School News

GENERAL SCHOOL REMINDERS 

School expectations

1. Term 3 Winter Uniform
2. Clean tidy hair.  Hair that is long must be tied back (general rule if it touches your shirt collar) 
3. Uniforms are to be worn correctly and appropriately daily (if circumstances prevent this communication with your teacher is required). 
4. General rule is no jewellery except for: watch, earrings studs or sleepers
5. No fingernail polish
6. No writing or drawing on self - arms, legs, hands
7. No writing or drawing on school hats
8. No chewing gum at school
9. All children are to speak politely and have outstanding manners
10. Swearing at school is not appropriate
11. No hands or feet. Students do not use hands or feet to hurt others.
12. Respect school and others property

Parent Messages for Students during the Day

Please make sure where possible you phone the school by 2pm with any messages for students to be given before home time.  This would be greatly appreciated so we have minimal interruptions in class time. 

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 – 6772 4441 or email the school on smaadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au

Please do not expect teachers to be able to speak to you while they are on duty or once class has begun. If you require an urgent conversation, please phone the office on the above number so that a message can be delivered by office staff and the teacher will contact you as soon as they can. 

School Hours

8:20am Doors Open & Student Supervision begins.

8:50am Classes start.

Students who arrive after 8:50 am will need to be signed in by Parents at the Front Office, if this doesn't occur parents will receive an unexplained notification for late attendance.

Thank you for signing your child in if they are late as this ensures our attendance records are accurate. 

10:50am-11:30am First Break

1:30am-2:10pm Second Break

3:10pm Classes end

3:15pm Buses are loaded

3.10-3.20pm Pick up top gate Dangar Street

3:15-3:30pm Pick up Rusden Street. 

All students are to be collected by 3:30pm.

After School Care is available for families from 3:10-6pm on site at school.

School Office Hours

The School Office hours are 8:20am - 4pm Monday- Friday. 

Student Absence

Absences, Illness & Notifications

It is that time of year - cold and flu season plus COVID-19! Please let the school know if your child has tested positive to COVID so we can alert our families of COVID in the school.  

Parents please let the school know the reason for your child's absence by responding to the SMS or by contacting the school by phone, 67724441 or email smaadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au 

Government legislation states, notification of your child's absence must be received no later than 7 days after your child's last day of absence. 

Due to government legislation, notification of your child's absence must be received no later than 7 days after your child's last day of absence. Please respond to all student absences requests through the school office. Ph 67724441 or email smaadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au 

If your child is unwell and requires an absence of longer than 3 days, please obtain a medical certificate for this absence.

Please note that partial absences (eg if you need to pick your child up early for an appointment or dropping them off after an appointment) should not be entered via the Compass App.  An email or phone call to school to let us know you need to pick your child up early will help us have them ready for you to collect at the required time.  When you pick them up, please sign your child out using the Kiosk tablet at the office window.

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 – 6772 4441 or email the school on smaadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au

Parents are not able to talk to teachers when they are on duty or i class time. 

Lost Property

We already have large quantities of lost property items which have not been labelled. Please make sure that you check and label or re-label clothing items so we can return items to their owners and please remember to rename items purchased from the Clothing Pool - if the previous owner's name is still on it, we will send it home with them!  

Apart from many items of unlabelled uniforms we also have large amounts of unlabelled lunchboxes, lunch containers and drink bottles in our lost property baskets.  It is impossible to return these items to students. Unnamed uniform items are donated to the clothing pool. 

Clothing Pool 

The Clothing Pool is open by appointment every second Friday morning.  It will next be open on Friday, 8th September from 9.30 am - 11.00 am.  

Please contact the school office on 6772 4441 or smaadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au to book a time.  If you are paying for second hand clothing items via Compass, please contact the school first, so that we can confirm that your required size is available.

Sports Uniform days are as follows:

Kindergarten and Years 5 & 6 (stages ESI and S3) wear their yellow sports shirt on Tuesdays.

Years 1, 2, 3, 4 (Stages 1 & 2) are to wear their yellow sports shirt Wednesdays.

 All students wear their coloured house shirt on Fridays. Thank you.

SCHOOL UNIFORM - We wear it with pride!

At St Mary's we have high expectations with wearing our uniform with pride. We therefore seek parent and student support with wearing our uniform correctly each day. 

Term 2 & 3 Winter School Uniform

In Term 2 & 3 the students are to wear their full Winter Uniform.  The winter uniform requirements are listed below.

Canteen Winter Menu

In Term 2 & 3 our canteen will be serving our delicious winter menu. A reminder that orders for the day close at 9.30am each morning. 

After School Pickup

When picking up students in the afternoon from the Rusden Street entrance, please bring your family name sign so that we can call students as quickly as possible to avoid congesting the corridors.  If you require a new sign or additional ones please contact the the School Office.

Keep connected with what is happening at school through Compass & the Newsletter

Please make sure you are connected to COMPASS and receive the newsletter.

All families need to subscribe to the St Mary's COMPASS portal. Regular information comes from this site to families. Each parent is given a login. If you have lost your login details or are having difficulty logging in please call the School Office for assistance.

It is also really important to read the newsletter fortnightly.  The Newsletter can be found electronically on COMPASS.

Manners Matter 

Manners matter - not just some of the time, but ALL the time. 

Students are encouraged to stop, look at the person speaking and use the person's name to ensure they are using their best manners. 

School TV

This month on SchoolTV - Respectful Relationships

Fostering a nurturing environment of respectful relationships within your family holds the key to not only harmonious living, but also improved academic outcomes for your children. As parents and caregivers, embracing the art of teaching children about respect at a young age sets the stage for a lifetime of healthy interactions and empathetic understanding. It will help cultivate a positive environment where communication flourishes, conflicts are resolved constructively, and bonds are fortified.

Teaching children to respect themselves and others will open up avenues for both personal growth and academic achievement. 

Fostering an environment where respect is not just a word, but a practiced behaviour, will empower young people with essential life skills. 

Effective communication, active listening, and the art of compromise, will provide your child with a solid foundation that will transcend family interactions and help them collaborate effectively with peers, teachers and the broader community.

Equipping children with an understanding of healthy versus unhealthy relationships is an important aspect of their development. It will guide them to make informed choices, foster positive connections, and set boundaries that contribute to their emotional wellbeing. Understanding the nuances between healthy and unhealthy relationships provides children with the essential tools to navigate their social world, build self-esteem, and cultivate meaningful relationships.

In this edition of SchoolTV, learn how to empower young people in healthy interactions to embrace differences and forge connections that honour their self-worth. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition, and we always welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to this month's edition https://stmarysarmidale.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/respectful-relationships

School Travel Passes

Information for parents and students from Transport for NSW

Students who require a School Travel Pass but have not yet applied need to apply or update their details as soon as possible.

Parents should contact their local bus operator to discuss their travel needs.

New Student Travel Passes will be sent to the student’s nominated postal address within two weeks of their application being approved.  Students living in rural and regional areas will receive their travel pass from their nominated transport operator.  Note: some rural and regional operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.

Mobile Phones and other Electronic Devices

When students arrive at schoolthey musthand in their mobile phone, smart watch or other electronic device at the school office. Devices will be returned to the students at the end of the day. 

If a student doesn't hand their phone or device into the Office when they arrive at school, the phone or device will be removed from the student and kept in the Office for parents to collect. 

All electronic devices that are brought into school are at the owner's risk. No liability will be accepted by the school in the event of loss, theft or damage of the device.

Complaint Management

Please see below a guide for parents and caregivers.