Principal Reflections
Dear Parents/Carers,
I hope this message finds all our families well and that you had a restful and enjoyable holiday break. It's wonderful to welcome our students back to school for Term 4—a term always full of activity, learning, and celebration!
NEEC Awards 2025
I am very pleased to announce that Moira Watts is the winner of the New England Cooperative Award - Alan Kerr Award- for Early Career Service to Education.
The Alan Kerr Award requires the recipient to meet the following criteria:
*A practising teacher with less than six years of teaching experience at the time of the award nomination.
*Excellence in classroom teaching leads to improved educational outcomes.
*Contribution to improving the life within the school community where the nominee works or has worked.
*Demonstrated potential to become an even more outstanding educator.
I am also very pleased to announce that Amanda Sheridan is the winner of the New England Cooperative Award - William Walker Award- for Excellence in Educational Leadership.
The William Walker Award requires the recipient to meet the following criteria:
*Clarity of Mission Alignment -The degree to which the leader’s espoused mission is articulated and embedded within established goals, objectives, and strategic priorities.
*Achievement of Mission - The extent to which the leader’s mission and vision have been, or are being, effectively realised through measurable outcomes and sustained practices.
*Leadership Style and Influence - The style of leadership demonstrated and its observable impact on staff motivation, performance, professional growth, and collective capacity.
*Contextual and Environmental Factors - The social, cultural, and educational context in which the leadership behaviours are enacted, and how these environmental conditions influence leadership effectiveness.
The 2025 Annual Awards Ceremony will take place at the Armidale Golf Club on Friday 31st October. We are all very proud of both Amanda & Moira.
Holiday Upgrade Highlights
Our school grounds received some fantastic attention over the holidays and I'm thrilled to share a few of the completed and ongoing projects that will enhance our learning environment:
● Infants Oval: Part of the Infants Oval has been successfully re-turfed and is now looking green and lush. We also successfully managed the removal of the large tree stump, making the area safer and more functional for our Infants students. Thanks to Shields Earthworks.
● Primary Multipurpose Court: Work has begun on the exciting new Primary Multipurpose Outdoor Court Project. This facility will provide additional space for sports, movement and fun break times. Synthetic Sports are busily continuing this work.
● Stage 3 Classrooms: To improve acoustics and support teaching and learning, we have completed the installation of glass doors in the Stage 3 (Years 5 and 6) classrooms. They look wonderful. Thanks to KRJ Construction.
Griffith University Visit
We are pleased to welcome a research team from Griffith University who will be visiting St Edward’s School over the coming weeks to conduct fieldwork focused on school leadership structures. Closely aligned with Armidale Catholic Schools' Leading Well Framework, the study aims to explore effective leadership practices within contemporary educational settings and how these contribute to positive learning and community outcomes.
During their visit, the researchers will observe aspects of our leadership processes, speak with members of the school leadership team, and gain insights into how collaboration and shared responsibility shape our school culture.
We welcome, Professor Christine Edwards-Groves, Professor Peter Grootenboer, Dr Stephanie Garoni Research Fellow, Ms Lauren Hinton PhD Candidate & Research Assistant, Ms Abby Mirani PhD Candidate, Lecturer & Research Assistant, Ms Mary Bower Brisbane CEO, PhD Candidate & Research Assistant, Ms Lynanne McKenzie Project Manager & Research Assistant, Professor Gordon Holden Research Fellow.
We are proud that St Edward’s has been selected as part of this important study and look forward to contributing to the broader understanding of the impact of leadership in education.
Until next week,
Keep smiling,
Alison Hatton
(Principal)