This week we have a number of students away at Winter Tournament week being supported by their coaches, managers, family and friends.  The results have been coming in daily with some outstanding results and as the week draws to a close, we cannot wait to see what final placings our teams achieve.  If you follow the Carmel College Sport Facebook and Instagram pages, the teams have given us some insight into their day to day activities between events and games, with the Netball team also sharing their favourite Shape cracker flavour.

Next week we hope to see and share similar stories from Tauranga as AIMS begins.  We have over 80 students competing from Year 7&8 across the following sports: Football, Netball, Basketball, Hockey, Cross Country, Swimming, Canoe Sport, Gymnastics, Tennis, Rock Climbing, Squash, Yachting and Mountain Biking.  I know there are a lot of very excited young women looking forward to this week who are being supported by coaches, some of whom are senior students, managers, teachers and family.

Senior students in Years 11 to 13 will begin their practice NCEA external assessments next week.  These are important practice examinations as they will provide valuable information for our teachers so they can best prepare our students for their external examinations in November.  The expectation is that all students attend these examinations.

Finally, as we celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday, it is important to acknowledge and celebrate that it is the parents who are the first teachers of their children, and that parents will continue to teach and guide their daughters long after they have left our school grounds.  So, to our parent community, thank you.  Thank you for being the base and an integral part of our community.  Thank you for supporting the staff at Carmel who work with and alongside your daughter, to ensure that she develops the skills and attributes to be equipped and empowered to pursue her personal excellence, so that she will be prepared to challenge and shape the future, whilst being a young woman of Mercy who acts justly, loves tenderly and walks humbly with our God.

A prayer for all of the fathers in our Carmel community for Sunday:

God our Father,

We give you thanks and praise for fathers young and old.

We pray for young fathers, newly embracing their vocation;

may they find courage and perseverance

to balance work, family and faith in joy and sacrifice.

We pray for fathers around the world

whose children are lost or suffering;

may they know that the God of compassion

walks with them in their sorrow.

We pray for men who are not fathers

but still mentor and guide us with fatherly love and advice.

We remember fathers, grandfathers, and great grandfathers

who are no longer with us

but who live forever in our memory

and nourish us with their love. Amen