From the Principal

Term 4  Week 4  

Term 4 Save these Dates!

12th November DISCO

23rd November SAC Meeting

25th November P & F Meeting

Wk 6 Year 5 2027 Leadership preparation

20th & 27th November Swimming for Sport

3rd December Operetta

10th December P & F End of Year BBQ

11th December End of Year Mass 

14th December End of Year Presentation Assembly 1pm

15th December Kindergarten, Year 1, Year 2 Year 3 & Year 4 Christmas Assemblies

15th December Year 6 Dinner

16th December LAST DAY  for students

Year 6 Excursion Canberra Excursion 

Our Year 6 students have had a wonderful week exploring our nation's capital! They are travelling home today after an incredible trip filled with learning, discovery, and great memories. We look forward to hearing all about their adventures when they return.

A massive thank you and shout out to Mr Garraud, Mr Power, Mrs Burton, and Mrs Waters for accompanying and supporting the students throughout the week! Safe travels home, everyone.

See the Photo Gallery for Canberra photos.

St Joseph's Cup

Congratulations to all of the students who participated in the St Joseph's Cup! We were treated to a wonderful display of talent, sportsmanship, and effort throughout the competition.

A special congratulations to all our finalists for making it to the final round, and a big round of applause to our overall winners! Lily, Alexander, Pia, Olive, Stella, Adalyn, Elise, Abigail.

 Thank you to all the teachers and students who made this event possible.

New England Sings 2026

A huge congratulations to all our participating students and to Ms McNeal for their hard work preparing for and performing in New England Sings! The choir sounded amazing, and it was an absolute delight to hear them perform. Thank you for representing our school so brilliantly, what a life changing experience for those who participated

World Teachers Day 

On Friday last week, we celebrated World Teachers' Day! I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our wonderful teachers for their dedication, care, and professionalism in supporting our students every day.

We also offer a big thank you to the P&F for providing the delicious cuppa for morning tea, it was greatly appreciated by all our staff!

Bus Safety & Road Crossing

A reminder to all parents and carers regarding afternoon pickup: please ensure you model safe road-crossing practices for our students.

Specifically, please do not cross between the buses parked in Jessie Street. Additionally, if you are parked on the opposite side of the road in Rusden Street of an afternoon, please use the designated pedestrian crossing. Thank you for setting a great example and helping us keep our children safe!

Student Phones

A reminder to parents and carers regarding mobile phones: students should only bring a phone to school if a parent has specifically requested it for contact after school. Students do not need a phone while at school during the day.

If brought to school, all phones must be signed in at the office upon arrival and collected after school. If you need to get a message to your son or daughter during school hours, please call the main office directly on 6772 4441. Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and focused learning environment!

Digital Technology Report

National Mental Health Commission

New report in relation to the digital technology experiences of children and young people.

How digital technology is impacting children and young people

Real Talk 

Last week, we welcomed the Real Talk team to our school community! Thank you to the team for facilitating our insightful Parent Night, as well as the engaging student sessions on Thursday with Year 4 and Year 6.

We extend a sincere thank you to Real Talk for their valuable work in guiding our students to stay safe, healthy, and informed about their bodies and personal development.

Mrs Fletcher - Congratulations

We send our warmest congratulations to Mrs Fletcher and her husband on the safe arrival of their baby daughter, Peggy! We wish their family all the love, happiness, and special moments during this wonderful time.

2027 Planning 

2027 Planning & Enrolments We are currently in the process of planning classes and staffing for 2027. To assist us in accurately confirming our enrolments, if your son or daughter will not be returning to St Mary's in 2027, please contact me directly to discuss your upcoming move.

Thank you for your assistance and cooperation. (bburton@arm.catholic.edu.au  or phone the school 6772 4441)  Mrs Burton

Sisters of Saint Joseph Thanksgiving Mass: Saturday 14 November 2026 Tamworth

SISTERS OF SAINT JOSEPH THANKSGIVING MASS: On Saturday 14 November 2026 a Mass of Thanksgiving will be offered for the Sisters of Saint Joseph, who at the end of this year will no longer have a presence in formal ministry in the Diocese. Mary MacKillop responded to the request of Bishop Torregiani and the first Sisters arrived in 1880. Since then 590 Sisters have ministered firstly in schools then outreaching through motor missions to support parishes. Many students, parishioners and families and clergy have been touched by their commitment to God’s Mission. Mass will be celebrated in St Patrick’s Church West Tamworth at 11am followed by a light lunch. For catering purposes please RSVP to Kim McKenzie via email: Kim.McKenzie@sosj.org.au or phone: 02 8741 2311 by Tuesday 3 November 2026.

Transition Program - Term 4 Wk 3-7

Our first 2 weeks of Transition are officially complete! A very warm welcome to all of our incoming 2027 Kindergarten students and their families. It was wonderful seeing so many bright, excited faces starting their school journey with us, and we look forward to the next three weeks!

Kindergarten 2027 Enrolments Open!

Enrolment applications for Kindergarten 2027 are open! If you're interested in joining St. Mary's School, please complete the enrolment form online. https://stmarysarmidale.catholic.edu.au/

We look forward to hearing from you!

Attendance: Every Day Counts

Consistent attendance is the cornerstone of academic success. We ask that all students aim for 100% attendance unless prevented by illness. If your child is absent, please ensure the school is notified via the office or our portal by 10:00 am. If you are unable to notify the school prior to 10am you will receive an sms reminding you to explain your child's absence.

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 – 67772 4441 or email the school at smaadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au.

School Hours

Teachers commence duty at 8:20am and finish at 3:10pm if not on an afterschool duty.

Rusden Street Door Opens at 8:20am when supervision begins.

School starts: 8:50am 

Recess: 10:50am – 11:30am

Lunch: 1:30pm – 2:10pm 

School finishes: 3.10pm.