Dear Families of SMOTA,

I truly pray that you all had a gentle holiday, I know many went away for the holidays, some travelling north to warmer weather and others... overseas! It is a delight to see our young people's (and your) faces each day.

At St Mary of the Angels, we are ready and raring to go for Term Three!

This term, above our everyday efforts for striving ever higher in our young peoples' learning, we also have a number of additional events.

These include our Art Auction and Performances, Athletics Training, Assembly, Maths Competitions, Diocesan Athletics, Brain Olympia, Year One Number Check, Year One Phonics Check, Year 6 RE test, Book Week, Kolora visits, Father's Day Breakfast, Stage Three Canberra Camp, Author visit, Transition Students Commence, Parents and Friends Colour Run and 'Baguette to the Point' Stage Two parent night.

We are looking forward to share news of these days with you as the term progresses.

Even when no one is watching

With our increased wet weather play recently, our SHAs are having to focus on our young people treating others with respect, much more than normal.

We ask all of our parents and carers to discuss with their young people that respect is more than just polite words or actions when others are paying attention — it’s a way of being that should guide how we treat others at all times.

Whether in the classroom, on the playground, or even when no one is around, showing respect (an unconditional positive regard) helps create a safe and supportive environment for everyone.

When our young people practice respect consistently, they build trust, strengthen friendships, and develop strong personal values that stay with them beyond school. It’s about doing the right thing, not for recognition, but because it’s the right thing to do.

Let’s encourage our children to carry respect with them every moment — because true respect shines brightest when no one is watching.

Every Day Counts – Especially in Term Three

Term Three is a vital time in the school year, and it’s more important than ever that our young people are at school every day.

Daily attendance helps students stay on track with their learning, boosts their academic progress, builds confidence, strengthens friendships, and supports overall wellbeing.

Please remember: children should only stay home if they are genuinely unwell. Missing just one or two days here and there might not seem like much, but it adds up—one day every two weeks equals four full weeks of missed learning in a year, and an entire year over the course of their schooling.

Let’s work together to make sure every day at school counts.

Uniform Update

We are in the final front of awaiting our revised uniform! After numerous consultations with companies, the latest update is any custom made uniform should be ready for Term One. This is a huge relief and we thank every parent/carer for their patience and understanding as the transition has occurred.

Come in the Gate

If you are collecting your angels from school, please come in!

We hoping that rather than waiting out on the street, parents and carers will enter through the gated path on the right hand side of the administration building to gather undercover to talk, share their day and when the classes are dismissed to collect their young ones for the afternoon.

Stage Two: 'Baguette to the Point' Evening

As a continuation of our efforts to maximise and prioritise the impact for our young people and our community, we are asking for our Stage Two parents/carers to come and participate in an evening of open dialogue whilst sharing basic refreshments.

Hosted by the SAC and School Leadership Team the Stage Two parents/carers will be asked for their generative thoughts on questions and statements, so that we can hear what is important to you!

When: 5th August at 6 pm

Where: St Mary of the Angels Parochial Hall: Entry available off the highway

Note that RSVPs are ESSENTIAL for catering purposes, please contact the office if you are attending the evening

Congratulations Natalia Mayes

Many congratulations to Ms Natalia Mayes who has been successful in her application as part time Inclusion Support Teacher at O'Connor Catholic College. Natalia will continue to work at St Mary of the Angels whilst taking on a part-time role supporting O'Connor's current IST Ms Carleigh Eastlake.

Although we will miss her face being with us everyday, it is a huge opportunity for Natalia who has a keen interest in Inclusive Education and is currently studying her Masters through Australian Catholic University.

Have Your Say in the 2025 My School Survey! ---Keep Your Contact Details Updated --

It is nearly that time again!!!

The Diocese is preparing for the release of this year’s My School Survey (also known as 'SurveyMySchool' or 'Happy School Survey') in late August.

This incredibly important survey is conducted annually across all schools in the Diocese and plays a key role in shaping the future of our schools.

In order to ensure you receive access to the survey when it goes live, we kindly ask all parents and carers to update their current email addresses with the school as soon as possible and to save 'Steve@surveymyschool.com.au' to their SAFE list.

Email addresses are collected from the school in mid August, the survey is sent out via email from 'Survey My School' and is completely anonymous. It is run by an external organisation, the Survey My School Team, not the Diocese.

Once parents have completed the survey (will open late August and will close early September) their feedback (numerical and comments) is de-identified and shared with the Armidale Catholic Schools Leadership Team.

This ensures the responses remain completely untraceable to individual families or children.

From there:

Comments are reviewed only to remove personal information or address any child protection concerns.
All data is entered into the Data Ecosystem, where it helps inform school planning, professional development, and Annual Improvement Plans for the coming year.

There is no change in how data is collected or used this year— all staff and students in Year 4 and above, in all Diocesan schools will again complete their version of this survey anonymously.

Your voice truly matters. Please take a moment to make sure your email details are up to date so you don’t miss the opportunity to share your experiences and help guide improvements in our school and across the Diocese.

Until next time, thank you for your continued support.

Zoe Nugent

Principal

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