Principal's Panorama

Dear Families of SMOTA, 

Welcome back to 2026!!!

I honestly cannot believe how quickly these holidays flew and how much our young people have grown.

It has been an absolute delight to see our Year 1-6 return to classes with a desire to learn and an eagerness to prove their readiness to embrace their classes and their Skilled Helpful Adults.

Our Early Stage One students have been completing their Best Start Kindergarten Assessments over the past two days, eager minds demonstrating their current knowledge under the calming guidance of Mrs Grills (see The Learning Zone) and we cannot wait for them to join us from Monday.

Parent Information Night 2026

Parent Information Night will be held on Thursday 5th February at 5.30pm. This evening provides an important opportunity to hear key information about the year ahead, classroom routines, and learning expectations. We encourage all parents and carers to attend and look forward to welcoming you.

Welcome Breakfast

Families are warmly invited to our Welcome Breakfast on Friday 6th February at 7.15am. Please join us for bacon and egg rolls and enjoy a coffee from the coffee van as we come together to start the year. We look forward to seeing you there. ☕🥓🍳

Staff Development Days

During our first two Staff Development Days (27th/28th January), staff focused on completing first aid and their essential mandatory training, ensuring we continue to provide a safe, supportive and high-quality learning environment for all students. 

Day Two (28th January) was held in collaboration with our Armidale Cluster Schools, providing a valuable opportunity to connect, share practice and strengthen professional relationships across our region. I thank our staff for their professionalism and commitment as we began the year together with a strong focus on compliance, collaboration and care. A huge thankyou to Phil Gibney (Principal of O'Connor Catholic College) for hosting all of the cluster schools and providing space on Wednesday afternoon for us to complete our training.

Provide First Aid in an Education and Care Setting on 27th January 

Guyra Show & Shine 

A massive thank you to our wonderful Parents & Friends committee and the volunteers who braved the heat at the Guyra Show & Shine on January 24th. Your hard work at the BBQ was a fantastic success and a great show of school spirit!

Blessings until next time!

Zoe Nugent

Principal