Principal Report

Dear Parents, Teachers and Students,

Update for Families on COVID-19
Mt Carmel School and Catholic Education continue to take advice from health authorities in relation to COVID-19. The Catholic Education Office has a team that is actively monitoring the COVID-19 situation as it develops, paying particular attention to local hotspots and organising support for schools where required. We understand that the situation is fairly fluid and we will communicate directly with you should there be any important changes in relation to our school operations in the coming weeks. We remind all families:

If your child is unwell, they should not attend school.
Please ensure that anyone who presents with COVID-19 symptoms in your family is tested.
Parents should avoid routinely entering the school where possible but can attend scheduled school events and meetings with teachers where required (physical distancing and hygiene measures still apply).

Should you have any questions in relation to our school and COVID-19, please feel free to contact our office. The revised easing of Restrictions Roadmap for Schools is attached to this newsletter, for your reference.

SZapp Update
iPhone users may have been experiencing issues with SZapp, resulting in notifications from the school being received only intermittently. An updated version of the app, which addresses this issue – version 3.6.0, is available as a free download from the App Store now and we advise all iPhone users to install this version to ensure that notifications and important messages are received correctly.

Annual Satisfaction Survey
The annual satisfaction survey of parents, students and staff will be conducted on behalf of all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese this term. The surveys are designed to gather feedback from parents, staff and students about our school and will be used to inform school improvement. Responses are confidential and individuals can not be identified. The surveys will be launched via email this Friday 7 August using email addresses supplied to the school. If you do not receive an email with a link to the survey and would like to contribute to this important feedback, a link will be provided in next week’s Carmeletta.

School Photos
School Photos will be happening next Monday 10 August, Week 4. Students should wear their full academic winter uniform, including the school jumper. Please contact the school office if you would like to receive a Family Photo order form.

Feast of St Mary MacKillop
This Friday 7 August is the Feast of St Mary MacKillop and 2AH will be leading our Prayer Service to celebrate the Feast Day of Australia’s first saint. Because of COVID-19 restrictions we will not be gathering as a whole school in the PAC, rather we will be holding a school-wide simultaneous prayer service through all of our classrooms. A link will be made available for families who wish to join our prayer service on Friday morning, via SZapp.

School Counsellor
Our new school counsellor, Sharman Hampson, commences at Mt Carmel this week, each Friday and alternate Tuesdays from next week. Sharman is a social worker with many years’ experience in child and family roles as well as experience in child and adolescent mental health. She is warm and friendly and will be a wonderful addition to our school.

Money Owed to the Canteen
If a child comes to school without recess and/or lunch, or a late order is placed at the front office for a child's lunch on a canteen day, a note is sent home for money owed to canteen to be made via Qkr.

Unfortunately, we currently have $220 outstanding from orders that have yet not been paid for over the last three terms. If payment can be made as soon as the account is sent home it would be apprecaited.

May God’s peace be in your families,

Michael Green
Principal