A Busy and Exciting May at St Patrick’s Primary

The month of May is always a special time in the school calendar, and this year is no exception at St Patrick’s Primary. With a flurry of events planned over the next three weeks, the school is buzzing with activity and anticipation.

From learning celebrations to community gatherings, May promises to be a vibrant and enriching time for students, staff, and families alike. Highlights include class excursions, liturgical celebrations, sporting events, and key learning milestones across all year levels. Our Year 5/6 students are also preparing for leadership opportunities, while younger students are taking part in exciting hands-on learning experiences.

Parents and carers are encouraged to stay connected through regular school updates to keep track of what’s happening and how they can be involved. It’s a month that reflects the full life of our school—where learning, faith, community, and fun come together.

While the month of May may be hectic, it is also a joyful reminder of the energy, commitment, and sense of community that define life at St Patrick’s.

Happy Mother's Day

This Sunday, May 11th, marks Mother's Day, a cherished occasion to honour and celebrate the incredible mothers and grandmothers who enrich our lives in countless ways. On behalf of our entire community, I extend my warmest wishes for a truly happy and memorable Mother's Day to each and every one of you.

Mothers are the cornerstones of our families, the guiding lights who nurture, support, and love unconditionally. Their influence shapes us from our earliest days, instilling values, offering comfort, and providing a constant source of strength. From the scraped knees and bedtime stories of childhood to the triumphs and challenges of adulthood, a mother's love remains a steadfast and unwavering presence.

To all the mothers and grandmothers in our community, I say thank you. Thank you for your love, your guidance, your strength, and your unwavering belief in us. I wish you a truly happy Mother's Day, filled with happiness, laughter, and the warmth of family. May this day be a beautiful reflection of the beautiful impact you have on our lives, today and every day.

Remaining Staff Development Days for 2025 confirmed!

At St Patrick's Primary, we are deeply committed to continuous improvement and providing the best possible learning environment for all our students. To this end, we were pleased to receive approval from Armidale Catholic Schools for eight dedicated staff development days throughout this academic year. These days are strategically designed to develop and refine our teaching practices, ultimately enabling us to achieve and even surpass the goals outlined in our Annual Improvement Plan.

We have already productively utilised two of these valuable days at the commencement of the school year, laying a strong foundation for our ongoing professional growth. Looking ahead, three further staff development days are scheduled to coincide with the first day of Terms 3 and 4, as well as the final day of the school year on December 18th. That will be led by Armidale Catholic Schools in which all schools in the diocese will take part in.

This leaves us with three remaining staff development days, and I would like to announce a unique and impactful initiative planned for these times. On these three days, all of our teaching staff and education assistants will be engaging in professional learning through visits to other high performing schools within our Armidale Diocese. The focus of these visits will be to observe firsthand the diverse and effective teaching practices employed in their literacy, numeracy, and religious education blocks.

I firmly believe that this opportunity for peer observation will be invaluable in fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation within our school. By witnessing successful strategies in action at other diocesan schools, our staff will have the opportunity to identify and potentially adapt effective techniques that could further enhance teaching and learning outcomes here at St Patrick's Primary. Furthermore, these visits will also serve to reaffirm the many excellent practices that are already well-established and contributing to the positive learning environment at our school.

Recognising the importance of minimising disruption to our families, I have attempted to carefully plan these school visit days. I have strategically scheduled these dates around the King's Birthday long weekend, a decision approved by Armidale Catholic Schools, to lessen the impact on family schedules.

Therefore, please be advised of the following school closures:

Friday, 6th June: School closed. All teaching staff and education assistants will be visiting Holy Trinity School in Inverell.
Tuesday, 10th June: School closed. All teaching staff and education assistants will be visiting St Joseph's Primary in Tenterfield.
Wednesday, 11th June: School closed. All teaching staff and education assistants will be visiting St Joseph's Primary in Glen Innes and St Mary of the Angels Primary, Guyra.

Normal school operations will resume on Thursday, 12th June.

I understand that these school closures will inevitably cause inconvenience for all of our families, and for this, I sincerely apologise.

Remaining Six Staff Development Days for the 2025 Academic Year

*Friday 6th June 2025

*Tuesday 10th June 2025

*Wednesday 11th June 2025

*Monday 21st July (First day of Term 3)

*Monday 13th October (First day of Term 4)

*Thursday 18th December (Last day of Term 4)

OPEN MORNING for 2026 Kindergarten Students - this Tuesday

Our open morning will be held this upcoming Tuesday May 13th from 9:30am - 11am.

The Open Morning in 2026 provides parents with the chance to discover what St Patrick's School can offer their children. Parents can engage with the faculty, take a tour of the campus, and partake in a morning tea. Transition students are also welcome to participate in activities with the current Kindergarten class.

Should you be aware of individuals with a child preparing to begin school in the upcoming year, or individuals interested in exploring our school and its offerings, we kindly request that you extend an invitation to them for our Open Morning.

LET'S GET READY FOR KINDERGARTEN 2026

Enrolments are now open for Kindergarten 2026.

Our school open morning for Kindergarten will be Tuesday 13th May 2024.

Please contact the school for an enrolment package - 67772328 or email

spwadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au

Polding Winter Trials

Congratulations to Grace F, Jessica, Josie and Katie for their outstanding representation of St Patrick's and Armidale Catholic Schools at the Polding Winter Trials for Girl's Hockey in Bathurst last Friday. It is great to hear that all four students excelled in their performances and should take pride in their achievements.

The selection of Jessica and Josie to represent Polding in Girls Hockey at the NSWPSSA Hockey Carnival in Newcastle, commencing on Tuesday, May 20th, is excellent news. Jessica and Josie, your selection is a testament to your exceptional hockey skills, placing you among the finest players from Catholic Primary Schools in Northern NSW. You should both be immensely proud as you prepare to compete against top talent from across the state. Congratulations on this significant achievement!

P&F Meeting

The next P&F meeting will be held this upcoming Tuesday 13th May at 6pm in the Year 3-4 classroom as well as being broadcasted via Zoom. All parents and friends are welcome to take part.

GRIP Leadership Workshop at Armidale

This Wednesday, our Year 5 and 6 students will travel to Armidale for the GRIP Leadership Day. This program aims to develop key leadership skills through engaging activities.

Students will learn about responsibility, integrity, generosity, and teamwork, interacting with peers from other schools. This offers a valuable opportunity to enhance communication, build confidence, and inspire initiative.

The GRIP Leadership Day promises to be an impactful experience, empowering our Year 5-6 students to become effective leaders within our school community.

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

For Freddie's consistent display of pride in both his school attire and sporting uniforms throughout the term so far. Freddie has been deservedly selected as the first recipient of this term's 'Wearing Uniform With Pride' award.

SCHOOL HOURS

Supervision of students commences at 8:30am, there is no supervision prior to this time, therefore no students should be onsite.

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.

Mini Vinnies

Mini Vinnies Executive Team