PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Mrs Jillian Rainger
jrainger@arm.catholic.edu.au

Welcome to Term 2, Week 8!

As we approach the mid-year point, I wanted to share a brief update on our school's progress. Yesterday, our Leadership Team met to reflect on Semester 1. This was a valuable opportunity to review the events, activities, and achievements that have taken place since February, all through the lens of our Annual Improvement Plan.

This comprehensive review provides us with crucial insights as we look forward. Next week, the Leadership Team will be building on this reflection, focusing our discussions on Terms 3 and 4. This forward-thinking session will involve envisioning our goals and planning the necessary steps to achieve them.

We've seen a real strengthening of our Living Well, Learning Well practices across K-10, with students consistently demonstrating the values behind this ethos in their daily interactions. Our approach to reflective conversations with students about their actions has improved, leading to positive outcomes.

We're also celebrating the growth in student participation and voice in their learning. It's wonderful to see our students confidently discussing what they're learning and how they're progressing. The professional learning in assessment has been highly beneficial for our teaching staff, and we're committed to continuing our progress in this vital area.

Our preparation for Stage 6 is also well underway. I was particularly pleased to hear from Year 10 students last week that they felt well supported during the subject selection process.

Finally, the commitment of our students (and families) to our service initiatives has beenoutstanding. It's inspiring to witness our senior students taking the lead, initiating and implementing ideas that truly make a difference for others in our world. They are living out our Catholic Principles and Values in meaningful ways.

Results from Year 9 da Vinci in Sydney

I wanted to share with you the outstanding results our Year 9 team had at the state da Vinci Decathlon earlier this term. The students won the day in Armidale and progressed to the state final held at Knox Grammar in Sydney. 57 teams competed on the day. Many of them were selective high schools and large private schools. Our team came 9th out of 57 in Mathematics and 15th in Engineering. It was amazing to see Holy Trinity School, Inverell on the placings board. Well done to our team!

Check your school fee account

Please keep an eye out for your school fee account email. We apologise in advance if the amount owing is incorrect. There have been technical difficulties at the Armidale Catholic Schools Office, and they are working hard to make sure they are accurate.

Enrolling for 2026

Enrolments are now open for Kindergarten, Year 7 and Year 11 for 2026! If you have a child who will be ready for Kindergarten, or if you know families who are considering HTS for their children, please encourage them to complete our enrolment forms. I am starting the interview process in Week 10 of this term. Enrolment from Year 6 into Year 7 is continuous, but if you know of students from other schools who may wish to join our secondary department, please let them know that we are enrolling now. Forms can be easily found on our school website or collected from the Front Office. We're eager to welcome new families into our school community.

Thank you to the P and F

Our P and F have paid for the two new sandpits in K-2 and 3-6. Thank you to everyone who supports our P and F activities, as the funds raised make our school environment even better for our students.