PRINCIPAL FOR THE DAY

After winning the Principal for the Day raffle held late last term, Benji had the opportunity to fulfill this role on Monday. He was presented with a special tie and a school blazer for the occasion and assisted in completing various tasks throughout the day. These tasks ranged from establishing school rules for the day, updating the school sign, assisting in classrooms, transcribing notes, and composing an article for the newsletter provided below. Benji thoroughly enjoyed his experience and looks forward to potentially winning the raffle again next year.

Below is an article written by Benji describing his experience being 'Principal for the Day'.

Today Mr Hyatt and I had a great day. It was so much fun. First I had my carrot that I was munching on in the photo then I got to go and inspect all the classrooms and pick the person who was going to receive this week’s, “Wearing Uniform With Pride” award. After that, we got the stuff ready for our celebration of Mass this upcoming Friday and I got to decide who gets to carry the gifts up to Mons. Then Mr Hyatt and I decided the groups for the upcoming House Challenge Day . Then it was time for recess. Afterward, I got to do some rules for the day and help Mr Hyatt change the school sign. Then I went over to the sports shed and did a quick stocktake There was lots of sports gear on all of the shelves.

It was 2 minutes till lunch so Mr Hyatt said I could have an early mark, so I went out and ate lunch and had 5 minutes of extra play. I spent the whole afternoon writing my article that will be going in this week’s newsletter. I enjoyed the Kit Kat Chunky that Mr Hyatt gave me. I wish I was the principal for the whole week as I would be able to avoid completing the Cold Write Task that the rest of Years 3-4 had to do today.

POSSIBLE CHANGE TO SCHOOL UNIFORM SURVEY

The survey concerning the suggested modifications to our school uniform is currently available for all families to express their views and feedback on the proposal discussed during the previous term's School Advisory Council Meeting. We appreciate the participation of the thirty-one families and staff members who have already provided their input. If you have not yet shared your thoughts on the possible uniform changes, you still have the opportunity to do so as the survey will be accessible until Friday, May 31st.

MESSAGE STICK ARRIVING SOON!

The Message Stick for the Catholic School NSW Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Education conference will be coming to our parish and school on Sunday, June 2nd. It will travel to each parish and school community from Term 1 to Term 4, concluding its journey at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment & Conference Centre for the conference.

The message stick will be handed over to the host of the Catholic Schools NSW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Conference, with the Armidale Diocese set to host the significant educational gathering from October 22nd to October 24th, 2024.

The Message Stick will travel across the diocese spreading the message of this year's conference theme: “Spirit on Country: Learning Together, then, now & always”.

The school will be conducting a liturgy and run various activities to acknowledge and celebrate the message stick's time with us before it continues it's journey to the St Joseph's Parish of Uralla on Sunday 9th June.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK 26th May-1st June

Catholic Schools Week will be commemorated by the Armidale Diocese during Week 5, from the 26th of May to the 1st of June. As part of the celebrations, our students from Years 3-6 will join other schools in the Armidale Deanery for a Mass at the chapel located in O'Connor Secondary College this upcoming Thursday.

On Friday, May 31st, the school will once again be organising a House Challenge Day, just like last year. This event will witness the Red and Blue teams reignite their rivalry as they engage in various challenges throughout the day. Parents, grandparents, and carers are warmly invited to attend and observe the competitions, and they may even have the opportunity to participate in some of the challenges. Considering that Winter is drawing near, I am optimistic about having a pleasant and sunny day. Let's hope for the best!

The Winner of 'Wearing Uniform With Pride' Award Is.......

Tom has been selected as the recipient of the 'Wearing Uniform With Pride' accolade for this week. We would like to extend our sincere congratulations to Tom for consistently showcasing pride not only in his school uniform but also in his sports uniform.

2024 Remaining Staff Development Days (PD Days)

Monday 22nd July (First day of Term 3)

Monday 14th October (First day of Term 4)

Friday 20th December (Last day of Term 4)

Semester 1 Reports

As we head towards the end of the term, all teachers are working hard finalising assessments and writing Semester 1 reports. The reports will be sent home electronically via the Compass parent portal & hard copies will be posted home at the end of Week 9 (Friday 28th June). If parents have any questions after they receive their child's report they can contact the class teacher in week 10.

As a result of the introduction of the updated English and Mathematics Curriculum for our students in Years 3-6 this semester, modifications have been made to the semester one reports to incorporate the additional areas of emphasis outlined in both curriculums. However, the format of the reports for students in Kindergarten, Year 1, and Year 2 remains unchanged from previous years.

The Semester 1 Report provides parents with an overview of their child's achievement in terms of knowledge and skill in each key learning area and their level of engagement; the degree of attention, curiosity and interest they show when learning.

The government requires a five scale grading system. In place of the A-E grade, a new language is being used to describe the level of knowledge and skills demonstrated by each child:

Working towards the expected level of achievement - this is split into two sections - Working towards (D) and Working Well Below (E) the expected level

Working at the expected level of achievement (C)

Working beyond the expected level of achievement - this is split into two sections - Working Beyond (B) and Working Well Beyond (A) the expected level

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 – 67772328 or email the school at spwadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au.

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