From the Principal

Term 3  Week 4 

Congratulations Kindergarten on your 100 Days of School!

Kindergarten celebrated in style on Wednesday 5th August. They had a very exciting day and especially enjoyed showcasing their writing & reading this semester and ended the day leading prayer.

Congratulations Dio Athletics

Congratulations to the children who competed on Wednesday 5th August, you should be immensely proud of your efforts! A huge congratulations to Myles:100m, Harriet: Long Jump, Molly: 800m who qualified to represent the Armidale Diocese at the upcoming Polding Athletics Carnival in Glendale on Friday, September 11th! 

Congratulations to Our 'Let’s Hang It!' Art Finalist

Warmest congratulations to Noah, who was named as finalists in the NERAM Let’s Hang It! Art Competition. Having your artwork selected as finalist is a wonderful achievement, showcasing his creativity.

St Mary MacKillop of the Cross

On Friday the 7th August the whole school went to Mass to celebrate Australias only Saint. Father Paul spoke to us about how close we are to St Mary MacKillop of the Cross at St Mary's. 

On the 16.5.1885 St Mary Mackillop visited the Ursuline Sisters at the Convent and stayed the night. St Mary walked the very grounds of our school, the Convent and Cathedral grounds.

School Liturgy for Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 14th August

On Friday we celebrated the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We reflected onMary, the mother of Jesus, being taken, assumed body and soul into heaven by God at the end of her earthly life. Thank you Mrs Davis for leading the school Liturgy on Friday.

Year 4 Prayer Liturgy

Thank you Year 4 for leading a beautiful Prayer Liturgy on Wednesday. You highlighted  the life of  Mary the mother of Jesus, and her total trust in saying  'yes to God.'

Important Term 3 Events Save the Date: 

Book Week & Grandparents Day Celebrations Friday 28th August

Mark your calendars!  August 28th A warm invitation to all Grandparents, special friends and parents to join us for Book Week & Grandparents Day celebrations. Adding to the fun, our guests are also invited to dress up for the Book Week parade.

This year's theme is 'Symphony of Stories', and we encourage all students to come dressed as their favourite book characters.

Class Liturgies Term 3– save the dates 

During Term 3 each Class will host a Prayer Liturgy that parents are invited to attend. The Prayer Liturgy will be a clebration of the the classes current Religious Education Unit.

Excursions Term 3

Week 5 Year 5 Coffs Harbour Excursion, 17th -19th August

Week 4 Year 4 Lake Keepit Excursion, 3rd - 4th September

Year  One Phonics Screener Assessment

Mid August all Year 1 students throughout NSW will take part in the Year 1 Phonics Screener Assessment. This is a short assessment that tells teachers how students are progressing in phonics. Our Year 1 Students will take part in this assessment over the next next two weeks. More information about this assessment is included below:

Premier's Reading Challenge 2026

The Premier's Reading Challenge for this year is approaching its conclusion. Congratulations to all students who took part. Please note that validations will close on Friday, 11th September. Should you have any questions or concerns related to the reading challenge, do not hesitate to reach out to Mrs Fittler in the Library.

2026 Survey My School 

Armidale Catholic Schools has once again collaborated with Survey My School in 2026 to facilitate parents, students and staff in giving feedback on the practices and procedures of St Mary's School. Parents can expect to receive these surveys via email at the end of August.

Transition Program - Term 4  2026

It won't be long before we begin welcoming our 2027 Kindergarten Students for Transition. It is scheduled to commence Week 3 Term 4.

This is an important program in helping our Kinder students familiarise themselves with the school environment, routines and ensuring a smooth and confident start to their schooling journey.

P&F Mega Fete Raffle / Fete 17th October 

The P&F is currently organising the Fete Raffle. Very soon a book of 10 tickets will be sent home with each student to sell. If you sell your book of tickets and would like more books please call into the school office for extra books.

Families who have a business and would be able to sell tickets at your reception desk please collect some raffle books from the School Office with a poster to advertise the raffle. 

Thank you in advance for supporting our P&F’s fundraising efforts for the Fete.

MEGA Raffle,  Price: $2 each ticket, 

Prizes:

• 30 min 2 Person Gorge discovery flight with Fleet helicopters (Kindly donated by Fleet Helicopters and St Mary's P&F)
• Western Plains Taronga Zoo family Pass (kindly donated by Western Plains Taronga Zoo)
• Voucher to the Cottage Armidale (kindly donated by Shane Ross at The Cottage)
• 4 Burner Jumbuck BBQ (kindly donated by Bunnings Armidale)
• Armidale Golf Club package Including 2 x $50 dinning vouchers and a 30minute golf lesson with the Pro. (kindly donated by Armidale Golf Club)
• FIKA Hamper (kindly donated by FIKA)
• Family Pass to Green Valley Farm (kindly donated by GVF)
• Load of wood (kindly donated by Ben Barker)
• Floor Rug (kindly donated by Harvey Norman Armidale)
• $100 gift voucher to Bicycle Central (kindly donated by Bicycle Central)
• Repco Car cleaning kit valued at $155 (kindly donated by Repco Armidale)

P&F Fete Donation Days 

The Fete Friday Collection Days are:

21st Aug   Donation Day Lucky Dips

18th Sept Donation Day Books & Clothing

16th Oct   Donation Day Plants / Cakes

Fete Meeting

The next Fete meeting is Tuesday 22nd September at 5:30pm in the Staffroom.  All Parents & Friends are welcome to attend. 

New England Sings 2026

NEW ENGLAND SINGS! 2026 Combined Primary Choirs from Armidale and surrounding schools, students in Yr 4-6.

Saturday 31st October - Final Rehearsal and Sunday 1st November Concert. 

Concert: Sunday 1 November Time: Primary Choir 1 11:00am – 1:00pm (arrive at 9:30am)

Venue: Lazenby Hall, UNE

Students participating from St Mary's rehearsal dates this term are: Thursday 30th July, 20th August & 10th September. Thnak you Ms McNeall for organising our schools participation.

First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion

Best wishes to all of our children who are preparing to receive the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion this term.

Please keep these students and their families in your prayers as they take this meaningful next step in their faith journey. We look forward to celebrating these special milestones together as a community!

NAPLAN  Year 3 & Year 5 - 

National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy -  Link

NAPLAN is a nationwide, standardised assessment in Australia administered annually to all students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9.

The Purpose is to provide a snapshot of how students are performing against national standards. It helps teachers, schools, and government authorities identify strengths, address learning gaps, and allocate educational resources effectively.

Scoring/results are not a pass-or-fail test. Results are reported using proficiency standards, giving parents and teachers a clear picture of a student's individual progress over time.   

Below is a distribution graph of the student 2026 results at St Mary's, Year 3 & Year 5.

School Fees 

We appreciate the support of all our families who keep their fee payments up to date, as well as those who communicate with us when assistance is required. Armidale Catholic Schools continues to work closely with us in managing school fees.

Please note that families with outstanding accounts will be receiving a notification from Armidale Catholic Schools shortly.

Kindergarten 2027 Enrolments Open!

We're now accepting enrolment applications for Kindergarten 2027! 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.