The past three weeks have been a particularly busy and celebratory time at Carmel, with a number of events recognising and celebrating our senior students who have now finished their classes and begun their NCEA examination preparation. From sports and music awards to gatherings celebrating our graduating Māori and Pacific students, each event has provided a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge the contributions our young women have made, both during this year and throughout their time at Carmel College. It has also been a chance to recognise the many people who have supported them along the way.

Over the weekend, following weeks of training together and individually, 32 members of our staff took on the Bridge, completing either the half marathon or the 11km traverse. It was a fantastic experience for everyone involved and a wonderful celebration of teamwork, commitment and perseverance. Congratulations to all those who took part, representing Carmel with such enthusiasm and spirit. More importantly, they demonstrated to our young women the value of setting goals, challenging themselves and following through with determination and positivity.

On Wednesday this week, we gathered for our final school assembly of 2026, which is always a bittersweet occasion. It is a time to celebrate all that we have achieved together, but also to farewell our senior students. For our Year 13s, it marked their final school assembly and another significant step towards the next chapter of their lives. 

Our student leaders delivered their final addresses with heartfelt wisdom and reflection. Seeing these young women, who have represented and led their cohort, stand before the school community, confident in who they are and ready to leave Carmel, was truly inspiring. They are young women equipped to challenge and shape their futures with confidence, compassion and purpose. We wish them every success as they take their next steps.

Yesterday, we celebrated our final school Mass for 2026 with our Thanksgiving Mass. During the liturgy, we heard the words of Jesus describing us as the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

As Father Chris reminded us in his homily, salt adds flavour and enhances what is already there. It doesn’t need to change everything; it simply makes a difference to what it touches. Light helps us to see, illuminates the way and gives others direction.

As young women of Mercy, I hope our students carry both with them. May they enhance the lives of those around them through kindness, generosity and encouragement, and be a light that helps others recognise their own potential. It is often through the ordinary things we do, and the way we treat those around us, that we make the greatest difference.

During the Mass, we also took the opportunity to acknowledge and thank four members of our Carmel community who are moving into the next chapter of their lives, including three long-serving staff members stepping away from full-time teaching and a member of our Senior Leadership and Administration team who is relocating to Perth.

Mrs Lois Bruce, who has served the College for 37 years; Mrs Karen Mitchell, who has served for 34 years; Mrs Mandy Verdonk, who has served for close to 20 years; and Mrs Claudia Officier, who has been part of our community for almost eight years.

Throughout their time at Carmel, each has not only contributed through their respective roles, but has guided, encouraged and inspired generations of young women. Between them, they have supported and helped shape thousands of students as they have grown into the Mercy women they are today. Their contribution to Carmel extends well beyond the classroom and the responsibilities of their roles, and we are incredibly grateful for the time, care and commitment they have given to our College.

On behalf of the entire Carmel community, thank you. We wish each of you every happiness as you begin this next chapter.

Today, we welcomed 170 new students to Carmel as our newest Year 7 cohort. Of these, 107 (63%) are joining us from one of our four Catholic feeder primary schools. However, what is particularly lovely about this intake is the diversity of schools our new students are coming from.

Thirteen students are the only ones joining us from their primary school, 18 have just one other student joining them, 15 have two others, and 12 have three others. We also have one student joining us with five others from her primary school. If you have kept up with those numbers, our new cohort represents an incredible 35 different primary schools.

For many, this means beginning their Carmel journey without the familiarity of a large group of friends from primary school. It is a reminder of the importance of the welcome, belonging and connections we create for our new students as they find their place within our community. We look forward to seeing them grow in confidence and make Carmel their own in 2027.

With our senior students now on study leave, returning to the College for examinations and tutorials, the school grounds may feel a little quieter. However, there is still plenty happening for our Year 7–11 students as we work towards the end of the academic year.

Summer Tournament Week commences on Monday 16 November, with students competing in volleyball, basketball and water polo. Year 11 examinations begin on Monday 23 November, while preparations are well underway for our Year 10 camps, with the two groups departing on 29 November and 2 December.

While the academic year may feel as though it is drawing to a close, it remains important that we support our young women to finish the year well. This means maintaining their focus, commitment and consideration for others, and continuing to live out our core Mercy values. In particular, our focus on Tika – Justice reminds us of the importance of doing what is right, taking responsibility for our actions and ensuring that everyone is treated with fairness and respect.

As a reminder, the College will be closed to students on Friday 13 November and Friday 20 November for Ministry of Education Teacher Only Days, which will provide staff with dedicated time for professional learning and development as we prepare for the implementation of the new curriculum.

In just over a week, we also look forward to one of our key community events, the PTFA Christmas Market.

Now in its fifth year, the market promises to be another wonderful occasion for our wider Carmel community. Please note that this is a twilight market, taking place on Saturday 14 November, from 4.30pm to 8.30pm.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has contributed through donations of goods to help make this event a success. I would also like to acknowledge the tremendous work of our PTFA volunteers, who have been working behind the scenes and have a particularly busy week ahead as they bring everything together.

We hope to see many of you there. The market is a wonderful opportunity to come together, support local vendors, enjoy the festive atmosphere and celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season as a community.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge and thank the many staff members who have worked so hard over these past few weeks to make the numerous events and celebrations possible. There are simply too many people to name individually, but the time, energy and care that have gone into ensuring our students are recognised and celebrated, and that our wider community of parents, families and friends can come together, have not gone unnoticed. To everyone who has contributed in some way, thank you. Your commitment and support are greatly appreciated.