I hope all of our young women had a great break and took the opportunity to relax and refresh in preparation for Term 3.  As the new Term begins and we start to look ahead, we encourage our young women to set goals and make the most of the opportunities available to them, but we also need to be mindful that for many, particularly our seniors, this is the final full Term of academic learning before NCEA external examinations.

In reflection of this, and in trying to encourage our young woman to reflect and set goals, at Assembly I spoke about the recent celebration of Matariki.  This public holiday marked the start of the Māori Lunar Calendar, acknowledged an important time in Te Ao Māori, and is significant for all of us as we celebrate our bicultural heritage as a country.  Underpinning Matariki are three specific principles:

• Remembrance – Honouring those we have lost since the last rising of Matariki. 
• Celebrating the present – Gathering together to give thanks for what we have.
• Looking to the future – Looking forward to the promise of a new year.

Reflecting on each of these principles offers us an opportunity to pause and remember those who have contributed to our lives, to take time to appreciate and celebrate today, and then invites us to look forward and set goals so we can realise our best future.

With regards to looking to the future, the Board of Trustees are beginning to consult with our community in preparation for the development of our Carmel College Strategic Plan for 2024-2026. All whanau, parents and caregivers should have received an email yesterday with a link to a survey.  I encourage you all to take the 10-15 minutes to complete the survey and your answers can be as brief or as detailed as you like. The survey link will be open until Wednesday 2 August. 

The strategic plan will continue to be centred around our school vision: 

“Empowering young women through a Catholic education in the Mercy tradition to pursue personal excellence and to be prepared to challenge and shape the future”. 

Your feedback is important to ensure that our strategic vision aligns with the vision for education and pathways held by our school community.  We want to ensure that our strategic plan reflects the wants, needs and aspirations for young women attending Carmel College and will support us to prepare them for successful futures.