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Dear parents, friends, staff and students,
In the second letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (this week’s second reading), St. Paul speaks of the importance of looking after others and refers to the notion that when we have a surplus, we give to those who have a need. St. Paul speaks of ‘striking a balance’. This is particularly relevant at Mount Carmel as I have been speaking to students over the last few assemblies and the past few newsletters about balance and harmony in life. This concept of balance continually appears in various aspects of a healthy life. On Wednesday this week we were fortunate to host a visit by Bishop Brian Mascord and Mr. Peter Hill, the Director of Education in the Diocese of Wollongong. This visit was a part of Bishop Brian’s plan to attend every secondary school within the dioceses and to meet with the student leaders and the Year 12 cohort. Bishop Brian met with our Year 12 SRC and then spoke with the Year 12 group as a whole. At the conclusion of his meetings, Bishop Brian finished by reminding the students that the holidays provide an opportunity for rest and the restoring of balance in their lives.
Bishop Brian was open to answer any question that the students asked and found himself answering everything from whether he does his own grocery shopping, to the Church’s view on the dignity of human life. Within these questions, he made one statement that remained in my memory as a basic truth for all Christians but specifically for the students at Mount Carmel. When the Bishop was asked about love, his simple response was that “Love is about the betterment of the other”.
Whether this love is between a couple, a parent and child, siblings or good friends, true love has the other person at the centre and is focussed on bringing about something better for the other person. In our dealings with others, the Christian perspective on love should underpin all that we do.
Over the past week we have held the Year 7 – 10 Parent/Teacher/Student meetings. These meetings were far more varied in their delivery than we had expected due to the late nature of the changes to COVID advice. It was beneficial to have the opportunity for face-to-face meetings on Monday and whilst we had hoped to replicate these on Thursday, this was not to be the case. The staff were asked at the last moment to change their contact to phone calls. Whilst the vast majority of these went to plan, there were some who unfortunately could not get through. Friday then saw the meetings held via zoom as was our original plan. I thank the staff for their willingness to change approaches so late and also a very warm thank you to the parents on Thursday who accepted the change to phone calls. Whilst this was certainly not our preference, it was a viable solution. I now encourage all parents to have realistic and detailed conversations with your children around their efforts and achievements over the past semester.
Finally, I wish you all a very restful and rejuvenating break and hope that all return in term 3 with a new sense of vitality and purpose.
Ite in Veritate
Mr Steve Lo Cascio
Principal
As we conclude the final week of the term, I take the opportunity to thank all members of our College community for your support over the past semester. While the last few days have presented their fair share of Covid-related challenges, we remain grateful that we have avoided any large scale interruptions to this point of the year. That being said, we continue to remain vigilant when it comes to following the health advice as it presents itself, and are very much aware that these efforts are only successful due to the support that we continue to get from our parent community.
To that end, I remind everyone of the following updated health directives as were circulated earlier this week.
- Non-essential school visitors will not be allowed on school premises (i.e. visitors not involved in delivering or supporting curricular activities). We are requesting that parents and carers drop off and pick up their children without entering the school grounds where possible.
- School-initiated non-curricular social activities (such as school discos and staff social events that involve members of the community in addition to staff and students) will be postponed where possible. Non-curricular activities and events held in school premises that involve members of the community in addition to students and staff must comply with the requirements of the current public health orders.
- Essential school visitors must continue to check in via the ZeroTouch Quick Sign-In iPad for each visit (download on iPhone or Google/Android) and comply with COVID-safe requirements, including personal hygiene, infection control and physical distancing requirements, while on the school grounds.
- Staff and students do not need to wear masks while at school, however anybody who wants to wear one will be supported to do so. Masks remain mandatory on public transport.
- The additional cleaning measures already in place will continue on school sites.
As these directives continue to evolve, possibly over the school holiday period, we will endeavour to keep you updated as quickly as possible.
I also remain grateful for the time that parents continue to spend in supporting our own COVID-19 recording procedures for all families, which include:
- Keeping your child 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, before they return to school.
Please note that we do not require this information over the holiday period, however, the recording will resume from the commencement of Term 3, Week 1.
All the best for a well deserved holiday period,
David Cloran
Assistant Principal
Mass Readings over the holiday break
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13th Sunday of Ordinary Time |
14th Sunday of Ordinary Time |
15th Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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1st Reading 2nd Reading Gospel |
1st Reading 2nd Reading Gospel |
1st Reading 2nd Reading Gospel |
A holiday thought based on the readings from the last week of the holidays.
Living the Gospel – Travelling Light
Jesus made it plain to the disciples that they were to travel unencumbered by the extras of life. In fact they were to carry next to nothing and rely on the goodness of others.
The challenge to travel lightly through life is a difficult one in a world today that is dominated by material possessions.
In the race between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ the ‘haves’ are way out in front.
The gospel passages challenges us to think about the ‘things’ with which we burden ourselves.
What is really necessary to live a good life and follow Jesus?
REC Coordinator
Year 12 HSC Trial Examinations Preparations
All students have received the Trial HSC examination schedule. Students should be actively preparing for Trial Examinations by organizing study notes, revising course content, and completing questions for teacher feedback.
Holiday Study classes are also on offer for some subjects. Students are encouraged to take up these opportunities to revise and practise exam questions with the support of their teachers.
The College Library will also be available for Year 12 to study on selected evenings (3:30-7:00pm) during Week 2, 3 and 4, Term 3. A schedule of these Study evenings will be communicated to Year 12 in early next term.
Year 11 2022 Subject Selection
Year 10 students received their Subject Eligibilty forms this week. The information on this form will assist students in recognising the courses that they are automatically eligible for, based on their results in Semester 1. Students are to finalise their selections in preparation for Subject Selection Interviews on Wednesday 28 July. Bookings for these interviews are open via the Compass Parent Portal.
Key dates:
- Wednesday 28 July – Subject Selection Interviews (parent/guardian required to attend)
- Friday 3 September – 2022 Subject Choices distributed to Year 10 students
Ms Chardy Miller
Acting Curriculum Coordinator
Good afternoon everyone,
As we end our first semester of learning for the year, it is important that we continue to address some of the Pastoral and Wellbeing issues that often impact on the learning and wellbeing of our students. One area of significance, particularly in light of the potential implications for our current Covid situation, is that relating to Technology, esafety and screen time. Our experience over the past 18 months has provided circumstances and opportunities for all of us to engage more in Streaming Services (such as Netflix), a broader range of Social Media apps (Zoom, House Party etc) and an increased reliance on our digital devices to maintain contact with our work or school colleagues and friends.
The ever changing landscape of technology and social media brings with it newer and unique challenges, many of which do not come with a simple users manual. The Federal Government esafety Commissioner’s website is a reliable point of call for any student or family member who may require some information regarding the many of the questions that are often raised courtesy of new technologies and services. Questions such as:
- How much screen time should my son or daughter have each day?
- How do I provide a safe and secure Social Media environment for my child?
- What sorts of apps are out there and what do they do?
- What are the laws regarding age of consent for using Social Media apps?
The following links to the esafety Comissioner’s site may assist with being able to investigate and find answers to some of the issues that may confront families from time to time relating to cyber safety.
esafety guide to games, apps and social media
Also, as we head into a well earned break after a term of classroom learning, assessment tasks, reports and again a challenging Covid environment, sometimes the resilience of our children can be tested. If you have concerns over the wellbeing of your son or daughter, please do not hesitate to contact the College for support. Alternatively, if a concern arises external to the school setting, the following agencies are recommended by our Catholic Care Counselling team for assistance. Click on the images to access the sites.
Finally, please check the expectations regarding Uniform and Grooming prior to your son/daughter’s return to Term Three. Students who return to the College and are not meeting these expectations experience significant disruption to their learning. Please assist us with ensuring that uniform and grooming standards are met at the commencement of the term.
Thanks again to all members of the Mount Carmel Community for your ongoing support with the Learning and Wellbeing of our students.
Mr Simon Huntly
Pastoral Care and Wellbeing Coordinator
When we speak, much of our meaning is conveyed by facial expressions, gestures, volume, tone of voice, pace and pauses. When we write, our meaning is made by incorporating punctuation marks such as full stops, commas, question marks, apostrophes and speech marks. Punctuation is the written code for the signs and sounds of spoken English. Two punctuation marks which can be a little confusing in terms of their use are the semicolon (;) and the colon (:). When a teacher recently asked me about the differences between the two, I thought it useful to include in this week’s newsletter.
Semicolons indicate pauses which are longer than commas but shorter than full stops. In most cases, a semicolon could be replaced by a full stop, but this would not highlight the connection between the two statements. The uses of the semicolon are as follows:
1. The main purpose of a semicolon is to emphasise the link between clauses which could have been separate sentences.
Laura likes poetry; it’s so powerful.
Steve Waugh was the selector’s first choice; he was focused, intelligent and determined to succeed.
2. A semicolon can be used when items on a list need to be clearly separated.
Bring a jumper; a pair of jeans; your toothbrush; a hat with a broad brim and some sunscreen.
Those on the senior debating team were Noah, the English Advanced representative; Annabelle, the English Standard representative; and Declan, the English Studies representative.
3. A semicolon is also used when a clause begins with words such as 'that is', 'however', 'for instance', 'moreover,' 'therefore', ‘indeed’, ‘consequently’.
We want to go trekking in Nepal later this year; however, we have made no definite plans.
I just love everything about this place; for example, the way you can float down the mountain at dusk.
A colon is like a gate in a sentence: it opens the way for a further explanation. Colons are used to do the following:
1. separate a statement from one which explains or expands on it
Check your bag to see if you have the following: a notebook, a pen, a pencil, a ruler and some blank sheets of paper.
2. introduce a list
I gave Anna four books: The Stranger by Albert Camus, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl.
3. introduce a quotation
As Stephen King says: ‘Books are a uniquely portable magic’.
I chose this Stephen King quote because I agree wholeheartedly with its message. Books are most definitely unique, portable and magical. A Chinese proverb uses a simple yet beautiful simile to capture this portability and magic: ‘A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.’ As we reach the end of a very busy term, it would be wonderful if, during the break, we all picked up a book and let it work its magic. I plan to reread Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as I will be introducing this text to Year 8 Emerald at the start of next term. The last time I read this book was about fifteen years ago. It will be interesting to see what type of experience this reading will provide. While the book is obviously the same, I have undoubtedly changed. In the reading of any book, we co-author the text by bringing to the words on the page our own worldview, life experiences, beliefs and assumptions. I’m looking forward to seeing what might unfold in this next reading. I may share my encounter with Mark Twain’s book next term in Literacy Links. Happy reading!
Mrs Clare Murphy
English Coordinator and Literacy Instructional Coach
King Tutankhamun reigned Egypt as a pharaoh until his death at the age of 19 in the year 1324 B.C. Until 1922, when British archaeologist Howard Carter chiseled through a wall and entered the young pharaoh's tomb, which had been sealed for more than 3,200 years. He was hardly known to the modern world. The tomb's massive collection of artifacts and riches, which were meant to accompany the king into the afterlife, revealed a great deal about royal life in ancient Egypt and rapidly made King Tut the most renowned pharaoh in the world.
The tomb of Tutankhamun was constructed by the Year 11 Ancient History class consisting of key artefacts and an engaging tomb layout. The virtual tour that took place on 16 June had a considerable amount of both time and effort put into it which led to an educational and interactive tomb. The tomb perfectly depicted the religious beliefs that the Egyptians had in regards to the afterlife. To ensure immortality after death, they executed an elaborate set of funerary practices, to what they believed would be a necessity to them in the afterlife. The layout of the tomb closely replicated the real Tutankhamun tomb and allowed students to create their own opinion by walking through the tomb. Whilst doing this, they gathered and developed a more complex and deeper understanding of the tomb and what laid within it. The construction of the tomb incorporated notable artefacts upon each room. The several artifacts found in the tomb by Howard Carter included statues, gold jewelry, Tutankhamun’s mummified body, chariots, model boats, canopic jars, chairs, and paintings. In all, over 5,000 objects were inside the tomb. In saying this, Carter and his team took 10 years to catalog everything.
Constructing Tutankhamun’s Tomb was a unique learning experience for both Year 7 and Year 11. It enabled us to consolidate preliminary course content in preparation for our Term 2 Ancient History exam. It was also a form of active recall as we were able to develop strong links between content and source materials, in order to memorise the significance and function of key artefacts and thus develop our source analysis skills. Crafting, placing and organising the various artefacts was an engaging way to review information in preparation for the exam.
Similarly, the tomb was also a learning experience for the Year 7 HSIE classes, as they were able to view the tomb, and virtually scan artefacts using their phones in order to learn more information about each one. The Year 7 classes were also given a worksheet that they had to complete as they progressed through the tomb, the use of the virtual scanning as well as the worksheet resulted in an overall engaging and interesting experience. Students in year 7 shared that they found "it was very interesting and it was a fun experience" and that they “ liked how we could scan and interact".
The reconstruction of Tutankhamun’s Tomb was a practical demonstration of the Year 11 class’ knowledge regarding the case study in the Ancient History course. The exhibition was an amalgamated learning experience for Year 7 as it provided them the opportunity to learn about the subject using both practical and theoretical applications simultaneously by engaging with the contents of the recreated tomb.
Year 11 AHI Authors: Lara Esaid, Gabriel Garcia, Madison Cameron, Clare Feiloakitohi, Shania Menezes, Sara Bhambak, Abbey Walker, Taylor Durnin, Jazlynn Klarich, Jack Latu.
Recreational Sport
Thank you to all students for their participation in recreational sport throughout this term. Below are a few reminders for recreational sport as we move forward to Semester 2:
- Gyms - students attending gyms must ensure that they have a sweat towel
- Year 7 Swimming - students are to bring appropriate swimwear, goggles and a cap (if possible). Students are given time at the pools to get changed
- Students attending the following venues must return an additional note that the venue will request before entering: F45, Live Well Gym, Ninja Warrior (Burns Outdoor Fitness), UFC Gym, Avion Aerial Arts. These notes are available on Compass and in the front office.
- Semester 2 - students in Years 7, 8 and 9 follow a sport pattern for the whole year however years 10/11 select their sport preferences on a semester by semester basis. Years 10 and 11 students are to carefully check Compass in the first week back to ensure that they are familiar with their Semester 2 sport group.
COVID-19 Updates
With the current directives, students are to wear a mask when travelling on sport buses. Students are reminded of the importance of practicing good hygiene practices before, during and after participating in sport.
Term 3 MISA Trials
An announcement has been posted to the Compass Dashboard which provides instructions for students who are interested in attending a trial for Term 3.
- The first phase of trials took place for all sports during this week. Trials will also occur in Week 1 of Term 3.
- Students wishing to be considered for selection must attend the trial.
Diocesan Athletics Carnival
The Diocesan Athletics Carnival will be held on Friday 23 July. The Athletics team list has been posted outside the sports office window. Students will receive their permission note during week 1. Key details of the event can be seen below:
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Date: Friday, 23rd July, 2021 |
Location: Campbelltown Sports Stadium |
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Arrival: 08:00am (report to Mr King upon arrival) |
Finish: 03:30pm (approximately) |
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Transport: Students are to make their own way to and from the venue. Limited transport will be available via the College mini bus. Please contact Ms Bowen if you require transport. |
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Uniform: College Sports Uniform (a singlet will be provided on the day) |
Students must bring: Lunch, Snacks, Water bottle, Sunscreen, Running Shorts |
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Food: Students are expected to bring their own food. |
Additional information: Students are welcome to bring a smaller bag. |
Term 3 Diocesan Events
- July 19 - Netball Championships 2021
- July 23 - Athletics 2021
MISA Sport Uniforms
Students are reminded that although the College provides uniforms for most sports, this uniform must be returned to their coach before they leave the venue. Students are not to take items home with them unless specifically directed to do so by the Sports Coordinator.
NSWCCC Sport Registrations
A reminder that students and their parents are responsible for monitoring the closing dates of NSWCCC Sport Registrations. Information regarding upcoming events can be accessed via https://csnsw.sport/events
NSWCCC is a pathway suitable for students playing a representative level of their sport outside of school. For instructions on how to register go to - https://csnsw.sport/help/help-guide-for-parents
NSWCCC Sport Registrations 2021
- Individual Registrations for the following sports to attend a NSWCCC Selection - AFL, Baseball, Basketball, Cricket, Diving, Golf, Hockey, Netball, Rugby, Softball, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball, Water Polo
- Registrations for the following sports is through a Diocesan/Association Selection - Athletics, Cross Country, Football, Swimming, Touch, Rugby League
Representative Pathways
- MISA Website https://www.misaonline.org.au/
- 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
- SCHOOL SPORT AUSTRALIA SPORT NEWS
More School Sport Australia information can be found at
http://www.schoolsportaustralia.edu.au/
For the most up to date information regarding NSWCCC events collow CSNSW Sport on social media:
Miss Sarah Bowen
(Acting College Sport Coordinator - bowens01@dow.catholic.edu.au)
MOUNT CARMEL NETBALL CLUB
Results 19 June 2021
- 14B’s defeated Bluejays 26 - 15
- 14A’s defeated by Campbelltown North 6 - 41
- 15’s defeated Campbelltown North 31 - 16
- Grad B’s defeated Eaglevale 21 - 20
- Division 8 defeated Macquarie Fields 21 - 18
- Division 6 forfeited game
The Second Hand Uniform Shop is open on the following days.
Term 3 2021
- 2 August - 2.30pm - 4pm
- 6 September - 2.30pm - 4pm