Dear Parents, Teachers and Students,

Welcome to Term 2
I wish all our students, parents and teachers a very warm welcome to Term 2 and I hope that the holiday break was a refreshing and relaxing time for all. 

During the holidays, we received the sad news of the passing of our beloved Pope, Francis. By coincidence, Mrs Karakotas happened to be in Rome with her family at the time of the Pope's funeral, and she has included some beautiful photographs of the Eternal City in her Religious Education report further in this newsletter.

Our prayers now are with the conclave, which commences today, to elect a new Pope – a significant moment in the history of the Catholic Church.

“The election of a pope is not a political act, nor is it merely administrative. It is, when properly understood, a deeply spiritual moment of discernment, when the church seeks a shepherd after the heart of Christ.” Mons. Andrzej Choromanski.

O God, eternal shepherd,
who govern your flock with unfailing care,
grant in your boundless fatherly love
a pastor for your Church
who will please you by his holiness
and to us show watchful care.

My sincere thanks to all who were able to join us to represent Mt Carmel at the Yass ANZAC Day parade on the last Friday of the Easter break. That so many in our community were prepared to give up time in their holidays to honour the service of others is truly admirable. Congratulations and thanks to our Year 6 classes and teachers for leading our Easter and ANZAC Day Prayer Assemblies last week.

School Fees
During the holidays, families should have received information about the recommencement of direct debits as an option for payment of school fees. I encourage families to consider this as a convenient option to stay on top of school fees, and also avoid some of the fees and charges associated with CompassPay. As always, if school fees are causing any financial difficulty, please contact the school office to arrange a confidential discussion about how we may be able to assist. It remains our position that no child will be denied Catholic schooling simply because of an inability of a parent/carer to meet financial requirements. 

School Uniform 
Our students look fabulous in their winter uniform – thank you to all our parents for being so supportive of our uniform policy. A reminder that this policy has been updated to reflect current advice that the minimum standard of sun-protection measures, including the wearing of a broad-brimmed, bucket or legionnaire hat, should be applied from August through May (all year except June-July). Given that these are minimum standards, to avoid confusion and promote sun-safe habits, we will be enforcing the ‘No Hat, Play in the Shade’ rule all year.

If you have purchased new uniform items, please ensure that every item is clearly labelled with your child’s name. Any lost property that comes to the office with a legible name is always promptly returned. I also ask parents to regularly check that the jumper or sports jacket your child brings home is their own – they all look the same from the outside, and children will often just grab the nearest one and shove it into their bag at the end of the day.


Parent-Teacher Interviews
Thank you to parents who took the opportunity, either via Teams or face-to-face, to meet with their child’s teacher at the end of last term; I hope that the conversation was helpful and supportive of your child’s learning and wellbeing. Please know that, if you were unable to meet on Friday, or if an occasion ever arises that a conversation with your child’s teacher is necessary, parents are always welcome to make an appointment to meet with their child’s teacher at a mutually convenient time.


Colour Run
Our final day of Term 1 was tremendous fun and, thanks to everyone's combined fundraising efforts, I had an interesting walk home, with more than a few curious glances from passing motorists and other members of the public. There are still some students who have not claimed fundraising prizes via their online account – you have until this Friday 9 May to do so.

My sincere thanks to the Mt Carmel School Community Council for their organisation and support of this event; all funds raised are going directly towards improving our shade infrastructure on the playground.

Northern Region Cross-Country
Well done to all who participated in last Friday's Northern Region Cross Country in Braidwood. Congratulations to Samuel Logue, Max Hanns, Zoey Mitchell, Harvey Matthews and Milton McDonald who all qualified for the Canberra Goulburn Carnival next Friday 16 May at Stromlo Park, Canberra.

2026 Enrolments 
Our enrolment drive for 2026 has begun. If you have a pre-school child ready for Kindergarten, it’s time to enrol now. Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn has an online enrolment form, which can be accessed by clicking the link below. An interview will be organised once the enrolment application is received. If your friends have a child starting in Kindergarten next year, please encourage them to consider Mt Carmel as an option for their children’s education. We will be holding Open Day tours on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 May, with a School Showcase Evening in the Lacey Library at 6pm on Thursday 22 May. To book a tour or to RSVP for the Showcase evening, go to https://forms.gle/SLYm3hswhVixHQwW6.

Enrol Now: (https://enrolments.mtcarmel.nsw.edu.au/nsw-schools/start).


School Photos 
School photos will take place next Monday 12 May (Week 3); students are to wear their full winter uniform, including jumper. Photo orders can be placed via your child’s Compass profile. If you experience any difficulty accessing this, please contact the school office. Families with three or more siblings at the school are eligible for a free family portrait if they order three individual student packs but need to call MSP directly on 6255 9208 to organise this deal.


Year 5 Camp
Next week I will be joining Year 5 and their teachers on camp at Warrambui. It is always wonderful to spend time with students in an environment away from school, where they get to participate in a range of activities that develop their character and leadership skills in a way that the classroom cannot match. My sincere thanks, in advance, to the staff who give so generously of their time so that our students can experience school camp.

Walk Safely to School Day
Next Friday 16 May is National Walk Safely to School Day, and Mt Carmel is encouraging as many families as possible to participate. If there is anyone who lives too far from school to walk the whole way but would still like to participate, we will be hosting a “Walking School Bus”. We will meet at the Liberty Theatre corner from 8am, and at 8:15am we will walk down the main street, crossing Meehan St at the lights, up Rossi Street and then enter school via the Dutton St entrance. Parents and families are welcome to join in; no bikes or scooters, please. 

Walk Safely to School Day is part of National Road Safety Week, so I will also take this opportunity to remind all families about the importance of traffic safety around our school. I ask all parents to model safe behaviour when driving, parking and crossing roads around the school. If you park opposite the school on Dutton St at pickup time, please cross the road to collect your child from the gate in person, rather than calling them across the road, and do not cross Dutton St in the Bus Zone. Please also be mindful of courtesy to our neighbours when parking, and remember that that the length of Dutton St from the school office to the Meehan St intersection is a No Parking Zone before and after school, so you can use these spaces to drop-off or pick up, but if you leave your vehicle, you may be booked.

Vinnies CEO Sleepout
In Week 8 I will be joining a team of Catholic Principals from our Archdiocese in support of the Vinnies CEO Sleepout. On Thursday 19 June, I will be sleeping rough at the Museum of Australian Democracy, at Old Parliament House, to help raise funds and awareness for the vital work Vinnies does in our region supporting individuals and families experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness. Whether because of cost of living pressures, the experience of domestic and family violence, mental health concerns, addiction, or any number of other causes, the problem of homelessness is a terrible one; and although it is less visible in regional areas than in the metropolitan centres, families in our own community will be relying on Vinnies this winter for support.

My personal goal is to raise $4000 for this important cause this year. If you are in a position to help, please consider going to https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/michaelgreen/act to make a donation.

Happy Mother’s Day
And finally, I would like to wish a very happy Mothers Day to all the mums in our community. Our Mother’s Day Prayer Service will be at 9am on Friday, hosted by 2 Blue, and parents are welcome to attend. I hope that you have a wonderful Sunday, filled with love and joy, and may God bless each and every one of you.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of motherhood, for the strength, wisdom, and love you've poured into the hearts of all mothers. 

Bless them with your grace and favor as they nurture their families and guide their children. 

Grant them patience, understanding, and the strength to face the challenges of motherhood with grace and joy. 

May they always know your presence and be filled with your peace. 

In your name we pray, Amen.

Michael Green
Principal

Religious Life of Mt Carmel School
Welcome to Term 2! It is fantastic to see everyone after the holidays and I hope you all had a lovely time with your family and friends. We started the term with two important prayer services: Easter and ANZAC Day.

Easter Prayer Service
Thank you to Mrs Glover and 6 Blue for preparing and leading a reverent prayer service to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

ANZAC Day Prayer Service
Thank you to Mrs Field and 6 Gold for preparing and leading a beautiful prayer service to remember and honour those who fought to protect our beautiful lands. It is also an important day for us to stop and pray for peace – peace in our world, peace among people in our own country, peace in our families, and peace in our own hearts.

Mother’s Day Prayer Service
Students are excited about Mother’s Day and are busy preparing something special for their mothers and creating cards for St. Augustine’s Parish mothers. 2Blue will be leading a Mothers’ Day Prayer service on Friday 9 May 2025 at 9 am in the PAC. Parents and the wider community are warmly invited to attend. 


Pope Francis
Sadly, the world is mourning the death of Pope Francis who has had a significant impact on the world. My family and I were fortunate to be visiting Rome during the day leading up to the funeral preparations and the day of the funeral of Pope Francis. Below are a few photographs capturing memories of the day before Pope Francis was laid to rest at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.

Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore - preparing for the funeral.

In front of the basilica, very early in the morning, pilgrims and mourners gather the day before the funeral.

My family and I were able to cross through the basilica’s Holy Door (Porta Santa) before the basilica was closed for the funeral.  

‘In crossing the threshold of the Holy Door, the pilgrim is reminded of the passage from chapter 10 of St John’s gospel: “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” Passing through the Holy Door expresses the decision to follow and be guided by Jesus, who is the Good Shepherd. The door is a passageway that ushers the pilgrim into the interior of a church’ (https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/en/giubileo-2025/segni-del-giubileo/porta-santa.html).

The Papal conclave will begin today, May 7th, to elect the 267th Pope to lead our Catholic Church. Please keep the voting Cardinals in your prayers.


St Augustine’s Parish News
Please pray for the children as they prepare for their First Holy Communion.

Lord Jesus, 

Bless all the children preparing to receive Holy Communion for the first time.
May that day be an initial step into a life-long love of the Eucharist.
Give them a hunger for this sacred food so that they will turn to you for comfort, guidance and wisdom as they grow into full discipleship.
May their hands, extended in anticipation of your Body and Blood, inspire all of us to cherish this sacred sacrament.

Amen

Children's Liturgy

Children are invited to attend Children’s Liturgy every second and fourth Sunday of the month. 

Have a lovely week and wishing all mothers a great Mother’s day. 

Eva Karakotas
Religious Education Coordinator

Mt Carmel Athletics Carnival
Our athletics carnival is booked-in for Friday 30th May at Victoria Park. Over the next few weeks, students will be practising basic athletics skills and techniques during their sport sessions on Tuesdays and Fridays. The high jump event will be conducted at school prior to the carnival once the students have had a chance to practise. We will require lots of parental assistance for the carnival, if you are free on the day and would like to help out, please complete the Google form using the link below to register your interest. All Primary students (3-6) will be automatically registered for all events. If you know your child will not be present on the day or is unable to participate for any reason, please let me know on the Google form using the link below. If your child is in Year 2 and is 8 or turning 8 and you wish them to participate in the Primary carnival, please complete the Google form using the link below. Finally, we will be running the 1500m event prior to the carnival on Friday 23 May. Students who have registered will walk down to Victoria Park with me after lunch to run the event. The 1500m event is an open event so only 3 boys and 3 girls are selected from the school to represent Mt Carmel at Northern Region. Therefore, it is recommended for, but not restricted to, upper primary students. If you would like your child to participate in this event, please complete the Google form using the link below.

To be a parent helper at the carnival, click here.

If your child will be absent or unable to participate in the carnival, click here.

If your child is in Year 2 and you would like them to participate in the primary carnival, click here.

If you would like to register your child for the 1500m event, click here.|



Northern Region Cross-Country
Congratulations to: Samuel Logue, Max Hanns, Zoey Mitchell, Harvey Matthews and Milton McDonald who all qualified for the Canberra Goulburn Carnival next Friday 16th May at Stromlo Park, Canberra. Congratulations to all those students who participated and good luck to those students competing next Friday.


Sport Trials
Canberra Goulburn (Primary) Touch Football Trials (Boys and Girls) - for 2025
Date: 13 May 2025 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Location: Southwell Park
Address: Northbourne Avenue, Lyneham, 2603, ACT
Registration: Registration is through the CSNSW Sport Website; https://csnsw.sport/help/help-guide-for-parents
Uniform: School Sport Uniform.

Canberra Goulburn (Primary) Rugby Union Trials
Date:   Tuesday 28th May 2024
Location: Southwell Park
Address:  Northbourne Avenue, Lyneham, 2603, ACT
Time:  10:00am - 2:00pm
Cost: $20
Registration: Registration is through the CSNSW Sport Website; https://csnsw.sport/help/help-guide-for-parents


Ted Dunstan
Sports Coordinator

NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge 2025
Congratulations to the following students who have completed the 2025 NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge.

Emilia Goulding

Lincoln Goode

Aurora Irwin

The 2025 PRC has been extended to allow additional time for challenge completion.
It now closes to students on Friday 19 September 2025 (Week 9, Term 3)

Book Donations 
Thank you to Lincoln Goode, Connie Potter, Benji Carroll and their families for donating books to the school library.


Upcoming Event
On Wednesday 21 May, Mt Carmel is participating in the National Simultaneous Storytime event. The story for this year's event is The Truck Cat written by Deborah Frenkel and illustrated by Danny Snell. Students will participate by simultaneously watching an online reading of the text provided by ALIA. 

Kind regards,
Natalie Broers
Teacher Librarian

House Spirit Challenge
Each student is invited to create a poster to promote house spirit for their team! The purpose for this task is that you can bring it to the Athletics Carnival to gain extra points for your house to inspire your team to do their very best. All posters are due to Mrs Harvey's office by Friday 24 May. The SRC members will collate the house spirit points and return the posters to their owners before the Athletics Carnival so you can use them to boost your house spirit points even further at the Athletics Carnival - remember to add your name, class and house on the back of your poster - May the best house win!

The Canteen will be closed next Friday, 16 May. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. 

The Clothing Pool will not be open tomorrow, Thursday 8 May. It will open again next Thursday, 15 May.  

Opening Hours
Opening Hours: 2.30pm-3.30pm. 
Location: in the Music Room, next to the Uniform Shop.

If you have any money outstanding for thr Clothing Pool, we do ask that this is dropped at the Front Office as soon as possible. Payment is via cash only. 

Any profit made from the clothing pool will be directly donated to the Vinnies Food appeal generally held twice a year.

If you have any questions, please contact Liz on lizdadeppo@gmail.com.

If you would like order from Issue 3, orders need to be placed by this Tuesday 13 May.

 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 3, click on the image below.

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

To access Loop, please click below.