2025 has been a full and memorable year at Carmel College. We have enjoyed a vibrant calendar of learning, service, and celebration in classrooms, on the sports fields and courts, and on our musical and cultural stages. This year has also been marked by a Jubilee Year of Hope and the commemoration of 175 years since the Sisters of Mercy first arrived in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The academic year is now complete. This week, we have acknowledged and celebrated our students’ academic and sporting achievements at prizegivings. While not all students were formally recognised, I hope every young woman feels proud of all she has achieved. To those leaving, you have grown into young women of Mercy, empowered to act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with our God. May you continue to pursue personal excellence in all you do, with the confidence to challenge and shape your future.
We have also farewelled several staff members this year. Earlier in the year, we said goodbye to Mrs Annie Sadlier, Director of Sport; Mr Grant Julius, Property Manager; Mrs Jenny Green, a long-standing intermediate teacher; and Mrs Lianne Florence from our administration team.
This year, we have also had Mrs Katharina Stockhaus-White in Social Sciences, whom we will be farewelling, and Miss Gabrielle Drown, who has been part of the Learning Support team for five and a half years and has spent this year onsite as a trainee teacher.
At the end of this year, we are farewelling a number of long-serving staff. From full-time teaching, we acknowledge the contributions of Mrs Anne-Marie Davis after 32 years of service, Mrs Bev Pantry after 27 years, and Mrs Jayashree Nair after 10 years. From our Learning Support team, we farewell Mrs Barbara Blair after 13 years, and from our administration staff, we also farewell Ms Debbie Bauer after 31 years of dedicated service.
We also wish Miss Alexa Bunanta-Dimas and Mr Ben Miles, who have been onsite as trainee teachers, all the very best as they, along with Gabbi, move into newly appointed positions in other schools.
All of these staff members have given so much service and commitment to the Carmel community. It is difficult to fully acknowledge the profound impact each has had on hundreds, if not thousands, of students throughout their time here. To each of you, we are deeply grateful for your dedication and wish you every success and happiness as you embark on your next chapter.
Over the summer break, I encourage students to balance rest and recuperation with self-improvement. Each day, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity, 30 minutes of reading, and time unplugged from devices to reconnect with family and friends.
To our parents, caregivers, whānau, and members of our community, thank you for your trust and support. We understand the hope you carry for your daughters, to see them experience opportunities and successes beyond your own, and we are grateful for your encouragement, guidance, and for being such an integral part of their journey, while placing your trust in us.
As we approach the Christmas season, we also enter Advent, the four-week season of waiting and preparation for the coming of Christ. Its name, from the Latin adventus, means “coming” or “arrival.” Advent reminds us that some things cannot be hurried—the unfolding of God’s promise, the turning of the season, and the growth of our hearts all take time. Even amid the busyness of life, Advent calls us to pause, live in the present, and notice the hope, peace, joy, and love already around us.
I wish you all a safe and restful summer break and Christmas. As we share festive meals and exchange gifts, may we remember the true gifts of the season- love, kindness, and compassion, and may the spirit of Christmas fill our community with joy and lasting memories.
God of many names
E te Atua Atawhai, God of Mercy
God of many names
God of each human heart
We are people of many backgrounds, talents and place,
And we are united in Mercy by a spirit and a tradition that originated in Dublin and which has spread to the outer reaches of the earth
And the inner recesses of our hearts.
As Whānau Mercy, in spirit and story,
We commit ourselves to preserving the best of the past,
And fostering hope for the future.
We thank you for the gift of this time together, the insights and abundant wisdom shared.
Bless us as we leave our gathering with your gift of peace and a safe return to our whānau.
Amen.
