Dear Parents, Teachers and Students,


Student Leadership
This Friday, nominations close for Year 5 students who are seeking formal leadership positions in 2025, that is, School Captains, Vice-Captains, House Captains and SRC Representatives. At Mt Carmel, our student leaders are appointed, not elected, and the process begins with students completing a nomination form addressing a selection criteria. 

The next stage of the process is for all nominees to present a speech to the school at a special assembly on Thursday 28 November at 11:30am; parents are warmly invited to attend.

The final step in the selection process will be Leadership interviews on Tuesday 3 December.


End-of-Year Events
Now that we have passed the mid-term hump and are on the downhill run to Christmas, we are excited to be able to invite families to join us in our end-of-year celebrations. 
Advent starts this year on Sunday 1 December, and 4 Gold will be hosting our first Advent prayer service at 9am on Monday in Week 8. 4 Blue will be hosting our 2nd Week of Advent prayer service at the same time in Week 9, and 5 Red will be hosting our 3rd Week of Advent prayer service in Week 10.

Our whole-school Christmas Concert will be held on Friday 13 December, Week 9, at 12pm under the shade-cloth, featuring a Nativity play and a range of traditional and modern Christmas performances. 

Following Week 10’s Advent prayer service on Monday 16 December, we will have a Year 3-5 awards assembly to recognise the efforts and achievements of our Primary students. Parents will be notified in advance if their child will be receiving an award and are welcome to attend. 

Tuesday 17 December is the last day of attendance for Year 6 students, and we will be holding our Graduation Mass at 9:30am in St Augustine’s Church, with Year 6 awards being presented in the church at the conclusion of Mass. After Recess, at 11:30am, we will hold our traditional Farewell Assembly to wish our School Leaders well for their journey to High School. On that evening, we will host the Year 6 Farewell Party in the PAC from 5pm to 7pm.

A separate letter with details of Year 6 events will be sent to families next week.

All of these events are listed on our school calendar, which can be found on our website at https://www.mtcarmel.nsw.edu.au/calendar.


Northern Region Chess Competition
This Thursday, Mt Carmel will be hosting the Northern Region Chess Competition, with students from Catholic primary schools across our region coming together to test their strategic and intellectual mettle in a round-robin tournament. The competition to select our own representatives has been fierce, with play-offs happening at recess and lunch time Chess Club meetings over the last few weeks – congratulations to Oliver Irwin, Gabriel Dunstan, Rory Doyle and Jack Butt! Best of luck to you all.


Feast of Christ the King Prayer Service
Next Monday 25 November at 9am, 3 Red will be leading our prayer service for the Feast of Christ the King in the PAC. As always, families are warmly invited to attend.


Daytime Discos are Back for Term 4
Next Friday 29 November, the SRC will be hosting a Daytime Disco at school, with a Back to the 80’s theme – students are invited to get out their glad rags, slip on their dancing shoes and get ready to boogie. Although it’s a mufti day, safety is always important, so please ensure that clothing is sun-safe and that enclosed shoes are worn. The K-2 Disco will be at recess, 3-6 at lunch time. Entry is free, but the SRC will be running a canteen, so bring some money if you’d like to buy a treat for recess or lunch.


High School Orientation Days
In the coming weeks, many of our Year 6 students will be attending High School orientation days. Getting ready for the transition to High School can be a very exciting phase of life, with a real sense of growing up; it can also be a cause for worries as children face the reality of leaving behind a well-known environment and peer group to step into something new. The following links may provide families with some useful resources and advice about how to support your child through a successful transition to High School, and there is a fact sheet attached to this newsletter for your information.

https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/school-learning/school-choosing-starting-moving/moving-schools

https://beyou.edu.au/resources/sessions-and-events/primary-to-secondary-school-transitions

School Fee Discounts for Students with Siblings Attending a Systemic Catholic Secondary School
The Catholic Education Commission offers a variety of tuition discounts based on the number of children in a family enrolled in a Systemic Catholic School, including a 40% discount to the primary tuition fee if a student has a sibling enrolled in a Systemic Secondary School. In previous years, this discount has had to be applied for annually; however, with the implementation of a CE-wide finance system, the family discount should now be applied automatically and the previously used application form does not need to be submitted. If you are expecting this discount, especially for the first time (that is, if the eldest child in your family will be attending a Catholic Systemic school in Year 7 next year), please check your Term 1 fee statement carefully next year when it arrives and contact the school office if you believe there are any discrepancies.

May God’s peace be in your families, 

Michael Green
Principal

Religious Education in the Classroom
Welcome to Week 6! Year 1 students are examining how sacred actions can be a powerful form of communication of God's presence. Students are exploring the definition of the Sacrament of Baptism and students were invited to share their photographs of their own baptism.

I asked a few 1 Green students what baptism means to them and below are their answers:

Winnie: Baptism is something when you become a part of God’s family.

Mila: Baptism is when you get some water tipped on your head by a shell or little jar when you were a baby. It makes you become part of God’s family.

Josie: It is when you get blessed and you go to a church.

Jayden: When you are a baby and it makes you part of God’s family.

Liam: Baptism is when you become God’s family.

Chris: Baptism is about putting someone in the river or in the water (baptismal font).

1 Red visited St. Augustine’s Church to have a look at the baptismal font and talk about the rituals that we follow when we visit God’s house.

Religious Life of Mt Carmel School

Remembrance Day Prayer Service
Thank you to Mrs Hogan and 2 Blue for preparing and leading a beautiful prayer service for Remembrance Day. 

Christ the King Feast Day
3 Red will be leading a prayer service on Monday 25 November to celebrate the feast day of Christ the King, at 9 am in the PAC. Parents and friends are invited to join us. 

Youth Ministry
This term, Mt Carmel School’s Ministry Team have organised mini faith retreats for the Year 5 students in preparation for their Journeying with Jesus retreat in Term 1, 2025. This involves our current Year 6 Youth Ministry Team leading small groups in faith formation experiences focusing on prayer and exploring why we need a backpack with a first aid kit, a torch, and a water bottle to help us on our journey with Jesus. 

Vinnies Christmas Appeal
Last Thursday 14 November, the Vinnies Canberra School Team visited Mt Carmel School to launch the Vinnies Christmas Appeal. The sessions focused on:

How does Vinnies help?

What could we donate?

How do these donations help people?

Why can Christmas be a hard time for these people?

What could we donate at Christmas time to help?

Christmas can be a hard time for some people but we can help!

Each classroom was provided with a basket for donations. At the end of the term, the donations will be collected by St Augustine’s Conference, Yass, of St Vincent de Paul. 

We are seeking your support to help those less fortunate in our community through generous donations of non-perishable food items. Your generosity and support is most appreciated. St Augustine’s Conference has requested the following items:

God our Father,

Help us to know of our salvation in your love poured out in Christ your Son.
Just as you have reserved a place for us at your heavenly table,
May there always be a place in our heart and so a chair at our table for those most in need
We ask this prayer through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

St Augustine’s Parish New

The next one is on Sunday 24 November 2024. All children are invited to be part of the activities centred around the particular weekend’s Gospel. 

Parish Mass
Click on this link for further details http://staug-yass.org.au/wp/sacraments/. 


Wishing you all a great week!

Enjoy your week!
Eva Karakotas
Religious Education Coordinator

Hail Mary, full of Grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Luke 1:26-28

Gecko Sports
The Gecko Sport crew will be running a tennis program with Primary students in weeks 6-10. We look forward to learning lots of new skills and having lots of fun!


Sports Trials
Congratulations to Milton McDonald who was selected to represent Canberra Goulburn in the boys cricket team at the MacKillop trials next Monday and Tuesday in Wagga. Well done and good luck Milton!


Canberra Goulburn/Wollongong Boys AFL Trial Information 2025
Date:Tuesday 18th February - 2025
Time:Timing

Management Arrival: 8:30am
Student Registration: 9:00am -9:15am
Trials Commence: 9:20am
Conclusion: Approx 1:00 - 1:30pm depending on numbers

Venue: South Thomas Dalton Park Fairy Meadow (South Fields)
Uniform: Football attire- mouthguards compulsory.
Registration: Registration is via the CSNSW website
Cost:$15.00

Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Tennis Trial Information 2025
Date: Thursday 28th November 2024
Time: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Venue: Belconnen Tennis Club. Halloran Place, Macquarie, ACT

Registration: Registrations are open on the CSNSW Sport Website – csnsw.sport. Please see the Registration Instructions for Parents 2020

Nominations Close: Friday 22nd November
Cost: $15.00 per student. Will also be through the NSWCSS Website
Uniform: Tennis Attire or School Sport uniform

Archdiocese of Canberra andGoulburn Basketball Trial Information 2025
Date: Tuesday 26th November 2024
Time: 10am - 2pm
Venue:Belconnen Basketball & Sports Centre 42 Oatley Court, Belconnen, ACT

Registration: Registrations are open on the CSNSW Sport Website – csnsw.sport. Please see the Registration Instructions for Parents 2020

Nominations Close: Friday 22nd November
Cost: $20.00 per student – Will also be through the CSNSW Website

Ted Dunstan
Sports Coordinator

End of Borrowing
As of Monday, 2 December, Week 8, students will no longer be able to borrow books from the Library. All books are to be returned to the library by the end of Week 8. 


Natalie Broers
Teachr Librarian

Congratulations to the recipients of the Week 4 Mt Carmel Awards.
These awards were handed out last Friday, 15 November, at morning assembly.

K Blue Lincoln Goode Peter Gorman	K Gold Ruby Kim Anna Leighton
1 Green Oliver Ryan Christopher Privett	1 Red Ava O'Mara Logan Hodgson Willem Kunneke
2 Blue Anna Gunthorpe Charles Jol	2 Gold Rosalind Clark Benjamin Shoring
3 Green Eve Davis Jax Cassidy Oliver Irwin	3 Red Chenuth Silva Blake Eldridge Barnaby Rainger
4 Blue Madeline Caldow Franklin Pitt	4 Gold Sophie Donoghue Benji Carroll
5 Green Alayla Dorris Jaxon Field Dylan O'Reilly Lachlan Inkster	5 Red Mabel Adie Mikayla Black James Roe
6 Blue Amber Watson Hunter Cullen Patrick Dawes	6 Gold Arlie Daly George Ballenger Justice-Jay Elliott-Miners

Congratulations to the recipients of the Week 5 Mt Carmel Awards.
These awards will be handed out this Friday, 22 November, at morning assembly.

K Blue Amelia Berekoven Harper Vukojevic	K Gold Olivia Logue Rigel Barker
1 Green Eliza Henshall Brooke Powell Josephine Mattappallil	1 Red Billie Taylor Toby Reardon Lewis Gianchou
2 Blue Samuel Logue Hennessey Rankin	2 Gold Charlie Butt Nicholas Da Deppo
3 Green Asher Gorman Mrs McEvoy	3 Red Hannah Maher Lachlan Black George Pidgeon
4 Blue Alia Lees-Campbell Joshua Salzke	4 Gold Evelyn Morris Aria Hodgson
5 Green Abby Hillman Rory Doyle Harrington Roser	5 Red Zoe Leahy Zara McEvoy Lachlan Walker
6 Blue Teia Hackett Bob O'Brien Jackson Shelton	6 Gold Olivia Scanlon Summer Litster Addyson Arnold Archer Regan

Kindergarten had the pleasure of Aaron Chatfield from Dreamtime Connections come and help them identify ways that Aboriginal Peoples connect with country, culture and community. He shared wisdom about bush tucker plants and tools. Kindergarten used cassinia to make band aids and blackwood wattle for bush soap. They will be busy using their new knowledge to design a bush tucker garden.

The last Playgroup for 2024 will be held on Thursday, 5 December.
We ask all parents to bring a plate to share for this end of year Christmas Party!   

Last week, the kids had a great time creating some amazing glasses! 

If you would like order from Issue 8, orders need to be placed by this Tuesday, 26 November.

 Please note that the front office is no longer able to accept cash/order forms for Book Club Orders. All orders must be placed via Loop. 

To view Issue 8, click on the image below.

To order from this issue, you will need an account on Loop.

To access Loop, please click below.

Drum Lessons  - Private Song Writing Lessons - Electronic Music Lessons

Gerard Noonan is offering private lessons in: Song writing, Electronic Music & Drum Kit in 2025 during the school day at Mt Carmel School. He has successfully completed tertiary subjects in these areas and is a registered Creative Kids Provider.

Call Gerard on 0408622819 for more information. 

https://nxtlvlfa.au/