Dear Carmel College Community,

The new term has started well and with a hive of activity. Be it Religious Life, classroom learning, excursions, arts, or sport – there is always something happening at Carmel.

QUEENSLAND CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK

Next week is Catholic Education Week, and we join Catholic schools in celebrating from 27 July to 2 August. The theme for Catholic Education Week 2025 is ‘Communities of Faith, Hope and Love’. With humble beginnings on the site now occupied by the Myer Centre, Catholic Education in Queensland began with 56 students and two teachers in 1845. 180 years later, there are 315 Catholic primary and secondary schools across Queensland, enrolling more than 163,000 students and employing over 22,000 staff. Catholic schools provide a high-quality education in a faith-centred environment. This annual event promotes the special ethos of Catholic schools and highlights the great things that take place in Catholic schools every day.

FOUNDATION DAY

Last Friday, we celebrated Foundation Day – a wonderful occasion acknowledging our Catholic heritage and the spirit of community that exists every day at Carmel. Special thanks to all those who made the day a fantastic celebration of all that is Carmel.

QISSN

Congratulations to our QISSN Teams that competed in the Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Netball Carnival during the first week of the June holidays.  The girls team placed fourth in their division while the boys team placed third.  A supreme effort by both teams.  Congratulations to Lincoln H who was named Player Of the Carnival for the Boys Division.  Special thanks to Ms Hannah Moreton and Ms Cathy Smith for coaching and managing the girls team, and to Ms Brenda Brohman and Mr Ben Hopkins for the boys.  Thank you also to the parents, staff, and students who came along at various times to support the teams.

KOKODA CHALLENGE

Congratulations to the students, staff and parents who completed the Kokoda Challenge on the Gold Coast last weekend.  Carmel had 44 students and 13 staff, along with more staff and parents who acted as support crew.  Teams competed in either the 30km (1 Team), 48km (7 Teams) or 96km (4 Teams) challenge and raised over $17000 for the Kokoda Youth Foundation.  We commend these Carmel Family members on their resilience – well done all.

STUDENT TEACHER PARENT CONFERNCES & SET PLAN INTERVIEWS

It was wonderful to witness all the deep conversations between students, parents and teachers that have occurred over the last two weeks.  Engaging young people in focussed discussions about their learning is shown to be a strong positive factor in their success at school.  I encourage all parents to continue these discussions with your child throughout the term.  Ask them to show you their data placement and have a chat with them about what their next step is to improve.

YEAR 11 LEADERSHIP RETREAT

Congratulations to the Year 11 students for their engagement in the Year 11 Leadership Retreat.  They showed a deep understanding of what it means to be a Carmel student and a leader within the Carmel Family.  Thank you to the staff that made this experience possible for the students. 

ATTENDANCE

All are well aware of our focus on attendance this year, and this term we will be focussing heavily on the 80% group.  We have a large number of students who are just below 90%, and with a little effort they can get over the 90% threshold.  I ask all parents to ensure you know your child’s attendance level and support them to be here over 90% of the time.  If you need any help or support please reach out to your child’s PC Teacher.

Have a wonderful fortnight.

God bless,

Mr Stephen Adair

Principal