Dear Families,

I hope all of our families had a wonderful Mother’s Day last weekend. It was fantastic to see so many members of our school community donating lovely gifts for our Mother’s Day stall. The students had an absolute ball perusing the selections and purchasing special gifts for the important women in their lives. Thank you so much to the volunteers and families who helped make this such a joyous event for our children.

Last week was an incredibly busy and productive one at St Philomena’s, filled with fantastic learning opportunities right across the school. As we rapidly approach the middle of the term, our students have been diligently focusing on their assessments and have truly settled into the full swing of their academic routines. It is wonderful to see their determination and growth as they tackle these milestones.

This week, we are privileged to welcome the St Carlo Acutis roadshow to St Philomena’s. This presentation forms a key part of our diocese’s Annual Improvement Plan, with Bishop Peter Murphy bringing this unique learning opportunity to all Armidale Catholic Schools throughout 2026. Saint Carlo Acutis, who was canonised by Pope Leo XIV in September 2025 as the Catholic Church's very first millennial saint, was an ordinary teenager with an extraordinary faith. Before passing away from leukaemia in 2006 at just 15 years old, Carlo lived a life that beautifully mirrors the reality of our own students; he loved computer programming, playing video games, and sports. However, he famously channelled his tech-savviness into sharing his love for God by creating a digital catalogue of Eucharistic miracles online. For the young people at St Philomena’s, Saint Carlo is a brilliant role model, proving that holiness is completely achievable in our modern, digital age, and that technology can be used as a powerful tool for kindness, faith, and global connection.

It is also a massive week for external representation, with a number of our students packing their bags to represent St Philomena’s at various events. Five of our talented Year 10 students are currently in Sydney attending Warraymaylaya. This initiative offers our students a valuable opportunity to connect deeply with their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage, while also meeting with tertiary education providers and career advisors to plan for their futures. Of course, it isn’t all work—our selected students are also taking part in some thrilling bucket-list experiences, including climbing the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge!

We wish them the absolute best on this experience.

In our Primary years, excitement is building as a keen contingent of runners travels to Barraba this Friday, 22 May to compete in the Armidale Diocese Cross Country. We wish all of our competing athletes the very best on the track and trust they will enjoy the experience and represent our school with pride.

Friday is set to be an exceptionally busy day on campus as well, as we open our doors to prospective families for our 2027 Enrolments. We will be holding a prospective Kindergarten Tour at 10:00 am, followed by a prospective Year 7 Tour at 12:00 pm. If you know any families looking to join the St Philomena's community next year, please encourage them to come along.

Looking ahead to next week, we have several significant events marked on our calendar. On Tuesday, 26 May, our school community will be solemnly commemorating National Sorry Day. We will hold a school liturgy to honour the Stolen Generations and reflect on our shared journey toward reconciliation, which will be followed by a shared morning tea. We warmly invite all of our families and local community elders to join us for this special morning. Later that evening, on Tuesday, 26 May, we will follow up from our prospective Kindergarten and Year 7 tours with our Kindergarten and Year 7 Enrolment Information Evening. Please keep an eye on Compass and Facebook for exact times and further details.

Next week also marks Catholic Schools Week within our diocese, and we are looking forward to welcoming many visitors to our school. On Thursday, 28 May, St Philomena’s is honoured to host the official Catholic Schools Week Mass at St Francis Xavier’s Church in Moree. Staff and students from across our Western Deanery schools will journey to join us for this beautiful celebration, which will be led by Bishop Murphy. Following the Mass, the Bishop will spend some time meeting with our Year 6 students as they prepare for a major spiritual milestone. On Friday, 29 May, these students will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation, and we ask that you keep them all in your prayers during this sacred time.

Finally, as a Catholic school community, we regularly look to our global Church leaders for guidance and wisdom. Please take some time this week to watch a vital video message from Pope Leo XIV addressed to the world. Currently, millions of people across the globe continue to suffer from severe food insecurity and hunger. This crisis deeply threatens the dignity of the most vulnerable members of our human family and forces us to look inward, questioning the way we live and how we share the earth's precious resources.

In his prayer intention for this month, Pope Leo invites all of us to pray that no one might lack the food they need to survive, and that we might collectively learn to live more sustainably and responsibly, recognising that the earth’s resources are a gift intended for everyone. He encourages us to awaken a new awareness—one deeply capable of gratitude, intentional sharing, and genuine care for others, thereby promoting a global culture of solidarity. Please remember that you are never alone in these intentions; by praying, you join millions of faithful believers who belong to the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, united from every corner of the earth to pray for the challenges facing humanity and the Church’s mission.

Take some time to join Pope Leo in prayer and reflection by clicking the video link here: https://youtu.be/-a60VaSe3tY?si=ZFOsX-gnJxcASlZ4

Have a fantastic week ahead, everyone.

God bless,

Alistair Stewart

Principal

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