General News

Dhulu - Message Stick

2024 Spirit on Country Conference: Learning Together, Then, Now and Always

Last Friday, St Edward's Primary School had the privilege to host the 2024 Spirit on Country Conference meeting for the 2024 committee & Mrs Karen Tighe. Our students engaged in showcasing our cultural spaces within our school campuses. The Infants students welcomed our special guests with a welcome poem and gave the committee members gifts made by our students.

Our Primary students showcased their Dhirrabuu talents to our special guest including, didgeridoo skills and clapsticks. We had some really proud speakers and leaders from both campuses. The students were excited to meet our special guests and share their cultural journey through St Edward's Primary School.

First Nations Art Exhibition 2024

Mrs Amanda Gwalter, our very talented AEA from the Infants Campus, had two pieces of her art displayed in the Joblink Plus First Nations Art Exhibition. Amanda is passionate about her connection to country, culture and community and enjoys expressing this connection through her beautiful artwork. We congratulate Amanda for her success in the artistic field. Amanda has several of her artistic endeavours on display at the Infants Campus, including the door in the front office. She is currently passing on her knowledge and skills to the next generation of budding artists in Cultural groups at the Infants Campus. One of Amanda's pieces is pictured below.

115 - Ancestors - Amanda Gwalter

Our ancestors have shown us how to survive and have given us a rich culture. We have immortalised them in our art and culture and this painting represents Ancestral beings portrayed in varying forms. The artwork is acrylic on canvas.

NAIDOC WEEK 2024

St Edwards Primary School would like to invite you to join us in celebrating NAIDOC Week 2024 with our staff, students and community.

This year, we will gather together for a formal assembly and extend our invitation for our special guests and visitors to join us for the cutting of our 2024 NAIDOC cake.

Date: Wednesday 3rd July 2024

Time: 10:00 am

Location: St Edwards Primary School, Hillvue Road

NAIDOC Rugby League Tag

Following our NAIDOC assembly, our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students voiced to have a NAIDOC Rugby League Tag game. Please join us field side Wednesday 3rd July to cheer on a mix of our Year 5 & 6 Indigenous and Non-Indigenous students as they play on Gomeroi Country.

Significant dates to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Reconciliation Week: 27th May - 3rd June

We ask everyone to wear yellow, Thursday 30th May.

Yellow is one of the vibrant colours of the land – the sacred ochre that First Nations people have used for generations. It is about deep connection to Country and the earth. Yellow is the centre of the Aboriginal Flag, which also represents the sun as the giver of life.

Cultural Learning Plans

We ask for all Cultural Learning Plans to be signed and returned by the end of Term 2. All CLP'S were sent home during Term 1.

Please sign and return 1 copy.

If you have any questions in regards to your child/children's CLP, please contact the AEA of your child/children's campus or contact the school office to book a meeting.

AEA team

Brittany Cloake

Primary AEA

Jarrod Peachey

Primary AEA

Amanda Gwalter

Infants AEA

Sally-Anne Clarke

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Focus Teacher

Gamilaraay Word of the Week - Maabu (Numbers)

Week 5: Maa - Five

Learn how to count to 10 in Gamilaraay

Burrulaa Balabalaa (Many butterflies)

Word of the Week

Students are encouraged to continually use the "Word of the Week" in context during class, this will gain them points and the student who has used the word of the week the most will be awarded a book at the end of this term.

We will publish our Word of the Week on Facebook and in the newsletter. Please support your child to use this word at home.

Term 2 Week 5 Word of the Week "NEVERTHELESS"

K-6 Jersey Day - Friday 31st May

As part of Catholic Schools Week celebrations, and in support of the Gary McSweeney Memorial Cup being held on Friday, we ask all students K - 6 to come out of school uniform and wear their favourite footy jersey or colours to school.

New Sports Polo Available at Lowes

Please note the first shipment of our new St Edward's sports polo have now arrived at Lowes. Students are now able to wear the new sports polo on our sports days, Wednesday and Friday. At the start of Term 3 students will wear sports uniform on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

St Ed's P & F - Pie Drive Orders

IMPORTANT DATES:

Pie order forms and full payment (cash or electronic transfer) are due by 3.00pm Friday 7th June 2024. See below for a copy of the order form.
Delivery: Tuesday 2nd July 2024 from the Primary School Hall (Pick up only between 2.00 -5.00pm - no orders will be sent home with children).

Pie Drive Order Form

Infants Pick Up Area

A few reminders for our St Ed's parents who use our Infants Pick Up/Drop Off Area in Thompson Crescent:

• The back gate opens at 8:15am in the morning and 3:00pm in the afternoon.

• Please consider collecting your child/ren 10 or 15 minutes after the 3.00pm school bell when there is less traffic congestion or consider parking in Hillvue Road and walking up through Hyman Park.

• Whilst waiting in line, please be considerate of our neighbours and DO NOT park across residents’ driveways or park on their nature strip.

• DO NOT drive over the kerb and park your vehicle on the adjacent Council Park area.

• After reverse parking, please leave again as quickly as possible as cars waiting in line bank up in David and Robert Street and hinder the flow of traffic. When leaving the Pick Up Area please turn LEFT ONLY and follow Thompson Crescent around back onto David Street.

Road safety is everyone’s concern and we need to work together to ensure every child at St Edward’s arrives and leaves school in the safest possible manner. Thank you for ensuring these road rules and procedures are followed.

2024 Pupil Free/Staff Development Days

We ask parents and carers to please mark the remaining Pupil Free Days for 2024 in your calendars:

Monday 22nd July

Friday 27th September

Monday 14th October

Friday 20th December

Attendance

Please note the new procedure regarding absences for all schools in the Armidale Diocese.

Parents and Carers of students who have not explained their child/ren's absence for the day will receive an automated text message and an email at 10:00am from the administration staff at school. The message is consistent across the diocese.

Parents of students with unexplained absences who have not explained their absence for the week will receive an email every Friday at 11:00am from the Principal. The message is consistent across the diocese.

If you drop your child/ren off at school after 8:45am and you don't come into the office to sign them in, this will be an unexplained absence. They will be marked as present from the time they walk through the front gate but there will be that timeframe that is unexplained.

Whilst 90% attendance may seem reasonable, the impact over 6 years of education is substantial as per the table below.

Term 2 School Fees

Thank you for your continued support of St Edward's School. Term 2 fees have now been issued via email. The sender will be noreply.schoolfeestatement (please check your junk/spam folders). These school fees are due by Monday 10th June 2024. BPAY is our preferred method of payment for school fees (details are on your statement). BPAY can be set up as a recurring payment with regular amount to cover annual school fees. If you would like a weekly/fortnightly/monthly amount worked out for you or have any further questions, please email Hannah - setadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au

Application for Extended Leave

Family holidays and travel are no longer considered under the Exemption from School Procedures. Travel outside of vacation periods is now counted as an absence for statistical purposes. Please contact the school office if your child/ren will be away from school for 10 days or more as an application form will need to be completed and approved at the discretion of the Principal.

Labelling of Uniform Items

As the weather is cooling down, we are seeing many jumpers and jackets in the Lost Property baskets. These baskets are cleared regularly and clearly labelled items are returned to their rightful owners. It is impossible to return items that are unreadable or not labelled at all. Your assistance in labelling ALL uniform items and food containers is much appreciated.

Working with Children Check (WWCC)

All parents who volunteer at St Edward's School need to supply their WWCC and date of birth to enable us to verify the checks for our WWCC records. If you are not sure if we have your details, please email Sue Kellett on skellett@arm.catholic.edu.au who will happily check for you.

Esteem Kids

Before school care is available in the Infants Hall for both Primary and Infants students. It operates from 7:00am to 8:30am, Monday through Friday during term and breakfast is provided.

After school care is available in the Infants Hall for Infants students only from 3:00pm to 6:00pm Monday through Friday. PLEASE NOTE this year that after school care is now operating from the Primary Art Room for primary students only from 3:00pm to 6:00pm Monday through Friday. Afternoon tea is provided.

Families are encouraged to make enquiries or express interest by contacting William Wong on 0410 841 628 or email: info@esteemkidsgroup.com.au or visit the website at www.esteemkidsgroup.com.au

ABSENCES - Please remember to contact (telephone or text) Esteem Kids St Edward's directly if your child is going to be absent on 0481 373 883. Thank you.

McCarthy Catholic College - 2025 Enrolments

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