Filter Content
- Principal's Report
- From The Assistant Principal
- From the REC
- Learning and Teaching at the College
- From the Pastoral Care and Wellbeing Coordinator
- College Sport at Mount Carmel
- Year 8 and 10 Mentoring Program
- Interline Bus 3001
- Year 12 Medallions
- Studio 5
- Mount Carmel Uniform Shop
- Second Hand Uniform Shop
- CatholicCare Counselling
Dear Parents, Friends, Staff and Students of Mount Carmel,
What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?
Matthew 16:26
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of attending a virtual professional development day conducted by the Catholic Education Office run via Zoom. The focus of the day was to reflect on how we approach our normal daily routine and try to get the most out of it. It was not about becoming more efficient to create more wealth, or trying to cram more activities into a smaller day. The day was in part encouraging us to stop, take note of where we were and what we were doing, and then resolving to make the most of whatever was our current task. Pope Francis said it simply; “Do what you are doing and do it well.” It lead me to recall advice that was given to me many years ago when I first started teaching by a much older Marist Brother, Br Fingal, who said “ whatever you need to do as a teacher, do it with love in your heart”.
Both of these things bring me back to the quote at the start of this page from last Sunday’s Gospel. In doing what we do ordinarily every day, if we do it with love and do it well, we are doing it for God. It may not get us earthly riches but will help us to be better people and make someone else’s life better.
Last Tuesday, our Year 12 students returned after their Trial HSC and participated in their Senior Retreat Reconnector Day. This took a very different form from the last few years and was conducted on the College grounds. The students reflected on their journey so far and on their future direction. As a very small part of the day, each student laid a ceramic tile on the labyrinth being constructed near our cricket nets. Over time, our hope is that every student in the College will be able to place a piece of tile in this labyrinth which will become a tangible reflection of the spirit of family within our community.
Next Tuesday we will be holding the second Zoom based Parents and Friends’ meeting. These meetings give all parents and caregivers the opportunity to hear what is happening around the College but also comment on, or suggest any ways that, the P&F might fund projects for the benefit of students. The next Zoom will start at 7 pm this coming Tuesday, September 8 and can be accessed by opening up Zoom and entering the following ID code and password;
ID: 94526373031
Password: 522630
Please ask your child to assist if you cannot connect. We look forward to seeing you on the night.
This week we received a letter from the NSW Governor, the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC. We have been asked to pass this letter on to our Year 12 students. In this, the Governor acknowledges the difficulty these students have had to deal with and wishes them all the best for their upcoming HSC. This letter is in addition to a personal video that was sent for each student from Bishop Brian Mascord late last month. As the Year 12 students enter the last phase of their HSC, please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
In the last few days, MISA have launched their new website. Whilst at the moment, there is limited information due to the suspension of competitions, The website has been very well developed and will provide future opportunities for parents and students to track competitions and read good news stories around these. If you would like to visit this website or bookmark it for later, the address is: https://www.misaonline.org.au/
Earlier this week, the ABC ran a story on Funding of Catholic schools in NSW. There were a number of corrections that Catholic Schools NSW have produced to assist people in reading this story. For those interested, these corrections can be access on the College website under: Our College – Policies and documents or you can click on the link: http://www.mcccdow.catholic.edu.au/index.php/policies-documents
Over the last few newsletters, there has been an opportunity for parents to complete a survey on my Principalship. Unfortunately, there was an issue with the data collection and a new survey letter has been sent out to parents. I apologise for the issues and ask that if you have an opportunity to complete this, it would be most appreciated.
Over the past few months, Bishop Brian had been celebrating Sunday Mass and livestreaming it. This stopped a few weeks ago, however, Bishop Brian has decided to reintroduce these online masses. These masses have returned and can be accessed here.
This Sunday is Father’s Day. A very warm and special thank you to all the fathers in our community whether they are with us or have somehow left us. We keep them in our prayers and thoughts. Happy Father’s Day this Sunday.
Mr Steve Lo Cascio
Principal
Since the introduction of the new COVID-19 procedures regarding mandatory COVID-19 testing for any flu-like symptoms among staff and students, we have been most grateful for the response from parents when it comes to keeping their children home and following up with the appropriate testing and reporting back to the College. As a reminder, schools are now mandated to send home students that present with flu-like symptoms, allowing them to return only once a negative COVID-19 test has been received and the relevant symptoms have finished. If your son or daughter is tested, please remember to inform the College once the test has been administered, and again once the result is known. I would also remind families that these current restrictions are in place until the end of Term 3. At this point, NSW Health will review these conditions and we will communicate them to everyone as a matter of priority.
Throughout the ‘lockdown’ phase of the pandemic, there was a preference from bus companies for students who travelled on buses to make their way on and off the bus as efficiently as possible and, for a period of time, tapping their Opal card was not necessary. We have been informed by the bus companies that this period has now ceased and that students are now required to ‘tap on’ each time they board a bus. This process allows the bus companies to monitor student numbers so that routes can be effectively catered for. I would ask parents to check with their sons/daughters to ensure that they have a valid Opal card so that there are no difficulties experienced in terms of travel to and from the College.
You may recall that at the end of Term 2, we had our annual College photo day. For the many families that took the opportunity to order the prints online, please note that they arrived at the College today and will be distributed early next week.
Mr David CloranAssistant Principal
6 September 23rd Sunday of Ordinary time
First Reading Ez 33:7-9 Ezekiel is to be the watchman for Israel
Second Reading Rom 13:8-10 Love your Neighbour
Gospel Mt 18:15-20 Find ways to win others over; prayer shall be answered
REFLECTION by Dianne Bergant CSA
It is difficult for leaders to call people to accountability. Such is the unenviable responsibility of pastors in the parish, coordinators of religious education, members of the parish council, principals in the school, directors of liturgical ministry, to name but a few. Disciples must also engage in the very difficult process of reconciliation. Differences of opinion, misunderstandings, and actual offences tend to alienate people. We see this happen in families, neighbourhoods, parish communities, workplaces. It is not enough to say that we must try to forgive from our hearts. The process of reconciliation requires significant movement toward the admission of guilt as well. Both the one offended and the offender must be willing to be transformed.
Gathering two or three together in prayerful collaboration is not as easy as it sounds. If collaboration is to be effective, we have to be open and honest about our opinions and our biases, and respectful of the opinions and biases of others. We must work for the common good and not merely for what we personally think is best. We must be willing to accept and implement decisions with which we may not totally agree, and we must live with them gracefully. All of this calls for unselfish love. Love fulfils the entire law only: when we honour our personal commitments and the personal commitments of others; when we value the life, dignity and reputation of others; and when we respect their possessions. It is only because love is so demanding that it covers all of our responsibilities.
Mrs Christine Meharg
YEAR 12 PTS INTERVIEWS
Yr 12 PTS Interviews are scheduled for Wednesday 9 September. Due to current restrictions, Interviews will occur via ZOOM. Bookings need to be made through COMPASS.
YEAR 11 EXAMINATIONS
Commence Friday 11 September and Finish Monday 21 September. All students have received their Examination Timetable, along with student expectations and College procedures. If a student is sick they are NOT to attend an examination and MUST follow College Illness/Misadventure procedures.
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
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 head towards the last few weeks of Term Three it is important to remember this time is not one where we coast to the end, but one that provides a valuable opportunity to reflect on our learning and wellbeing and continue to adopt strategies and skills that promote a positive or growth mindset. Academically, Tracking Reports will be released in Week 10 for Years 7-10 to give a snapshot of each student’s learning over the past term and reports for Years 11 and 12 will reflect their achievements for the Preliminary and HSC courses. From a Pastoral Care and Wellbeing perspective, Year Coordinators and Pastoral Advisors have continued to deliver initiatives to address the needs of the respective student groups. The focus for this morning’s year activities included:
Year 7 - Cyber Safety and Copyright
Year 8 - Mental Health continuum and accessing support
Year 9 - Careers, with a focus on identifying personal strengths and interests
Year 10 - Wellbeing activity linking the connection between reading and a positive mindset
Year 11 - Preparation for Preliminary Exams
Year 12 - Welcome back after the trials and resetting for the final 3 weeks of school life
Please be reminded that winter uniform expectations are in place for the remainder of the term. Part of these expectations involves the wearing of blazers to and from the College. These expectations are outlined on page 18 of the junior and senior diaries.
The ongoing issues associated with the uncertainty of COVID-19 and the links to Mental Health are still receiving extensive coverage in the media. Please remind your sons and daughters the importance of connecting with someone they trust or one an external agency should they start to feel anxious or worried about events that could be impacting on their lives. Please contact the College if you have any concerns or go to eheadspace for advice on how to manage.
Thank you again for your ongoing support of the College.
Mr Simon Huntly
Pastoral Care and Wellbeing Coordinator
Non-Participation
Students are reminded that College Sport is a compulsory requirement of enrolment at Mount Carmel Catholic College.
- If a student is unable to participate in sport on any given Tuesday they must provide a note signed by their parent/guardian to the Sports Coordinator at recess on the day that they cannot participate.
- This will provide the opportunity for a discussion and for an alternative plan to be put into place for the afternoon.
- In most cases, students will attend either their group or another group as decided upon by the Sports Coordinator and will adopt another role such as scoring, timekeeping or refereeing. This is of course dependent on the reason for non-participation.
Physical Activity Guidelines
Sport is an opportunity for students to participate in physical activities through a range of contexts. Participation in physical activity is fundamental to the acquisition of movement skills. Having the opportunity to move and be active is an absolute privilege along with providing an opportunity for students to accumulate physical activity minutes daily. Please see the Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Young People (5 to 17 years) below and consider strategies that could be implement to meet and/or exceed the guidelines.
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.
Recreational Sport
The sport schedule is pinned to the Compass dashboard each week in which students and staff have access to. Adjustments have had to occur for some groups as we are not yet using buses to travel off-site for sport. The cross country track has been mowed and will be utilised for cardiorespiratory activities during sport.
MISA Skill-Development Term 3
MISA Teams will continue refining their skills through small-sided games and skill-based drills within a competitive environment. The new directive that “students must remain with their relevant cohort (class, year group or stage) to limit the mixing of students between cohort groups” has resulted in the following changes to MISA groupings. These groupings have been communicated to students and are reflected in the sports schedule.
Sun Safety
It is so important that students and staff are protecting their skin from UV-rays by wearing the College hat and applying sunscreen. A sunscreen station is available outside the sports office on a Tuesday for Sport. Students are encouraged to utilise this station and to use sanitiser before and after. Skin cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in Australia. More than 434, 000 people are treated for one or more non-melanoma cancers in Australia each year and more than 11,500 people are treated for melanomas. Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Below are 5 tips from the Cancer Council.
Source: https://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-information/causes-and-prevention/sun-safety/be-sunsmart
As you may be aware there has been a clear increase in restrictions from the NSW Government and this has resulted in additional directives from CEDoW. CEDoW directives which are now in place for the remainder of term 3 were communicated to parents via a letter that was sent earlier in the week.
CEDoW Directives relating to sport
Contact sports remain suspended.
- Students will continue engaging in skill-based drills and small-sided modified games for all contact sports.
Students must remain within their relevant cohort (class, year group, or stage) to limit the mixing of students between cohort groups.
- Students will remain within year groups for all recreational sports
- MISA sporting groups have been split into stages
- Some MISA groups have been collapsed and these students will return to their recreational groups (this includes Year 10 AFL students, Years 10 - 12 Softball and Years 10 - 12 Cricket).
External providers essential to the delivery of the sport or physical activity are permitted.
- External providers such as fitness instructors and coaches will continue to be utilised to enhance the sporting program of the College
- External providers have provided a COVID-safe plan
- All visitors have read and signed the CEDoW COVID paperwork prior to conducting each session.
The use of local external venues and facilities (including external sporting grounds, pools, recreational facilities and community facilities) where the school has exclusive use are permitted in line with venue protocols and COVID safety plans.
- The vast majority of students will remain on-site. The exception to this is MISA Soccer, MISA AFL and power walking groups who will use Kooringa Reserve.
- The paddocks behind the College (Cross Country track) will be utilised in coming weeks.
In addition to the requirements above, sporting equipment continues to regularly be cleaned before and after Tuesday activities. Students are encouraged to continue utilising the hand-sanitizer stations found around the College both before and after activity. Students are to continue respecting social distancing between themselves and adults (teachers / instructors that support the College’s sport program).
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.
Please note: all Term 3 Diocesan sporting events have been cancelled.
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)
Throughout this term, Year 10 House Captains have been involved in leading a mentoring program with Year 8 students. The main focus for this program was to assist and provide strategies which can be implemented to encourage learning habits, social life, health/wellbeing and spiritual being. These programs happened during pastrol time every Wednesday. It involved two leaders and a pastoral class of Year 8 students. Each week there was a focus on themes and topics relevant to early adolescence that provided assistance and guidance to Year 8 students. Each team of House Captains were responsible for planning the presentation for one week each and then this was shared amongst the Captains. This was achieved through the discussion of everyday situations and events that a young person is likely to encounter. Below are images of some of our Year 10 Captains presenting along with an outline of each week:
|
Presentation 1 Howard |
This week marked the commencement of the program, Howard prepared the presentation which went into depth about the importance of various strategies and methods that can help year 8s with assessments and studying habits. |
|
Presentation 2 Murray |
This week Murray prepared a presentation focusing on providing advice on how to manage friendships and relationships. We discussed ways on how individuals could deal with breakups and how they can also expand and talk to others outside their normal click/group/bubble. |
|
Presentation 3 MacKillop |
This week Mackillop (the best house) showcased many ideas and helpful tips relating to health and wellbeing. The main focus was to guide Year 8’s to an understanding of the importance of health and wellbeing and how sleep, screen time, exercise and stress could influence their overall wellbeing. |
|
Presentation 4 Avila |
This final week was impacted by the new directives which meant we could not interact with younger students during class time. Avila were creative in delivering and planning a video mode of the presentation which Year 8 pastoral advisors presented. This weeks presentation was based on spirituality and faith, we expanded on ways we can improve and be better Catholics/Christians on a daily basis and how we can improve our relationship with God and ourselves. |
As Captains, our hope was that Year 8 would gain many strategies that they could adopt to improve their contributions as a student, friend, peer or member of the church and to tackle the challenges that they are likely to face throughout high school. Beyond this, the Captains also were eager to learn and connect with our younger peers to better understand how we can support their needs. It was also a great opportunity to improve our speaking and presentation skills. Throughout the program the Year 8 students were respectful, engaged and comfortable. They listened attentively to the information delivered. If a student needed to ask questions they were given the opportunity to and were able to get a helpful answer. The topics were identified by the Year 10 Captains as areas they wish they had known more about when they were in Year 8.
On behalf of the Captains, we would like to thank the Year 8 students for the opportunity to come into your pastoral classes each week. We really enjoyed presenting and appreciated that students were respectful and excited to listen. The highlight was that we had the opportunity to spend some quality time with students of our house and form a bond and friendship with many of our younger peers. We also each appreciated the new things that they taught us as leaders and hopefully the many points and advice we presented over the weeks taught them something new and can help apply to their everyday lives.
Angelene Finau and Charbel Sghaby
Year 10 MacKillop Leaders
Please be advised that Interline bus 3001 will continue to pick up students from Minto Station West and bring them to Mount Carmel in the mornings.
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.
The Second Hand Uniform Shop is open from 2.30pm - 4pm on the following days.
Term 3
- 7 September
Term 4
- 12 October
- 2 November
- 7 December