A Word from the Principal

Celebrating the Joy of the Arts

What a wonderful celebration the Arts Festival was last Friday afternoon! It was a night filled with joy, courage, creativity and community, and a beautiful reminder of the many ways our students can shine.

One of the most special aspects of the evening was seeing students simply participating and having fun. Whether performing on stage, displaying their artwork, playing music, dancing, singing or contributing behind the scenes, every student had an opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves. For some students, stepping onto a stage or performing in front of a crowd required enormous courage. Seeing students overcome their nerves and anxiety, take a deep breath and give something a go was incredibly special. Their pride afterwards was a wonderful reminder that the Arts are not just about performance or talent; they are about confidence, belonging, expression and having the courage to participate.

The pride of our parents and grandparents was equally evident. Watching families cheer from the audience, share secret waves, celebrate their children and grandchildren and share in their achievements created such a wonderful atmosphere. There were plenty of smiles, photographs and perhaps a few proud tears as families watched their girls take part.

It was also lovely to welcome so many new and prospective families, including families joining Mount Carmel in 2027. The evening provided a wonderful glimpse into what makes our College community special, not just the quality of what our students produce, but the warmth, energy and sense of belonging that surrounds them.

The food trucks, music, performances, artwork and opportunity to simply gather together created a genuine community atmosphere. It was wonderful to see students, staff, families, grandparents, friends and future families enjoying the evening together. These moments remind us that a school is much more than classrooms and curriculum; it is a community that comes together to celebrate its young people.

A heartfelt thank you to our incredible staff. Events such as this require enormous amounts of work, often behind the scenes and well before the evening itself. Thank you to everyone who rehearsed, encouraged, organised, set up, packed up, supported students, prepared displays, coordinated performances and helped create such a memorable celebration.

I would also like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who generously donated to our Silent Auction. Your generosity helped us raise close to $11,000, which will contribute towards our Hall upgrade. Thank you to the businesses, families and community members who donated experiences, vouchers, gifts and other wonderful items, and to everyone who participated in the auction.

Most importantly, the Arts Festival was a celebration of our students. It was a celebration of their creativity, their courage, their individuality and their willingness to have a go. From the confident performer to the student who nervously stepped onto the stage for the first time, every contribution mattered.

As a Christ-centred community, we want our students to discover and share the gifts they have been given. Our Arts Festival was a beautiful expression of this; many talents, many different forms of creativity, and one wonderful community coming together in joy. Thank you to everyone who helped make the evening such a success. It was a night to be proud of Mount Carmel.

Uniform Reminder

A reminder to families that from the beginning of next year, the older-style PE uniform will no longer be permitted to be worn.

This includes all older-style:

• Track pants
• Rugby jumpers
• PE polos
• Spray jackets

We ask families to please keep this in mind when purchasing or replacing uniform items. From next year, students will be expected to wear the current College PE uniform.

Thank you for your support in helping us maintain a consistent and cohesive College uniform.