Principal's Message

I am still catching up on lost sleep!

Last week was an action-packed two days for our Year 3-4 students during their excursion to the Thalgarrah Environmental Education Centre!

As soon as the students settled in, they dove straight into teamwork activities. These challenges included the complex task of placing a "dragon's egg" in a nest using handheld ramps over twenty metres, and navigating a course using only mats—without touching the ground! This proved tricky for some groups, especially after they lost a large number of their mats.

After lunch, their orienteering skills were put to the test as they used a compass and map to locate 18 checkpoints across the centre. The afternoon culminated in a game of 'Tribes and Territories,' a challenging strategic game where students attempted to retrieve an opposing team's hidden totem and return it to their camp without being tagged. The first day concluded with a delicious lasagne dinner, followed by much-needed showers and an early bedtime.

Day two began with an up-close animal encounter! Students got personal with insects, carpet snakes, and blue tongue lizards, and even had the chance to scratch the back of a bearded dragon. The action then returned to the river, where students found and classified various invertebrate animals.

After refueling on hotdogs for lunch, it was time to pack the bus and head back to Walcha. Many students took the opportunity to catch up on sleep during the journey back to St Patrick's! It was a brilliant experience, and a huge thank you goes to Miss Cattelini and Mrs. Laurie for their fantastic supervision, and to all the Year 3-4 students who were an absolute pleasure to take.

Be a Bright Star Day on Monday 1st December

Mark your calendars! On Monday, December 1st, St Patrick's Primary School will be lighting up the start of the final month with our special "Be A Bright Star Day!"

To celebrate the festive season and spread some much-needed cheer, students are encouraged to ditch their normal uniform for a day and come dressed in the brightest, most colourful clothing they own! Think neon, stripes, dazzling accessories—the brighter, the better!

This mufti day, however, will be a little different. Instead of the usual gold coin donation, we are asking students to bring in non-perishable food items. These generous donations will be collected and delivered to the St Vincent de Paul's Christmas Appeal, helping local families in need enjoy a brighter Christmas dinner.

Let's shine brightly and support a great cause! Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Staffing for 2026

I know many families are curious about our staffing and classroom arrangements for the 2026 academic year, and I appreciate your proactive interest!

I am currently in the final stages of organising the structure for 2026. I am excited to announce that we have been granted extra staffing support from Armidale Catholic Schools for the upcoming academic year. This is a significant positive development that will enhance our students' learning environment.

While I am still working out the various arrangements, a key step remains: we have formally advertised for a part-time teaching position. As soon as this crucial position is filled, we will finalise and be able to confidently announce the classroom arrangements and teaching allocations for next year.

We are actively working through this process and hope to share these important details with the community in the upcoming weeks. Thank you for your patience and ongoing support as we prepare for a successful 2026

2026 School Leadership Speeches and Election Day

All of our Year 6 students have commenced the preparation and practice of their speeches in anticipation of the 2026 School Leadership Speeches and Election Day, scheduled for Wednesday, 26th November.

I would like to thank all of our Year 5 students who have nominated themselves to fill these positions if elected. I know all of you would do a fantastic job! 

Year 5 speeches will commence at 9.30am under the COLA and parents are invited to join us. After the speeches, all students and staff members will then cast their votes. Our 2026 School Leaders will be officially announced at our End of Year Presentation Morning.

THE LAST DAY FOR  RETURNING LIBRARY BOOKS IS FRIDAY 5TH DECEMBER!

As we approach the end of the year, it is essential to begin the process of inventorying all the books in the library. This undertaking will be substantial, and to guarantee its completion prior to the conclusion of the school year, all books must be returned by Friday, December 5th. We extend our gratitude to all students and their parents who have already returned their library books, as this will greatly facilitate our upcoming stocktaking efforts.

2025 School Fees

This is a friendly and important reminder that all outstanding school fees for the current year are due to be paid in full by the end of November.

We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter. Timely payment of school fees is essential for the school to continue providing quality resources, programs, and opportunities for all students.

Please also be aware of the school's policy regarding excursions:

• For a student to be eligible to participate in any school excursion, the family's school fees must be either paid in full or the family must be adhering to an agreed-upon instalment plan with the school's finance office.

   

If you have already settled your account, thank you for your timely payment.

If you are experiencing financial difficulty or need to set up an instalment plan, please contact the School Finance Officer, Karen immediately at 67772328 or email krizzi1@arm.catholic.edu.au to discuss your options confidentially. We are here to help.

Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to supporting the school.

2026 School Advisory Council AGM this upcoming Tuesday

The Annual General Meeting of the School Advisory Council will be taking place upcoming Tuesday 25th November in the staffr commencing at 5.30pm. The School Advisory Council are always looking out for more members. 

Please consider nominating for the  School Advisory Council for 2026.

Please read the Process of Discernment, Nomination and Election information below.

Updates to Our End-of-Year Events

This year, we've made some significant changes to our end-of-year Presentation, Performance, and Mass, based on valuable feedback from our families and the availability of priests.

Here are the details for your calendars:

• "Ali Baba and the Forty Bikies" Performance: Our annual school performance will be held at the Walcha Multi-Purpose Centre on the evening of Wednesday, December 10, 2025.
• Annual Presentations : On the morning of Friday, December 12, 2025, the Annual Presentations will take place at 9:30 am in the school COLA. Immediately following, the school community is invited to a morning tea picnic in the school playground.
• Graduation Mass & Whole School Barbecue: The celebrations on Friday will conclude with the Graduation Mass at 12:00 pm. Students can order their lunch through compass - BBQ

Semester 2 Reporting

At present, the educators are engaged in the preparation of student reports for Semester Two. Parents will have the opportunity to access these reports through the parent portal during Week 9. Should you prefer to receive a printed report, please inform the school.

How to access the Semester Two reports on Compass in Week 9:  

Log into Compass

To view the Semester 2 report, click on your child's profile and select report.

The Winner of 'Wearing Uniform With Pride' Award Is.......

This week's 'Wearing Uniform With Pride' award goes to Indie! Indie earned this recognition for consistently demonstrating pride in her presentation and appearance. We truly appreciate the care and respect Indie shows when wearing both her school and sports uniforms. Congratulations, Indie!

2025 Remaining Staff Development Days (PD Days)

Thursday 18th December (Last day of Term 4)

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 HOURS

Supervision of students commences at 8:30am. Students should not be on-site until after 8:30 AM.