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- Principal's Report
- From The Assistant Principal
- From the REC
- Learning and Teaching at the College
- From the Pastoral Care and Wellbeing Coordinator
- Year 12 SOR Study Day
- Health Advice
- Studio 5
- Year 12 Medallions
- College Sport at Mount Carmel
- Mount Carmel Uniform Shop
- Second Hand Uniform Shop
- CatholicCare Counselling
Dear Parents, Friends, Staff and Students of Mount Carmel,
In last weekend’s Gospel, Jesus spoke in parables to the people. The first was the Parable of the Weeds and the second was the Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast. Put simply, the first of these parables was about the way that good and evil people grow up together but on the day of judgement, the weeds will be cast aside and the good will be gathered up to God. In the second parable, He explained that the small things can grow and contribute to greatness. Each of these parables encourages us to think about how we might behave within our world and influence, or be influenced by, those around us. Jesus spoke in parables to try to explain morals and religious teaching through stories that people would relate to. He used ideas and events to teach that were common at the time. This underlies the personal relationship that Jesus forms with each of us. In putting things into stories of the times, He was relating to people on their level. As Catholics, we cherish this personal relationship and work toward strengthening it.
Today we were due to celebrate our feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Unfortunately, the restrictions on gatherings has meant that we were not able to come together as we normally would. The students participated in a small liturgy in Pastoral Classes at the start of the day and were invited to join in the regular Friday Rosary. It was lovely to see so many students involved and saying a prayer that is so important to both our Carmelite and Marist charism. I wish all of our community a very happy Our Lady of Mount Carmel Day.
At the end of last term we distributed our first whole school electronic Compass academic reports. These were a change from previous reports and were in a new format with more information. We then conducted our Parent/Teacher/Student meetings via zoom or telephone. In order to gain some valuable feedback on your thoughts and experiences of these, I am asking parents to complete a short Google survey. This will allow us to evaluate the impact and benefit of these and possibly refine them into the future. You are able to access this Parent Survey here.
Whilst public masses have been resumed over the last few weeks, they still have restricted numbers. Bishop Brian Mascord has continued the YouTube channel where the faithful can watch him celebrate mass with us, and on our behalf. The link to this mass is here. Please log into this site each weekend and join Bishop Brian online for the celebration of the Eucharist.
Mr Steve Lo Cascio
Principal
We returned back to the College this week with a slight sense of uncertainty as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve in our surrounding areas. While we have been fortunate to not have a positive case impact directly on a member of our College community, we still remain vigilant regarding a range of safety and hygiene measures that we have adopted in recent times. As communicated by Mr Lo Cascio during the recent school holidays, our Term 3 measures include:
- Our increased COVID-safe cleaning regime, which meets the enhanced NSW Health standards, will continue in Term 3.
- All students and staff continue to be required to practise personal hygiene including regular and thorough washing of hands with soap or hand sanitiser (with appropriate support provided to students to ensure they are practising good personal hygiene).
- All adults—including teachers and other school staff—will continue adhering to social distancing requirements in line with government health advice.
- Rigorous infection control procedures remain in place, including rapid response processes when a student or staff member presents unwell while at school.
- We remain prepared for the possibility of a positive case of COVID-19 in our school community. We have a detailed local response plan, underpinned by additional support from the Catholic Education Office and Public Health Unit.
To assist us in ensuring the safest possible school environment, I once again remind parents of the following requirements in terms of student attendance at school:
- If your child is unwell, please ensure they stay home until they are fully recovered.
- If at any point your child is displaying COVID-19 symptoms, self-isolating or undergoing testing, please inform us as soon as possible and then once again once medical clearance has been obtained to return to school.
- If your child has attended a known high-risk venue or returned from Victoria or overseas and is required to self-isolate, they must not attend school until their self-isolation period is complete.
Assistant Principal
16th Sunday of Ordinary TimeFirst Reading 1Kings 3:5, 7-12
Solomon is granted an understanding heart
Second Reading Romans 8:28-30
God makes all things work for the good of those who love him
Gospel Matthew 13:44-52
Jesus describes the kingdom through images
A reflection on the readings for Sunday
It’s lucky for us that God is the only one who distinguishes the weeds from the wheat.
Think of your teachers at school. Would all of them completely agree on whether you should be characterised as a weed or as wheat? If so, what would they say? If not, how might they disagree? What would the ‘wheat voters’ say about you? What would the ‘weed voters’ say about you? Do you think any of the wheat voters might convince the others of your good qualities? Or do you think it would be more likely that the weed voters would be the convincing ones? Why?
Think of a person you might consider to be a weed. Can you see any positive characteristics in that person? If you concentrated on those positives for a whole month, do you think your opinion of this person might change? Why or why not?
Do you know anyone who is perfectly good, perfectly wonderful all the time? Do you know anyone who isn’t perfect but who could be called saintly? Describe why you see this person in this way. Would anyone disagree with your opinion? If so, why?
REC Coordinator
HSC TRIAL EXAMINATIONS
All students have received the FINAL copy of the 2020 HSC Trial Examination Timetable along with a letter outlining the examination procedures and College expectations. Please ensure your Son / Daughter has discussed this with you and is aware of such expectations.
HSC STUDY NIGHTS – The College will be once again offering supervised study nights in the Library to support Year 12 students in preparation of and during the HSC Trial Examinations. These study nights will begin as of Tuesday 11th August and continue till Thursday 27th August. Students will receive a copy of this and a letter outlining the expectations regarding such support, next week.
HSC
Key dates and deadlines listed on the NESA website are subject to change due to the COVID-19 outbreak. NESA will continue to update you with exceptions and changes to relevant deadlines.
https://www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/covid-19/coronavirus-advice/hsc
- 17 August - HSC TRIAL exams commence
- 31 August - HSC TRIAL exams finish
- 2 September - Security period CSSA Trial exams
- 16 September - FINAL HSC marks to CC (Changed)
- 23 September - FINAL HSC marks to NESA (Changed)
TERM 4
- 20 October - HSC Exams commence
- 11 November - HSC exams finish
- 18 December - HSC results released (ATAR release date TBC)
HSC Examination Timetable available on NESA website
https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/key-dates-exam-timetables
Ms Judith Tolomeo
Curriculum Coordinator
Good afternoon everyone,
As we kick start another semester of learning for Years 7 to 10, and quickly come to the end of the Preliminary and HSC courses for Years 11 and 12, this part of the year is an ideal opportunity to reflect on what has occurred earlier in the year and to look at what lies ahead.
As such, the next week will provide a chance for the juniors to go back to their Semester One reports and use them as a legitimate learning tool for setting some realistic and achievable learning goals for Semester Two. This will provide Pastoral Advisors, classroom teachers and students to continue to develop the concept of Growth Mindset, which is a recognition that our learning is not fixed, but something that can be improved. The senior year groups will be continuing with completing coursework and preparing for the final assessments and exams for each of their respective courses.
At next Friday’s Year Assemblies we intend to have an Academic and Community flavour to them. The time will be focused on presenting students with Semester One Academic Awards, Champagnat Awards and Merit Awards. Again, an opportunity to reflect and celebrate the work and contributions that have been made by students up to this point, and also a chance to reset our focus for the upcoming term and semester.
To support these initiatives, students will be provided with some resources regarding guidelines for Healthy Growth and Development, and Nutrition. It is important that students have a balanced approach to all aspects of their life as there is extensive evidence around all parts of the world regarding the importance of diet, exercise and rest in allowing students to maximise their learning. The links to these resources are below.
Healthy Growth and Development Guidelines for Young Australians
With respect to Nutrition, please be reminded that the Canteen provides some simple breakfast items between 8.15am and 8.35am each day. These include a range of cereals (free and kindly donated by Kellogg’s) as well as other products such as fruit juice and Up and Go, which can be purchased at the usual price.
Thanks for your ongoing support as we commence what promises to be an exciting term.
Mr Simon Huntly
Pastoral Care and Wellbeing Coordinator
A friendly reminder regarding Student Absences.
It is a requirement of the College to notify the Health Authorities if a student is absent with any of the following illnesses.
- COVID-19
- Chicken Pox
- Measles
- Mumps
- Whooping Cough
- Head Lice
- Influenza A
- Swine Flu
Please contact the College office ASAP if your child is diagnosed with any of the above illnesses/conditions.
Thank you
Young People need to aim high and to know that their community support them. Our children are our most valuable resource and, all too often, their academic achievements can be neglected. We want to encourage learning and to reward as many students as possible.
To this end, I am asking for donations towards the Year 12 Academic Medallions. The cost of each medallion is $40.00 or three for $100.00. If you wish to donate towards a particular subject, please contact Trish Mooney on 9603 3000 or email info@mcccdow.catholic.edu.au.
Recreational Sport
Students have returned to their original sport group that they had indicated at the beginning of the year. There have been some adjustments to the yearly schedule due to venue requirements, transportation and temporary closures of some venues. It is hoped that we will be able to use buses again for sport again soon however at this stage we will not be utilising buses to visit venues. As a result, students will participate in sport for one period and complete study/homework for one period during the allocated sport time. The sport schedule is pinned to the Compass dashboard each week in which parents, students and staff have access to. The schedule highlights the cancellations, location and the period in which study/sport is occurring for each sport group. Contact sports have been suspended in CEDoW schools for the first two weeks of term. As a result, students will be participating in skills-based activities and small-sided modified games.
MISA Term 3
This week MISA Trials took place. Thank you to the staff and students involved in these trials, in particular to the students who completed the Google Form last term. This significantly assisted in the organisation and planning for trials. For many sports, there was significant interest and I understand that there would be many students disappointed in not being successful in gaining selection into the team that they trialled for. I encourage these students to continue refining their skills, seeking feedback and to not allow an unsuccessful trial deter them from trialling for teams in the future at MCCC.
Many coaches were able to select their teams following their trials on Tuesday however for some coaches, a squad/shortlist was selected. The list of successful players has been pinned to the window outside the sports office in which students are able to view. The announcement also determines whether in week 2 a second phase of trials will occur or a team training. Please note that players trialling will participate in skills-based activities and small-sided modified games during week 2. At this stage MISA is going ahead and is scheduled to commence in Week.
|
SPORT |
DIVISION |
|
|
Netball |
Years 7/8 (Female) |
Second phase of trials to take place |
|
Netball |
Years 9/10 (Female) |
Team training |
|
Soccer |
Years 7/8 (Male) |
Trial |
|
Soccer |
Years 9/10 (Male) |
Team training |
|
Soccer |
Years 7-9 (Female) |
Trial |
|
AFL |
Years 10-12 (Male) |
Trial |
|
AFL |
Years 10-12 (Female) |
Trial |
|
Rugby League |
Under 15’s Div 1 (Male) |
Trial |
|
Indoor Cricket |
Years 10-12 (Male) |
Team training |
|
Softball |
Years 10-12 (Female) |
Team training |
In many cases, umpires and referees are required for many MISA sports. I encourage any student who is interested in these roles to please speak with me at the sports office or via email.
Students trialling for U15’s Rugby League were asked to collect a permission note from the sports office last term. Although tackle will not occur at this stage, I ask that these students collect the form from the sports office during recess so that they are able to participate in the competition if successful in obtaining selection into the team.
Safety and Hygiene Considerations
- Students are encouraged to sanitise before and after participating in activities during sport.
- Equipment will continue to be cleaned and wiped both before and after use.
- Students are to respect social distancing between themselves and adults (teachers / instructors that support the College’s sport program)
Below are some general policies that the College enforces in regards to sport.
- Leave from venue notes: A reminder that if students wish to leave a venue they need to supply the Sport Coordinator with a note that is signed prior to departing for sport. A sample note is included below:
|
Date To Whom it May Concern, I (parent / guardian name) give permission for my son / daughter (child’s name) to not return to the College at the conclusion of sport this afternoon. Kind Regards, (Parent / Guardian signature) (Contact Number) |
- Any other notes on Tuesdays: If you are sick, injured or cannot participate on a Tuesday you must have a signed note from your parent/guardian detailing the reason for non-participation. You must bring this note to Ms Bowen so an alternate plan can be arranged for you during sport time. Students who are unable to participate in their sport due to injury are asked, where possible to still attend the event with their group and to assume another role as instructed by the teacher such as timing, scoring or umpiring.
|
Health Order changes announced on 1 July 2020 From 1 July updated health advice and changes to state and national restrictions on children’s sport and community competitions came into effect. From Term 3, the following school sport and physical activity programs are able to recommence in schools:
The Representative Sport Pathway, including state championships and knockouts for NSW PSSA and NSW CHSSA are not proceeding in 2020. All School Sport Australia events were cancelled in March, therefore no pathway exists to national championships. |
DIOCESAN SPORT NEWS
Updates and news on Wollongong Diocese sport events and trials can be viewed at https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/sport/diocesan-sport-news/?ref=quicklinks
Please note that all Term 3 Diocesan events have been cancelled.
Updates on specific events secondary events can be viewed at https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/sport/events-secondary/
Higher level MacKillop and CCC trials and events status can be monitored at https://csnsw.sport/news/events-suspended
In each case a COVID-19 safety plan will be developed inline with normal risk assessment procedures. These events will be subject to existing NSW government restrictions and advice along with CEDoW leadership input.
NSWCCC / CSNSW SPORT NEWS
Each Diocese has their own process for actioning refunds. Please be patient as we work through these. Any questions should be directed to the contact details found on the top of your invoice. Students who have been selected in a Polding / MacKillop / NSWCCC team will be contacted directly to organise refunds and discuss uniform options. The CSNSW Sport store has been closed, for now no merchandise can be purchased until further notice.
Please continue to monitor the CSNSW sport website for updates and the most current information regarding cancelled events. Information can be found at Welcome to Catholic Schools Sports Services | CSNSW Sport Portal.
SCHOOL SPORT AUSTRALIA SPORT NEWS
Understandably, this decision will likely have a flow on effect for all sporting events (Diocesan, CCC etc) moving forward in 2020. Information will be communicated as the situation continues to develop and unfold.
More School Sport Australia information can be found at School Sport Australia - Education through school sport.
Miss Sarah Bowen
(Acting College Sport Coordinator - bowens01@dow.catholic.edu.au)
Location
The Mount Carmel Uniform Shop is located at the top end of the School, past the Champagnat Centre.
Please note the following COVID-19 procedures
Ranier requests ordering online prior to collecting from store.
If you are unsure of the size required, purchase your best estimate online. Can be exchanged for free if required (unworn items only).
For online ordering please visit ranier.com.au
For first time users
- Registration requires the student name, number and the College password (mtcar2566).
- Email custservice@ranier.com.au for any problems with registration.
For your safety and ours
- Please observe social distancing advice (at least 1m apart)
- Only 1 family is permitted within the shop at a time
- Please expect longer waiting times
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter.
______________________________________________________________
Opening Hours (During School Term)
Mon: 8:00am – 12:00pm
Wed: 12:30pm – 4:30pm
Contact:
Ranier Customer Service ranier.com.au/contact 8337 7200
The Second Hand Uniform Shop is open from 2.30pm - 4pm on the following days.
Term 3
- Monday 3 August
- 7 September
Term 4
- 12 October
- 2 November
- 7 December