Mr Hyatt
From the Principal's Desk
Welcome to this week's edition of the newsletter. It is almost scary to think just how fast we are approaching the halfway mark of the term! As the old saying goes, time certainly flies when you are busy, and that has undoubtedly been the case for our school community lately.
Reflecting on just the past few days, it has been an incredibly hectic, yet deeply rewarding, week. We have had the privilege of welcoming a number of visitors to our school, giving us a wonderful opportunity to showcase the vibrant culture and engaging learning environments we share here.
Furthermore, our calendar has been absolutely packed with activities, and our students and staff have been involved in a multitude of events. Whether it has been sporting trials, academic pursuits, or community engagements, the level of participation has been outstanding. I want to take a moment to extend my sincere thanks to our dedicated staff for their tireless efforts in organising and facilitating these opportunities, and to our students for throwing themselves into every activity with such enthusiasm and pride.
Despite the busyness, it is moments like these that truly highlight the wonderful spirit of our school. I better stop rambling, as I need a good night's sleep before I head off very early to Barraba tomorrow morning for the ACS Cross Country Trials!
OPEN MORNING
It was an absolute joy to welcome so many families to our Open Morning this past Tuesday. A heartfelt thank you goes out to our fantastic school captains, special guests, dedicated staff, and our wonderful parent representative for speaking during the information session. Your insights were truly invaluable. Every speaker shared their experiences with such genuine passion, beautifully illustrating why our school thrives as a leading professional learning community. We are already looking forward to welcoming the children back to begin their Transition program on the 31st August.
LET'S GET READY FOR KINDERGARTEN 2027
Online Enrolments are now open for Kindergarten 2027.
through Compass and website https://stpatrickswalcha.catholic.edu.au/
Catholic Schools Week
Next week we will be celebrating Catholic Schools Week.
On Wednesday 27th May, as part of the celebrations, our school leaders and I will join other schools for Mass at the cathedral.
Good luck at the ACS Cross Country Trials Tomorrow!
Tomorrow is a big day for 26 of our students as they head off to compete in the Armidale Catholic Schools Cross Country Trials. On behalf of the entire school community, we want to wish our team the absolute best of luck! Y
When you arrive at the venue, please ensure that you look for the St Patrick's Primary marquee. I am planning to get there bright and early tomorrow morning to secure a great spot and get our home base set up for the day.
Staff Development Day- this upcoming Monday 25th May
Please be advised that this upcoming Monday, 25th May, will be a pupil-free day at St Patrick's Primary. All of our staff will be traveling to O'Connor Catholic College in Armidale to participate in the Armidale Cluster Schools Staff Development Day.
I sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this mid-term closure may cause your family. When scheduling staff development, my priority is always to place these days immediately before or after the school holidays to minimise disruption. However, on this occasion, the event organisers specifically scheduled the day to coincide with the beginning of Catholic Schools Week so that schools from across the region could gather together. Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support.
Semester 1 Reports
As this term is approaching its halfway point, our teachers are beginning to collect data as well as completing various student assessments in preparing for this semester's reports. These reports will be on Compass parent portal. Should you have any questions after reviewing your child's report, please feel free to contact their class teacher during Week 11.
The Semester 1 Report provides parents with an overview of their child's achievement and development in all key learning areas, as well as their level of engagement and socialinteraction.
The government requires a five scale grading system. In place of the A-E grade, a new language is being used to describe the level of knowledge and skills demonstrated by each child. This is comprehensively explained in your child's report.
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.