General News 

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Enrolments are Now Open!

We are thrilled to announce that we are now accepting online applications. Whether you are a new family or a familiar face, the process is now quicker and easier than ever.

How to Apply

• New Families: Applications can be accessed directly via our official website: Visit our new "Enrolment Information" page and click the ‘Start an Application’ button.

• Current Parents: Simply log in and apply through the Compass portal.

🎨 A Masterpiece of a Week!

Our Annual Student Art Show was a vibrant explosion of color, imagination, and talent. Last week, our hub was transformed into a professional gallery, showcasing the incredible hard work our students have poured into their art pieces.

The atmosphere was electric as families and friends wandered through the exhibits. We were also honored to have some very special guest judges join us to cast their votes—the Mother’s Day participants, our teachers, and representatives of the Parish—who had the impossible task of picking the winners!

🥁 Drumroll please... here are your 2026 Art Show Winners:

• 🏆 Parish: Kindy- Chloe, Stage 1- Millie, Stage 2- Theo, Stage 3- Ella

• 🏆 Teachers: Stage 1- Saige, Stage 2- Zarabelle and Mikayla, Stage 3- Mia

• 🏆 Mothers: Kindy- Vaeda, Stage 1- Dawson, Stage 2- Lottie, Stage 3- James

Congratulations to our winners and to every single student who contributed. Your unique perspectives and artistic voices made this our best show yet.

Kindergarten 2027: Important Dates

We have already seen a fantastic response for our Kindy 2027 cohort! To ensure we can dedicate enough time to every family, please submit your application by end of Term 2, 2026.

Meeting this deadline allows us to:

1. Process your application efficiently.

2. Schedule enrolment interviews promptly.

3. Organize our specialized Term 4 School Readiness Program 

Spread the Word: If you know friends or relatives considering our school for 2027, please encourage them to apply soon so they don't miss out on our upcoming transition programs!

MOORAMBILLA VOICES

Recently, we had the great pleasure of hosting Moorambilla Voices for a music workshop as part of their 2026 Skills Development Tour. This national award winning program provides regional students with an extraordinary opportunity to sing, dance and create, culminating in incredible performances and touring opportunities across Australia.   

Between February and May, Moorambilla will deliver workshops across regional NSW to over 3,500 children from Years 3-12, from Guerie to Rowena and Cobar to Wee Waa and everywhere in between. During the recent workshop, our students engaged with Artistic Director Michelle Leonard OAM, learning about music through fun, collaborative and creative activities. Some students will soon receive invitations to attend  Moorambilla’s August Residency Camps (in Baradine) and October Residency Camps (in Sydney) where they will create works which connect to their community and the landscape with world-class musicians, performers, composers, choreographers and visual artists. If your child receives an invitation to attend a Residency Camp, they will receive their letter of offer in May.

In celebration of Moorambilla’s 21st year, they are thrilled to announce that this year’s Gala Performance will be held at Sydney Opera House on Saturday 3 October, giving all residency program participants the extraordinary opportunity to perform on Australia’s most iconic stage. 

Moorambilla will organise all bus transport for participants travelling from Dubbo to Sydney and return, as well as all accommodation during their stay in Sydney. 

For more information about Moorambilla Voices, visit moorambillavoices.com 

Armidale Catholic Schools

Unit 2, 131 Barney Street 

P.O. Box 636 Armidale NSW 2350

(02) 6772 7388       

csoadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au                    

www.arm.catholic.edu.au    

ABN: 90702916776    

6th May 2026

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Following our previous communication regarding the author Craig Silvey, we are providing a further update.

In light of the author's guilty plea to serious offences involving the exploitation of children, we have moved to permanently remove all of his works from our curriculum and library.

As a Catholic community, we hold the safety and sanctity of childhood as a primary grace. We believe this permanent step is necessary to ensure our learning environment remains a place of safety, integrity, and Gospel values. Our teachers have successfully transitioned to new literary resources, ensuring your child’s learning continues without interruption.

Thank you for your ongoing support of our commitment to safeguarding the young people in our care.

Sincerely

Regina Menz

Director of Schools

Armidale Catholic Schools

Library News

Congratulations to our term 2 Library Monitors: Will and Scarlett from 5/6 and Zarabelle and Grace from 3/4. 

Mrs Darnell is really looking forward to working with these students this term.

Canteen Update: Standardizing Our Friday Orders

To support the efficient running of our school canteen, the school is implementing a more streamlined approach to ordering and communication. To ensure we support our staff and volunteers, we ask all families to observe the following protocols:

Ordering & Cancellations

• Deadline: All orders must be placed via Compass before 8:00 AM on Fridays.  Admin Staff will be printing orders off at 8AM sharp on Friday mornings so no late orders/order changes will be accepted after this time. 

• Absences: If your child is unwell, orders can be cancelled directly through Compass prior to the 8:00 AM cutoff.

Official Communication Channels

To ensure administrative continuity—particularly when relief staff are stepping in—the school requires all canteen-related correspondence to go through official channels.

• Official Email: quicanteen@arm.catholic.edu.au

• Protocol Note: Please direct all inquiries to the email address above rather than using staff members' personal contact details or private social media. This ensures that the person on duty for the day has full access to all relevant information and can assist you promptly if required.

Why the change? With the ordering window open for most of the week and the flexibility to cancel on Friday mornings via Compass, keeping all transactions and communication within official school platforms ensures our records are accurate and our staff are supported.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping our Friday canteen service run smoothly!

Streamlining Our School Processes

• Compass Events: Please respond to all Compass event notifications, even if your child is not attending. These responses are crucial for coordinating transport, programs, catering, and budgets. Permissions must be finalized by the listed due date; we are now unable to reopen events once they have closed and of course we do not want any student to miss out on activities available to them.

• PT&F Pre-orders: Please ensure all meal deal and fundraising orders are placed strictly within the advertised timeframes.

While we understand that life is busy, we rely on these deadlines to avoid the significant costs associated with manual follow-ups and SMS reminders. If you have not enabled 'Push' notifications in Compass, we would very much appreciate it if you would attend to that asap as Push is free where as SMS incurs a cost.  

Calendar & Upcoming Events

One Place For All School Events: We have consolidated our scheduling into the Compass Calendar. For the latest on upcoming events and excursions, please make Compass your first point of reference. You can view by day, week, or month, or use the "Schedule" view for a convenient list format. 

Housekeeping

• Late Arrivals: School begins at 8:50 am. If arriving after this time, you must accompany your child to the office to sign in via the kiosk.

• Absences: Explanations must be provided within 7 days (a legal requirement).

• Visitor Sign-In: Mandatory for all adults entering the grounds to ensure child protection and emergency accuracy.

• Office Hours: 8:30 am – 3:30 pm. Please wait for gates to open before entering.

• Finance: Tracey is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

• Parking: Please park strictly between the lines at the front of the school to maximize available space for everyone.

School Zone Safety

Ensuring the safety of our students is our highest priority. 

Unauthorized use of disabled parking spaces is a significant safety risk and a traffic offence that carries heavy fines. Please adhere to the following:

• Keep the crossing clear: Never stop, queue, or park on the crossing.

• Use designated zones only: Do not drop children off in disabled parking spaces; this creates dangerous blind spots.

• Patience is key: Please remain patient within the traffic queue.

• Be considerate: Parking is limited. Once you have collected your child, please vacate your spot so others may do the same.

School Fees

If you need these forms: