Welcome Back
I would like to extend a very warm welcome back for Term 3 to all students, families and staff. I trust that the two-week break provided an opportunity to refresh and unwind, and that all are now ready to take on the challenges of a new term. It’s been lovely catching up with students on the playground and hearing about their holiday break. On our Staff PL Day Monday, Mt Carmel teachers gathered with staff from Ss Peter and Paul’s Goulburn, St Joseph’s Goulburn and St Bede’s Braidwood for a wonderful day with teacher and musician Andrew Chinn, exploring music for prayer, liturgy and scripture.


Lost Property
On the last day of school last term, two Razor scooters and two matching helmets—one pink, one blue—were left in the bike cage. They were moved into the office for safekeeping and are waiting to be claimed. Also a pair of black and pink Converse glasses have been handed to the office. 

NAIDOC Mass
NAIDOC Week celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and is a great opportunity for all Australians to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This year’s theme for NAIDOC Week is, ‘Voice. Treaty. Truth. Let's work together for a shared future’. On Friday Mr Ziebowski and I, along with our Aboriginal students and selected student leaders, will travel to Canberra to attend the NAIDOC Mass at St Christopher’s Cathedral.

100 Days of Kindergarten
Next Monday 29 July marks a special day for some of our students—100 days of Kindergarten! KJG and KNB will mark the day with a fun exploration of the number 100.

Mt Carmel Day
The feast day of Our Lady of Mt Carmel is on 16 July, but as this occurred during the school holidays we will be celebrating the Feast next Friday 2 August. The day will commence with a whole-school Mass at 9:45am in St Augustine’s Church; parents and families are most welcome to join us at this Mass. After Recess students will participate in rotation activities to learn about our history, have fun with their friends and celebrate our wonderful school. 

Flu
There are always plenty of bugs and germs going around in the winter months and this year has been no exception, with lots of students and teachers away sick towards the end of last term. There have been several confirmed cases of Influenza A within the school community so if your child is unwell, especially with symptoms of fever, cough, body aches and lethargy, please do not send them to school.

Afternoon Bus / Pickup
This term we will be trialling a new afternoon routine. Bus lines will now be held in the PAC; there is more space for everyone to sit and students can be more comfortable regardless of weather conditions. Students who are awaiting pickup from the front gate will now sit on the benches outside the PAC where bus lines used to be. This should reduce congestion around the front gate and school office at what is always a busy time of day.

Road Safety
The start of a new term is a good time for my regular reminders about road safety and courtesy to our neighbours. 

The NSW Centre for Road Safety notes that children are fast and small, impulsive, easily distracted and have little or no sense of danger. They find it hard to judge the direction of sounds, the speed and distance of oncoming vehicles and the gaps between them and are still learning to identify safe crossing places and anticipate driver behaviour. Boys are twice as likely to be involved in child pedestrian casualties as girls. 

Ways to improve your child's safety

• Children up to eight years old should hold an adult's hand on the footpath, in the car park or when crossing the road.
• Children up to 10 should be supervised around traffic and should hold an adult's hand when crossing the road.
• When walking with your children, talk to them about  about safe crossing procedures and traffic safety regulations
• Set a good example. Parents and carers are the best road safety teachers.
• Teach your children to be aware of the traffic environment: distractions such as wearing headphones or playing with friends on the way to or from school can make them more vulnerable to danger.
• Make sure your driving and parking are not endangering your own or others' children. Obey all parking signs and speed limits, and always be on the lookout for the unexpected. Many traffic safety issues around schools arise from the poor driving and parking behaviour of parents.
• Never call your child across the road.

Please park only in marked spaces on Meehan and Rossi Streets and on the far side of Dutton Street. Please remember that, before and after school, the near side of Dutton Street is designated as a Bus Zone in front of the PAC and as No Parking from the school office to Meehan St. In a No Parking zone, drivers are permitted to stop for up to two minutes to pick up or drop off passengers and must remain within three metres of their vehicle. Please also note that it is illegal to perform a U-Turn across the double, unbroken lines that run the length of Dutton Street. Many traffic and parking offences carry additional fines and demerits if committed within a designated School Zone, and this year there has been an increased police presence on the roads around our school. 

Please be patient and attentive to all road rules around the school; a few moments of inconvenience are a small price to pay for the ongoing safety of the children in our community.