Welcome Back for the 2026 School Year!

I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all our new and returning families as we begin a fresh academic year together. I hope your Christmas and New Year celebrations were filled with joy and that you found time for a restful, rejuvenating break with your loved ones.

I am excited to partner with every member of our St Patrick’s learning community. This year holds immense promise, and our staff has already been hard at work implementing the strategic goals of our Annual Improvement Plan to ensure every student succeeds.

Our students have had an exceptional start to the year! Soon I will meet with each class to discuss how each of us can help make St Patrick’s the best school in the state. I plan to focus on the importance of high behavioral standards, wearing our uniform with pride, and giving our absolute best in the classroom, as well as discuss the value of creating a respectful environment where our teachers can deliver the high-quality education every child deserves.

I know that with your partnership we will uphold these standards. Thank you for ensuring your children arrive each day in full uniform and for reinforcing the values of kindness and good manners at home.

Finally, I would like to welcome Angus and Enoch who had their first day at St Patrick's today. Angus is in Year 3 and has joined us from St Nicholas' Primary in Tamworth, while Enoch Year 2 has joined us from Walcha Central School. All two students have already settled into their classroom routines very smoothly and I know they will definitely enjoy their time with us.

Kindergarten's First Day on Monday!

I am so excited to welcome Amelia, Ava, Dougal, Eleanor, Isabelle, Kolby, Marlie, Ollie, and Rudy as they begin their Kindergarten journey this upcoming Monday morning! It seems like ages since I last saw these bright faces at our Transition Program late last year, and I have missed their energy. I am confident that each of you will have a brilliant first day and a wonderful start to school life at St Patrick’s!

Updated 2026 School Fees Structure

As I mentioned at the end of the last school year, the Armidale Catholic Schools Board had determined that school fees across all schools in our diocese will see an increase of 5% for this school year.

I understand that any increase requires careful planning for our families. This adjustment is necessary to ensure we can continue to provide high-quality education, resources, and staffing to benefit all our students.

I want to confirm that St Patrick’s will be continuing with the Annual Excursion Levy as part of the 2026 fee structure.

This levy ensures that all programmed excursions and activities throughout the year are covered, including major events such as:

The Canberra trip for our Years 5-6 students.
The Lake Keepit experience for our Years 3-4 students.
All other local and educational excursions that classes will be involved with throughout the year.

This consistent approach is designed to provide you with a clear and predictable understanding of your total school commitments for 2026, eliminating the need for frequent, ad-hoc requests throughout the academic year.

New School Fee Payment Structure

We have received advice from Armidale Catholic Schools that there will be a new school payment structure commencing this year. All parents will transition to a monthly instalment payment schedule.

* Monthly Statements: You will receive a monthly statement clearly outlining the instalment amount due for that period.

* Payment Frequency: All school fee instalments must be paid monthly.

Overdue Payment Policy

To ensure the smooth operation of the school and the continued provision of high-quality education, it is essential that payments are made on time. The following procedure will be strictly followed for any overdue instalments:

* Overdue SMS Notification: If a monthly instalment is not paid by the due date, you will receive an SMS notification requiring payment within 7 days.

* Formal Letter from the Principal: Should the payment remain outstanding after the 7-day period stipulated in the SMS, you will receive a formal letter from the Principal regarding the overdue account.

Option to Pay in Full

You are welcome to pay the full amount of your school fees at any time during the year. However, until the full payment is received, the minimum monthly instalment payments must still be met.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we implement this new system. We believe this structure will make fee management clearer and more consistent for all members of our school community.

I appreciate your understanding and support as we implement these changes to maintain the standard of education and experiences offered at our school. If you have any specific questions regarding the new fee structure, please contact the School Office.

St Patrick's has facilities to pay fees by BPAY, EFTPOS or Credit Card and Cash. Our preferred payment method is BPAY.

Walcha Races Next Friday 6th February

The Walcha Race Day is Friday 6th February. This is a half day holiday. Buses will collect students at 11:30am, other students need to be picked up 11:20 - 11:30am.

School will be closed from 11:30am.

Ash Wednesday and Beginning of School Year Mass - 18th February 11:30am @ St Patrick's Church

Our first K-6 School Mass for 2026 will be the Ash Wednesday Beginning of the Year School Mass, on Wednesday 18th February in St Patrick's Church beginning at 11.30am. Our new School Captains, House Captains and School Leaders will have their badges blessed by Monsignor Ted and be formally commissioned. Everyone is invited to join us.

School Swimming Carnival Update (Monday 9th February)

Following the recent announcement by Walcha Council that the local pool will remain closed until mid-February, we have been working hard to find a solution that ensures our students do not miss out on this highlight of the school calendar.

Our priority has been to ensure that all our students can participate in a fun day, while also giving our competitive swimmers every opportunity to qualify for the Armidale Catholic Schools (ACS) Swimming Carnival later this month.

After exploring various options, we have decided to hold our 2026 Swimming Carnival at the Monckton Aquatic Centre in Armidale on Monday, 9th February.

While I know moving the event out of town is not ideal, Monckton offers the facilities we need to run a full carnival for everyone. I understand this location may disadvantage some families regarding travel, and I apologise for this situation which is unfortunately out of our hands.

However, it would be fantastic to see as many families as possible make the trip to Armidale to cheer on the children.

Detailed information regarding transport and logistics was sent out to all families earlier today. Because we have a very tight turnaround to organize the paperwork for this new venue, please ensure your child’s permission and nomination details are completed as soon as possible.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. I look forward to a great day at Monckton, and hopefully, we will be back to our traditional carnival at Walcha next year!

Best of Luck to Josie, Rebee and Shaun at the Polding Tennis Trials

I am thrilled to send my best wishes to Josie, Rebee, and Shaun as they travel to Tamworth on Friday, 6th February.

They will be representing both St Patrick’s and our Diocese at the Polding Tennis Trials—a truly fantastic achievement! Their hard work and dedication to the sport have clearly paid off, and we couldn’t be prouder. I know they will compete with great skill and wonderful sportsmanship.

Good luck to our talented trio; the whole school is cheering for you!

Welcome Barbecue and Assembly on Friday 13th February

As we settle into the rhythm of the new school year, it is time to come together as a community to celebrate the start of 2026 on Friday 13th February.

I am delighted to invite all families—both those who have been with us for years and those who have just joined the St Patrick’s family—to our Official Welcome Assembly and Barbecue Lunch.

This is a wonderful opportunity to meet our new staff, connect with other parents, and officially welcome our new Kindergarten students and families to the school.

We will begin with a short assembly to recognise our student's achievements for the start of the year and welcome our new students, followed immediately by a sausage sizzle lunch for everyone to enjoy.

I look forward to seeing many of you there to kick off the year with great food and even better company.

Staffing for 2026

Classroom Leaders

Kindergarten- Ms Megan Wilson

Year 1- Mrs Cian Baldry (Monday-Thursday and Year 1-2 on Friday)

Year 2- Mrs Meggie Davey (Monday-Thursday)

Year 3-4- Mrs Sarah Hoy (Monday-Thursday) and Mrs Libby Makeham (Friday)

Year 5-6- Mrs Anna Flanagan (Monday-Wednesday) and Mr Dallas Hyatt (Thursday and Friday)

Other Staffing Arrangements

IST-Mrs Meggie Davey (every Friday)

Ms Wilson- MaST Coordinator

Mrs Mackson- Kindergarten every Tuesday, Release From Face to Face (Kindergarten and Year 3-4 every Wednesday and all classes (library) on Thursday)

Mrs Makeham- Release From Face to Face (Year 3-4 every Friday) , as well as Leader of Pedagogy

My Hyatt - Principal, Religious Education Coordinator, Year 5-6 Teacher and Release Face to Face (Years 1-2 and Years 5-6 on Wednesday).

Education Assistants -Mrs Donna Harrison - Monday – Friday, Mrs Karen Rizzi: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Mrs Elyce Laurie - Monday-Friday, Mrs Amy Clark - Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and Ms Jenny Allen - Monday-Wednesday

Parish Priest – Monsignor Ted Wilkes

School Office Staff - Mrs Sally Pittman Monday – Friday

School Finance Officer - Mrs Karen Rizzi - Thursday & Friday

NECOM Music Teachers - Mr James McKay & Mr Paul Marshall Primary School Band.

2026 National Servicemen's Commemoration Day Service

On Sunday, 15th February, the Armidale and District National Servicemen’s Association will hold a special Commemoration Service at the monument in Central Park, Armidale, starting at 11:00 am.

This service honors the memory of national servicemen (conscripts) who lost their lives in World War II and Vietnam, those who died during their service, and those who have passed away in the years since. St Patrick’s is honored to have been invited to lay a wreath during the ceremony.

Next week, expressions of interest will be sent to our school leaders to represent our community at this significant event.

Covering of Students' Books

Due to a delay, our classroom supplies are now arriving this coming Monday. Consequently, students will bring their new workbooks home next Friday, 6th February, to be covered over the weekend. If you are able, please cover these books and return them to school by Monday, 9th February.

We certainly understand that weekends can be very busy! If you aren't able to get to them over that weekend, please simply return the books on Monday regardless. You are more than welcome to chat with your child’s teacher to arrange a more convenient time to take them home for covering later.

Communication

I want to ensure every family stays up to date with the wonderful things happening at our school! Our weekly newsletter is your primary source of information and can be accessed easily through Compass.

If you haven't already, please ensure you are regularly logged into our Compass Portal. It is our main hub for sharing essential updates. Every family has a unique login; if you’ve misplaced yours or need a hand getting started, our friendly Front Office staff are here to help.

For a daily look into school life and upcoming events, don’t forget to follow our Facebook page! Many of our families are already part of our online community. You can find us at the link below.

Compass information up to date

If any families need to update details in regard to change of family dynamics, address, phone number, etc.

Please email school spwadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au or through Compass parent portal.

It is essential that all our records are current and up to date.

Attendance

If your child is away from school, please let us know via phone, email, or by submitting an attendance note through Compass. To ensure everyone is safe and accounted for, we send an SMS reminder at 10:00 am if an absence hasn't been recorded.

We place a high value on punctuality, as the start of the day is a vital time for students to hear the daily agenda and important reminders. I kindly ask families to make arriving on time a priority. If you do happen to arrive after the bell, please stop by the Front Office to sign in so we can ensure our records are accurate.

Students Arriving Late or Leaving School Early

PLEASE NOTE that all students arriving late, or being collected early for an appointment, MUST REPORT to Mrs Pittman at the Office to be signed in or out by a parent /guardian.

School Hours & Supervision

Teachers commence duty at 8:30am and finish duty when the last bus leaves St Patrick’s approximately 3:10pm.

Supervision begins at 8:30am in the COLA

School starts: 9am (Bell - 8:50am)

Recess: 11:00am – 11:30am

Lunch: 1:30pm – 2:10pm

School finishes: 3.00pm.

SCHOOL OFFICE HOURS

The school office hours are 8:30am to 3:30pm

Afternoon Process

Students are dismissed from class at 3.00pm and assemble in the COLA area for messages & dismissal. Students are dismissed at 3.05pm.

Buses are loaded at 3.05pm, pickups are taken to the front gate at St Patrick's Church, walkers are seen across Apsley Street.

Contacting Your Child's Teacher

Teachers welcome contact from parents, if you need to talk with staff please either contact the class teacher by phoning the school – 67772328 or email the school at spwadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au.

School Assembly

We will be having our first school assembly for the term on Friday 27th February at 9.00am under the COLA. We hope to see you then!

School Assembly for the 1st Term Dates

Jelly Bean Cup