It is wonderful to see, through participation and success in extra curricular activities, our young women are developing the skills and attributes to be equipped and empowered to pursue their own personal excellence and preparing to challenge and shape their futures, whilst being young women of Mercy who act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with our God.
Last week we had 57 students away at AIMs being supported by their coaches, managers, family and friends. There were some outstanding results in the individual codes and some narrow misses in pool play for some of our teams. Regardless of the results not always going our way throughout the week each of our young women represented our college community with pride, and importantly themselves.
This week, senior students in Years 12 and 13 have completed their practice NCEA external assessments, which provide teachers with valuable insights to help prepare students for their final examinations in November. As these assessments conclude, teachers are marking and providing feedback to guide students in identifying areas for improvement and refining their learning. While results can sometimes highlight that further work is needed, this also presents an important opportunity for students to reflect on what has been effective, what has not, and how new strategies can be developed and put into practice as they prepare for Term 4.
In the words of Catherine McAuley, “The simplest and most practical lesson I know is to resolve to be good today but better tomorrow. Let us take one day in hand at a time, merely making a resolve for tomorrow. Thus, may we hope to get on, taking short, careful steps, not great strides.” At this stage of the year, it is also important to remind our senior students, and you as parents, that if you have any concerns or questions about your daughter’s progress or how best to support her, please reach out to her teachers or dean. We are mindful of the high expectations many of our young women place on themselves, and with the added demands of extracurricular commitments, they often need support to maintain balance and wellbeing.
As we begin planning ahead, I want to acknowledge that our school roll is under pressure for 2026, with a growing waitlist of families hoping to join our community. We are aware that state school ballots have now taken place, and with this in mind, if you know that your daughter will not be returning next year, I encourage you to let us know as soon as possible. This will assist us greatly with our planning and allow us to offer places to other families who are eager to be part of Carmel College.
As we approach the final week of Term 3, we look forward to the many activities and events ahead, including the Year 13 overnight retreat which began today, the Year 8 Eco Fashion Show, NCEA Music performances, Year 11 PE camp and the student-led initiatives planned for Pink Day on Friday 19 September, our last day of term. We also wish our basketball team all the very best as they head away to compete at the Basketball Nationals in Palmerston North during the first week of the break. As I do at the beginning of each break, I encourage our students to use the holidays to find a balance between rest, preparation, and self-improvement. While it is important that our young women take time to relax, I also challenge them to maintain healthy habits engaging in at least 30 minutes of physical activity, spending at least 30 minutes reading, and switching off from devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime so they return reinvigorated, refreshed, and ready to embrace the many opportunities that await in Term 4.
I wish you all a safe term break and look forward to seeing you all back for Term 4.
