From the Principal's Desk
Week 5
This week Addie and I come to you from chilly Bathurst. Addie and I are representing MGPS and the Northwest hockey team.
We look forward to a week of building skills, making new friends and having fun!
GRIP Leadership
Our school leaders attended the GRIP Leadership conference last Wednesday and demonstrated why they were elected to lead our school in 2026. Stepping outside their comfort zones, they immersed themselves in the activities with other leaders and took on challenges throughout the day.
Future Teachers Day at ASC
The future looks bright if today’s ’Future Teachers’ experience day is anything to go by. Stage 3 along with a lot of 5/6 classes from the Armidale area attended a STEM day led by aspiring teachers from high schools in Sydney and ASC. A wonderful day was had by all!
Colour the Earth HPGE Camp
Colour the Earth is an annual visual arts camp designed for Stage 3 students in the New England region of New South Wales. Hosted by the Thalgarrah Environmental Education Centre, it challenges high-potential and gifted learners to explore and create art inspired by the natural environment.
Xanthe
Colour the earth camp at Thalgarrah was a really fun camp and experience. We did lots of art (shockingly) and my favourite was doing the moon light painting. We used sponges to blend colours together and used branches to paint the trees and grasses. We used spray paint and stencils to colour a snake onto a canvas. Crisp the street artist came to teach us how to use the paint and make the stencils. We had dinner, afternoon tea, morning tea, breakfast and lunch all made for us by Maree, Thalgarrahs chef.
Aayla
When I arrived at Thalgarrah, I was excited. I saw a few people I knew from gymnastics. First we did a few activities. I did spray painting and sun printing. We got into groups and introduced ourselves and I met a lot of new people. This camp was amazing. All the activities were fun but my favourite part was meeting new people. This camp is one that I'll never forget.
Kael
The art camp was good because we got to spray paint some small canvases and I made some friends and the food was nice. There was art I've never done before so it was fun and good.
Leo
I really enjoyed Colour the Earth and all the different and new forms of art. Some of the
standouts were learning to spray paint and make stencils. They had some
very creative food ideas eg: water colour on cookies and decorate your one cup cake.
We even did night time art with sticks to make a painting.
Armidale PSSA Cross Country
Congratulations to all our Cross Country runners who competed on Friday in the cold, wind, heat and drizzle (Armidale four seasons) at UNE. The team represented our school with pride and wonderful sportsmanship. Congratulations to Nixon and Emma who were Runner Up Champions and to Emanuel, Willow and Ollie who also progressed through to Regional Cross Country Trials at Coolah, Well Done!
WELLBEING- You Can Do It! and PAX
The Power of Self-Acceptance
Life can sometimes feel like a rollercoaster. Full of ups, downs, twists, and turns we don’t always see coming. For both adults and kids, one of the best tickets to a smoother ride is learning the skill of self-acceptance. It’s the quiet superpower that helps us stay steady no matter what’s happening around us.
Children are growing up in a world where feedback, comparison, and pressure are constant, from grades and sports to social media and friendships. Without the tools to manage their inner dialogue, they can fall into the trap of thinking their worth depends on:
- their performance in school,
- how popular they are, or
- how they look
Self-acceptance flips that script. It teaches kids that their value isn’t up for debate, they are already worthy, just by being themselves. From that safe foundation, they can keep learning, growing, and bouncing back from setbacks.
Below are evidence-informed strategies that combine self-reflection, positive psychology, and reframing techniques that help our kids shift their thinking.
1. Celebrate Personal Strengths
Help your child name and recognise their unique strengths — kindness, curiosity, persistence, creativity, humour, leadership, or anything that makes them proud.
Acknowledge small wins regularly, not just big achievements.
2. Teach Rational Self-Acceptance
Show your child how to avoid measuring their worth by grades, awards, or popularity.
In practice:
- When your child struggles, say: “This test result doesn’t define who you are. You’re still the same caring, capable person.”
- Model self-acceptance by speaking kindly about your own mistakes.
3. Practise Self-Accepting Self-Talk
Teach affirmations that reinforce worth and resilience. Display them at home.
Some favourites:
- I can make mistakes and still be a good person.
- One tough day doesn’t change who I am.
5. Encourage Pride in Family & Culture
For many children, connection to family and culture strengthens identity and self-worth.
Activity prompts:
- Something my family does well is…
- A tradition I love is…
- Something from my culture that makes me proud is…
6. Develop a “Bounce Back” Plan
When your child experience setbacks, having a personalised plan helps them respond positively instead of spiralling into self-criticism.
Steps to teach:
- Take a deep breath.
- Say one self-acceptance phrase.
- Remember a proud moment or personal strength.
- Ask someone you trust for help.
Have a great week.
Peta Deiderick