Dear Parents, Teachers and Students,


St Patrick’s Day
Congratulations to the school SRC, and thanks to all who supported our St Patrick’s Day fundraising drive. Together we raised over $900 for Project Compassion!


Sacraments
On Thursday evening, 14 of our students will celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time. They have been preparing with their families and classmates, with the help of the Parish Sacramental Team, for several weeks now, so Thursday will be a wonderful celebration of this milestone event in their faith journey. Congratulations, everybody!
Registrations for the Sacrament of First Communion close this Friday 22 March. Please contact the Parish Sacramental Team via sacramentalteamyass@gmail.com if you require further information.


Cross Country Carnival
Mt Carmel will be holding our school Cross Country carnival on Tuesday 9 April, Week 11. Years 3-6 will head to Walker Park shortly after morning assembly. 8, 9 and 10 year olds will complete two laps of the 1km track; 11 and 12 year olds will complete three laps of the 1km track. 8 year old students in Year 2 who wish to participate at Walker Park need to notify their teacher so arrangements can be made for them to walk with a Year 3 class. Students will be back at school by recess so will only need to take a drink bottle with them to the track. K-2 students will run their own modified cross country at school from 12:30pm - 1:30pm, cheered on by the rest of the school and parents.


School Photos — Save the Date
School photo day will be Monday 13 May, Week 3. This year photo package bookings, including family photos, will be via Compass. Details of how to book will be published early next term.


Holy Week and Easter
Holy Week commences this weekend with Palm Sunday on 24 March. On Monday morning, the Mt Carmel School Youth Ministry Team will mark the start of Holy Week with a re-enactment of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem at 9am in the PAC. On Wednesday morning, Fr Peter and the Youth Ministry Team will lead a remembrance of the Last Supper at 9am in the PAC, and on Thursday, classes will move around the school for an interactive Stations of the Cross pilgrimage, concluding with final prayer in the PAC at 1:15pm. Parents are warmly invited to attend any or all of these Holy Week events.


Easter Bonnet Parade
Although it’s not a part of the liturgical celebration of Easter, the Easter Bonnet Parade is a firm favourite on the school’s traditional calendar. This year it will be held on Wednesday 27 March at 12:30pm under the shade cloth in the playground. All students are encouraged to create an Easter Bonnet out of materials from around the home; reuse, recycle and be creative! Parents are warmly invited to attend this community event.

Community Council News
Last Wednesday, the Community Council met and discussed plans for possible community-building and fundraising events throughout the year, including a Trivia Night and Working Bee. A form with QR access is being designed as a quick and simple way for parents to provide feedback and suggestions or to volunteer for Community Council events is being designed for display in the Carmeletta and around the school. The second-hand uniform pool had its first day of operation last Thursday and will be open each week to coincide with the Uniform Shop's opening hours. The Community Council has submitted multiple grant applications in recent weeks, seeking funding assistance for a chicken coop and for a shade structure for the infants playground. The next Community Council meeting is scheduled for Week 3 of Term 2.

May God’s peace be in your families, 

Michael Green
Principal

Religious Education in the Classroom
Welcome to Week 8! Year 2 students are examining the theme of the dignity of the human person: People seek to build and heal relationships through forgiveness and reconciliation. During my visit to 2 Blue, students started to unpack the concept of relationships through the examination of the parable of the Lost Son.

Mt Carmel’s Youth Ministry Team News
The Year 6 Youth Ministry team meets on a weekly basis to pray and examine different scripture passages through the Worlds of the Text around the Gospel messages of love, salvation, and forgiveness. Last week was our first weekly session in the Mercy Chapel on Thursday and in the PAC on Friday.

Religious Life of Mt Carmel School

St Patrick’s Day Prayer Service
Thank you to 3Green and Mrs Shoring for leading the school in a beautiful prayer service.

Friday Parish Mass Attendance
Year 3 students attended Mass last week and Fr Peter spoke to the students about the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Holy Week
Holy Week, the final week of Lent, begins on Palm Sunday, 24 March, the Sunday before Easter. It is the most important week in the Church’s year and we celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We remember his actions, reflect on his messages and recommit to living as his disciples in the world today (Santa Maria College, 2020). 

Mt Carmel’s Holy Week Events
Families and friends are warmly invited to attend these events.

Palm Sunday Prayer Service - Monday 25 March, 9 am, in the PAC, led by our Year 6 Youth Ministry Team. 

The Last Supper Prayer Service - Wednesday 27 March, 9 am, in the PAC, led by our Year 6 Youth Ministry Team. 

Stations of the Cross - Thursday 28 March, various locations across the school, morning and middle sessions, and concluding with a final prayer in the PAC at 1:15pm. Families and friends are warmly invited to attend these events.

Project Compassion
Thank you for your support and donations for this great cause. Mt Carmel raised $912 from St Patrick’s day fundraiser events. 

Please remember to send in your donations for Project Compassion and help make the world a fairer place for all. Let us be more! 

St Augustine’s Parish News
Please pray for the children as they prepare for their first Sacrament of Reconciliation tomorrow, Thursday 21 March, 6:30pm at St Augustine’s Church.

Lachlan Black
Mikayla Black
Oliver Irwin
Hannah Maher
Benjamin O’Reilly
Charlotte Osborne
George Pigeon
Eleena Mattappallil
Eve Davis
Cody Drage
Evelyn Platt
Dominic Rowland
William Walsh
Marie Elsa Noelle Baptiste

The next one is this Sunday 24 March. 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/. 

Enjoy your week!
Eva Karakotas
Religious Education Coordinator

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

Mt Carmel Swimming Carnival
Any students who did not receive their medallions last week will receive them this Friday after the Mt Carmel awards.


Gecko Sport
Gecko Sport  hockey sessions continued this week for years 3-6 students and will run every Tuesday from weeks 6-9.


Mt Carmel Cross Country Carnival
Our cross country carnival is booked in for Tuesday 9th April at Walker Park from 9-11am. Years 3-6 will head to Walker Park shortly after morning assembly. 8, 9 and 10 year olds will complete two laps of the 1km track. 11 and 12 year olds will complete three laps of the 1km track. 8 year old students in Year 2 who wish to participate at Walker Park need to notify their teacher so arrangements can be made for them to walk with a Year 3 class. Students will be back at school by recess so will only need to take a drink bottle with them to the track. K-2 students will run their own modified cross country at school from 12:30 - 1:30, cheered on by the rest of the school and parents.

Ted Dunstan
Sports Coordinator

NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge 2024
The NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge has commenced for 2024. All students K-6 are invited to complete the 2024 Challenge. 

The Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students. While completing the challenge students are able to experience quality literature from a variety of authors and literature styles.

Students can include books read from the end of the 2023 challenge, August 18 2023 on their 2024 reading record. The 2024 challenge will conclude on Friday 23 August 2024.

Some of the PCR rules have been updated for the 2024 challenge. Please refer to the rules page on the website for further details.

The booklist has been updated for the 2024 challenge. Click on the booklist on the website for further information. Many of the PRC books are available in our school library.

If your child has completed the challenge in previous years they can log on to the Premier’s Reading Challenge website using their existing login details.

www.premiersreadingchallenge.nsw.edu.au

If your child is completing the challenge for the first time, please email me at natalie.broers@cg.catholic.edu.au and I will provide you with login details.

Kind regards,
Natalie Broers
Teacher Librarian

Congratulations to the recipients of last week's Mt Carmel Awards.
Awards will be handed out at morning lines on Friday morning.

K Blue Lillian Dryburgh Hamish Lyons	K Gold Ivie Denny Rigel Barker
1 Green Aurora Irwin Lola Sanford Chris Privett	1 Red Sophie Aksenov Logan Hodgson
2 Blue Anna Gunthorpe Charles Jol	2 Gold Archer Jones Noah Hamilton
3 Green Eve Davis Elsa Baptiste	3 Red Olivia Aksenov Elizabeth Kaveney Archie Gooley
4 Blue Isabelle Davis Cooper Moses	4 Gold Lucy Pearce Atticus Gilchrist Benjamin O'Reilly
5 Green Poppy Smith Jaxon Field Dylan O'Reilly Lachlan Inkster Hugh McPherson	5 Red Lily Butt Mikayla Black Ruby Laughton Phoebe Reynolds Conor Guiney James Roe
6 Blue Zali Lenon Chloe Caldow Camilla Bremner Phoenix Streatfeild Olivia Scanlon Lewis Mathews	6 Gold Sofia Da Deppo Ekaterina Mulcair Isabella Dunstan Blake Foster Heath Wood

Congratulations to the Fielding House and competition winners for our St Patrick’s Day House Spirit Challenge! Well done

Happy St Patrick’s Day! Congratulations to our SRC who raised over $900 for CARITAS with their St Patrick’s Day activities on Friday. Fabulous teamwork and such a fun event! Thanks to everyone for their generous support towards this fundraiser #CARITAS #projectcompassion.

Year 6 thoroughly enjoyed working with artist, Simon Streatfeild on Monday - Thanks, Simon!

The Mt Carmel School Uniform Shop will now be open each Thursday afternoon between 2.30pm and 4.00pm during school terms.

Please note that our Medium Hats are currently out of stock, an order has been placed, but we are just waiting on its arrival. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. 

Where: Mt Carmel PAC Hall

When: Mondays 4:45-5:45pm

What (is being offered): Expert small group tuition & performance experience from tutors in brass, woodwind, strings & percussion by senior Yass Valley Band members (that have current WWC certification)

Who (can join): Anyone 7 & over who has:

•  Some experience in playing an instrument 
•  Is getting tuition, or has had tuition in an instrument 
• Has had exams or is studying for exams in the instrument 
• BUT: Beginners are also WELCOME!

How much: $35 per term per student. Session instrument use is free but Instrument hire, if needed is extra and depends on availability. (Students can bring their own)

Contact Robin 0428272839 or Gerard 0408622819

A Zoom information session will be held online on 25 March 7:30pm, after registrations have closed. The children MUST attend a commitment mass at St Augustine’s Church Yass on Sunday 7 April 2024 at 10.15am. There are also two preparation liturgies (Thursday 9 May and Thursday 30 May), both of which start at 6:30pm. The first liturgy will be held in the Lovatt Chapel and the second in St. Augustine's Church in Yass. Please make note of these dates in your calendar. As part of the lead up to Communion, your child is also required to attend at least 5 weekend masses prior to celebration of the sacrament on Sunday 2 June 2024. Please have a member of the Sacramental Team or the priest celebrating mass sign your passport on each occasion.

We look forward to meeting with you and helping to prepare your child for this beautiful sacrament. If you have any further queries please email the team at sacramentalteamyass@gmail.com.