Mr Hyatt
Happy Father's Day!
As this Sunday approaches, I want to wish all our dads a very happy Father's Day. Fathers play an essential role in their children's lives, offering constant guidance, wisdom, encouragement, and love as they grow. Great fathers make sacrifices every day to care for and uplift their families, and we are deeply grateful for your continuous dedication.
Wishing Mrs Baldry All the Best!
As we reach the end of the week, I want to extend our warmest wishes to Mrs Baldry, who will officially commence her maternity leave starting this upcoming Monday. We are so excited for Mrs Baldry as she prepares for this wonderful new chapter and the arrival of her baby. On behalf of the entire school community, we thank her for her dedication to our students and wish her family health, happiness, and all the very best during this special time.
As recently advised to our Year 1 families, Miss Hyde will be continuing her teaching practicum with the Year 1 class for the remainder of the term, closely supervised by Mrs Makeham. We appreciate Miss Hyde’s ongoing support in providing continuity and care for our students.
Regarding ongoing class leadership, an official announcement will be made next week to confirm who will be leading the Year 1 next term.
Please join us in sending Mrs Baldry our love, prayers, and best wishes as she begins her maternity leave!
Kindergarten Transition Program Has Commenced!
On Monday, we had the pleasure of welcoming Archer, Arthur, Bella, Braxton, Clancy, Cliffy, Elyse, Finnigan, Ivy, Kodi, Lily, Mae, Riley and Tiro as they embarked on their very first transition day. The students jumped into a variety of activities across the school, showing incredible energy and enthusiasm throughout the day. Feedback has been wonderfully positive—our transition students had a fantastic experience and are already eagerly looking forward to returning next Monday. A big thank you to Mrs Makeham for her fantastic leadership in guiding the students through such a busy and successful first day.
Updating Our Social Media Practices: A Follow-Up on Generative AI and Student Safety
Following up on my previous newsletter article regarding the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence, I am writing to share an important update regarding our school's online presence.
You will see changes on our school social media including Facebook and the posting of student photos and names. This is in direct response to the rise of generative AI and our commitment to the safety of our young people.
The rapid growth of accessible generative AI tools has introduced new risks in regards to how photos and videos may be harvested, stored and altered online. AI enabled photo and video manipulation is increasingly realistic and more accessible. Using photos posted by schools to public locations such as social media this technology is being used to create nonconsensual and sexualised images of students and staff.
We must consider these risks in the context of our duty of care for all our people - our students, our staff and our families. These changes serve to ensure our people are ‘safe, valued, respected and cared for’.
Following the recent advice from the e-Safety Commissioner about increasing AI risks and the misuse of images, our school and the wider Armidale Catholic Schools system are following guidelines to move to a safer digital environment. We will regularly review our practices as the landscape changes to ensure processes are up to date.
To adapt to these emerging risks while continuing to celebrate student success, we are making the following updates to our digital communications:
- Focusing on Group & Contextual Photos: We will use wider-angle shots, group activities, and photos that showcase student learning, work, and participation from behind or at angles where faces are not fully identifiable.
- Reducing High-Resolution Photos: We will avoid posting close-up, high-definition photos of individual students on public platforms.
- Removing First & Last Name Combinations: Student names will not be published alongside their images on public social media.
Using Internal Channels: High-resolution photos, individual achievements, and identifiable images will be reserved for secure, password-protected internal platforms (such as Compass) rather than public social channels.
I know how much our community values seeing the daily life of our school, and we remain committed to sharing the wonderful achievements of our students. However, protecting their privacy and long-term digital footprint must come first.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership, understanding, and support as we take these proactive steps to keep our students safe in an evolving digital landscape.
Grandparents Day, Book Fair and Book Week Fashion Parade-tomorrow, Friday 4th September
Tomorrow, Friday 4th September, promises to be a vibrant morning filled with exciting activities across our school!
We will begin the morning session from 9:00 am to 10:00 am by welcoming all our fathers and grandparents. The highlight of the morning will be our annual Book Week Fashion Parade. I also encourage everyone to pop into the library to explore our wonderful Book Fair Display.
Following the festivities, we invite all of our guests to join us for morning tea.
This year's theme is 'Symphony of Stories', and we encourage all students to come dressed as their favourite book characters (a book character-not from a television show!). I know I will be looking in my costume box tonight in the hope that I will find some inspiration!
Should you wish to acquire a book and contribute it to the library, we would be pleased to accept your donation. The book you provide will feature a donation label affixed inside the cover, bearing your family's name, serving as a gift of reading to be shared with other children.
Walcha Central School Taster Day
Yesterday, a group of our Year 5 and 6 students had the fantastic opportunity to participate in the Walcha Central School Taster Day. Designed to give primary students a realistic preview of secondary education, the event allowed our students to step into the high school environment, explore new subjects, and experience a typical day in a high school setting.
Taster days play a vital role in building confidence and easing the transition from primary to secondary school. A big thank you to Walcha Central School for hosting such a welcoming and engaging day for some of our future high schoolers!
K–2 Excursion to Tamworth on Wednesday
This upcoming Wednesday, September 9, students in Kindergarten, Year 1, and Year 2 will attend an excursion to Tamworth.
As part of the visit, students will attend a live performance of Bluey at the Capitol Theatre.
Details regarding this excursion are available in Compass.
2026 Survey My School
A sincere thank you to all the students, staff, and parents who have taken the time to complete the Survey My School process. Your thoughtful feedback and insights are invaluable to our school community.
The information gathered through this survey will be extremely beneficial as we look ahead, providing essential guidance for future strategic planning and the implementation of various new initiatives. By sharing your voice, you help us ensure that our school continues to grow as a supportive, high-quality learning environment for every student.
Canteen Helpers Desperately Needed!
Regrettably, we find ourselves in a predicament where the coordinators of the school's canteen are having difficulty securing sufficient volunteers to cover all the positions on the roster necessary for the canteen's operation every Monday and Friday. If anyone is in a position to offer assistance, we kindly request that you inform the school.
Premier's Reading Challenge 2026
The Premier's Reading Challenge for this year is approaching its conclusion. Congratulations to all students who took part; it has been reported that a significant number of diverse texts have been read. Please note that validations will close on Friday, 11th September. Should you have any questions or concerns related to the reading challenge, do not hesitate to reach out to Mrs King or Mrs Harrison.
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
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.