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- Principal Report
- Religious Education
- House Spirit Challenge
- Kinder Mother's Day Portraits
- Year 2 Health Hustle
- Canteen News
- Uniform Shop
- School Banking - Temporarily Paused
- Trinity Catholic College - Parent Information Session
- Daramalan College Tours - Year 7 2021
- St John Paul II College - Enrolment Now Open
Dear Parents, Teachers and Students,
This week has seen many students return physically to school for the first time since before the school holidays. This does not mean that we are “back to normal” at school, by any means. We have many weeks – in reality, probably months – ahead of us before we could even consider making that declaration, and in the meantime, we are continuing to support families that cannot yet return to class face-to-face. All families should note that the current priority of face-to-face teaching is contingent on government health advice and the status of the pandemic in the local and wider community. The possibility of a resurgence in transmission rates or even of a localised outbreak is a genuine concern and we are ready to respond accordingly and return to a model of full Remote Learning should the need occur.
The elevated health and hygiene practices that were instated in response to COVID-19 last term remain in place and will continue until further notice:
- Increased cleaning schedules and resources onsite during the school day to wipe down and disinfect high-touch areas, including classrooms and common spaces, in addition to regular daily cleaning.
- Provision of extra hand sanitiser across the school.
- Provision of extra hand soap for children to wash their hands frequently, particularly before and after recess and lunch time.
- Frequent reminders to ensure children are practising good personal hygiene: covering mouths and noses when coughing and sneezing, frequent hand washing, not sharing food or drinks, and minimising physical contact.
- Please ensure your child brings their own personal items to school each day – water bottle, pencil case, headphones, etc. – to minimize sharing.
- No child or staff member is to attend school if they are showing any cold- or flu-like symptoms. They must remain at home until they are no longer showing symptoms or have attended a GP who has instructed that they are fit and safe to return.
- If your child, or family members or other close contacts are tested for COVID-19, your child is not to attend school until the results of those tests are known and are negative. Please advise the school if this situation occurs.
- We are attempting to minimise the number of adults coming onto the premises to reduce the possible risk of viral transmissions. Please make appointments ahead of time and, if possible, telephone or use email as the preferred method of contact with your child’s teacher and/or other staff members.
- Parents must ensure that appropriate social distancing is practised at pick-up and drop-off times.
- No indoor assemblies or large gatherings of students for the remainder of this term, excepting any evacuation or emergency procedure that may be required.
Athletics Carnival
At this time of year we would usually be preparing for our school Athletics Carnival, and many of our sports-loving students are asking about when we will be having it. Whilst there are no Regional carnivals occurring, Catholic Schools NSW are considering holding the MacKillop and CCC Athletics carnivals in Term 4. In light of this news, CECG is planning the possibility of an Archdiocesan carnival in mid-Term 3 so schools have been asked to identify qualifiers through participation in school-based PE lessons. Our intention, prior to this news, was to hold a Mt Carmel Athletics Carnival later in the year when the weather begins to warm up again and we may, hopefully, have few or no restrictions to parent attendance and can make it a true community event. I will let families know as soon as there is firm news about the sports pathways for the remainder of the year.
2021 Enrolments
Our enrolment drive for 2021 has already begun. The official enrolment period for Catholic Schools in this Archdiocese runs from Wednesday 6 May until Friday 29 May. If you have a pre-school child ready for Kindergarten, it’s time to enrol now. The Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn online enrolment form can be accessed by clicking the link below. If you need to access a hard-copy form, please contact the Front Office. 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.
Because we can't hold an Open Day this year, we have been creating a virtual tour for prospective new enrolments. Go the the About Us tab on the Mt Carmel School website and click on Take a Tour to have a look around.
Enrol Now
May God’s peace be in your families,
GOSPEL: John 14:1-12
Do not let your hearts be troubled. You trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father's house there are many places to live in; otherwise I would have told you. I am going now to prepare a place for you, and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you to myself, so that you may be with me where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said, 'Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?' Jesus said: I am the Way; I am Truth and Life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him. Philip said, 'Lord, show us the Father and then we shall be satisfied.' Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? 'Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father, so how can you say, "Show us the Father"? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? What I say to you I do not speak of my own accord: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his works. You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe it on the evidence of these works. In all truth I tell you, whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, and will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father.
REFLECTION
This week Jesus told his disciples that if they know him, they also will know His Father. Philip then asked Jesus to show them His Father. He goes on to say that if Jesus shows them His Father, then they will believe in what Jesus is saying.
Jesus must have been deeply disappointed in Philip and his need for proof. Philip had been with him for a long time but clearly he still did not completely believe and trust Jesus. He wanted proof. Jesus must have wondered why, after all their time together, Philip and the other disciples still did not understand who He was. What would it take to for them to believe and trust who He was?
How often do we ask Jesus for proof? At times, I also ask Jesus to send me a clear sign that He is with me. I assume you also may do this. If we receive a sign, then we will know for sure that Jesus is with us. Faith and trust are difficult in our human relationships and perhaps even more so in our relationship with God and Jesus. At least, with human beings we can see them, hear them, and talk with them. We see their facial expressions and their body language. These expressions can communicate volumes of information to us.
However, we cannot see God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. To believe without proof is difficult for most human beings. However, Jesus desires that we believe and trust without seeing Him. We can choose to believe in Jesus and trust in his love and care for us or we can wander through life without an anchor, without anyone greater than ourselves in which to believe.
Belief and trust in Jesus is challenging, especially during difficult and trying times. At these times, I typically want to have a tangible sense that Jesus is with me. Every once in awhile, I am given a sign of some sort. However, most times I simply have to trust that Jesus is with me. This is not easy. However, when I am able to trust that Jesus is present with me, then I have more strength and hope. These gifts of trust and hope enable me to open my mind and heart and to see Jesus.
Today may we ask Jesus to grace with the gifts of trust and hope in Him. Most of all, may we trust Jesus to gift us with all we need. Jesus is present with us every moment of every day, strengthening us and gracing us; however, we need to be awake and alert to His presence! If we are not awake, we will miss Him! (Sr Kristine Anne Harpenau)
MASS SERVICES
Whilst we are still unable to physically attend mass, I would like to remind everyone that the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn will continue to broadcast mass each day so that we can listen in and participate in the celebration.
Resource URL: https://www.catholicvoice.org.au/mass-online/
St Augustine's Parish is also delivering a Liturgy of the Word each Sunday. To participate in this, could you please forward your email to the Parish Office: yass@cg.org.au and they will email you a link to join the service.
God Bless,
Warren Ziebowski
Religious Education Coordinator
The canteen will return to normal operating hours this week, that is, Thursdays and Fridays for Recess and Lunch. The Recess menu will remain on Qkr! for pre-orders, and we ask families to continue to use this service so that we can minimise cash handling and move students through the canteen as quickly as possible.
This term we have Mini Pizzas and Cheese and Garlic Rolls available to purhase at recess and hot Apple Pies to order at lunch. These three items must be pre-ordered and collected from the canteen.
The updated Term 2 menu is outlined below. Alternatively, it can be found under the Parents tab on the school webite.
The Mt Carmel School Uniform Shop is open each Tuesday afternoon between 2.30pm– 4.00pm during school terms.
Ordering Options - Uniform orders can be placed online via Qkr! or by order form, which can be collected and paid for from the front office.
All Qkr! orders placed before 2pm each Tuesday will be bundled up and sent home with your child on Wednesday afternoon.
Please note that if the incorrect size/item is ordered or the size selected does not fit correctly, please return the item along with a note regarding changes required and the correct size/item can be sent home.
School Banking - Temporarily Paused
Thank you,
Commonwealt Bank
Trinity Catholic College - Parent Information Session
An online Year 7 2021 Parent Information Session will be held via ZOOM next Wednesday 20 May from 5.00pm – 6.00pm.
If you wish to attend this online session, you can register/buy tickets at the below link.
https://events.humanitix.com/trinity-college-goulburn-or-year-7-2021-parent-information-live-stream
Daramalan College Tours - Year 7 2021
Due to the Covid19 restrictions we were unable to conduct our Open Evening or Try Dara Days for prospective parents and students for Year 7 2021.
Now as some restrictions have been eased, we are in a position to offer a limited number of small group tours. The tours will be limited to a maximum of 3 people from the one family and 10 people in total in a group. In fairness to students who have missed out on the Try Days and Open Evening we are only making the tours available to prospective students for Year 7, 2021.
Tours for other year groups, 8-12 2021, may be undertaken later in the year. For students in Year 7 2022 and beyond we hope that normal enrolment services, tours and Try Dara Days will return to normal from 2021.
For current parents we ask that you do not take advantage of these tours at this time unless you are genuinely unsure of your student attending in 2021. There may be an opportunity for siblings of current students to view the school later in the year.
Tour dates and times available are listed below:
Monday May 18 - 11am or 2pm
Tuesday May 12 & 19 - 11am or 4pm
Wednesday May 13 & 20 - 11am, 2pm or 4pm
Thursday May 14 & 21 - 11am or 2pm
Friday May 15 - 11am
Bookings are essential and can be made by emailing enrolments@daramalan.act.edu.au or by phone on 6245 6348.
St John Paul II College - Enrolment Now Open
If you would like to take a virtual tour with the College Leaders, please click here.
Enrolment information is available at the following link https://www.jpc.act.edu.au/enrolments/.