“...Love each other as I have loved you....” John (15:12-17)

Welcome back Term Three.

We have had a ripper of a start to Term Three with our Athletics Carnival on the third day in.

A huge thank you to Bindy Abel (Armidale Catholic Schools Sports K-6 & CAPA K-12 Coordinator) and Sophie Maher (St Nicholas Tamworth) for their patience and assistance in convening and scoring the carnival. A massive thank you to O'Connor Catholic College for sending four of their Year 10 students to assist educators in running events and supporting our young people to;

make it to events safely
ensure recording sheets got to Emma and Sophie for results tabulation
enjoy the day with a huge smiles on their faces and contented hearts

Our Athletics was one of the most successful ever with nine new records set across the age groups and events.

A special mention was made by school captain Ned about our Emma McLennan at Assembly on Thursday... apparently not just an asset in the Office and Classroom as an Education Assistant... but an organising and supporting QUEEN at the Diocesan Athletics Carnival held on Wednesday this week.

Through her persistence and encouragement the majority of our students participated in all of the events they were nominated for.

Thank you Emma!

Check out the photos for Athletics HERE and Diocesan Athletics HERE

NAIDOC Week: The Next Generation – Strength, Vision & Legacy

Last week our school community proudly celebrated NAIDOC Week, check it out HERE

Stop and smell the roses!

As educators, we are always looking ahead.

We reflect on our practice, analyse our data, celebrate growth and ask ourselves, "What is the next step that will make learning even better for our students?"

For educators at St Mary of the Angels, continuous improvement is part of who we are, and it is one of the great strengths of our school community.

Yet.... sometimes it is important to pause and see ourselves through the eyes of others.

This week we welcomed visitors from Armidale Catholic Schools;

Katrina McCumstie Subject Matter Expert: Inclusion,
Alex Brownsmith Subject Matter Expert: Primary Pedagogy and Data & Inclusion (Speech Pathology)
Tim Unwin Subject Matter Expert: K-6 Pedagogy and Data

It was a wonderful opportunity to receive external feedback about the incredible work taking place at St Mary of the Angels. It was affirming to hear such positive comments about the calm, purposeful learning environments our educators create each day and the genuine care they show for every child.

Particular praise was given to our Early Stage One and Stage One classrooms, where the consistent implementation of our literacy block was recognised as a real strength. It was wonderful to hear our youngest learners so engaged in explicit, evidence-informed literacy instruction that is building strong foundations for future success.

Mrs Hayes' Stage Three classroom was also highlighted as an example of exemplary teaching practice across all Key Learning Areas. Visitors commented on the clarity of learning through the consistent use of our Learning Intentions and Success Criteria, Five Questions for Learning, effective modelling of the why, what and how of learning, and the use of Bump It Up Walls to help students understand what quality learning looks like and how they can continue to improve.

These practices reflect the Armidale Catholic Schools commitment to high-impact teaching, student agency and making learning visible.

While we are always striving to improve, it is important to acknowledge and celebrate the dedication, professionalism and expertise of our staff. They work tirelessly to ensure every child is known, valued and challenged to achieve their personal best, and this feedback was a wonderful affirmation of that commitment.

Over the coming fortnight, our learning continues with several important assessments taking place. Our Year Six students will complete their Religion Test, while our Year One students will participate in their Number Check and Phonics Checks.

These assessments provide valuable information that helps our teachers understand each student's progress and plan the next steps in learning.

Looking ahead, we have some exciting events on the horizon which may require some support for our young ones...Week Seven, we will celebrate the joy of reading during Book Week, and in Week Nine, our students will have the opportunity to showcase their talents and creativity during our Creative Arts celebrations.

These events are always highlights of the term, celebrating the diverse gifts and talents within our school community.

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing partnership and support. Together, we continue to nurture a community where every child can flourish academically, spiritually, socially and emotionally.

Zoe Nugent

Principal