From the Principal's Desk
Week 6
This week is a little quieter on the extra curricular front, however Nixon and Tom have headed to Raby to play in the Northwest cricket team at the NSW PSSA Championships. Good luck boys. Play hard and have fun!!
Swimming
Congratulations to all our students who represented Martin's Gully at the Armidale Zone PSSA carnival last Thursday. All students tried their best and showed great sportsmanship, persistence and resilience throughout the day.
Congratulations to Emme Barnett who has been rewarded with equal Junior Girls Age Champion and Nixon who is Runner Up Senior Boys Champion. Evie R and Henry D both coming 3rd in their age divisions.
Both Junior relay teams are also progressing to the Northwest trials to be held on Monday 9 March in Armidale. Well done everyone!!
Questacon
Today our students attended workshops run by Questacon as part of our school incursions paid for through the excursion payment. We had a fabulous time learning all about vibrations and sound and also push and pull.
Check out our official Facebook page for more photos.
Year 6 into Year 7 Expression of Interest - All Year 6 students need to complete
To enrol your child in Year 7 for 2027, you will need to complete an Expression of Interest for Year 6 to Year 7 transition.
The Expression of Interest (EOI) lets you indicate which school(s) you would like your child to attend in Year 7.
The EOI process will be available on the school website under the “About Us” tab, Enrol and scroll down to Moving to Highschool
Submit a Year 6 to Year 7 Expression of Interest (EOI)
After you submit an EOI and it has been assessed, your child will be offered a place at a high school.
If your child will not be attending a NSW Government high school next year, please let us know by completing a Placement Not Required form, also available on the website under the “About Us” tab, Enrol and scroll down to Moving to Highschool
Submit a Year 6 to Year 7 Expression of Interest (EOI)
If you are unsure whether they will be attending a NSW Government school (you’ve applied for a private school, or you are moving
interstate), we ask that you still complete an EOI and follow up with your school once a decision has been made.
The online process will guide you through your options and collect the information required to make the process as smooth as possible.
Online submissions are due: FRIDAY 27TH MARCH 2026
CAPA Captains Clubs
Our Creative and Practical Arts Captains have started to organise Dance club and Visual Arts club with the help of Aayla and Xanthe. Students can join these groups when they are running at lunch times over the next two terms. It is so wonderful having so many students showing their PAX leadership skills in our school.
Craft in the library
Starting this week I will supervise craft time in the library. This will be for students to be openly creative without being guided, to make and create. There will be a Visual Art club starting next term for a more guided approach. We are asking if you have any unwanted craft supplies such as small boxes, wool, old scrap book materials, stamps, or anything our students can use to get their creative juices flowing, please drop them into the office.
P&C
Our P&C AGM will be held on Friday 20 March at 1pm in the MPC. It was so lovely to see old and new faces last week at the first P&C meeting for the year. Please consider taking on a role for the P&C this year. Many hands make light work and we love seeing the fundraising efforts come back into our school to support our students. Please have a read of the role descriptions and see if there is one for you!
NAPLAN
In 2026, NAPLAN will take place from Wednesday 11 to Monday 23 March.
Students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 who are enrolled at a school are expected to participate in 4 NAPLAN tests:
- writing
- reading
- conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation)
numeracy.
All schools in NSW complete NAPLAN online. However, Year 3 students do the writing test on paper. Teachers will ensure students are familiar with the format of the tests before the NAPLAN test window.
Supporting your child
NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills your child is already learning at school.
It is important to remember that NAPLAN is not about passing or failing. It is about assessing learning progress. The best approach for preparing your child for NAPLAN is to encourage your child to do the best they can on the day. Excessive preparation or the use of coaching providers is not recommended.
If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact your child’s teacher in the first instance.
Autumn Festival
Save the date! We will be part of the Armidale Community of Public School Float for the Autumn Festival parade.
We hope to have a huge MGPS representation to walk in the parade before students head off with families to the Kids Festival of activities in Civic Park. More information will be sent out on School Bytes regarding where and when to meet teachers.
One Off Excursion Payment
At Martin's Gully we have a one-off excursion payment for all students. This payment covers all local Armidale extra-curricular trips such as Thalgarrah, Visiting Performers, PSSA knockout Sports and some Creative Arts Events as well as Intensive Swimming Program and Gymnastics Program.
This reduces the need for parents to be paying small amounts every time something is on.
The one-off cost for Kindergarten to Year 2 students is $80.00, and for students in Years 3-6 it is $110.00, and remains the same as last year.
Please note, this payment does not cover overnight excursions or extra opportunities that may be offered to selected students.
If this payment is not made, you will have to pay for individual activities as they arise.
Payments can be made online via our parent payment system. Payments can be made through School Bytes. All payments are due by 29 May 2026. Part payments can also be made.
Wellbeing - The Zones of Regulation
The Zones of Regulation is a curriculum framework organised around four coloured Zones to describe our feelings, energy, and emotions. We learn to regulate our Zones to meet our goals and task demands, as well as support our overall well-being. We learn about how to use the Zones of Regulation during our peer support lessons every second Friday.
Armidale Running Festival and Future Fundraisers
Run for Rory: Armidale Running Festival – March 14-15
We look forward to seeing those families and individuals from our community who are participating in this event. Merchandise will be able at the event sign on from Friday 13th March. Look out for the MGPS shelter to buy your merch. Purchase a shirt or hat to show you are part of the 'Running for Rory' team. All merchandise profits go straight to supporting Rory and his family.
Have a wonderful week!
Peta Deiderick