WELCOME BACK!

Welcome back to Term 3! I hope you all had a wonderful break and enjoyed some quality time with your loved ones. Looking at the number of events our school community has already lined up, it is shaping up to be a very busy nine weeks ahead!

Welcome Miss Hyde

I am delighted to welcome a new face to our school community this term. Miss Emily Hyde has joined us as a practicum teacher and will be working closely alongside Mrs Baldry and our Year 1 students over the coming weeks.

I know our Year 1 families, staff, and students will give Miss Hyde a very warm St Patrick’s welcome. If you see her around the classrooms or on pick up duty at the front of the school, please be sure to say hello!

Congratulations to Our 'Let’s Hang It!' Art Finalists

I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to Dusty and Eleanor, who have been named as finalists in the prestigious NERAM Let’s Hang It! Art Competition.

Tomorrow night, Dusty and Eleanor will represent our school at the official awards ceremony hosted at the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM). Having their artwork selected as finalist entries is a wonderful achievement, showcasing both their creativity to their artistic craft.

I am incredibly proud of both students for their hard work and for representing our school community on a regional stage. I wish Eleanor and Dusty the very best of luck at the ceremony tomorrow evening!

Celebrating NAIDOC Week at St Patrick’s

As a heads-up for next week, St Patrick's Primary will be celebrating NAIDOC Week on Thursday 30th July. While the official national NAIDOC Week took place during the school holidays, our school community is looking forward to holding our own celebrations.

Many thanks to our Aboriginal Education Assistant (AEA), Jenny, who has done a wonderful job organising all of the ceremonies and activities that our staff and students will be taking part in throughout the day.

To show our support and solidarity, students are encouraged to come to school dressed in mufti clothing. We ask that they wear the colours of either the Aboriginal flag (black, yellow, and red) or the Torres Strait Islander flag (green, blue, black, and white). We look forward to a fantastic day of learning and celebration.

100 Days of Kindergarten

This upcoming Monday, we will be celebrating a significant milestone at St Patrick’s Primary: our Kindergarten students will officially reach their first 100 days of school! We are incredibly proud of how much our youngest learners have grown, learned, and adapted to school life since their very first day.

To mark this special occasion, the Kindergarten students are invited to dress up for the day. The excitement will continue with a very special morning tea treat down at Cafe Graze.

A huge thank you to Ms Wilson for organising all of the activities and coordinating this memorable day for the children.

Congratulations, Kindergarten, on being 100 days smarter!

Looking Ahead: 2027 Transition Program

It won't be long before we begin welcoming our future students to St Patrick's Primary, with our 2027 Transition Program scheduled to commence during the second half of this term.

This program is a vital step in helping our upcoming students familiarize themselves with the school environment, routines, and classrooms, ensuring a smooth and confident start to their schooling journey. I am pleased to announce that Mrs Kelly Makeham will be leading the program, guiding our newest learners through their transition sessions.

At present, we have 13 students enrolled to take part in the program. We look forward to welcoming these children and their families into the St Patrick's Primary community over the coming weeks.

Welcome Back, Anish!

I would like to extend a very warm welcome back to Anish in Year 6, who returns to St Patrick’s Primary this term. It is wonderful to have you back in the classroom and on the playground with your peers and teachers. We wish you a fantastic and successful Term 3 ahead, Anish!

NAPLAN Reports

Individual NAPLAN Individual Student Reports (ISRs) were sent home today with all students in Year 3 and Year 5.

These reports provide a snapshot of your child's achievement in the key areas of Literacy and Numeracy against national standards. It is important to remember that NAPLAN is just one of many assessment tools we use throughout the year, and it should be viewed alongside your child's regular school reports and classroom assessments.

Please take the time to review the report with your child, celebrating their efforts and growth. Should you have any questions or require clarification regarding the results, please do not hesitate to contact your child's classroom teacher or the school office to arrange a time to speak.

P&F Meeting

The next P&F meeting will be held this upcoming Tuesday 28th July at 6pm in the Year 3-4 room as well as being broadcast via Google Meet. All parents and friends are welcome to attend.

ICAS Assessments 2026: Key Dates Approaching

The annual International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) are just around the corner for 2026, offering students a wonderful opportunity to challenge their academic skills across a variety of subjects. These online assessments are designed to recognise and reward academic excellence, while actively encouraging higher-order thinking and problem-solving abilities. I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the many families who have already organised for their children to complete these assessments next term.

ICAS Assessments cover a range of subjects, including:

Digital Technologies
Writing
English
Science
Spelling Bee
Mathematics

For many subjects, the main sitting windows will occur in August 2026.

ICAS provides a valuable benchmark for students, allowing them to see how their performance compares against peers nationally and internationally. All participating students receive a certificate, with top performers also eligible for Distinction, High Distinction, and even medals.

How to participate in ICAS 

If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please: 

read about ICAS subjects and prices here: (icasassessments.com/products-icas) 
go to Parent Portal to purchase tests here: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/parent-payment/YHA639 
enter the parent’s access code – YHA639
enter your child’s details, select the tests you would like to purchase, then proceed to payment.

Upcoming Event Term 4 - New England Sings 2026 Term 4 for Years 3-6

NEW ENGLAND SINGS! 2026 COMBINED PRIMARY CHOIRS REHEARSAL SCHEDULE Armidale and surrounding schools – outreach schools will have rehearsals scheduled at their own school. However, outreach schools are welcome to attend the Armidale workshops if possible.

This event is quickly beginning to take shape. It promises to be a massive celebration of music, with over 1,000 students participating from 36 different schools across the New England Region.

Ian Jefferson will attend the workshops throughout the year and conduct the Primary choirs at the final weekend of rehearsals and concerts.

St PATRICK’S WALCHA REHEARSAL with Ian Jefferson

Date: Wednesday 29th July

Time: 9.30am-10.45am

FINAL REHEARSAL (all schools, including outreach schools to attend):Date: Saturday 31 October (directed by Ian Jefferson) Time: Primary Choir 1 9:00am – 10:45am

Venue: Lazenby Hall, UNE

CONCERT:Date: Sunday 1 November Time: Primary Choir 1 11:00am – 1:00pm (arrive at 9:30am)

Venue: Lazenby Hall, UNE

St Patrick’s School is an outreach school for the rehearsals but we will attempt to attend two of the rehearsals in Armidale.

Parents will have to commit to the Saturday 31st October - Final Rehearsal and Sunday 1st November Concert. If they wish their child to participate in New England Sings.

A short video on what New England Sings! is all about is included below:

School Hours & Supervision

Teachers commence duty at 8:30am and finish duty when the last bus leaves St Patrick’s approximately 3:10pm.

Supervision begins at 8:30am in the COLA

School starts: 9am (Bell - 8:50am)

Recess: 11:00am – 11:30am

Lunch: 1:30pm – 2:10pm

School finishes: 3.00pm.

SCHOOL OFFICE HOURS

The school office hours are 8:30am to 3:30pm

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.

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