Principal's Message

Year 3-4's Excellent Adventure at Thalgarrah

I’m currently accompanying our Year 3-4 students on their excursion at the Thalgarrah Environmental Education Centre. Everyone is having a great time, even though the weather has presented a few challenges! Composing this section has been an interesting task, as I had forgotten there's no mobile coverage here. The last few moments have been a frantic mission to find a signal just to hotspot my phone and submit this newsletter!

Aside from this small technicality, it's been an action-packed day. The students have participated in bushwalks, animal tracking, and plant identification. They also engaged in hands-on activities like composting and recycling workshops, learning about the importance of reducing waste and conserving resources. A major highlight has been the team-building activities, which successfully fostered camaraderie and improved their communication and problem-solving skills.

We have several activities planned after dinner, which reminds me—I need to get ready, as I'm preparing dinner later this evening! I don't want to delay feeding a hungry crowd, and I have a funny feeling a full night's sleep is not on the menu tonight!

Photos of the excursion will be featured in next week's edition

Staffing for 2026

I know many families are curious about our staffing and classroom arrangements for the 2026 academic year, and I appreciate your proactive interest!

I am currently in the final stages of organising the structure for 2026. I am excited to announce that we have been granted extra staffing support from Armidale Catholic Schools for the upcoming academic year. This is a significant positive development that will enhance our students' learning environment.

While I am still working out the various arrangements, a key step remains: we will be formally advertising for a part-time teaching position. As soon as this crucial position is filled, we will finalise and be able to confidently announce the classroom arrangements and teaching allocations for next year.

We are actively working through this process and hope to share these important details with the community in the upcoming weeks. Thank you for your patience and ongoing support as we prepare for a successful 2026

Remembrance Day

On Tuesday, I had the privilege of attending the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Walcha War Memorial alongside Indie and Tom. The event commemorated the conclusion of World War I and honored the sacrifices made by the men and women who served our nation. I commend both Indie and Tom for their exemplary representation of St Patrick's Primary.

Transition Graduation Ceremony 

Monday marked a significant milestone as our nine Transition students—Amelia, Ava, Dougal, Eleanor, Isabelle, Kolby, Marlie, Ollie, and Rudy—celebrated their graduation and are now ready for Kindergarten in 2026. Although time spent with them was limited due to various commitments, I have been thoroughly impressed by their remarkable progress in writing, numeracy, and craft skills. They are clearly well-prepared for the challenges of Kindergarten, and we eagerly await their full-time enrollment next year. Finally, I extend my sincere gratitude to Miss Dunn, Mrs Laurie, and Mrs Rizzi for their leadership in the program, and to all the parents and grandparents who attended the graduation ceremony.

2026 School Leadership Speeches and Election Day

All of our Year 6 students have commenced the preparation and practice of their speeches in anticipation of the 2026 School Leadership Speeches and Election Day, scheduled for Wednesday, 26th November.

I would like to thank all of our Year 5 students who have nominated themselves to fill these positions if elected. I know all of you would do a fantastic job! 

Year 5 speeches will commence at 9.30am in the Year 5-6 classroom and parents are invited to join us. After the speeches, all students and staff members will then cast their votes. Our 2026 School Leaders will be officially announced at our End of Year Presentation Morning.

2025 School Fees

This is a friendly and important reminder that all outstanding school fees for the current year are due to be paid in full by the end of November.

We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter. Timely payment of school fees is essential for the school to continue providing quality resources, programs, and opportunities for all students.

Please also be aware of the school's policy regarding excursions:

• For a student to be eligible to participate in any school excursion, the family's school fees must be either paid in full or the family must be adhering to an agreed-upon instalment plan with the school's finance office.

   

If you have already settled your account, thank you for your timely payment.

If you are experiencing financial difficulty or need to set up an instalment plan, please contact the School Finance Officer, Karen immediately at 67772328 or email krizzi1@arm.catholic.edu.au to discuss your options confidentially. We are here to help.

Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to supporting the school.

2026 School Advisory Council Nominations

The Annual General Meeting of the School Advisory Council will be taking place on Tuesday 25th November in the library commencing at 5.30pm. The School Advisory Council are always looking out for more members. 

Please consider nominating for the  School Advisory Council for 2026.

Please read the Process of Discernment, Nomination and Election information below.

Updates to Our End-of-Year Events

This year, we've made some significant changes to our end-of-year Presentation, Performance, and Mass, based on valuable feedback from our families and the availability of priests.

Here are the details for your calendars:

• "Ali Baba and the Forty Bikies" Performance: Our annual school performance will be held at the Walcha Multi-Purpose Centre on the evening of Wednesday, December 10, 2025.
• Annual Presentations : On the morning of Friday, December 12, 2025, the Annual Presentations will take place at 9:30 am in the school COLA. Immediately following, the school community is invited to a morning tea picnic in the school playground.
• Graduation Mass & Whole School Barbecue: The celebrations on Friday will conclude with the Graduation Mass at 12:00 pm. Students can order their lunch through compass - BBQ

Semester 2 Reporting

At present, the educators are engaged in the preparation of student reports for Semester Two. Parents will have the opportunity to access these reports through the parent portal during Week 9. Should you prefer to receive a printed report, please inform the school.

How to access the Semester Two reports on Compass in Week 9:  

Log into Compass

To view the Semester 2 report, click on your child's profile and select report.

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

A hearty congratulations to Mackenzie G, who earned this week's 'Wearing Uniform With Pride' award! Mackenzie G's was recognised for consistently demonstrating pride in her presentation. We are incredibly proud of the care and respect Mackenzie G shows when wearing both her school and sports uniforms. Well done, Mackenzie!

2025 Remaining Staff Development Days (PD Days)

Thursday 18th December (Last day of Term 4)

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.

SCHOOL HOURS

Supervision of students commences at 8:30am. Students should not be on-site until after 8:30 AM.