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In this week’s Gospel (Luke 16: 1-13), there is a simple phrase that can become a basis for our values in life. Jesus says; “the man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great”. We often hear a similar message not only in the Gospels but also in the world around us. How many times will we not share a secret with someone who we know will spread it around. We also may not lend money or possessions to someone who we know will damage or lose these. This trust develops as a result of the way that we value the things that are given to us. For many of us, the things we might most value are our relationships. These are far greater than any material possession we might have. Trust brings with it the responsibility to care. I will sometimes see in our students how this trust might be broken by things said on social media or friends speaking a careless word or someone overreacting to a thoughtless message. Trust is a two-way relationship and should be fostered and nurtured wherever possible. Students are encouraged to consider building relationships between their friends and their peers whenever possible.
Yesterday I attended the Diocese of Wollongong Vocational Education and Training (VET) Awards evening. This evening honours all the trainers and students who are deemed to be the best in their field. These awards include each of the systemic and independent Catholic schools from the Macarthur, Illawarra, Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands. This year we had a number of students and staff nominated for various awards and I am pleased to announce that Mr Andre Daniels and Gabriel Nicolasora (Year 12) were announced as the outstanding trainer and student in the area of Hospitality – Food and Beverage. This is generally the largest of all the VET subjects and is a great honour for these two and for the College. Congratulations to both Gabriel and Mr Daniels on achieving these accolades.Next week, we will hold our Year 12 farewell events for the class of 2022. This year we are looking to build on, and refine, the formalities of the last few years and will be holding a pizza and ice cream lunch for the students on Tuesday before their farewell breakfast and Graduation Mass on Wednesday morning and Graduation Awards ceremony on Wednesday evening. We hope that each of the Year 12 students recognise how valued they are as members of our community and that we wish them all the best as they complete their time at Mount Carmel. In the last few weeks prior to their exams, we hope that they will take every opportunity presented to them to revise and use their teachers for advice.
Last Wednesday, we hosted another of our Year 7 Parent Literacy Engagement evenings. This was attended by about 20 people and was an opportunity for Year 7 parents to hear what their child is learning in English and how to support reading and help to develop an interest in this for their child. The parents in attendance benefitted from the evening and were able to borrow books that their child might be studying during term 3. We hope to build on this opportunity over the coming years. Thanks to Ms Murphy, Ms Hutchen and Ms Zullo for running the evening.
Ite in Veritate
Mr Steve Lo Cascio
I take the opportunity this week to congratulate our Year 11 students who will conclude their Preliminary Examinations this coming Tuesday. Their preparation and approach to these exams has been most impressive and will certainly place them in good stead for the challenges that they will face as they commence the HSC course from the beginning of next term. I also remind parents and students that the Year 12 2023 Information Evening is being held on Monday 10 October which is the first day back next term.As you would know by now, the Prime Minister called a National Day of Mourning for this coming Thursday 22 September. A reminder that this means that the College will be closed on this day and that no supervision will be available.
Towards the end of last week, we circulated the new COVID directives that will govern the remainder of Term 3 and the start of Term 4. The most significant of these is consistent with the broader community directives that have seen the self-isolation period for positive COVID cases reduce from 7 days to 5, providing the individual is symptom free. For clarity, I offer the following reminders that were announced:
From last Monday 12 September (Week 9, Term 3), staff, students and visitors who test positive to COVID-19 must:
- Complete 5 days of isolation from the date they tested positive;
- Be symptom-free before returning to school (if symptoms remain after day 5, they must continue self-isolating and follow NSW Health guidelines);
- Receive a negative rapid antigen test (RAT) result before attending school after their isolation period is complete (the result does NOT need to be provided to the school);
- Wear a mask on days 6 and 7 when attending school (for all staff and for students aged 12 years and older).
All the best for the week ahead,
TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C
First Reading Am 8:4-7 The Lord will forget nothing that the wicked do.
Second Reading 1 Tm 2:1-8 Pray often, free of anger and dissension.
Gospel Lk 16:1-13 Parable of the wise manager.
Our Christian faith calls us to care about our world and to love and protect God’s amazing creation. Yet it can sometimes be a challenge to know where to start, or the next right step to take. Here are seven practical everyday ideas to encourage you on your journey of caring for God’s creation.
- Go outside - and connect with nature and save some electricity
- Pray- for the earth and its people
- Reduce your waste - try a plastic free day
- Learn more - explore the carbon footprint of your home
- Commit to one change - have a “buy nothing new month”
Care for Creation Focus - Week 10 - The Sky
On the second day of creation, God separated the water above the earth from the water on the earth, placing the sky between the two.
We are reminded to:
turn off lights when we leave a room, swap globes for more energy-efficient ones, get out to the garden, and plant a tree.
Mrs Christine Meharg
NAPLAN Results
NAPLAN assesses aspects of literacy including reading, spelling, grammar and punctuation and writing, as well as numeracy. NAPLAN tests are designed to provide parents, students and teachers with information about how a student’s learning is progressing and where they need support to improve their literacy and numeracy skills.
Students in Yr 7 and 9 have received their envelope containing their NAPLAN results. If students were absent from Pastoral Class to receive this, then they will need to collect from Student Services, next week.
For information to assist in understanding your child’s test results, visit https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/understanding-the-curriculum/naplan/results-and-reports
Year 7 -10 Tracking Reports
On Friday 23 September the Year 7-10 Tracking reports will be released via Compass, after 3:30pm. This report will capture a snapshot of how students have progressed so far in the second semester of the year. These reports are designed to provide feedback to assist students with monitoring how they are progressing with their academic achievement and academic effort learning goals in each subject.
Year 12 2023 Information Evening Reminder
Date: Monday 10 October (first day of Term 4)
Time: 7pm
Location: Champagnat Centre
The purpose of this evening is to provide students and parents/carers with information on the structure of the HSC, Assessment Policies and Procedures, NESA requirements, the use of technology as well as strategies for HSC success.
Tuesday Afternoon Senior Study - CANCELLED FOR WEEK 10
The Library will not be open on Tuesday 20 September for Afternoon Senior Study. It will resume in Week 1, Term 4.
HSC Spring Holiday Classes
During the upcoming holiday break, a number of subjects will be holding study and revision sessions. There will also be a number of sessions of “Exam Experience” where Year 12 students will be able to sit a past paper in examination conditions. The schedule for these learning opportunities has been distributed to students via email and the HSC Class of 2022 google classroom.
Week 10
19/09/2022-20/09/2022: Year 11 Exams
TERM 4
Week 1
12/10/2022: HSC Exams Commence
Date TBC: Year 10 Child Studies Task
Date TBC: Year 10 Mathematics 5.3 Task
Date TBC: Year 10 Mathematics 5.2 Task
Date TBC: Year 10 Mathematics 5.1 Task
Date TBC: Year 9 Child Studies Task
Date TBC: Year 9 Commerce Task
Week 2
Date TBC: Year 10 English Task
Ms Chardy Miller & Mrs Alison Kripal
Leader of Learning - Curriculum Pedagogy & Leader of Learning - Curriculum Administration
Wednesday evening saw the continuation of the Mount Carmel Home-School Literacy Partnership program – a collaborative venture which recognises that parents are the primary and continuing educators of their children and that learning is life-long and occurs in multiple settings. The first of our Reading Workshops was held specifically for the parents and carers of our Year 7 cohort. This gathering of parents and teachers provided an opportunity for the exploration of the various books studied by Year 7 students as part of their Stage 4 English course. The critical role of reading in maximising student learning outcomes at school as well as enriching one’s personal, social and workplace life beyond school, was emphasised.
Young people need stories to make sense of themselves and their world. Through the stories of real and imagined life they become aware of themselves as feeling and thinking beings who belong in a world potentially more complex than, or very different from, their own. Encounters with books – as well as being sites for enjoyment, and critical and creative thinking – play a significant role in the formation of young people’s identity. Marcel Proust, one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century states, ‘Every reader is, while he is reading, the reader of his own self’.
The engagement with a wide range of literature is central to the study of English and also to the development of critical literacy skills. Research has shown that student choice is a fundamental motivating factor in adolescents continuing to read for pleasure. In light of this, a rich diversity of reading materials is offered to students as part of a wide reading focus. English lessons incorporate abundant opportunities for students to read – with a balance between teacher and student selected materials, silent and shared reading experiences, and reading aloud by the teacher. Given adolescents’ daily immersion in a world that tends to require and reward immediacy and distraction, exposing students to, and engaging them in a variety of sustained texts as distinct from pieces of texts, is extremely important.
Ms Clare Murphy
English Coordinator & Literacy Instructional Coach
As we are about to embark on our last week of term and say our goodbyes to Year 12 after nearly 13 years of formal education, all year groups participated in a range of learning and wellbeing activities during our Pastoral Assemblies earlier today. These activities included:
Year 7 - Western Sydney University “Unlimited” Transition and Pathways presentation (formerly “Aim Higher”).
Year 8 - Gender Assemblies
Year 9 - RUOK Day activities in Pastoral Classes
Year 10 - Introduction to Youth Ministry leadership for 2023 and preparation for
upcoming exams.
Year 11 - Preliminary Exams
Year 12 - Pastoral Class Trivia
Thank you to all year coordinators, staff and guest presenters who organised and supervised these activities today.
Elevate Education
The next webinar, Memory, is on Wednesday September 21, at 6:30pm (AEST) where they will be covering live:
- How memory actually works (and how it has nothing to do with brain capacity)
- The most effective environments to assist in memorisation
- 3 techniques you can implement overnight to improve revision
The webinar is run live online where the presenter will share Elevate’s research findings and skills and will conduct a live Q&A so you can ask them questions directly.
You can register by clicking here
Last week of winter uniform
A reminder that next term we will revert to our summer uniform. High standards regarding the wearing of our winter uniform will remain in place until the end of next week.
As we enter the final week of what has been a busy and rewarding term, on behalf of the Pastoral Care and Wellbeing team can I thank all families and carers for their patience, support and cooperation over the past 9 weeks. As usual, please contact the College if you require any support with your son or daughter's learning or wellbeing.
Mr Simon Huntly
On behalf of Mount Carmel Catholic College we would like to wish Harrison Doris and Paula Zaballero the best as they represent NSW sport in the Grand final of the National Schools Softball Champtionships.
NSWCCC Athletics
Coongratulations to the following athletes on outstandign resultsat the NSW Catholic State Carnival. Pictured below is Ethan Littlewood after being presented with with his 1st place medal.
| Age | Event | Place | Name |
| 12 years |
100m 200m |
7th 3rd |
Shou Ye |
| 15 years |
100m 200m |
8th | Blake Bolwell |
| 14 years |
800m 1500m |
1st 3rd |
Ethan Littlewood |
| 12 years |
Shot Put |
1st |
Ashton Taeiloa |
| 17 years |
1500m |
7th |
Monique Jakovljevic |
MISA Teams Term 4
Please note students who have not made the MISA Oztag teams for Team 4, you can trial for another team. Students do not need to register however please ensure that the coach writes your name down.
| Sport | Division |
Gender |
| Indoor Cricket | Years 7-9 | Male |
| Softball | Years 7-9 | Female |
| AFL | Years 7-9 | Male & Female |
| OzTag | Years 7-9 | Male & Female |
| Ultimate Frisbee | Years 10/11 | Mixed |
| Volleyball | Years 10/11 | Male & Female |
MISA Term 3
Grand Finalist Year 7 & 8 Soccer
Everyone dug deep to make the Grand Final! Unfortunately, on the day, the team pulled up a little short and were unlucky missing the penalty to tie up the game and force extra time. Better luck next season. Special mention to Vincent Brancati for an outstanding season and Marcus Furnari for the Most Improved Player.
By Coach, Mr Sean McEvoy
Boys 9 & 10 Soccer
Congratulations on showing good sportsmanship, team camaraderie and tremendous effort against some quality opposition. Foruth overall, the group never gave up, often with no bench players. Well done and good luck next season.
By Coach, Mr Greg Mackney
Communication regarding Sport
Students are reminded to continue checking the Compass dashboard for key information relating to sport during 2022. Key information will also be communicated to parents via the College Newsletter and notes sent home. Information will also be provided to staff who will communicate key messages with students during Pastoral Care in the morning.
We would love to hear if your child or someone part of our school community, past or present, experiences any sporting success. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any sporting success so we can recognise those achievements in our community.
Representative Pathways
MISA Website https://www.misaonline.org.au/
Diocesan Sport News
Updates and news on Wollongong Diocese sport events and trials can be viewed here Nominations for Term 1 Diocesan sports are now open via google form on Compass.
NSWCCC/CSNSW Sport News
Higher level CCC trials and events status can be monitored here. Information on NSWCCC events for 2022 available via Compass. See Mrs Turnbull for nomination procedure.
SCHOOL SPORT AUSTRALIA SPORT NEWS
More School Sport Australia information can be found here
Ms Sue Turnbull
Acting Sports Co-ordinator
Monday: 8.00am - 12.00pm
Wednesday: 12.30pm - 4.30pm
For online purchases, please visit shop.ranier.com.au or call 0493 122 101. Alternatively you can email @ mtcarmel@ranier.com.au
Mount Carmel P&F Clothing Pool 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 7 November 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 4 2022
Monday 7 November
Monday 5 December
Cash only - no EFTPOS facilities
| 19 Sep |
Preliminary Exams: 19-21 September |
| 21 Sep |
Year 12 Graduation Day |
| 22 Sep |
Australian Public Holiday |
| 23 Sep |
Term 3 Concludes |
| 10 Oct |
Term 4 Commences Year 12 2023 Information Evening; 7pm |
| 12 Oct |
HSC Exams: 12 October - 5 November |
Thank you to the wonderful volunteers who have offered their time to assist our Canteen staff. The College is now able to open the canteen two days per week. Commencing Monday 1 August, please see the following changes:
| Week Days | Operation | Payment Facilities |
| Mon/Tues/Wed | Lunch Orders ONLY | Cash ONLY |
| Thurs/Fri | Recess & Lunch | Cash & EFTPOS |