Dear Parents, Teachers and Students, 

COVID-19 Update
Yesterday our school received updated advice from NSW Health and Catholic Education concerning new NSW Guidelines for responding to COVID-19 in schools. The main change in advice that will affect families is the requirement that students (or staff) who are kept or sent home sick with flu-like symptoms be tested for COVID-19 and not return to school until they return a negative COVID-19 result and are symptom free. It is a mandated requirement from NSW Health that the school sight a copy of the negative test result prior to allowing the student or staff member to return. I understand and fully appreciate that this measure will cause considerable inconvenience for many; however, the safety and wellbeing of everyone in our school community is and must remain our highest priority. 

Other significant requirements of the new guidelines and their impacts on our school include the following:

• Schools are to limit mixing of year groups wherever possible — the Peer Support program planned to commence this term must be postponed and some lunchtime clubs will not be able to operate.
• Activities such as choirs and chanting in group settings are not permitted — school choir is on hold until further notice and the Mr Tim incursion planned for later this term must be postponed.
• No parent-helpers in classrooms — It is still the case that parents may visit the school for essential purposes (i.e. to pick up children or to discuss urgent wellbeing or behavioural issues); canteen volunteers are still allowed.
• Kindergarten Orientation and transition to school activities to be on hold until further notice — our Kinder Orientation is planned for early Term 4; if necessary this will be postponed and/or alternative arrangements made.
• No school-related social activities, including dinners, dances and graduation ceremonies — we are actively investigating alternative options for our regular end-of-year events. 

These guidelines do not apply to playground activities (before school, recess, lunch).

As usual, parents are asked to exercise social distancing any time they are entering school grounds, especially at pick-up time. 


Community Council Nominations
Earlier this term nominations were sought to fill three vacant positions on the school Community Council, and sufficient nominations were received that an election must be held. On Friday a letter will be sent to all families, containing a brief statement from each nominee, a ballot paper and an envelope for returning the ballot. Ballot papers must be received by 3:30pm on Friday 28 August to be counted; results will be announced in the Week 7 Carmeletta. 

Congratulations, Paige
During our period of Remote Learning at the beginning of Term 2, one task that Stage 3 students completed as a reflection on the significance of Anzac Day was to compose a 'letter to a soldier’. Paige Maher’s response to this task has been published on The Australian War Memorial’s Classroom Showcase website and can be seen by visiting the following link:

https://www.awm.gov.au/learn/schools/showcase

Congratulations, Paige, for your wonderful writing!

Northern Region Public Speaking
Students in Years 3 to 6 have been composing and delivering speeches in preparation for the annual Northern Region Public Speaking competition. Two students from each year level will be chosen to represent Mt Carmel in the competition, to be held via Zoom, next Thursday 27 August. Families of representative students will be provided with a link to view the live-streamed event. Good luck to all!

May God’s peace be in your families,

Michael Green
Principal