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