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Dear parents, friends, staff and students,
This Sunday’s second reading contains one of the most quoted lines in the New Testament. “You must love your neighbour as yourself” (Romans 13: 8-10). This is often quoted as part of the ‘new commandment’ and whilst the message of loving our neighbour is clear, there is an equally important message. That is that we must also love ourselves. This is not a command to be self-absorbed or arrogant in our approach, but it does mean that we should respect ourselves and the gift of ourselves that God has given us. How we take care of our bodies, maintain good physical health and mental health is a reflection of how we might ‘love ourselves’. This does not have to be in isolation. We sometimes require a doctor to assist for a physical injury or a psychologist or counsellor for our mental health. Many will often seek the guidance of a spiritual director or priest to assist with spiritual health and friends for emotional and social support. Whichever the purpose, one of our goals should be to ensure that we care for ourselves and in this way are then more easily able to love our neighbour as ourself.
On Monday we announced our Student Representative Council for 2024. This followed an extensive voting and training program where these students worked to develop their skills in leadership. Congratulations to the following students for accepting such a vital role within the Mount Carmel Catholic College community:
| College Captains | Gloria Rivadeneira-Pino | Jacob Ramos |
| College Vice Captains | Janita Leota-Brown | Matias Rennert |
| Academic | Meghann Peeters | Liam Tannoury |
| Hospitality | Isabella Inthavong | Tyrone Austin |
| Spirituality | Sabina Celiz | Alexander Dutfield |
| Sport | Janita Leota-Brown | Aaron Pereira |
| Social Justice and Enviro |
Skylah Gilbang |
Matias Rennert |
Yesterday it was announced that Mr David Cloran has been appointed to the substantive position of Principal at Magdalene. Mr Cloran was the Assistant Principal at Mount Carmel from 2018 until last year and has been Acting Principal at Magdalene this year. On behalf of the Mount Carmel community, I congratulate Mr Cloran and wish him all the best in his new role. Catholic Education, Diocese of Wollongong will begin the process of recruiting a new Assistant Principal at Mount Carmel over the next few weeks.
I have the pleasure of announcing that we will be joined by two new permanent teachers in the English department at the start of next term. Mr Ashik Romy will join us from St Joseph’s at Albion Park and Mr Andrew Doodson from Chevalier College at Bowral. Mrs Jasmyne Frascella will also join us in PDHPE as a parental leave replacement until the end of this year. Welcome to each of these new staff.
On Wednesday we held the final Parent/Teacher/Student meetings for our current Year 12 students. Thank you to those parents and students who attended and to the staff who gave of their time to meet and make suggestions. Our Year 12 students are encouraged to take the time and advice to ensure they can make the most of their final weeks prior to their HSC exams.
A reminder that at our last P&F meeting, the P&F decided to change the format of a lucky draw that occurs at the end of each year. For families who have paid their P&F contribution, you will go into a draw to win $200 worth of vouchers for Christmas. There will be $200 won in each year group (ie 6 x $200 draws) and this will occur at the final P&F meeting on November 7. If you have made your contribution to the P&F by the start of that week, you will automatically be in the draws.
Thank you to those who attended our Father’s Day breakfast. We had about 30 people join us and help to celebrate the fathers in our lives. A particular thank you to Mr Daniels, Mrs Trimarchi, Mrs Meharg, Mr Teuma, Mrs Moore, Mr Miranda and Mr Huntly who helped to set up and cook and to Ms Borg who ran the liturgy. This was a lovely opportunity to get parents back onsite and celebrate with us.
Ite in Veritate
Mr Steve Lo Cascio
As we enter the last two weeks of another busy term, I would like to take the opportunity to reflect on a few activities that showcase our holistic approach to Learning and Wellbeing here at Mount Carmel.
Since Week 2 of this term, students in Years 8, 9 and 10 have been involved in a process of selecting subjects for 2024. This includes Preliminary and HSC patterns of study for our current Year 10 cohort for 2024, the selection of 2 elective courses for Year 9 2024 and opportunities to engage in 100 hour elective courses for those students in Year 10 2024 who may wish to explore a broader range of elective options. CatholicCare Parent info night centred around “Supporting Teens with Friendships. This process involved assemblies, information evenings and meetings with KLA teachers and Coordinators to provide clarification and support with these very important choices. Thanks to Ms Miller, Ms Toogood and all Coordinators and teaching staff for their involvement in this process and for the cooperation and patience of students and carers throughout the past few weeks.
The end of the term also sees the culmination of another MISA representative sport season. We have had a number of teams again make Grand Finals of their respective competitions, which Mr Webb will provide more details of in his Sports section of the newsletter. I would like to extend a huge thanks to Mr Webb, Coaches and participating students for their contribution to our representative sports program and thank them for their commitment to the past season.
Finally, last night saw a first for Mount Carmel, with a presentation by our CatholicCare Counselling team to parents and carers. As has been advertised over the past month or so in our Newsletter, the focus of the evening was titled “Supporting teens with friendships”. Particular areas of discussion involved:
- Supporting your child to develop Resilience
- How to support your child in developing friendships.
- How to manage conflict in friendships and look at online/social media friendships.
Thanks to Mrs Moore and the CatholicCare team for the organisation and presentation of information and also to those parents and carers who attended. We anticipate that there will be more opportunities in the future to provide evenings of this nature aimed at supporting the wellbeing and social development of our students.
As we head towards the end of Term 3, a quick glance ahead in our calendar sees a number of key events occurring as we head towards our break. These include:
- Preliminary Exams commence next Monday. We wish our Year 11 students every success with their last assessments of the Preliminary course.
- Years 7 to 10 Term 3 Tracking Reports will be completed by staff over the next 2 weeks. These will give an overview of student progress over the past erm and will be released to students and families on the last day of term.
- R U OK Day - next Thursday 14 September. Thanks to Ms Nguyen and the Youth Ministry Team for their work in promoting R U OK Day and raising awareness for this year’s theme “I am here to hear”.
- Year 12’s last 2 weeks of official classes will come to a close in Week 10. Their last day is Wednesday September 20, which will involve a whole school Graduation Mass in the morning and a Graduation Ceremony that evening.
Finally, a reminder that winter uniform is to be worn until the end of the term. Week One of next term will see a return to Summer Uniform.
Thanks for your ongoing support with all matters relating to Learning and Wellbeing. As always, please contact your son or daughter’s respective Year Coordinator or Pastoral Advisor should you have any questions or concerns.
Mr Simon Huntly
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TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A Mass of day with Lectionary and Missal texts of Sunday Ord Time 22 Yr A |
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| First Reading | Ezekiel 33:7-9 |
Ezekiel is to be the watchman for Israel. |
| Second Reading | Romans 13:8-10 | Love your neighbour. |
| Gospel | Matthew 18:15-20 |
Find ways to win others over; prayer shall be answered. |
Season of Creation
We commence week 2 of Care of Creation. This week, the following scripture supports the focus and actions.
One of Pope Francis’s central beliefs at the heart of Laudato Sí is that everything and everyone is connected, interdependent. We are responsible for each other. God speaks to us and calls us to conversion in many ways. In the context of the Season of Creation, we need to listen to the Word of God in “the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.” (L.S. 49)
Mrs Christine Meharg
Year 11 Preliminary Examinations
The Year 11 Preliminary Examinations will take place between Monday 11 September - Tuesday 19 September. Students are reminded that they are expected to be at the College 30 mins prior to the start time of each examination. Regular lessons will resume on Wednesday 20 September. Students are reminded to carefully read their timetable to ensure that they are adequately prepared for these final assessments for Year 11.
A few reminders to ensure that College expectations are met during this assessment period:
ILLNESS/MISADVENTURE
If, for any reason you are ill or cannot attend the examination because of an accident or misadventure, you must contact Mr Harpley, Ms Gardner, Ms Miller and Ms Toogood at the College as soon as possible. The general rule is that the student is to attend the examination if possible, unless there is significant medical advice not to do so.
If you miss an examination, you must follow the College Illness/Misadventure process which includes contacting Ms Toogood and Ms Miller to make arrangements for the rescheduling of missed examinations.
ATTENDANCE
Students are only expected to attend the College for their scheduled examinations. Students timetables on Compass will indicate an event for their exams and flexible attendance during the examination period.
Students are welcome to attend the College on days that they do not have a scheduled exam. In this case, they must sign in and out at the Library. Students will only be permitted to sign in and out once (i.e they cannot come and go multiple times in a day).
Students are also welcome to study before an afternoon examination or after a morning examination in the College Library. They will be required to sign in and out at the Library.
UNIFORM AND GROOMING
Full College uniform is to be worn to each examination and regular grooming and jewellery expectations apply.
This is an important time for them to exercise their focus on their learning goals and execute strategies to study and revise and work out what best works for them in preparing for examinations. Students are encouraged to continue to work with their teachers on revision, practise questions and to seek feedback. The Library is open on Tuesday afternoons between 3:00 -6:00pm, should students wish to utilise this space to study. The College wishes Year 11 all the best in their examinations.
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TERM 3 |
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Week 9 |
Year 11 Preliminary Exams 11/9-19/9-2023 Year 10 13/09/2023: 10 History 13/09/2023: 10 Science 11-22/9/2023: 10 PDHPE Year 9 PDHPE PASS Year 8 Technology Year 7 PDHPE |
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Week 10 |
Year 8 Catholic Studies Languages |
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Ms Chardy Miller & Ms Rebecca Toogood
Leader of Learning - Curriculum Pedagogy & Leader of Learning - Acting Curriculum Administration
Gratitude goes out to all the fathers, grandfathers, and significant others who graced us with their presence at the Father's Day Breakfast celebrations on Monday morning at the College. Despite the early start, a delectable hot breakfast was served, accompanied by a heart-warming liturgy that enriched the morning's experience. Our sincere thanks extend to the dedicated staff and students who gave their support to this event, serving our beloved Mount Carmel fathers with genuine smiles and warmth.
Child Protection Week
Supporting Teams with Friendship by CatholicCare
On Thursday evening, CatholicCare Senior Practitioner Rita and our College Counsellor Emma, dedicated their time to delivering a valuable presentation to parents from our college as well as neighbouring schools. Their aim was to equip parents with both knowledge and practical skills that would enhance the protective factors surrounding their children. The topics covered a wide range, including fostering resilience in children, offering support in the development of friendships, and addressing conflicts within these relationships, both in-person and in the digital realm of online and social media connections.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the parents who participated in this event. Additionally, I extend a special note of appreciation to Rita and Emma for their exceptional leadership and facilitation throughout the evening. This gathering provided a wonderful opportunity for our community to further our shared commitment to nurturing the wellbeing of our young people, fostering happiness, and ensuring their continued health.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Mrs Theresa Moore
Upcoming Parent Webinars
Supporting Teems to Eat Well in a Food Confused World
Tuesday 12 September (AEDT) plus question time: 7-8pm
Join Butterfly and two Practicing Accredited Dietitians and learn how to help your teen have a positive and balanced relationship with food. Topics covered include:
- Why it's hard to charter a healthy course
- What's helpful diet information and what's problematic
- Supporting eating through puberty
- Troubleshooting common eating dilemmas - 'junk food', 'high protein diets', veganism, not eating at school.
Body Confident Children & Teens
Tuesday 17 October (AEDT) plus question time: 7-8pm
Information and practical tips for parents of primary and secondary-age children on how to promote positive body image in the home. Topics covered include:
- Body image influences
- The role of body image in problematic eating and exercise behaviours
- How to positively role model
- Responding to appearance talk and appearance-teasing
- What to do if concerned.
Please note there is a cost of $15 associated with this webinar.
Getting the Most out of Gaming
12 September & 9 October
Our research shows that 56% of children aged 8 to 17 have played an online game with others. As parents and carers, how can we ensure they have fun and stay safe? Join our free 45-minute webinar, Getting the most out of gaming. Tailored for parents or carers of children aged 7 to 14, the webinar will cover:
- Benefits of gaming and boosting in-game experiences
- Essential safety and privacy settings
- Promoting balanced gaming
- Addressing online risks and dealing with in-game bullying.
Let's empower young people for safe online gaming experiences!
Elevate Education
How you can Support your Child during Exams
13 September: 6.30pm (AEST)
Here is what Elevate will be covering:
- What to do in the final days before any test or assessment
- How to establish a good routine for the night before
- How to optimise exam-room performance
Growing good Men:
Father & Teenage Son Weekend Experience
20-22 October 2023 Cataract Scout Camp Appin
One of the most important influences in the lives of men is the relationship they had with their father or significant father figure. The encouragement and affirmation that this relationship could, and should, provide is a key ingredient for how young men view themselves and embrace their gifts as they take their place in the world.
Don’t miss this life-changing father and son weekend! Spots are limited to just 25 fathers with their sons aged between 12 and 16 years. This is a unique opportunity for dads and their sons to embark on a quest of discovery with Robert Falzon and the team from menALIVE.
Around the Grounds
It has been an electrifying and action-packed week in sport for Mount Carmel, as the MISA competition reached its climax with five remarkable teams securing their spots in the grand finals. The atmosphere has been nothing short of electric. From heart-stopping moments on the field to incredible displays of skill and determination, this week in MISA has been a testament to the dedication and hard work of all our students. We are fortunate to announce our 7-9 Girls Soccer team won their MISA grand final with an exciting extra time win. Unfortunately our 9-10 Girls Netball, 9-10 Boys Soccer and 10-12 Girls Softball teams all lost their respective finals. These were still tremendous efforts making the final game showing the sporting spirit of our College. There is still some action to come in week 9 with our U15’s Boys Rugby League team playing John Therry in the grand final on Tuesday next week. Well done to all our teams who competed this term and we look forward to term 4 MISA trials in weeks 9 and 10.
Throughout week 8 we have been hosting a Staff Vs Year 12 competition giving students the opportunity to showcase their sporting skills to the staff. Unfortunately for them the staff were a difficult opponent in both Ultimate Frisbee and Soccer. The staff team beat the outgoing year 12 cohort in these events but have plenty of room for improvement with Basketball, Oz Tag and Trivia all still to come.
MISA - Term 3 Semi Final Results
| SPORT | RESULT | MVP | Short Report |
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Softball 10-12 Girls Mr Withnall |
Grand Final VS SPT Loss 10-3 |
Olivia Webster & Eva Grados | A brilliant effort thwarted by a better team. We had a strong start to the game with some great batting and base running. A great hit by Rhianna Gascoine brought in 2 runs and put us in a good spot to keep it a tight game. Unfortunately, as has been the case for most of the season, when we get into difficult situations in the field we tend to crumble. And once we got flustered it was hard to bounce back. Our second innings didn't demonstrate the skill level these girls are capable of. Overall, the season has been one of the best as a MISA coach. The positivity and enthusiasm shown by these girls has been tremendous and I'm proud of the achievement regardless of the result. A shout out to our MVPs for the season, Olivia Webster and Eva Grados, who both effortlessly show passion and team spirit, and have done all term. Maybe there's next year? |
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Netball 9-10 Girls Mrs Armour |
Grand Final VS Mag Loss |
We are devastated to announce that Magdalene defeated us in the Grand Final, however, we can not say that we did not give it our all! A fantastic season that unfortunately didn’t finish in our favour. Congratulations to all the girls! |
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Indoor Cricket 10-12 Boys Mr O’Connell |
3rd Place Play Off VS JTCC Loss |
A big congratulations to the boys who played an excellent 3rd/4th playoff against John Therry. MCCC elected to bat first and put together a healthy total. JT came out strong and surpassed the total, however Mount Carmel scored a number of wickets with some amazing one handed catches and quick thinking runouts. Thanks to the boys for a strong, soulful and sincere season. | |
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Soccer 7-9 Girls Miss Heath |
Grand Final VS MAG Win 3-2 |
Cara Glinatsis | A big congratulations to the girls for winning the grand final for a second year in a row. The girls displayed great resilience to come back after conceding the first goal. It was a tough battle which saw the result as 2-2 at the end of full time. With some spectacular saves from Cara Glinatsis in extra time and great finishing from Charlee Yule the girls were able to score in extra time with the final result 3-2. Congratulations again, well deserved! |
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Soccer 7-8 Boys Mr King |
3rd Place Play Off VS MAG Win 4-2 |
Whole Team | Big Congratulations to the boys who were unlucky last week to not make the grand final. They backed up the disappointment last week with a strong win over Magdalene. Was a great term with the boys who were unlucky on occasion with a lack of referees making it difficult each week. Regardless, the Diocesan winning team finished 3rd overall in MISA and can keep their heads high. |
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Soccer 9-10 Boys Mr Berkeley |
Grand Final VS THAC Loss 2-1 |
Harry Peeters | Big Congratulations to the boys who were unlucky last week to not make the grand final. They backed up the disappointment last week with a strong win over Magdalene. Was a great term with the boys who were unlucky on occasion with a lack of referees making it difficult each week. Regardless, the Diocesan winning team finished 3rd overall in MISA and can keep their heads high. |
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AFL 10-12 Girls Mrs Abra
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3rd Place Play Off VS SPT Loss 23-7 |
Gemma Olling | What a great way to finish the season. We didn’t win but we had such a fun game. It was entertaining, light hearted and the girls kept going, right until the end. The wind was not in our favour and we just could not keep the ball down our end. Thank you to the support from the Senior boys who contributed to the entertainment and for always supporting our girls! Congratulations girls for being such a great team to coach |
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AFL 10-12 Boys Mr Kawa |
Finished 3rd Overall |
The boys were ready for a third place playoff but unfortunately Magdalene Forfeited the game cementing their podium position. Well done to the boys who most will leave Mount Carmel at the end of this term. We thank the year 12 boys for their dedication and team spirit displayed in their time here at the college. |
Again a very busy term for sport with a lot of events occurring throughout the term. As always, students are encouraged to sign up and trial for representative teams. Below you will find registration links for both our DIO and NSWCCC events. If you require any further information please visit the Diocese of Wollongong sports here.
Registrations are Now Open for 2023
Please refer to attached 2023_Registration.pdf
Representative Pathways
| MISA Website | https:/wwwwmisaonlineeorgg.au/ |
| Diocesan Sport News | Updates and news on Wollongong Diocese sport events and trials can be viewed here |
| NSW CCC/CSNSW Sport News | Higher level CCC trials and events status can be monitored here. |
| School Sport Australia Sport News | More School Sport Australia information can be found here |
