School News and Information
STAGE 1 NEWS
News from the Possums
It’s hard to believe we are already nearing the end of Term 4! Although we’re winding down towards the holidays, the Possums have continued to stay busy with lots of great learning — and we’re looking forward to finishing the year with Swim School in the final week. The last few weeks have been full of exciting experiences, including Outdoor Learning Days, our Celebration of Learning Assembly, and transition activities to prepare for next year. We were also very fortunate to have Miss Lord join us for her four-week placement. The Possums thoroughly enjoyed her creative lessons and all the fun learning opportunities she brought to our classroom.
English
This term in English, students have been exploring procedural writing in engaging and hands-on ways. We began by writing a procedure for making kale chips using the harvest from our aeroponics tower — a delicious way to connect our learning to real experiences in the classroom. Miss Lord also combined PE and literacy, guiding students to design, write and test ball-throwing and kicking procedures on their peers. The Possums especially loved creating “secret drawing procedures,” which led to plenty of laughs and some very creative results. It has been a wonderful term of purposeful, practical writing!
Maths
Over the past four weeks, Miss Lord has led the Possums through a series of engaging and hands-on maths lessons. Students have been practising how to use number lines to solve problems and clearly show their thinking, as well as tackling two-step word problems with growing confidence. A highlight has been the introduction of the maths game Greedy Pig, which has quickly become a class favourite! It’s been a fantastic end to the year in Mathematics, full of fun, strategy, and great problem-solving.
History
Students have now completed their History Research Cubes and have been proudly presenting their projects to the class. We’ve heard some fabulous facts and gained plenty of new knowledge on a wide range of topics, including the solar system and planets, NRL teams, famous artists, and dinosaurs. The Possums worked incredibly hard on their research, writing, and presentations, and they should be very proud of what they have produced!
Creative Arts
Students are continuing to work on their papier-mâché creations, and they are coming together beautifully! This has been a challenging, hands-on project, but every student has taken it on with enthusiasm, patience, and plenty of creativity. It has been wonderful to see their ideas take shape and their confidence grow as their artworks come to life.
It has been a fantastic year with the Possums and we are super proud of all their growth and achievements!
Wishing everyone a safe and happy Christmas break!
Miss Clyde-Smith and Mrs Polson
News from K/1 Magpies
What an amazing year it has been teaching our wonderful Magpie students! Each child has shown fantastic PAX behaviour and brought so much joy, enthusiasm and plenty of laughs to our classroom. We are incredibly proud of their growth and achievements throughout the year. We wish all our families a happy, safe and healthy holiday break, and we look forward to seeing everyone again in 2026!
Maths
In Maths, Magpies have been learning how addition can help us solve subtraction problems. Students have been using drawings and objects to work through subtraction questions, practising addition strategies to find the answers. They have also been learning to break apart (partition) and rename two-digit numbers to make subtraction easier. These activities are helping students build a stronger understanding of numbers and develop confident problem-solving skills.
English
In English, Magpies explored the picture book The Imagineer by Christopher Cheng and illustrated by Lucia Masciullo. This beautiful story follows an inquisitive young girl whose imagination is inspired by the world around her, while also celebrating the special connection between grandchildren and grandparents and the wisdom shared across generations. After reading, students designed their own inventions that would help them or family in their everyday lives. They used a range of recyclable materials to build their creations and proudly presented their imaginative ideas to the class.
Science
This term, students have been exploring different materials and their purposes through hands-on outdoor investigations, problem-solving activities, and nature-based STEM challenges. In the nature area, students worked together to build small shelters and cubbies using sticks, leaves, bark and other natural materials, testing how well their designs held up against the weather.
As we move into the final week and a bit of the school year, the excitement is really building! We’re looking forward to enjoying some fun Christmas activities together and making the most of our last days of term. We’re especially excited for swimming and all the festive fun ahead.
Wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday! 🎄✨🏊♂️
Mrs Corcoran and Mrs McCathie
2025 Presentation Day Major Awards
Award | Student | Award Information
|
| Citizenship (Armidale Council) | Pippa
| For the student who embodies dependability, service, leadership, and pride in Martin’s Gully. |
| Oorala Achievement Award | Arie | For the student who demonstrates achievement, academic excellence, sporting achievement, leadership and impact on the community. This year, the award is presented to Arie Moar in recognition of her outstanding citizenship and dedication to learning at Martin’s Gully Public School. |
| Achievement in Sport | Beau Matthew | For achievement in sport through the PSSA representative system. Beau has represented Martin’s Gully, Armidale Zone and Northwest in swimming, Football, Athletics, Cross Country and touch football. |
| Academic Award | Lucinda | For her application and academic excellence in all Key Learning areas, particularly in the areas of English and Creative Arts. |
| Outstanding Effort | Olivia O | For outstanding application towards learning by continually striving to improve her knowledge and understanding. |
| Achievement in Creative Arts | Abbie | For her high achievement in all areas of dance, drama, visual arts and music. Abbie has demonstrated excellence and commitment to ensure outstanding success in Creative and Practical Arts. |
Victor Moar Memorial Award “Honour Before Honours” | Arie
| For maintaining the highest personal standards of integrity in both social and academic contexts which include respect, honour, and courteous behaviour at Martin’s Gully and within the wider community. |
| Achievement in STEM | Ewan | For high achievement in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics. |
| Kinder Ambassador Award | Evie McC
| In recognition of her consistent kindness towards others and her exceptional beginning to school life. |
| Stage 1 Ambassador Award | Sebastian C | For being a responsible, kind, hardworking student who demonstrates excellence in all aspects of school life. |
| Stage 2 Ambassador Award | Henry S | In recognition of his thoughtful and reflective nature, in particular the respect he demonstrates towards others and the environment around him. |
| Stage 3 Ambassador Award | Hunter | For being a positive role model to his peers and demonstrating integrity in all aspects of school life. |
| Stage 2 Oorala Award | Tyler | For being a deep thinker who makes insightful contributions to our discussions in the classroom. |
| Stage 3 Oorala Award | Arie | For exemplifying responsibility, kindness, and diligence, consistently showing excellence in every aspect of school life. |
2025 Class Awards
| Kindergarten | Student | Reason
| |
| Achievement | Leonard | For his dedication, enthusiasm, and excellent progress in all areas of the curriculum. | |
| Commendation | William | For consistently approaching each day with curiosity and showing a willingness to learn and explore new ideas. | |
| You Can Do It | Charlotte | Showing you are a PAX leader by demonstrating compassion, empathy, and a caring spirit, making our classroom a warm and welcoming place. | |
| Year K/1 Magpies | Student | Reason | |
| Achievement | Jack | For his dedication in all areas of learning, especially his growth in reading. | |
| Commendation | Thea M | For her excellent growth and increased confidence across all Key Learning Areas. | |
| You Can Do It | Olivia C | For her responsible attitude towards learning and outstanding leadership shown throughout the year. | |
| 2 Possums | Student | Reason | ||
| Achievement | Pixie
| Your consistent dedication, curiosity and enthusiasm in every aspect of school, showing a genuine love for learning. | ||
| Commendation | Polly | For the great progress you have made this year through hard work and determination, always embracing new challenges with a positive attitude. | ||
| You Can Do It | Oliver T
| For consistently demonstrating our school values through your positive attitude towards learning and your outstanding leadership. | ||
| Year 3/4 Bilbies | Student | Reason | ||
| Achievement | Greyson | For dedicating himself fully to his learning and consistently seizing opportunities for personal growth. | ||
| Commendation | Sadie | For making great progress and growing in confidence in all Key Learning Areas. | ||
| You Can Do It | Ryder | For being an outstanding leader and role model who consistently shows honesty, perseverance and kindness towards others. | ||
| Year 3/4 Wombats | Student | Reason | ||
| Achievement | Isabelle | For applying herself wholeheartedly to learning and consistently embracing opportunities for growth. | ||
| Commendation | Stevie | For her resilience and thoughtful engagement which has allowed her to embrace learning confidently. | ||
| You Can Do It | Eevee | For demonstrating integrity, resilience and empathy through her compassion for others, determination to succeed and willingness to advocate for herself and others. | ||
| Year 5/6 Emus | Student | Reason
| ||
| Achievement | Olivia B | For applying herself wholeheartedly to her learning which has resulted in academic excellence in English and Mathematics. | ||
| Commendation | Xanthe | For consistently achieving academic excellence across all areas and approaching opportunities for growth with quiet confidence. | ||
| You Can Do It | Emalie | For exemplifying outstanding leadership and serving as a role model through consistent honesty, perseverance, and kindness towards others. | ||
| Year 5/6 Dingoes | Student | Reason | ||
| Achievement | Zuri | For dedication, commitment and application in English comprehension and writing tasks. | ||
| Commendation | Eliza | For demonstrating exceptional skills and creativity in writing across all key learning areas. | ||
| You Can Do It | Beau Matthew | For creating a meaningful impact by exemplifying kindness, respect, and strong leadership. | ||
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LOST PROPERTY
The basket is overflowing with hoodies, jumpers, hats and miscellaneous clothing. Please come to the office to check if you have any lost items.
We will donate the clothing to the uniform pool at the end of term if unclaimed.
What's Happening
Please check SCHOOL BYTES and GULGOS for the most current updates.
Below are the dates that we have so far.
Please remember to let us know if we have missed anything.
We do not add the NW trials and State events to this list of dates as it causes confusion.
Please remember that changes may occur and we will do our best to keep you informed of those changes.
What’s Happening Term 4
Week 10
- Swimming Scheme all week
- Friday, December 19, 2025 - Last day for 2025 - Year 6 Walk Out assembly at 2pm
- Friday, December 19, 2025 - Last day for 2025
Links to support your child with reading at home:
NO PEARL PEARCH LUNCH ORDERS NEXT WEEK
