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Dear parents, friends, staff and students,
In this week’s Gospel from Matthew (22:34-40) we hear Jesus making the statement that on two commandments hang the whole law. These two commandments are;
“you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the Greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: you must love your neighbour as yourself”.
When we live in a community, this idea of loving others may be difficult to practice. The idea however that the most important commandment is that we love God, makes this easier when we recognise that God lives within each of our neighbours. The statement is even clearer when we accept that God lives within us. Loving ourselves involves caring for the body that we have been given and treating ourselves with respect and compassion. It involves using our talents to their full potential and ensuring that we are open to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us. If this is the approach we take with ourselves, it also needs to be the approach we take with our neighbours (love your neighbour as yourself). We should therefore, care for our neighbour, respect them and show them compassion. We should help them to use their talents and be open to the way that the spirit speaks to us to help them. Possibly our greatest challenge to make this happen is to find out not what we need to do, but for whom we need to do it. Over this week, I ask each member of our community to consider ‘who is your neighbour’ and how can you improve by loving them as you love yourself?
Currently our HSC students are in the middle of their examinations. The students have responded to the challenges of the exams well, but as you may be aware a number of schools have been disrupted by hoax bomb threats. Please be advised that NESA and Catholic Schools NSW have distributed clear guidelines regarding dealing with this should it occur at Mount Carmel. As a result of normal WHS requirements, we will be undergoing normal evacuation and lockdown drills at some stage before the end of the year. Please do not be alarmed if these occur. Parents would be fully notified should any serious concerns arise.
Today was World Teacher’s Day. On behalf of our community I take this opportunity to thank and congratulate the teaching staff for their hard work and commitment to your children. We are fortunate to have very good people working with us. Thank you also to the parents who have taken the time to send a word of thanks. For those who may have forgotten, it is never too late.
Once again, an early reminder that our last Parents and Friend’s meeting for 2020 will be held via zoom on Tuesday November 10 (Week 5). The link will be included in upcoming newsletters.
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
With Term 4 now well underway, I would like to draw the attention of our parents and carers to the current plans for the final week of term. At the outset, it is important to stress that what is and isn’t permitted in terms of gatherings, events and assemblies, is dictated by the COVID19 directives that are in place at any given time. As you would be aware, these directives have evolved significantly over the course of the past year and any plans that we set in anticipation for mid-December are subject to change, perhaps significantly so, prior to then. Should this be the case, we will inform families at the earliest opportunity, appreciating that in most cases, we are also given short notice in terms of how we must respond to new directives.
The last day of school for students this year, will be Tuesday 15 December. Normal classes will take place from periods 1-4, however permissions have been granted for students to assemble in year groups during the regularly scheduled sports timeframe where various end of year award ceremonies will take place.
It is our intention to then offer two opportunities for Parent/Teacher/Student interviews to take place, most likely via Zoom. The first opportunity will take place on the evening of Tuesday 15 September, and the second being the morning of Wednesday 16 December. Further details, including the precise timeframes and booking instructions will be communicated in due course.
At this point in time, we are unable to confirm whether an end of year Eucharistic celebration will be able to take place due once again to the limitations on gathering sizes and the directives regarding places of worship. We are also prevented from inviting parents to any of our end of year celebrations at this point. Should these restrictions, and therefore these plans change in any way, we will of course communicate this as a matter of priority.
Mr David Cloran
Assistant Principal
Sunday 1 November
First Reading Rv 7:2-4, 9-14 Vision of those who survive the trial
Second Reading 2 Jn 3:1-3 We are already children of God
Gospel Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes
REFLECTION by Fr Michael Tate
The Beatitudes … A Call to Action
How can those suffering grinding poverty such that their whole personality is impoverished – the poor in spirit – be ‘Blessed’? How can those who hunger and thirst for justice be ‘Blessed’? The answer lies in the new community which Our Lord is establishing under the reign of God.
There are people within this new society who do everything possible to lift the poor out of poverty, to comfort those who are mourning, to make sure the gentle share in the earth’s resources, to satisfy the craving for justice. These are ‘saints’ who are merciful, pure in heart, makers of peace.
The full measure of authentic humanity is Jesus Christ. But there are millions, only a few celebrated in the Church’s calendar, who have tried to measure up to the challenge presented by the Teacher of the Beatitudes. These are saints, those who know that they cannot help create the Beatitude society out of some political ideology, but who wholeheartedly respond to the teaching of the One whose Holy Spirit can empower rising to the challenge.
We might pause a moment to pray that God may deal with us mercifully as we fall short of the full stature of the One who embodied the Beatitudes, at the same time as we celebrate the lives of the countless many who have measured up superlatively, the saints whose feast day we celebrate.
- 30 October – World Teachers’ Day
- 4 November – Year 11 Academic Reports available to parents (COMPASS)
- 15 December - 7-10 Academic Reports available to parents (COMPASS)
- 18 December - HSC results released (ATAR release date TBC)
Ability Testing
All Students in Years 7-9 completed Ability testing this week. Results from these tests are used in Triangulation of Data to ensure students are placed in the correct class groupings for 2021. Any student who was away will have an opportunity in the next week to complete these tests.
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,
Pastoral Care and Wellbeing events for Week 3 have been highlighted by presentations to Years 9 and 11.
Year 9 have participated in the second day of the YAM program - a Youth Mental Health Awareness program jointly run by CEDoW and The Black Dog Institute. A big thanks to all staff and presenters involved in this initiative.
Year 11 undertook a half-day HSC preparation Webinar on Tuesday morning, courtesy of Elevate Education. This program has been run for a number of years and feedback from staff and students has been very positive in terms of assisting our senior students in the transition from Preliminary into the HSC course. We have also engaged the services of Elevate Education to work with our Year 8 cohort in 2021 to present seminars relating to study skills. Again, thanks to all involved in the preparation for the Year 11 day.
Part of our involvement with Elevate Education also allows access by members of our community to a variety of resources that may assist families and carers in supporting the wellbeing and educational needs of their sons and daughters. There are 3 Webinars being presented over the course of the next month or so. Dates and topics being covered include:
- Wednesday November 4 - Stress and Wellbeing
- Wednesday November 18 - Exams
- Wednesday December 2 - Technology
If you are interested in taking part in these free Webinars, or would like to learn a bit more about Elevate Education, please view the information via the links below.
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Elevate Education is hosting a free webinar series for parents on preparing their children for end of year tests and exams. Register here https://get.elevatecoaching.info/au/register Next Session @6pm on Wednesday November 4 2020 Elevate are a global education organisation that helps over 1-million students to improve their study skills and boost academic performance. You can learn more about them at https://au.elevateeducation.com |
Mr Simon Huntly
Pastoral Care and Wellbeing Coordinator
Recreational Sport
Given some of the directives currently in place, please note that there have been some changes to some of the Tuesday recreational sports. These changes are communicated to students via Compass alerts and the daily sport schedule.
A reminder of the following protocols that are currently in place that 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.
MISA Results Week 3
Congratulations to all teams for some exceptional results for Round 1.
MISA Week 4 draw and locations:
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.
- If a student is to miss their bus they must see the Sports Coordinator at lunch so that a new sport can be assigned. If the student cannot locate the Sport Coordinator they are to go to the front office. Students are reminded of the importance of checking Compass and being organised in going to the correct room on Compass.
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)
From January onwards, there will be a number of School Opal cards expiring, as the physical card has reached its lifespan.
These are cards for students who will be in Years 8 to 12 in 2021, and only those Opal cards which haven’t been replaced in the last five years.
Impacted students and/or their parent/guardian will be contacted directly by Transport for NSW via email or post. They will be asked to confirm their details online in order for a new School Opal card to be sent to the correct postal address in time for the new school year.
If contacted by Transport for NSW, details should be submitted online by December 1, 2020 at the latest. Affected students who do not confirm their details in time will have a new School Opal card posted to the address that they currently have on file.
The Second Hand Uniform Shop is open from 2.30pm - 4pm on the following days.
Term 4
- 2 November
- 7 December
