Dear Parents, Teachers and Students,


St Patrick’s Day
We have had a lovely St Patrick’s Day and Mt Carmel was a sea of green today. Thanks to 4SS for leading us in prayer this morning, and a special thanks to Charlotte Alexander, Caelan Cassidy and Rory Swadling for their help with providing live music for the prayer service. Thank you to the students and families of Year 5 and 6 for their generous support of our Stage 3 Cake Stall. Between the gold coin donation for our green day and sales from the cake stall at recess, I am proud to say that Mt Carmel has collectively raised $800 for Project Compassion. Well done, everybody!

Interim Reports and Parent-Teacher Interviews
This Friday, Interim Reports will be sent home. Please be mindful that, at this early stage in the year, its purpose is not to report on students’ academic achievement, but to provide parents with a broad overview of their child’s engagement with learning. The indicators on the Interim Report are in alignment with the Engagement with Learning section of the Semester One Report that will be completed at the end of next term.

Parent-Teacher Interviews will be held next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Week 8, from 3:30pm to 6pm each afternoon. Interviews will be conducted in your child’s classroom and have been allocated fifteen-minute timeslots. Please be respectful of this time limit as teachers have many interviews to conduct and other parents will be waiting to commence. Please also be mindful of our COVID-19 guidelines: do not attend interviews if you are experiencing any symptoms of respiratory illness, sanitise your hands upon entering the classroom and practise appropriate social-distancing when on school grounds.

Bookings will open from 3:30pm this afternoon; click here or go to the Parents tab on the school website to make a booking. Please telephone the school office if you are unable to access the online booking system. 

National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence
This Friday is the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence, and we will be marking the day by taking part in the Bullying—No Way! initiative. Bullying is a word that carries a great deal of weight, and in many instances it is used to describe things that are not bullying at all. The national definition of bullying for all Australian schools defines bullying as an ongoing misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that causes physical and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power over one or more persons. Bullying can happen in person or online, and it can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert). Bullying of any form or for any reason can have long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders. Single incidents and conflict or fights between equals, whether in person or online, are not defined as bullying. Any adverse interpersonal interactions or conflicts, whether considered to be acts of bullying or not, need to be appropriately resolved. If you have any concerns about what your child is experiencing at school, it is important to speak with their class teacher promptly. 


School Cross Country Carnival
Next Friday, 26 March, Mt Carmel will be running the 3-6 Cross Country Carnival at Walker Park. Students will be leaving school directly from morning lines to walk to the venue, with races commencing for 8-year-olds at approximately 9:30am. We will return to school in time for recess at 10:50am. Students in Year 2 who are turning 8 this year may compete at the 3-6 carnival; however, there will be a separate K-2 Cross Country event held at school from 12:30pm on the same day, so it is our recommendation that Year 2 participation in the 3-6 carnival is for serious runners only. Parents are welcome to attend both the 3-6 and K-2 carnivals as spectators but, again, please be mindful of COVID-19 restrictions: do not attend if you are experiencing any symptoms of respiratory illness and please practise appropriate social-distancing.


NAPLAN
This year, in May, Years 3 and 5 students at Mt Carmel will be completing NAPLAN online. Next Thursday participating students will undertake a 45-minute practice test to familiarise them with the online testing environment.


May God’s peace be in your families, 


Michael Green
Principal