A Word from the Principal

Welcome.

I would like to welcome all new students, their families and new staff to the Mount Carmel College community. It has been a smooth and gentle start to the year and truly wonderful to see so many familiar faces. The smiles, laughter and joy at seeing one-another, meeting new friends and rekindling friendships has indeed made the transition to the 2020 school year a calm one. It is hard to believe it is mid-February already. A year filled with the promise of exciting opportunities and new experiences.

The College student leaders met last week to finalise the College theme and have come to “Here is Home”.  There was robust discussion around the nature of home, the sense of comfort and belonging that home brings with it. Our aspiration this year is to ensure students feel at home at the College, that they feel a sense of welcome and joy when coming to Mount Carmel. As Henry van Dyke stated in his poem “Home”

But every house where Love abides,

And Friendship is a guest,

Is surely home, and home-sweet-home:

For there the heart can rest .

As part of any home there are ways we need to work together, in partnership to make great happen. There are some great ideas on the Parenting Ideas website.  As usual College events and co-curricular activities are a great opportunity to see students and families outside the classroom.  Communication is also really important in any home, two-way is much better than just one-way.  Please contact your child’s class or clan teacher if you have questions or need to talk through something that has happened. The College staff will respond, generally within two days to your communication.  As a way to help staff balance work and home life the College has protocols around email communication and staff will not attend to emails before 7am or after 7pm, and on weekends.  If the matter is urgent, please contact the Office.

The College prides itself on the community we have and the support we give students – the first step is letting us know.  As part of this we will be hosting our information and goal setting evening, a wonderful opportunity to touch base and become familiar with processes and staff. As this is our second year of vertical clans, for some parents and carers it will be a revisit with a clan teacher they are familiar with.

In the words of Rainer Maria Rilke “And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.”  I encourage the students to take the year in their hands – to grasp what is on offer and to fill their lives with the joy that comes with new friendships and new beginnings.

Fiona Nolan

Principal