Over the past fortnight the college has been a buzz with various drama and music performances taking place.  The Year 12&13 Drama production was highly successful and saw a huge number of people attending the show over 5 nights, with the final evening being a sell out.  We had students involved in the RAPA production which ran at the Pumphouse, and on top of this our young women’s musical talent has been showcased at the NCEA solo music performance last week.  Last night the Carmel and Carmini choirs performed at Rosmini College in preparation for the Big Sing.  It is always so pleasing to see our young women take centre stage, and although nerves are undoubtedly something each performer feels, the confidence and courage that each performer embraces is something that should truly be admired.

The remaining weeks of Term 2 are set to see significant disruption due to industrial action as a consequence of another breakdown in negotiations with the government.  This is a challenging time for all involved, either directly or indirectly, in the Education sector.  For our teachers, their profession, including working conditions and salary scales, are being publicly debated, and whilst industrial action is a means of drawing attention to inequity and inadequacies, we are all aware that it also has a direct impact on the young people that each teacher works daily with and for.  Our teachers are aware of the impact previous years’ disruptions have had on our young people’s educational needs and academic progress.  However, in order to develop and secure a positive future for education in Aotearoa New Zealand, teaching as a profession needs to become a more attractive and desirable profession for our best and brightest.  In contrast, at the moment New Zealand is looking at a significant teacher shortage with fewer and fewer graduates to replace an ageing and undervalued workforce. 

A large number of our Carmel staff are PPTA members who have to meet their union obligations, so our community will be impacted by industrial action.  Therefore, in the upcoming weeks, if your daughter is in Years 9 to 13 and rostered home, I ask that you please support her in ensuring she develops a routine to either complete any outstanding school work, develop a revision/study plan to consolidate learning that has taken place or that she is engaging in learning in some way, such as reading, which does not include social media posts.  We have seen and know that our young women are able to adapt, are independent and confident in accessing information and in learning at home, and that each student has a goal for this academic year.  I want to assure you that your daughter’s educational needs remain the focus for us all at the college and would like to thank you for your understanding and support as we navigate the final weeks ahead in Term 2.