Dear Parents, Teachers and Students,


Welcome, everyone, to the 2025 school year. I hope that the school holidays were a restful and rejuvenating break for all our students and staff and that everyone is looking forward to a joy-filled year of learning. A very special welcome to Mt Carmel’s new Kindergarten students and to all students and families who are joining the Mt Carmel community this year. I hope you and your children will soon feel very at home here at Mt Carmel School. As always, there has been much going on around our buildings and grounds over the Christmas break in preparation for the new school year. I am very grateful to all staff for their preparation of classrooms and learning spaces throughout the school over the holidays. Thanks to Robbie Shepherd for preparing the school grounds; he has spent many hours making our school look beautiful.

We have a busy start to the new year: we had a very successful swimming carnival last Friday; our Welcome BBQ and Open Classroom Evening will be held this evening, Wednesday 12 February between 5pm and 6:30pm; our Opening School Mass and Leadership Induction Ceremony will be held tomorrow, Thursday 13 February, at 9:30am in St Augustine’s Church; on Friday 21 February we will have our Book Fair and Grandparents' Morning Tea; we will be holding our traditional Pancake Breakfast on Shrove Tuesday, 4 March from 7:30am, followed by our Ash Wednesday Prayer Service on 4 March; and that’s just the first half of the term! 


Communication
Open, honest and timely communication is a very important part of our relationship with parents. If you have any concerns about any aspect of your child’s progress, your first point of contact should always be your child’s teacher. Please email them directly or phone the school office to leave a message and they will be able to organise a mutually convenient time for a meeting or conversation. Likewise, please do not hesitate to make contact with me directly if you have any concerns, questions or feedback about any aspect of school life at Mt Carmel. You can make contact via the school office or send an email to me directly at michael.green@cg.catholic.edu.au. Please remember, though, that staff may not respond to emails or return phone calls after 4:30pm and before 8:30am during the week and not at all on weekends. We hope you support our endeavour to promote a healthy work-life balance for our staff.

Remember, too, that Compass is the main channel that we use to communicate with the school community, so please ensure that you can access your Compass account and have notifications enabled from the app, and that your contact details, including email address, are current. You can also use Compass to email your child’s teacher directly. If you have any difficulty accessing Compass, please contact the school office for assistance.

Tomorrow at 9:30am Fr Peter will help or school to welcome the new year by celebrating Mass with us in St Augustine’s Church and blessing our new student leaders. Families are welcome to attend Mass to celebrate with us. Our theme this year is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, which Pope Francis declared as the Catholic Church’s Jubilee theme for 2025. The tradition of a Jubilee Year, usually held every 25 years in the Catholic Church, has its origins in the Old Testament where, in the Book of Leviticus (the Hebrew book of Laws), every fiftieth year is declared sacred, with prisoners and slaves set free, debts forgiven, and a pilgrimage to one’s ancestral lands undertaken.

Over the coming weeks, I will draw your attention to different parts of the Pilgrims of Hope logo starting, today, with the four figures in the centre. These characters, each different in colour (and pleasingly, to me anyway, matching our school house and class colours) represent the diversity of humanity, coming together from the four corners of the earth. Their alignment and shape indicate forward movement – they are certainly going somewhere – in a journey of solidarity and fraternity, united as one.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Jubilee Year, go to https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/en/giubileo-2025/segni-del-giubileo.html.


Welcome BBQ and Open Classrooms
This afternoon we will be holding a welcome BBQ and Open Classrooms. The BBQ will commence at 5pm on the school playground, and the classrooms will be open between 5:30pm and 6:30pm. Thanks to those who have submitted an RSVP to the BBQ; if you haven’t completed and RSVP and would like to come, don’t worry, just show up. There will be plenty of food to go around, including gluten-free and vegetarian options. Come along and meet some of the families of the students that your child will be journeying with this year. 

The open classrooms are an opportunity for your child to show you their classroom and introduce you to their teacher. Each class will have information for parents to familiarise you with routines for the year and topics of study for Term 1.


Canteen News
Alex Tapia, who was running the canteen for us in the second half of 2024 has decided to step down from this position; I would like to publicly acknowledge Alex for her contribution to the school and thank her sincerely for her hard work; the students will certainly miss visiting ‘Chef Alex’. Unfortunately, this means that the canteen will not be open until further notice; we will commence recruitment for a canteen manager shortly. 


Drinking Water
Everyone who lives in Yass knows, I’m sure, that the drinking water is a bit of an acquired taste. Following issues with the drinking water supply in 2024, Landon Hodgekinson, a previous Mt Carmel parent, organised for the supply and installation of an ingenious Watergen device that produces clean, filtered drinking water from humidity in the air. This unit has been installed in the corridor outside the Learning Support Room, and students are welcome to use it to top up their drink bottles during the day. Thank you, Landon!

Kindergarten Rest Days and Assessment
I hope that everyone’s first days of ‘Big School’ have been filled with excitement and fun. Kindergarten testing commenced today and will continue on rest-day Wednesdays until Week 5. Please contact the school office to book an appointment time with your child’s teacher, if you haven’t already done so. The final rest day will be on March 5, with full weeks commencing in Week 6. 


New School Counsellor
This year we welcome Amelie Nicholson to Mt Carmel as our CatholicCare school counsellor. Amelie will be at Mt Carmel on Mondays and Tuesdays and has already had a comprehensive handover with Damian, our previous counsellor. If you believe that your child may benefit from speaking with our school counsellor, have a conversation with their classroom teacher or contact the school office for a referral form.


Book Fair and Grandparents’ Morning Tea
Next Friday 21 February, Mt Carmel School will be holding the Scholastic Book Fair and Grandparents' Morning Tea. Look for further details in the Library News section of the Carmeletta.

Food Allergies
Although Mt Carmel does not declare ourselves to be a nut-free school, we do encourage all our students and families to be allergy aware. Last week, if your child is sharing a classroom with another student who suffers from a food or contact allergy, you would have received a Compass notification outlining precautions that we ask you to consider. Please also have a conversation with your child about the importance of not sharing food at school, as part of our Stay Safe rule.


Road Safety
The start of the year is a good time to give a reminder about traffic safety around the school. I ask all parents to model safe behaviour when driving, parking and crossing roads around the school. Please be mindful 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. The entire length of Dutton St is marked with double-unbroken lines, so it is illegal (and unsafe) to perform a U-turn in front of the school. If you are picking up your child in the afternoon and have parked on the residential side of Dutton St, please do not call your child to cross to you but come and collect them and cross safely together; do not cross the road in the bus zone.

It can be very hectic after 3:10pm, and nobody wants to be inconvenienced, but walking a little bit further or waiting a few minutes longer is a small price to pay for the safety of everyone in our community.

Please also be mindful of the fact that our school is situated in the middle of a residential area. Courteous behaviour from everyone in our school community goes a long way to maintaining good relations with our neighbours.


Playgroup
The Mt Carmel Playgroup will commence on Thursday 27 March in Week 4, running each Thursday between 9 and 11am. All families with pre-school aged children are welcome, so please spread the word if you have a family friend who may enjoy attending. The cost of $3 for the first child and $1 for each subsequent child in the family covers morning tea and art/craft supplies. Thanks to Amber Maher for leading our Playgroup.


Reconciliation
A reminder to families of students in Year 3 and above that this Sunday at 10:15am is the Commitment Mass for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.


School Attendance - Every Day Counts
A reminder that any student absence is required to be explained promptly, preferably with an absentee note submitted via Compass. Notwithstanding the importance to public health of keeping children at home when they are sick, it is worth remembering that many small absences can quickly add up to have a big impact on your child’s learning – if your child misses as little as one day per fortnight, this equates to almost three full terms by the end of primary school. 

The Catholic Education Attendance Policy identifies the following levels of attendance:

• Excellent Attendance: 95% and above (e.g. 2.5 days absence or less in a term or 10 absences over a year)
• Regular Attendance: 90-94.9% (e.g. 2.6 to 5 days absence in a term or 10.1 to 20 absences over a year)
• Emerging Absenteeism: 80-89.9% (e.g. 5.1 to 10 days absence in a term or 20.1 to 40 absences over a year)
• Chronic Absenteeism: Less than 80% (e.g. more than 10 days absence in a term or 40 absences over a year)

2025 Student Residential Address Collection
Each year, as part of our census obligations, we are required to provide The Australian Government with certain information about students enrolled at our school. The information provided informs Australian Government school education policy and helps ensure funding for non-government schools is based on need. The information collected is used to inform school funding calculations. It is combined with Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data to calculate a non-government school community’s anticipated capacity to contribute to schooling costs. Attached to this newsletter is a notice from the Federal Department of Education, containing information for families about the Collection.


Free Parent Webinar
Later this month, Catholic Schools NSW and the Council of Catholic Schools Parents are offering a free webinar for parents called SchoolSpeak 101. The purpose of the webinar is to help parents understand some of the contemporary language of education, in order. Further information can be found further in the newsletter. 

May God’s peace be in your families, 

Michael Green
Principal

Welcome to 2025! It is fantastic to see everyone after the holidays refreshed and ready for Term 1.


School Theme 2025
Our school theme for this year is Pilgrims of Hope, focusing on renewal of our faith and being pilgrims of hope. We have adopted the Vatican’s logo and added a prayer that invites our Mt Carmel students, staff and community to grow in faith and love.

2025 is a special year for the Catholic Church. It is a Holy Year, a Jubilee Year. A Jubilee year is a time to come together with kindness, share hope, be fair, and happily serve God while living in peace with everyone around us.The theme for the Jubilee Year is Pilgrims of Hope. The concept of "Jubilee" has its origins in the Book of Leviticus (chapter 25) as a special year of reconciliation, pilgrimage, and coming home. Pope Francis has designated the 2025 Holy Year as a time to renew ourselves as "Pilgrims of Hope."

Background Information on the logo: http://www.evangelizatio.va/content/pcpne/en/giubileo-2025/logo-giubileo.html. 

Opening School Mass
Tomorrow, Thursday 13 February, we will be holding our Opening School Mass at 9:30am in St Augustine's Church. All families are welcome to attend Mass to celebrate with us, especially parents of our Student Leadership Team, who will be inducted formally to their positions during the Mass.

Enjoy your week!

Eva Karakotas
Religious Education Coordinator

Mt Carmel Swimming Carnival
Thank you to everyone who helped to make our swimming carnival a successful event. Teachers and parent volunteers sweltered through challenging conditions to make sure races were completed and students had fun. Thanks also goes to Binalong Public School who lent us an electronic starter at the last minute. Ribbons and medallions will be given out Friday next week as I am waiting on medallions.


Northern Region Swimming Carnival
The following students will be representing Mt Carmel at the Northern Region swimming carnival in Queanbeyan next Thursday 20 February. We are required to provide a number of timekeepers for the event. If you are available and willing, please let me know via email: edward.dunstan@cg.catholic.edu.au.

Information about the event will be sent directly to parents via Compass.

Mt Carmel Northern Region Swimming Squad 2025

Sports Trials
If you have children in Year 5 or 6 who are interested in trialling for Canberra Goulbourne sporting teams, please check the following website regularly for upcoming events: https://www.sport.cg.catholic.edu.au/calendar.

Ted Dunstan
Sports Coordinator

Save the Dates
Welcome to the 2025 school year!
Below are the dates for some important school celebrations. Further information about each event will be provided closer to the time. Looking forward to seeing you throughout the year.

Scholastic Book Fair and Grandparents Morning Tea
The books have arrived! Excitement is building around the school with the arrival of the books for the Scholastic Book Fair. Students will have the opportunity to browse the collection and make a Wish List in their library lessons.

When: Friday 21 February

Where:  Lacey Library

Book Fair: 9.00am - 3.45pm

Morning Tea: 10.00am - 11.30am

Selling Afternoon: Wednesday 19 February 3.30pm - 4.00pm 

 Cash and eftpos facilities will be available

Selling Afternoon
The Lacey Library will be open on Wednesday 19 February from 3.30-4.00pm, for families to browse, purchase, or order books.


Scholastic Book Fair
On Friday 21 February the Scholastic Book Fair will be held in the Lacey Library. Families will be able to purchase books from the great range which Scholastic have provided. Cash and eftpos facilities will be available. The more books sold, the more free books which can be ordered for the Lacey Library!

Morning Tea
Students are encouraged to invite their grandparents and older friends to the Book Fair and morning tea at Mt Carmel.

Morning tea will be available from 10am-11.30am.

Parents are also most welcome to visit the Book Fair and morning tea.

Please find attached an invitation which students may like to give their grandparents or older friends. 


Morning Tea Donations
It would be fantastic if your family could provide food for the morning tea. Please drop off any morning tea donations to the Front Office on Friday morning. Remember to label any reusable containers with your name so they can be returned promptly.


Visitor Sign In and Student Sign Out
We ask that any visitors to the library on the Selling Afternoon or those attending the Book Fair sign in to the school via the Front Office. 

Library monitors will be in the Front Office on Friday to assist you and to collect students from their classrooms.

If anyone is taking their child home early, after the Book Fair, please remember that all students departing early MUST BE signed out at the Front Office.

Book Fair Wish Lists
If students are unable to attend the Selling Afternoon or the Book Fair with a family member but would like to make a purchase there are two alternative options.

Option 1
Students may bring money to school on Friday 21 February. They will be collected from their classroom during the day to visit the Book Fair and make a purchase.

Option 2
If you would like to purchase the book/s your children have chosen on their Book Fair Wish List you may do so online, using the steps outlined below.

Book returns
Thank you to the students and families who have located books over the holidays and returned them to the library. There are still a number of outstanding loans from 2024.

Please encourage your child to return these books to the library.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Book Fair!

Kind regards,
Natalie Broers
Teacher Librarian

Year 5 2025 Camp dates: 14-16 May (Warrambui) 

Year 6 2025 Camp dates: 4-6 June (Narrabeen) 

Dear Parents,

This year Mt Carmel is going to be using the URSTRONG - Friendology Program for all classes K-6. URSTRONG’s whole-school friendship strategy has improved the social climate in schools around the world, connecting over a million students, parents, and teachers with a common language of friendship. We are proud to be a URSTRONG School and are committed to empowering your children with friendship skills.

You are invited to take advantage of a FREE Parent Membership to access hundreds of resources – including an 8 session video series. This will allow you to learn the same language & strategies being taught in the classroom through the Friendology 101 curriculum. We hope that, as a URSTRONG Family, you will reinforce the important messages of empowerment, self-compassion, & kindness at home.

As a next step, we would recommend:

• Click here to view an overview of URSTRONG.

• Activate your FREE Parent Membership and explore all the resources available to your family.
• Explore the hundreds of resources available to you!

We believe that empowering our students with these skills will create a culture of kindness at our school and we hope that, together, we can support your children to have healthy, feel-good friendships. If you have any questions please let me know.

Kind regards
Jan Harvey
Assistant Principal

Mt Carmel Playgroup will commence in Week 4, Thursday 28 February.

The Clothing Pool will be open next Thursday, 20 February. 

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

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.

Has your child ever thought about learning piano?
Margaret Hanson teaches lessons from the school Monday to Friday during school terms.

Please contact Margaret on 0407 285 420 if you have any questions or would like to secure a space for your child this year. 

Has your child ever thought about playing guitar?
Spaces are now avalable for 2025. Fill in the below form and drop back to the office to secure your place with Den.

Yass Show Society would like the help of primary age children attending Yass Primary Schools to design the artwork to be used on the First Place Cards in the Junior Sections of the Pavilion competitions at the 2025 Yass Show.

The Yass Show has a variety of displays and competitions that can be used for inspiration with the theme for the 2025 year being the new Pumpkin Section! Visit the Yass Show Society website for more information about our Show.

Outlined below is the template to be used - the artwork is to be drawn within the white border section of the card.

Entries are due by Friday 28 February, with the designer of the selected artwork winning a family pass to the 2025 Yass Show!!!!

For any inquiries please respond to this email or ring the Show Office on 6226 1615 and leave a message.