This week we are celebrating Cultural Week, which ends in our cultural dress day on Friday.

For some of our students, choosing what to wear will be very easy. They may have a strong connection to their ethnic or cultural background, with clothing, colours, patterns or traditions that immediately come to mind when they think about where they come from. For others, it may not feel quite so straightforward. Some students have connections to several cultures, while others may not feel strongly connected to one particular cultural tradition.

This provides a wonderful opportunity to think about what we mean when we talk about culture.

Culture is part of our identity. It is made up of the things that help shape who we are, where we come from and the communities we feel connected to. It can be our language, our family, our celebrations and traditions, our beliefs, our food, music and the stories that have been passed down through generations. Here at Carmel, our Catholic faith and belief in God are also an important part of our shared culture.

Culture can also be connected to our ethnic background. At Carmel, we have students from 61 different ethnicities – and even this is a simplified number, as it assumes that each of us identifies with just one ethnic group. Culture, however, doesn’t fit neatly into one box.

Our students are influenced by their family culture, ethnic culture, faith, friendships and experiences, as well as by youth culture, the music, social media, technology, humour, language, fashion and trends that shape what it is like to be young today.

For young people, particularly during the teenage years, identity continues to develop. Friendships change, interests change and students discover new things about themselves. At times, they may wonder, Where do I fit? Where do I belong? 

That need to belong is something we all share. We all want to know that there is somewhere we are accepted, valued and able to be ourselves. At Carmel, we want every student to know: You belong here.

We also recognise, however, that for some of our young women, finding where they fit can sometimes feel lonely. While we can say that every student belongs at Carmel – and that is genuinely what we want for every young woman – we also understand that this may not always be how a student feels at a particular point in time.

Friendships change. Students grow and develop. Friendship groups shift, and finding new people with whom you connect can take time. These experiences are a normal part of growing up, but that doesn’t mean they are always easy.

As a school, we want to support students through these ups and downs. We also want our young women to develop the skills to navigate relationships, manage challenges, recover from disappointment and have the confidence to seek out new connections.

For parents and caregivers, if you have concerns about how your daughter is experiencing friendships or her sense of belonging at school, please reach out to her Dean. We would always rather know about a concern so that we can work alongside you and support your daughter.

We also strongly encourage our students to become involved in the many opportunities available beyond the classroom – sport, the arts, cultural groups, music, service and other extracurricular activities. These are wonderful ways for students to meet people outside their usual friendship circles, discover new interests, build confidence and create new experiences and connections.

Over the past few weeks, I have been particularly proud of what I have seen at our sporting events. Students have turned up to support their friends, but also to support students they don’t necessarily know. I have heard the cheering and encouragement, and seen students showing respect for our own students, visiting teams, officials and one another.

Our sporting achievements have also given us plenty to celebrate. Our 1st XI football team won their final in Division Two, while our Premier netball team placed second, narrowly losing to Rangitoto College in a phenomenal final game. Both teams demonstrated not only skill and determination, but the commitment and spirit that we want to see across our school.

And I think this tells us something important: That is our culture.

Culture isn’t just something written down somewhere. Culture is what happens every day. It is created by what we say, what we do and, most importantly, how we treat the person beside us.

This is also where our Mercy identity matters. Catherine McAuley created communities where people who were vulnerable, overlooked or excluded could experience dignity, care and belonging. Her vision wasn’t about creating a community where everyone was the same. It was about creating a community where everyone mattered.

That is an important distinction. Belonging doesn’t mean sameness. We don’t need to have the same background, interests, culture or personality to belong at Carmel. Our differences are part of what makes this community so rich. But our Mercy values call us to make sure those differences never become a reason to exclude someone.

At our last assembly, I asked our students to think about one simple question:

What kind of person am I being for the people around me? That question remains important.

Am I someone who includes?
Am I someone who encourages?
Am I someone who celebrates others?
Am I someone who makes people feel that they belong?

Ultimately, this is the kind of young woman we want Carmel to help our students become – strong enough to stand on their own, and generous enough to make sure others don’t have to stand alone.

As we celebrate Cultural Week, I hope our students think not only about what cultures they belong to, but also about what culture they are helping to create. Every interaction matters. Every choice matters. And every student has the power to help make Carmel a place where people know: I am valued. I am respected. I am cared for. I belong.