AVѧԺ

It has been a very busy week for staff and students alike at AVѧԺ. The Primary School Open Day and the High School Expo on Monday were fabulous; I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the evidence of learning in the Primary School and it was clear that the parents felt the same enthusiasm about the activities on offer. The choir and bands sounded brilliant and we also had the ...

Being foreign and having had to endure decades of rain and cold weather before realising the benefits of emigrating to Perth means that some of us can be slow to appreciate the winter rains when they arrive. However, this year’s arrival of significant rain has coincided with the creation of my new native garden and the JHub’s lovely new planting; both sets of plants look very h ...

Sometimes there is a point or an incident or a time in life when fighting injustice suddenly feels more important than ever. AVѧԺ Year 10 students last week encountered some vile language and a physical altercation from other students at a careers’ expo in the city. Probably the most upsetting part of this for me is that this is happening in 2024 to children in Perth. ...

Student Voice ‘Student voice’ and ‘student agency’ have become buzzwords in recent years, referring to the active participation of students in shaping their educational experience and environment. Student voice recognises that young people possess unique perspectives, insights, and aspirations that are invaluable in creating a vibrant and inclusive school community. Enabling s ...

Change often proves unpopular, and student and staff reactions to the strange timing of the recent school break (necessary to accommodate both Easter and Pesach) were initially quite unfavourable. However, it worked out rather well and feedback has been very positive, to the extent that I was asked upon returning to school this week whether we could make these arrangements next ...

This week’s inaugural Carmel Academy of Performing Arts (CAPA) drama production ‘Ways to screw up your College Interview’ was a resounding success. The audiences reflected the level of support that our talented performers have from the school community and the students on stage were fabulous. It’s not often that I laugh out loud so much I have to restrain myself for fear of emb ...

It was good to welcome back Mr Shadgett and Ms Birch this week, after they travelled to Sydney to represent the School at the AHISA Leading, Learning, Caring conference. They have returned with new ideas and learning, which I am thoroughly looking forward to hearing. I was particularly interested to hear up to date thoughts on AI and how artificial intelligence is being discuss ...

I had a fantastic Purim this year even though I like routine and I struggle with costumes and chaos, I knew what to expect and was quite comfortable and confident in this year’s Cat in the Hat outfit until, that is, two parents asked me if I were dressed as the Mad Hatter … Purim is one of those fabulous times where the students just love the day. From the costume parades to t ...

It’s always interesting to hear how the AVѧԺ experience has shaped the lives of our alumni. We recently caught up with Nicole Hirshowitz who is passionate about the health benefits of physical activity – an interest first sparked by Carmel’s Physical Education department. Ìý What did you enjoy most about attending Carmel? I started AVѧԺ in year one in 2002 ...

Listening to your parents... I hope it isn’t only my children who have always been resistant to hearing sage advice from their mother. They were quite happy to accept the suggestions of other relatives and the parents of their friends, but when their own mother offered wise counsel, it was ignored and often treated with derision. After all, what would I know about study strate ...