Mr Hyatt
Another month is nearly over!
Can you believe it will be the first day of August in two days time? It hard to wrap my head around the fact that Spring is only a month away as well as it being nearly a year since we had that massive snowfall!
When I sat down to write my section for the newsletter this week, I glanced at the calendar and couldn’t help but ask myself: where has the year gone so far? It won't be long before we’re approaching the end of the year—a thought that is equal parts exciting and a bit scary! In fact, one of our Year 6 students recently reminded me that they only have 90 school days left at St Patrick’s before starting their high school journey. I’m amazed some of them are already counting down the days!
Personally, I’m always happy to welcome August. As someone who is a bit of a "cold frog" and still hasn't quite adjusted to Walcha's chilly morning frosts, knowing this is officially the last month of winter is a massive plus.
While the last fortnight has been hectic with a number of events or visitors, things are! Over the next few week going to continue in the foreseeable future, as our calendar is packed with a number of competition assessments, celebrations of Mass, Parent Assemblies- just to name a few.
We’re also gearing up for the Armidale Catholic Schools Athletics Carnival in Tamworth on Wednesday, August 5th. We have 24 students heading off to compete against the best athletes in the diocese, and we want to wish every single one of them the absolute best of luck!
That's enough from me. Hopefully, I may see you tomorrow at our Parent Assembly.
100 Days of Kindergarten
Congratulations to all of our Kindergarten students and Ms Wilson for fully embracing the fun of dressing up as 100-year-olds to celebrate their 100th day at school! The students also treated themselves to a very enjoyable morning tea at Cafe Graze to mark the occasion.
A huge well done to Amelia, Ava, Dougal, Eleanor, Isabelle, Kolby, Marlie, Ollie, and Rudy for reaching this exciting milestone. It will certainly be intriguing to see how they celebrate their 200th day of school—which, by my calculations, should land early in the 2027 school year! Kudos to everyone for a fantastic celebration.
LET'S HANG IT! Art Competition Award Night
Last Friday evening I was very fortunate to accompany some of our staff members to support Dusty's and Eleanor's entries at the 2026 UNESAP Let’s Hang It Competition Finalists Exhibition Opening and Award Ceremony. Both students' entries were selected among the finalists in the Infants Section of this competition and their achievements were noted as each participant receiving an award for making the finals as well as their artworks being part of this exhibition open to the public until the 9th August. Both students should be very proud of themselves for what they have achieved. Who knows, we may have our next Leonardo Da Vinci here at St Patrick's.
NAIDOC WEEK DAY
Earlier today, our school community came together for our annual NAIDOC Week Day Celebrations—a wonderful day dedicated to honoring Indigenous culture, history, and achievements.
The day commenced with a respectful Welcome to Country before our special guest, Mark Atkins, led an engaging whole-school session titled Keeping Culture Alive. Following the assembly, Mark spent time with our boys leading traditional Men’s Business activities, while our girls enjoyed crafting woven bracelets.
At recess, everyone enjoyed delicious cake patties, with a big thank you to our Aboriginal Education Assistant (AEA), Jenny Allen, for organising these delicious treats!
After recess, students returned to their classrooms to participate in a range of NAIDOC-themed craft activities, wrapping up a memorable morning before gathering for a sausage sizzle lunch.
The day was a great success! Thanks to our AEA, Jenny Allen, our guests Mark and Jolene.
2026 Survey My School
Armidale Catholic Schools has once again collaborated with Survey My School in 2026 to facilitate parents in giving feedback on the practices and procedures of St Patrick's School. Please be aware the structure and several questions have been modified for this year's survey to ensure there is no repetition of questions as well as being more user-friendly. Parents can expect to receive these surveys via email next month.
Save the Date: Friday 4th September
Mark your calendars! Friday, September 4th promises to be just as action-packed and exciting as last year.
There is a warm invitation to all grandparents to join us for Grandparents Day celebrations and activities. Adding to the fun, we’ll also be hosting our annual Book Week festivities, complete with a book fair and the beloved Book Week dress-up parade.
This year's theme is 'Symphony of Stories', and we encourage all students to come dressed as their favourite book characters (a book character-not from a television show!). I better start digging through my costume box to find the perfect outfit! Keep an eye out for more details in upcoming newsletter editions.
Mass Tomorrow at 12:00 PM
Tomorrow, Friday 31st July, our school will gather at St Patrick's Catholic Church for our first Mass of the term, celebrated by Fr Elino at 12:00 PM. Everyone in our school community is welcome to attend and share in this special service with us.
Newcastle Permanent Mathematics Competition
This upcoming Monday, nine of our students in Years 5-6 will be participating in the Newcastle Permanent Mathematics Competition. One of Australia’s longest running annual mathematics competitions, the Newcastle Permanent Primary School Mathematics Competition is more than 40 years old. It now attracts over 22,000 students from more than 350 schools. The competition gives Year 5 and Year 6 students from across regional NSW the opportunity to test their numeracy and problem-solving skills.
I wish all of the nine students who will be participating in this competition. I eagerly await for their results early next term.
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.
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.