the Marist Brothers. These brothers founded Mount Carmel through Br Clarence Cunningham back in 1986 and their dedication to educating in the name of Jesus continues to be a focus for our staff 36 years later. Champagnat Day enables us to celebrate with mass and activities as well as a concert whilst raising money for Marist charities. For many of our students (year 9 and below), this is the first real celebration of this nature they have had at Mount Carmel. Hopefully, this will be something that they will remember fondly moving forward and will build on in coming years. I would like to thank all the students and staff for their involvement but a particular thank you to Ms Toogood, Mr O’Connell, Mr Follett, Mrs Meharg and the Year Coordinators who took the lead in organising this day.

This week we have opened our Year 7 – 10 Parent/Teacher/Student meeting bookings for Semester 1. These meetings are an opportunity for you to discuss with the teachers what your child’s strengths and opportunities for improvement might be. Whilst you will receive their reports a few days prior to these meetings, I encourage you to organise meetings as soon as you are able. Following the learnings from the last few years, we have decided to provide opportunities for both face-to-face and zoom meetings. For practical purposes, these will be scheduled at different times, but parents will not be limited to a specific session, or a specific method so you can choose what is most beneficial for you. We hope that this will enable as many of you as possible to make appointments to meet with your child’s teachers.

Finally, I wish you all a very relaxing and safe break during this long weekend.

Ite in Veritate

Mr Steve Lo Cascio

Earlier this week we received advice from the Catholic Education Office that another delivery of Rapid Antigen Tests are being delivered to schools in the coming days/weeks. While we don’t have an exact date that this will take place, we will be sure to distribute them as soon as possible after delivery. As stated previously, although we recommend the use of these as just one strategy in our approach towards COVID-19, these test kits remain optional to both collect and use. We will advise parents and families once this latest batch has been distributed.

Throughout the course of next week, we will be distributing each student's personalised photo ordering envelope for this year's College Photo Day which is scheduled for Thursday 23rd June. There is also a catch-up day for any absent student which will take place on Monday 27th June. All students will be having their photo taken on this day, regardless of whether they are purchasing their photos, as these images are also used for our Compass and identification card purposes. If there are any families who would like sibling photos taken, you may collect a family photo envelope from student services any time before the photo day.

I also offer advance notice this week for parents of students in Year 10 that the meningococcal immunisation day will be held in Week 10 on Thursday 30th June. Students in Year 11 who missed out on this last year may also choose to receive this immunisation. More information and consent forms for this day will be circulated closer to the date.

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,

THE MOST HOLY TRINITY YEAR C

First Reading  Prv 8:22-31  Wisdom is begotten of God.

Second Reading  Rom 5:1-5  We boast of our hope and afflictions.

Gospel  Jn 16:12-15  The Spirit will guide the Apostles to all truth.

What is this weeks Gospel reading about? Living the Gospel – Trinity

Every time we make the sign of the cross we reaffirm our belief in a God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Although some people have difficulties with the gender-specific language of ‘Father’ and ‘Son’ and look for other ways to express this reality, all Christian people profess a belief in the one God who is experienced in three distinct ways. We are baptised ‘in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit’ and we remind ourselves of this reality when we pray and when we bless ourselves or others.

RE Classes and their Curriculum

This week, Years 7 to 10 move onto the next unit of work.

These units are presented over a course of 9 weeks.

Year 7 - Sacred Scriptures.

In this unit, students explore the great Christian story that is the Bible. They come to recognise and understand the Bible as the sacred text which reveals God’s loving relationship with all of humanity. Students will also explore the structure of the Bible along with some of its principal themes and they will become confident users of the Bible as they explore a range of scripture passages.

Year 8 - Striving for Goodness

Within the Christian worldview God is acknowledged as the highest good. Created in the image and likeness of God, women and men are inherently good. In this unit students will explore and affirm the good in their lives and the reality that the distortion of good can prevent us from realising the fullness of our humanity.

Year 9 - Biblical Writing

In this unit students will explore the Bible as the unfolding story of our relationship with God by examining the Bible as a collection of sacred books which contain the truth of God’s revelation as written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They will become familiar with a range of literary forms in both the Old and New Testaments. Students will read passages in the contexts in which they were written, explaining their features and purpose to interpret the whole message of the Scriptures with a view to its heart and mystery.

Year 10 - The Church - tradition and change.

This unit will allow students to explore the pilgrim nature of the Catholic Church as it seeks to proclaim the Good News and work towards the fullness of the Kingdom of God. Students will investigate the Scriptural underpinnings of the Church’s mission, the significant people, movements and events that have shaped the Church throughout its history and the way in which the Church lives out its mission in the world today. Students will also be given the opportunity to reflect upon their place in the continuing mission of the Church as they are called to proclaim the Good News.

Recent Events at the College

On Friday, May 27th, the Staff of the College traveled to the Hermitage, Mittagong, for their annual Spirituality day. The Hermitage holds a special place in the hearts of all who are connected with the Marists. Since 1906 it has been the place of formation and training for the Bothers. This venue is now a place of spiritual formation for all staff and students. 

I am not sure if you are aware, however, all staff must undertake 5 hours of Spiritual Renewal each year. 

This year the theme was "Known and Loved: Dignity for all". It was presented by the Marist Faith Life and Formation team and had the participants focusing upon those who are on the fringes of our society, and as Marists, how should we respond. 

We are thankful to have been able to spend this time together, to explore our Marist heritage and what it means to be a Marist in today's world.

On Friday the 3rd of June, Mount Carmel Catholic College hosted its second LIVE night for 2022.  Just over 85 students participated in various team building activities, listened to live music, and heard spoken testimonies throughout the evening.  Students also had the opportunity to encounter Christ and to grow in the knowledge of Christ through worship and prayer.

A big thankyou to the supervising staff members, the year 12 student leaders, the year 11 youth ministry Leaders as well as Luke Vail and the National Evangelisation Team for putting together a fantastic evening for the students.

God bless

Mr Bernard O'Connell

After teaching English for over forty years, I have come to appreciate that this wonderful subject’s centre is ‘story’: the teacher’s story, the students’ stories, and the endless array of the stories of others. In fact, all writing can be considered a type of story, regardless of its specific form. A news or feature article, a scientific report, a film review, or even an essay can be viewed as part of the process of human storytelling as much as a narrative, autobiography or play. The essence of each of these texts is the act of shaping and conveying ideas for a particular purpose and audience, whether the aim is to entertain, inform, reflect, persuade, or instruct. As Umberto Eco stated, ‘to survive you must tell stories’ and in the telling, the writer enters the ‘great enduring conversation about what it means to be human.’ 

Through using language to compose their own stories and respond to the stories of others, students find a unique space in the English classroom to think, to learn, to grow, to make meaning and to deepen their understanding of themselves, of others and their world. The act of storytelling engages their interests, curiosity, fear, expectation, and imagination. And it is the imagination which, above all, makes empathy possible. At the top of the scale of cognitive development is speculative thought – the capacity to think beyond the known to imagine what might be.

The storyteller deep inside each one of our students can potentially find expression through the opportunities English teachers offer and the strategies they implement in their classrooms. The goal is to imbue young people with empathic intelligence, intense curiosity, lively and constructive imagination, and the capacity to be comfortable with ambiguity and familiar with the joy of anticipating possibilities.

Mrs Clare Murphy

English Coordinator and Literacy Instructional coach

Good afternoon everyone,

A massive thank you to all staff and students for their contribution and cooperation with our Champagnat Day activities today. Although not entirely to celebrate a number of indoor events as a whole school community due to ongoing health restrictions, we were able to conduct two Masses and a musical performance that was live streamed to junior pastoral classes at the end of the day.  In between each of these major events, were able to conduct a range of Year and Pastoral Class activities, as outlined below. Each of the year groups conducted a Marist lesson with a focus on their designated Marist Charism.

Session 1

Mass for Years 7, 9 and 12 and presentation of Gold and Platinum Champagnat Service Awards.

Marist lessons for Years 8 (Love of work), Year 10 (Presence) and Year 11 (Simplicity) and presentation of Bronze and Silver Champagnat Service Awards.

Session 2

Mass for Years 8, 10 and 11 and presentation of Gold and Platinum Champagnat Service Awards.

Marist lessons for Years 7 (Family Spirit), Year 9 (In the Way of Mary) and Year 12 (Simplicity) and presentation of Bronze and Silver Champagnat Service Awards.

Session 3

Food stalls and fundraising activities hosted by each of 48 Pastoral Classes

Session 4

Concert performed live to Years 10, 11 & 12, which was live streamed to our Junior Pastoral classes.

Macarthur Careers Expo

Thanks also to Mr Daniels, Year 10 and 12 students and staff who attended the MACE Expo at Menangle Park yesterday. This was an opportunity for students to explore a range of tertiary and non-tertiary pathways, which are particularly important for those graduating from Year 12 later in the year and for Year 10 students who are commencing their selection of subjects for Stage Six.

Again, a very busy and rewarding week for our college over the past week. As always, thanks to all members of our community for their ongoing support with the learning and wellbeing of our students.

Mr Simon Huntly

There has been a recent trend amongst students who are attempting to use VPNs at Mount Carmel to bypass the secure internet connection managed by the College and the Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Wollongong. A VPN is a Virtual Private Network, which is often used by organisations to allow remote access to a network. Whilst these have a place in business where a controlled VPN is used, the popular ones downloaded by students are often free, foreign controlled and generate an income by selling personal data, which students are unknowingly allowing unlimited access to by using the service on their device. This can include bank account details.

To ensure the safety of students online, VPNs are not permitted at the College. 

Mr David Teuma

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 1 August 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 3 2022

Monday 1 August

Monday 5 September

Term 4 2022

Monday 7 November

Monday 5 December

Cash only - no EFTPOS facilities

Remember all lunch orders need to be in by 8.45am and NO late orders will be accepted. Canteen Helpers are needed to assist in running the canteen. If you are able to volunteer your time, please phone 8796 2480. Volunteering makes a difference! Even if only once or one day over the year, your time is greatly appreciated.