Since the 13th century, the Catholic Church has dedicated the month of May to Mary, the mother of God. Such devotion has been an important part of our Catholic identity as we strive to follow her example of saying “Yes” to God, just as she did at the time of the Annunciation. 

Pope Francis encourages us to regularly pray the Hail Mary, not just as a sign of our devotion to her, but to seek her intercession in all the things that trouble us in our lives. “To this invocation, the Mother of God always responds,” he says. “She hears our petitions, holding her Son in her arms, she blesses us and brings us the tender love of God made flesh.”  

At this particular time of year, I also take the opportunity to wish the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and all other mother figures, a happy Mother's day for this coming Sunday.

Student Attendance

A significant part of success at the College is being at the College! As we get into the routine of the term, there are times when we become unwell or start to feel a little stressed. This may result in not coming to school. It is important to remind everyone that if a student is not present at the beginning of the day, when the Pastoral Advisor marks the roll, the student needs to report to Student Services in the front office to be signed in. If they do not sign in, it can impact the data that we will use to provide you with information about your child’s attendance, and more importantly, it can cause unnecessary confusion and concern for yourselves and the administration staff.  

Why is attendance important? 

Absenteeism can increase social isolation, including alienation and lack of engagement with the school community and peers, leading to emotional and behavioural difficulties. Although authorised absences and smaller amounts of absence were associated with only small declines in achievement, all absences count, and the impact of absence increases with the number of absences.

Are there exemptions?

If a child is participating in elite sport, extracurricular activities, or other events that would require your child to be absent from the College then you can apply for an exemption. A judgment will then be made by the Principal to determine if the absence will not be counted against your child’s attendance data - this will be on a case-to-case basis.

How can the family help prevent the child from missing school? 

• Having a routine and sticking it to it.
• Make sure your child understands the importance of good attendance and punctuality.
• Making sure they understand the possible implications for themselves and you as a parent if they don't go to school.
• taking an interest in their education - ask about school work and encourage them to get involved in school activities.
• discussing any problems they may have at school and letting the College know about anything that is causing concern.
• not letting them take time off school for minor ailments or holidays during term time.

To avoid disrupting your child's education, you should arrange (as far as possible), appointments and outings:

• after school hours;
• at weekends;
• during school holidays.

As always, we are here to help. If your child is struggling to attend or you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s Pastoral Advisor, Year Coordinator or the Pastoral Care Coordinators.

Just being a little bit late for school each day does not seem like much. It is!

Your child is late … per day	That equals … per week	Which is … per year	Over 13 years of schooling that is …
10 minutes	50 minutes	Almost 1.5 weeks	Almost half a year
20 minutes	1 hour 40 mins	Almost 2.5 weeks	Almost a whole year
Half an hour	Half a day	4 weeks	Almost one and a half years
1 hour	1 day	8 weeks	Over 2 and a half years

Mrs Christine Meharg

Last week I spoke about the death of the wonderful American writer Paul Auster. On the weekend, I decided to reread his powerful memoir, The Invention of Solitude. Two statements particularly resonated with me: ‘If a child is not allowed to enter the imaginary, he will never come to grips with the real;’ and ‘a child’s need for stories is as fundamental as his need for food, and it manifests itself in the same way hunger does’. 

Reading for pleasure matters. Research indicates that it supports literacy and learning in school; enables students to develop their own, informed perspective on life; is a safe and inexpensive way to spend time; and allows young people to understand and empathise with those in different situations, times, and cultures.

Unfortunately, reading for pleasure tends to decline as students move through adolescence. The challenge for teachers and parents is to redress this trend through a focus on the needs, interests and capabilities of our young people. At the heart of achievement in reading is the ability of the reader to create meaningful connections between the words on the page and his or her lived, constructed, or imagined world of experience.

The following quote from The History Boys by Alan Bennett captures the magic of reading:

‘The best moments in reading are when you come across something – a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things – which you had thought special and particular to you. Now it is here, set down by someone else … someone who is even long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out and taken yours.’

A reminder that our Parent Library gathering is taking place in the College library from 6.30pm – 7.30pm on Tuesday 14 May. Come and enjoy a chat, a cup of tea or coffee, and the opportunity to take home and keep as many books as you wish.

Clare Murphy

English Coordinator and Literacy Instructional Coach

Howard Day - Friday Week 3

P&F Clothing Pool Get 25% off all clothing items on Monday May 27 with the P&F Clothing Pool's Term 2 sale day.  The clothing pool will be open 9am-4pm to help finalise your winter uniform needs.  Grab a bargain and help your College at the same time.

University of New South Wales

YWIE Pathway Program

We are on the brink of extinction. Heatwaves and bushfires become the new summer, and heavy rain and hurricanes become our new winter. This is the new normal. Who can we call to fix all of this? The reality is … it is up to us. Everyone can be an engineer. UNSW’s YWIE Pathway Program provided me with the opportunity to explore engineering as a future pathway for my career. The challenge was to create a concept for an innovative filtration or capture system that can be integrated into green wall systems to stop microplastic from entering waterways when we use greywater in urban areas. Our solution? Coconuts. Our green wall uses coco coir, a natural fibre extracted from the outer husk of coconuts. This material is highly accessible, especially in developing countries. Imagine a future that reduces pollution using coconuts. My team created a solution that combines fibre from Coconut husks and filtralite beads within the filter of our green wall to remove microplastics. This challenge fulfilled me. Not only was saving the environment my favourite part about the challenge, but the empowerment came from being females working towards a greater cause. My team and I were able to undertake the challenge within the short 4-week time frame and persevere through all the challenges, Challenge 4 had for us. Out of 100 young women, I am incredibly grateful that our team won first place in the pitch competition determined by a panel of judges, and got chosen for the people’s choice award, even with the long distance. I have made lasting memories with my team members that I hope to continue through the University of NSW.

Here's a photo of Emilie and I with the Deputy Dean of Education for UNSW Engineering, Maurice Pagnacco.

Campbelltown - Koshigaya Sister Cities

Students Invited to apply for the trip to Japan

In the upcoming September holiday break, Campbelltown will select 15 students aged between 14 and 18 to travel to Koshigaya, Japan for a life changing experience. Last year 5 students from Mount Carmel Catholic College were selected to attend. If any students aged 14 - 18 know are interested in applying for the upcoming trip to Japan from 29 September to 12 October, please see information below.

To be eligible to apply, students must:

1. Live in the Campbelltown City Council local government area.
2. Be aged 14 to 18 and still at school at the time the delegation departs Sydney.

Students don’t need to be learning Japanese to apply for and go on the trip. We look for students with a desire to travel to experience a new culture, who have an interest in Japan and a desire to be a great ambassador for Campbelltown.

The information and application form can be found at the Student Delegation to Japan 2024 link at www.cksca.org.au

Applications to join the trip close on 22 May 2024.

Mount Carmel School Bus Routes

Transit Systems (formerly Interline) school bus route timetable is available via this link. Contact phone number is 8118 7102. Please be advised that Bus Route for Willowdale is currently missing from this updated document.

Enrolments 2024 Onwards

The CEDoW has transitioned to a new online enrolment platform, called Funnel, removing the use of all paper forms. Please take note, particularly for sibling applications. The online application form is accessible from the College website.

  Social Media – Facebook & Instagram

Coming soon! Watch this space!

Rainer School Wear

Winter uniforms orders now available. Please click here.