Week 4 has been action packed with athletics on Tuesday followed by our Scholars’ Assembly on Wednesday.  Today as I write this newsletter piece, Year 7 has Retreat, and as we look to the week ahead, Year 8 head off to camp on Tuesday and our Open Days for 2026 enrolment take place next Thursday and Friday.

While the school year is now well underway and our calendars are filling up with school events and extracurricular activities, our core mission of learning and teaching remains central.  To best support and prepare our young women, it is essential that clear goals and plans are set.  As parents and caregivers, I encourage you to support your daughter in setting her goals and to regularly check in with her progress.  If you ever have concerns or feel she needs additional support, please do not hesitate to contact her Dean as a starting point.

Below is the message I gave at our Scholars’ Assembly on Wednesday.

Before we move into the formalities and into my speech, I first want to thank all involved in yesterday’s athletics day.  To those who planned the day, those who were there early setting up and then late packing up, those who rallied the troops to get involved in house chants and to give events a go, those who broke their PBs or tried something new, those who kept the day running and to the staff who marshalled, monitored, recorded and also gave events a good go, thank you.  It was an amazing day for so many reasons and the overwhelming positive and inclusive buzz in the atmosphere throughout the day of school pride, was nothing short of phenomenal.  Thank you.

To those who will be acknowledged today at our scholars assembly, I want to extend my congratulations to each and every one of you as you worked tirelessly to reach these academic achievements.  Your dedication, discipline and passion for learning has paid off, and today we recognise your achievements in front of your peers, teachers and families.  You’ve shown what is possible when you commit yourself to excellence, and you inspire us all.

Today as we acknowledge and celebrate our 2024 scholars, I challenge each of you to reflect on the celebrations in the hope that they will inspire you to set your own academic goals for the year ahead.  Whether you are receiving an award today or sitting in the audience, remember that the spirit of Mercy calls us all to be our best selves, to challenge ourselves and that our vision is for you to be empowered to challenge and shape your future whilst striving to reach your own personal excellence.

As we celebrate last year’s achievement and look ahead to this academic year, I encourage all of you—no matter where you are in your academic journey—to dream big.  Visualise where you want to be and what you hope to achieve by the end of the year.  Just as important is breaking those dreams down into smaller, more manageable steps.  Setting ambitious goals is fantastic, but it is through a steady, consistent effort that we make real progress toward them.  Your goals should challenge you, but they should also be realistic enough for you to approach with confidence.

Maybe you want to strengthen your skills in a particular subject, aim for an endorsement or perhaps you wish to develop a more balanced approach to your studies and well-being.  Perhaps you want to be more involved in service to others, or join a new club, try to learn a musical instrument or join a sports team.  Whatever your aspirations may be, take time to reflect on what’s truly meaningful to you and set goals that will help you move closer to those aspirations.

Remember, the journey will not always be easy.  There will be challenges along the way—new learning is challenging.  But it is in those moments of struggle that we are called to live out the values of Mercy—to have maia/courage whereby we embrace experiences and trust in God.  Do not be discouraged by setbacks, see them as opportunities for growth and self-discovery, and always remember that within our community you are not alone and will always have the support of your teachers, friends, peers and family.

In the words of Catherine McAuley, “do the ordinary extraordinarily well,” and strive to be consistent every day in reaching the goals you have set for yourself.  To our scholars—congratulations on making the most of your 2024 academic year and achieving excellence and success.  Our Carmel community is incredibly proud of your accomplishments and we look forward to seeing the amazing successes you will achieve in 2025.

Finally, we wish all of our Year 8 students attending camp next week, a safe and enjoyable time.  The experience and learning outside the classroom that they have the opportunity to experience will assist them in developing students’ confidence, leadership, resilience, self awareness, empathy and self esteem.