General News
Dhulu - Message Stick
Yaama!
Significant Dates to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people - Term 1
15th March - National Close the Gap Day
5th April - Bringing them home
Cultural Immersion Groups
At St Edward's School, we provide weekly Cultural Immersion lessons for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The lessons are programmed and taught by our Aboriginal Education Assistants. Each grade will have one lesson a week focusing on a significant part of Aboriginal Education and Culture.
Kindergarten - The Dreamtime
Year 1 - Aboriginal Art & Gamilaraay Language
Year 2 - Cultural practices & Gamilaraay Language
Year 3 - Identity, Family/Kinship & Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Role Models
Year 4 - Gamilaraay Language
Year 5 - Connections to Country
Year 6 - Indigenous History & Men's & Women's business
Gamilaraay Word of the Week -
Term 1 - Greetings/Dhiiyaan (Family)
Week 2 - Yaama - Hello
Week 3 - Yaluu - Bye
Week 4 - Buliyaagu - Morning
Week 5 - Gaba Nginda? - How are you?
Week 6 - Dhiiyaan - Family & Maliyaa - Friend
AEA team
Brittany Cloake - bcloake2@arm.catholic.edu.au
Primary AEA
Jarrod Peachey - jpeachey@arm.catholic.edu.au
Primary AEA
Amanda Gwalter - agwalter@arm.catholic.edu.au
Infants AEA
Sally-Anne Clarke - sclarke@arm.catholic.edu.au
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Focus Teacher
Word of the Week
Our Word of the Week is back and we are excited to kick off another year of expanding our K-6 students' oral language skills, one word at a time! Each time a student uses our 'Word of the Week' in the classroom, they will earn a point. The student with the most points at the end of the term will receive a book prize to further expand their vocabulary.
We will publish our Word of the Week on Facebook and in the newsletter. Please support your child to use this word at home.
Term 1 Week 5 Word of the Week "MOJO"
NRMA Bus Safety Program – Kinder Students only
Next Tuesday 4th March, all Kindergarten students will be participating in our annual NRMA Bus Safety Program from 9.00am-11.00am. There will be an information and discussion session conducted by representatives of the NRMA, Police and Tamworth Bus Lines, followed by a short bus ride. This event requires parental consent electronically via the Compass Parent Portal. Thank you to those Kinder families who have already given permission.
Consent for Compass Events
It is important that parents and carers please ensure you regularly log onto your COMPASS parent portal and approve or decline any events shown on there for your child/children. Thank you to the families who have already attended to this.
2025 Australian Government Data Collection Notice for Parents/Guardians
NAPLAN 2025 - Years 3 & 5 Students
NAPLAN 2025 will take place from Wednesday 12th March to Monday 24th March. Students will participate in tests for writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. The tests assess literacy and numeracy skills your child is already learning at school, so the best preparation is their everyday classroom learning. Our school will also undertake activities to help students become familiar with the types of questions and tools available in the online tests.
Please refer to the link below regarding some important NAPLAN information for parents and carers of our Years 3 & 5 students. If you have any questions, please contact your child's classroom teacher, call the Primary Campus on 6765 7847 or send an email to setadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au
School Fees 2025
School Fee statements have now been issued to families via email. All statements will come from noreply.schoolfeestatement and may go to your junk/spam folder. A reminder that BPAY is our preferred method of payment for School Fees and can be set up as a recurring payment with a set amount to cover annual school fees. Here is a link to a video to help set up your BPAY. Any further questions please email Hannah Barnes: hbarnes@arm.catholic.edu.au
St Ed's OPEN DAY - Infants Campus only
Please remember to tell your friends, family and neighbours, St Edward’s Infants Campus, Robert Street, is having an OPEN DAY on Sunday 9th March from 10:30am-1:30pm. Encourage them to come and visit our wonderful school and discover for themselves the many benefits of a Catholic Education. Our P & F will be providing a complementary sausage sizzle, drink and zooper dooper on the day. We can't wait to see you!
2026 Kindergarten Enrolments - ENROL NOW
Applications for Kindergarten 2026 are NOW OPEN. Please contact the Infants Campus for an enrolment pack or download the online form.
Enrolment forms will not be processed until all supporting documents are received: ie. Birth and Immunisation Certificate; Baptismal Certificate (only required if your child is baptised Catholic) and proof of student’s residential address.
Please spread the word if you know of anyone with a child wishing to start at St Edward's School in Kindergarten 2026. Please note enrolment applications close on Tuesday 8th April.
Medical Action Plans
Medical Action Plans were sent home late last year to all families who have children with Asthma, Seizures, Diabetes and Anaphylaxis. Parents are asked to update these forms annually, including a signature from your family doctor. Please return these signed Action Plans to school as soon as possible, thank you. Special thanks to the families who have already returned their child's plan.
Parents of students who have been diagnosed with any of the above medical conditions since enrolling are asked to advise either school office ASAP so a Medical Action Plan can be processed and sent home.
Attendance
Children are required to attend school from 8.45am to 3.00pm. It is essential that children are always present at school, except in the case of sickness.
Whenever a child is absent, parents are required to explain this absence through the Compass App. An SMS message is sent to parents on the morning of the absence if no notification of absence has been received before 10.00am. It is a legal requirement that you log in to Compass to explain all absences within 7 days of your child being away from school, however it is so much easier if you attend to this on the day as soon as you receive the reminder.
You will NOT be able to complete this task after the 7 days has passed which means they will be recorded as 'Absent Unexplained'.
If you are having trouble accessing all of the Compass features, there is a drop down menu on your homepage which looks like 3 horizontal lines. Open this menu and choose 'open in browser'. This will help you access the school portal features.
Esteem Kids
Before school care is available in the Infants Hall for both Primary and Infants students. It operates from 7:00am to 8:30am, Monday to Friday during the term, and includes breakfast.
After school care is available in the Infants Hall for Infants students only from 3:00pm to 6:00pm Monday through Friday. Our Primary after school care operates from the Art Room for primary students only from 3:00pm to 6:00pm Monday through Friday. Afternoon tea is also provided.
Families are encouraged to make enquiries or express interest by contacting William Wong on 0410 841 628 or email: info@esteemkidsgroup.com.au or visit the website at www.esteemkidsgroup.com.au
ABSENCES - Please remember to contact (telephone or text) Esteem Kids St Edward's directly if your child is going to be absent on 0481 373 883. Thank you.
Lowes 20% off Sale
Armidale Diocesan Investment Group (ADIG) Bonus Saver Account
Check out our ADIG Bonus Saver Account - with no account fees and a bonus interest rate, on top of your base rate of interest (subject to meeting certain conditions), we can help you reach your financial goals.
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Armidale: (02) 6772 8311
Tamworth: (02) 5776 8100
For more information, our current rates and a copy of our Terms and Conditions please visit our website.
https://adig.com.au/our-products/
For a copy of our disclosure statement, please see below.
https://adig.com.au/disclosure-statement/
SWAP IT
SWAP IT is a free, evidence-based school lunchbox program. The program supports parents and carers to SWAP what is packed in their child’s lunchbox from sometimes foods to everyday foods. Visit their Website here.
Cancer Council Healthy Lunch Box
Visit 'Cancer Council Healthy Lunch Box' for a one-stop shop for everything you need to know about packing a healthy lunch box.
Drama Classes - enrolling now
Don't forget to like us on Facebook and tell your family and friends about our page too!
St Edward's Primary School: Facebook
We are now on Instagram too! Feel free to follow our page to keep in touch with the fantastic things that happen at St Edward's Primary School.
St Edward's Primary School: Instagram
