“...Love each other as I have loved you....” John (15:12-17)

Dear Parents, Carers and Friends,

THANK YOU! There is not much more that I can say other than Thank You. To the parents and carers for you unwavering commitment to your children and your support of the skilled helpful adults, to the staff for their committment to our families, the young people and each other and of course, thank you to our young peole for NEVER leeting a day go by with a dull moment. For keeping us on our toes and engaging daily in their learning and our school. Term Two has seen some huge lows and some wonderful highs and we are blessed to have a school community that genuinely cares about each other.

Guyra Cafe and Braidie Vidler THANK YOU

It is an end of an era with the news spreading that Braidie Vidler is closing its doors on the 24th July this year. Braidie and the team have faithfully served our young people their Hot Food Fridays at lunch for many years and we cannot thank them enough. They will be big boots to fill and we wish her and the team all of the best as they embark on their new adventures.

Special Mention to Paul Tearle Armidale Colour Copy Centre

Thank you Paul Tearle from Armidale Colour Copy Centre for the donation of presentation cardboard/paper to the school.

Mini Vinnies Family Night

On the 19th June, we will held a "Family Movie and Games Night" here at St Mary of the Angels.

After an excellent 'games/activities session' filled with:

Snakes and Ladders
Ping Pong Pop
Rope Unravel
Puzzles
Bowling
Kollide

Our families settled in to watching a movie (thanks ChatGPT, Flick and Emma for solving the sound issues) with packets of popcorn! At intermission snags on bread and hot chocolate were the flavour, with thanks to Ms Faint, Miss Outridge, Mrs Davidson for their cooking prowress and to Kirby, Rhys and George (O'Connor Catholic College) for their hot choc and marshmellow serving.

With the movie finished, and screen packed up (thankyou to Felicity Williams) our families headed home and the clean up began (thank you Miss Outridge who helped clean up S2 rooms and of course our marvellous grounds people, Candance and Tom for their efforts on Saturday). It was an absolute delight to share the evening with you all, and we look forward to holding another one!

Thank You for Supporting Our Three-Way Conferences

At St Mary of the Angels, we know that learning thrives when schools and families work together in genuine partnership.

Our recent Three-Way Conferences (Week Nine) provided a valuable opportunity for students, parents and teachers to come together to reflect on learning, celebrate growth and identify next steps for continued success.

Thank you to the many parents and carers who attended and actively engaged in these conversations.

Your presence demonstrates to your child that learning is valued and that we share a collective responsibility for helping them live well and learn well.

When students see the important adults in their lives working together, they develop a stronger understanding of themselves as learners and greater confidence in achieving their goals.

The Three-Way Conference process reflects our commitment to outstanding Catholic Education.

I would also like to acknowledge our classroom teachers, who generously committed three evenings to these conferences. Their preparation, care and dedication reflect the high value they place on building strong partnerships with families and ensuring every student is known, valued and supported.

As a Catholic learning community, we recognise that partnership flourishes when we honour our commitments to one another. Attending scheduled meetings not only supports meaningful dialogue about student learning but also respects the considerable time and effort invested by staff in preparing for these important conversations.

Thank you for your continued support of our school and for the trust you place in us each day.

Together, through strong relationships and shared responsibility, we can continue to create the conditions for every student to flourish, grow in faith and achieve their personal best.

Home Toys and Sporting Equipment

As we have already shared with our young people, from the beginning of Term Three, we expect that all personal toys and sporting equipment are left at home.

Our school provides a wide range of quality play resources and sporting equipment for students to enjoy during break times.

By using shared school resources, our young people have the opportunity to develop important life skills including cooperation, sharing, inclusion, responsibility and respect for communal property.

This change will also help to:

ensure all students have equitable access to play equipment;
reduce the likelihood of personal items being lost, damaged or causing conflict;
encourage students to care for and value the resources that belong to our whole school community; and
support positive, inclusive play experiences for everyone.

We appreciate your support in helping students understand that school is a place where we learn, play and grow together. By leaving personal toys and sporting equipment at home, we can continue to foster a safe, respectful and inclusive playground where all students feel valued and connected.

Winter Health 2026: Preparing for the Season

Advice from NSW Health following the School Health Briefing with the three education sectors dated 4th June 2026.

As we move into the winter months, NSW Health has provided updated advice for schools regarding seasonal illnesses and recommended preparedness measures.

Current Health Situation

NSW Health reports that:

COVID-19 levels remain low and are not expected to significantly impact schools this winter.
RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is increasing and is currently at high levels across NSW.
Influenza (flu) activity is currently low but is expected to rise in coming weeks, potentially later than usual this year.
Gastroenteritis is also showing early signs of increasing activity.

What This Means for Schools and Familiies

The primary health concerns for schools and their communities this winter are RSV and influenza.

We understand that there will be:

Increased student absences
Higher staff absences
Greater demand on local health services

Free Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine Available Now

A free nasal spray influenza vaccine is currently available for children aged 2–17 years.

Benefits

Needle-free option that may improve vaccination uptake
Particularly effective for school-aged children
Simple and quick administration

Important Information

Supply is limited and stock is expected to expire soon.
Some availability remains through participating GPs and pharmacies until mid-July.
Protection takes approximately two weeks to develop after vaccination.

Families are encouraged to arrange vaccination as soon as possible.

Recommended Actions for Schools

1. Promote Vaccination

Schools are encouraged to remind families that:

The free nasal spray flu vaccine is available now.
Vaccination before influenza activity increases is strongly recommended.
The vaccine offers a needle-free alternative for children who are uncomfortable with injections.
Availability is limited and time-sensitive.

2. Prepare for Increased Illness

With RSV levels already high and influenza expected to increase, schools should review:

Student absence management processes
Staff contingency and relief planning
Communication procedures for illness outbreaks

3. Reinforce Hygiene Practices

Continue to promote healthy behaviours across the school community:

Stay home when unwell
Wash hands regularly
Cover coughs and sneezes appropriately
Dispose of tissues promptly
Increase cleaning of high-touch surfaces and shared areas

4. Monitor and Respond to Illness

Schools should remain alert to:

Clusters of respiratory illness
Emerging gastroenteritis symptoms within classes or cohorts

Continue following existing procedures for:

Reporting outbreaks
Managing unwell students and staff
Communicating with families when required

5. Travel Awareness – Measles

While there are currently no measles outbreaks in schools, NSW Health advises continued vigilance.

As measles cases remain linked to international travel:

Be alert to symptoms in students who have recently returned from overseas.
Follow established health notification and reporting procedures where concerns arise.

We ask that as a 'Catholic community of care' that we ensure that if we or our children are sick, we stay home so as to not to spread illness around our community. The school will contact parents/carers to collect their children if they are unwell so that we can ensure, as a school, we are a place that great learning can continue.

Enrolment Interviews have been completed

Our enrolment interviews for 2027 Kindergarten (Early Stage One) have concluded. Howeever if you know of any families with a child who is ready to commence school, or who are looking for a Catholic education for their child.

Please ask them to contact the office or to complete the online application form by following this QR Code.

Council of Catholic School Parents NSW

Council of Catholic School Parents NSW are delighted to share their new promotional video that describes who CCSP are and what they do as the representatives of parents and carers in our NSW Catholic schools.

You can click the YouTube link below to hear about the important work CCSP do in leadership, advocacy and support of our Catholic school families.

The video also includes information about their new role as the voice of parents and carers with children in Catholic diocesan preschools and long daycare centres.

CCSP are very excited about providing this new level of service for Catholic ECEC families starting in 2027.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/HSyvYJDi9Mw

Libby McHugh

I am delighted to share that Libby McHugh will return to Armidale Catholic Schools from the commencement of Term 3, 2026.

For the remainder of the year, Libby will work Monday to Thursday, splitting her time between both Glen Innes and Guyra as follows:

St Mary of the Angels, Guyra: Monday and Tuesday
St Joseph's, Glen Innes: Wednesday and Thursday

I am sure you will all welcome Libby back next term!

Thank you for partnering with us as we walk this path together, living just as Jesus taught us.

Have a peaceful holiday time. We shall see you all on Tuesday 21st July, ready to steam into our first week back learning AND with Athletics Carnival Thursday and Grandparents Day on Friday!

Zoe Nugent

Sporting & Extracurricular