Term 3 is the time for subject selection cycles at Carmel College. In the coming weeks, all 7-9 students will be asked to make some choices for 2026. It is admittedly a big ask for young people to look this far ahead and not something that they are necessarily skilled in. As a result, it is incumbent upon us as a College and parents to support this process and engage in conversations with students. At school, we support students with Year Level Assemblies and sharing key information about subjects. We also provide Subject Selection Guides with further detail and staff contacts. PC teachers will discuss the process with students. Each year level and parent group will receive further information in the weeks to come regarding specific cohorts.

As parents and families, I encourage you to start this conversation with your child early. Some opportunities beyond “What do you want to do when you grow up?” are:

• What do you really enjoy doing outside of school?
• What have you done that has made you feel proud or accomplished?
• What are the skills you most want to develop?
• What impact do you want to have on the world?
• What motivates you the most?
• How can you investigate certain careers and pathways now? (There are some great resources online, such as ‘Day in the life’ Youtube videos).

It’s also important to challenge some assumptions and potentially unwise choices:

• What is the real reason you’re thinking about this subject or pathway?
• What might need to change to make this subject or pathway realistic or successful?
• How are other people, or short-term priorities influencing your thought?
• What do you think a day/week/year in this career might look like? Is this something you’d want to do now?
• What do you need to find out more about?

For all students, the most important question is likely to be, “What support do you need?” This week our leadership team attended a cluster day with other BCE secondary schools. During our prayer we considered the beautiful book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy. A particular line stood out:

“What is the bravest thing you’ve ever said?” asked the boy.

“Help,” said the horse.

Regardless of how your discussions go, please continue to remind your child that there are many people at school who are well-placed and keen to help them.

Mr Frank Turtle