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Dear parents, friends, staff and students,
On Friday we acknowledged (in a COVID friendly way) the feast of St Teresa of Avila. St Teresa was a Carmelite nun who had a huge impact on the development of the Carmelite community. This is especially relevant to us in our context. As a College named after Our Lady of Mount Carmel and founded on Carmelite land, this is a charism important to the way we do things. Our College incorporates the beautiful traditions of the Carmelite and Marist orders and we gain from the underlying values of both of these. Many of our students are very familiar with the Marist characteristics and these align closely to those of the Carmelites. One of the most famous quotes of St Teresa directs us toward her values:
Christ has no body now but yours.
No hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.
Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
This clearly tells us that we have a duty to be the mechanism with which Christ becomes present in our world. If we are not prepared to do His work, we are not living the foundation of our Carmelite values.
This week I invited students, teachers and parents to provide feedback on their experience of our school using an online survey. The surveys are an important part of our whole school evaluation and planning process.
I would like to invite you to complete the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey. As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community we would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at Mount Carmel Catholic College. The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. The link was sent out to parents via a letter distributed on Monday. If you have not completed this, you are able to access the parent survey on your computer or mobile device by using the URL below:
At the end of last term, we were informed that one of our HSC students had been nominated for Encore (the best music performances). This week we were informed that two students have been nominated for Artexpress (the best artworks). This is the first stage of being acknowledged as amongst the best HSC works in the state. Regardless of whether these works reach the exhibition stage, to be nominated is an honour. Congratulations and the best of wishes to all of our HSC students as the exams commence on Tuesday.
Over the past few months, Bishop Brian has been celebrating Sunday Mass and livestreaming it. These Masses each Sunday and can be accessed here.
Mr Steve Lo Cascio
Principal
A very warm welcome back to a new school term to all of our students and families. I trust that the recent holiday period has provided a valuable opportunity to relax, recharge and refresh in readiness for Term 4. As you would be aware from the letter sent by Mr Lo Cascio and the Director of Schools earlier this week, there have been a number of changes to the COVID-19 protocols based on our Term 3 guidelines. These changes include:
- Students may now travel outside of their Local Government Area, as long as there is a COVID-19 Safety Plan in place at the destination venue.
- Excursions, offsite activities and camps (including overnight camps) may now take place.
- Contact representative sports are now permitted.
- Use of woodwind instruments, as well as solo and small group singing is permitted.
- Incursions by external providers essential to—or that support—the delivery of the curriculum is now permitted. This includes health and vaccinations programs as well as curriculum support providers such as music tutors and sport skills development programs.
- Orientation programs for future Year 7 students may take place.
You can help ensure the safety of the College community by:
- Keeping your children home when they are unwell, even with very mild symptoms.
- Informing the school immediately if your child is self-isolating or undergoing testing and informing us of the result as soon as possible.
- Following sickness with flu-like symptoms, ensuring your child is free of symptoms AND can present a negative COVID-19 test, which must be sighted by the College, before they return to school.
I also take the opportunity to remind students and parents that if a student at school was to begin to feel unwell, it is important that they report to the front office where a parent can be contacted by one of our office staff. Particularly in the current climate, it would be inappropriate for a student to ring their parent directly from a mobile device and have the parent turn up at the College unannounced. Your support in this regard is greatly appreciated.
Finally, for parents of students in Year 7 & 8, you would be aware that due to COVID-19, the 2020 Year 7 school immunisation program was suspended at the beginning of 2020 and then resumed after June. As you may be aware, the required interval between HPV- Gardasil 9 dose 1 and dose 2 is 6 months. Therefore all Year 7 students (and Year 8 catch up students) who were awaiting immunisations will be given this opportunity early next year. There is no need for parents to take their children to the GP as a result of the program being suspended in 2020.
Mr David Cloran
Assistant Principal
Good afternoon everyone,
Mr Cloran and Mr Lo Cascio have mentioned the most recent changes to COVID restrictions and while the gradual lifting of restrictions might allow our COVID world to resume some sense of normality, there are some wellbeing matters that are ongoing regardless of the level of Pandemonia that exists.
The first one is regarding sun safety. As witnessed over the past few days, we have made a rather rapid transition into the heat of summer. This time of the year brings with it a heightened awareness of the need to ensure that all members of our community are adequately protected from the increased UV and the associated potential of skin damage and melanoma. As a reminder of the dangers and associated risks that arise at this time of the year, I have included some links to the SunSmart website below:
Myths that lead to skin cancer
Is it a mole or is skin cancer?
Regarding the College site itself, please be reminded that caps are to be worn in all outdoor situations and that sunscreen is also available at various locations around the campus for students to access when required.
The second matter, whilst elevated somewhat throughout the COVID period, is the ongoing issue associated with various aspects of our mental health. October is recognised as being national Mental Health Month across Australia. Below are some easy to access links that may assist students, families and carers in the event that they may be experiencing some challenges regarding their level of mental health.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference statement on Mental Health
As always, thank you to all members of the Mount Carmel community for your ongoing support.
Mr Simon Huntly
Pastoral Care and Wellbeing Coordinator
- 19 October - Year 12 2021 HSC Student Symposium (KLA)
- 20 October - HSC EXAMS commence
- 27 October - HSC Student Symposium (PC – P1-4)
- 13 November - Year 10 ROSA grades due to CC
- 13 November - Year 10 Reports - Academic Data due to KLAC
- 15 December - Years 7-10 Academic Reports available to parents (COMPASS)
- 18 December - HSC results released (ATAR release date TBC)
Year 12 HSC 2021 Launch
Year 11 students have all received the 2021 HSC College Assessment Handbook electronically along with the presentation usually shared at the Launch evening. Students will receive a hard copy of the College Assessment Handbook on Monday morning in Pastoral and they are expected to take this with them to each Symposium session on Monday.
HSC Student Symposium
Year 12 2021 will participate in the HSC Student Symposium on Monday 19 October and Tuesday 27 October. Monday will be a KLA focus - with sessions focusing on the “start” of the HSC course. Tuesday 27 (P1-4) will be a Pastoral focus with sessions run by elevate. Students will attend sport as usual.
Ability Testing
Students in Years 7-9 will complete Ability testing in Week 3 as follows:
Tuesday 27 October: YEAR 9
P1: PAT Science
P3: PAT Maths
P4: PAT Reading Comprehension
Wednesday 28 October: YEAR 7
P1: PAT Reading Comprehension
P2: PAT Maths
P3: PAT Science
Friday 30 October: YEAR 8
P2: PAT Science
P3: PAT Maths
P4: PAT Reading Comprehension
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
This week a letter was distributed regarding sport to all parents/carers. Please see the key information below detailed in this letter:
For the first time in many months there have been some positive developments on the school sport and physical activity front. Inter-school sports (including MISA) are now permitted with no restrictions on schools travelling outside of their local community. As a result, from Tuesday 21 October we will return to using buses to both support and add scope to the delivery of College sport. With this in mind, please see below an overview of the safety and hygiene protocols in place for travelling to off-site venues. The protocols have been informed by advice from NSW Health, NSW Transport and the Catholic Education, Diocese of Wollongong.
- Students will only travel to venues who have provided the Sport Coordinator with a COVID-19 Safety Plan.
- The number of students and staff on buses will enable social distancing between students and their accompanying teacher.
- Hand sanitiser will be available for students. Students should use hand sanitiser before and after participating in activities/travelling on a bus.
- Students may wear a mask, however this is not compulsory.
- Whilst travelling on buses, students must maintain good personal hygiene, including coughing and sneezing into their elbow and disposing of tissues appropriately.
- Students are required to take their own water bottles to offsite venues.
Term 4 MISA
The decision was made during the school holidays that MISA would now go ahead for Term 4 to provide students with an opportunity to participate in a competitive sporting competition. During week 1 MISA trials took place. Students are encouraged to view the information outside the sports office and in the sport schedule for trials during week 2. Please note that some sports selected their teams following the week 1 trial.
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.
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
NSWCCC / CSNSW SPORT NEWS
Higher level MacKillop and CCC trials and events status can be monitored at https://csnsw.sport/news/events-suspended
SCHOOL SPORT AUSTRALIA SPORT NEWS
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)
The Second Hand Uniform Shop is open from 2.30pm - 4pm on the following days.
Term 4
- 2 November
- 7 December