A Word from the Principal

As we head towards our Term 3 holiday break, the next pillar in our Strategic Plan is “Leading to Serve” around the important philosophy of Servant Leadership.  Mount Carmel commits to building responsive leaders who serve their community. We have seen this year a number of special moments where students who have served their community are recognised.  Madeline and Olivia Lowe who have spent their personal time supporting families in need. Hannah Jager who reached out to collect unused Lego blocks to provide for children without the privilege of having these building blocks to play with and for raising funds and awareness for the Stroke Foundation.  Mount Carmel has many students who think of others and think of ways to lift them up.

Servant leadership is a philosophy and set of practices that enriches the lives of individuals, builds better organisations and ultimately creates a more just and caring world. We see as a primary model of servant leadership the person of Jesus.  Upending the power balance and focussing on those who were isolated and excluded from society - his focus on service to them shows us that serving others makes a positive contribution to the world we live in, it lifts those around us up and enhances the sense of empowerment. What is needed by servant leaders is a serve first mindset - eyes on others. Our goals in this space are about implementing strategies and programs that develop leadership, provide formation and training for our students, staff and Board members.  It is the ability to question close and listen closer - how do we know what is needed? What is needed depends largely on our community and who we serve.

This pillar leads nicely into the next pillar - “Sense of Community”. The focus of this is on care for the entire person, with attention to the needs of each person and their wellbeing.  The strength of our community is a hallmark - it is one of the indicators that people often talk about. Our wonderful community.  As a College we commit to continue to focus on this and to continue to create a positive culture.  Our restorative processes and our everyday structures need to be embedded, fine tuned and focussed on our community.  This community needs to support one another but we acknowledge that we also need to reach out globally when needed.  In a way it takes our eyes on others and adds the layer of eyes on ourselves.  Look after yourself and you will be able to focus on looking after others.  

Looking after ourselves means that we take the opportunity when given to rest, reflect and regenerate. As students and staff head into the break please remember to look after yourself. Enjoy the spring weather and take time to do something that you have been putting off. See you all back for Term 4.

Term Four

A reminder to all families that Monday 12 October is a student-free day, with staff undertaking professional development.

We look forward to welcoming students back to school on Tuesday 13 October in their summer uniform.

Staffing News 

The College has finalised the appointments for the following positions:

• Early Years Coordinator - we welcome Jasmin Lukehurst to this position at the commencement of 2021 .
• English/Humanities Teacher - we are thrilled to be able to retain Susan Foster in this capacity in 2021 and beyond.
• n 2021, Mrs Alex Rodrick will be on Maternity Leave and we wish Alex and Will all the best over the coming months as they prepare for the birth of their first child.

Community News

Just a small selection of the plastic containers and drink bottles collected after lunch in one area of the Secondary campus.  To help us find their likely home, please name items.