Annual Satisfaction Survey
The annual satisfaction survey for parents, students and staff closes this Friday 9 August. Parents, if you did not receive an email inviting you to respond or if you have not yet submitted a survey response, you can use the following link to do so:
https://www.research.net/r/mountcarmelparent2019

Wakakirri
Last Wednesday evening our Stage 3 students performed their Wakakirri story-dance, Protecting Our Forest, at the Canberra Theatre. It is fascinating and exciting to have the opportunity to perform in a proper theatre and gain an insight into the behind-the-scenes workings back-stage at a full production. On the night Mt Carmel was presented with the Spirit of Wakakirri Award, Most Creative reuse of Materials for Sets and Props, and the Best Teamwork Award. Congratulations to all our students for a fine performance and to our Stage 3 teachers for their help, especially Katrina Grace and Tara Cassidy for their coordination and administration; a significant amount of time outside of school hours goes into preparing for such an event. Special thanks, also, to Andrew Harding for transporting  our sets to and from the Theatre.

The Peace Garden
As part of their Japanese lessons, the students and Mrs Miller have been planning a Japanese garden for the school grounds. On Tuesday the beginning stage of the garden was opened with the standing of a Torii gate that marks the entrance to the space. A Torii is a traditional Japanese gate that is most commonly found at the entrance of a Shinto shrine and symbolically marks a sacred space. The garden has been named a ‘Peace Garden’ as the opening coincided with the 74-year anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, which occurred on 6 August 1945. As part of our Mt Carmel Day activities, all students wrote a prayer, hope or wish for peace and forgiveness, and these were placed on a thick rope—in Japanese, shimenawa—that is hung across the gate. The Peace Garden will be accessible to all students during Recess and Lunch breaks as a place of quiet reflection. Special thanks to Richard Miller for his assistance in erecting the Torii.

Pyjama Day
This Friday 9 August, Mt Carmel will be supporting the Yass Valley SPIN Foundation's Pyjama Day. Everyone is invited to wear their favourite PJs to school and bring a gold-coin donation to support local families in need.

May God’s peace be in your families,