Back to reality (Winter is coming!)

Welcome to this week's newsletter! I want to begin by wishing a slightly belated, but very happy Mother's Day to all of our treasured mothers and grandmothers. I hope you all had a truly wonderful day on Sunday and that your families made sure you were absolutely spoiled rotten.

Unfortunately, the sudden chill in the air late last week was a harsh reminder that winter is definitely on its way. I have to admit, I am not looking forward to the cold weather one bit!

On a much brighter note, I had an absolutely fantastic time working alongside Harry F on Monday. Harry won the 'Principal for the Day' prize from our Project Compassion raffle last term, and he certainly did not disappoint. I can confidently say that Harry has a lot of future principal material in him! We tackled plenty of important jobs around the school, but we also learned that every good principal needs a proper break—preferably with a Kit Kat Chunky in hand! Harry has provided an excellent article summarising his busy day in the section below, so please make sure to give it a read.

Currently, I am away at the Principal's Conference in Tamworth. It has been a highly productive time and a great opportunity to catch up and share ideas with the other principals from across our diocese.

Finally, I have been hearing fantastic reports about all of our students who are participating in local weekend sporting competitions. It sounds like everyone is doing brilliantly! I was fortunate enough to watch some of our star rugby players in action at the Walcha Rugby Carnival a fortnight ago, which was a real treat. I am already making plans to get out and catch up on all the action at the local Netball, Rugby League, Hockey, and Football fields over the upcoming weeks. Keep up the great sportspersonship, everyone!

Principal for the Day

On Monday, Harry F took charge as 'Principal for the Day' after winning our raffle late last term! Looking sharp in a special tie and school blazer, "Mr Fletcher" had a very busy schedule. His principal duties included setting the school rules for the day, updating the front sign, helping out in classrooms, taking notes, and even writing a piece for this newsletter. Harry had a fantastic time leading the school and is already crossing his fingers to win again next year! Keep reading below to check out Harry's firsthand account of his big day.

"My epic day kicked off with Mr Hyatt and me changing the school sign! After that, I got to invent the brand-new school rules—which took a bit of time to get just right, but it was awesome. Then, it was time for a well-deserved morning tea!

During my quick break, I fueled up with a delicious Kit Kat Chunky. Fully energized, we printed out my new rules and went on a mission to hand-deliver them to every single classroom! To top off an already amazing morning, I even got the honour of presenting a special award.

The action didn't stop there! I sharpened a mountain of pencils for next term's ICAS assignments, conquered the photocopier to print some work, and completely transformed the sports shed by tidying it all up. Next, we posted some fantastic pictures for the newsletter. Then—you guessed it—I devoured my second Kit Kat Chunky of the day! After a great lunch, I sat down and officially wrote the school newsletter myself.

Wearing my snazzy tie and running the show was the absolute best. I seriously wish I could do this all year long!"

Catholic Schools Week

Mark your calendars! From May 24th to May 30th, 2026, Armidale Catholic Schools will be proudly celebrating Catholic Schools Week. This is a fantastic time to highlight the wonderful achievements of our school communities and express our deepest gratitude to the dedicated people who work tirelessly to provide a high-quality education and a nurturing environment for all students and staff across the diocese.

As a special highlight of the week's festivities, our school leaders will head to the cathedral on Wednesday, May 27th, joining together with representatives from other schools for a beautiful celebratory Mass.

NSWPSSA Hockey Carnival next week!

I would like to wish Josie the absolute best of luck as she heads to Bathurst next week! Josie will be representing Polding at the NSWPSSA Hockey Carnival, competing against some of the most talented junior female hockey players in New South Wales. We will all be cheering you on, Josie—we know you will do us incredibly proud!

OPEN MORNING for 2027 Kindergarten Students - 19th May 9:30am-11am

St Patrick's School will host our 2027 Open Morning on Tuesday, May 19th, from 9:30 am to 11:00 am.

This event provides prospective parents with the opportunity to discover what our school can offer their children. Guests will be able to meet our staff, take a tour of the campus, and enjoy morning tea. Additionally, children preparing to start school are welcome to attend and participate in activities with our current Kindergarten class.

If you know any families with a child starting school next year, or anyone interested in learning more about St Patrick's, please extend an invitation for them to join us.

LET'S GET READY FOR KINDERGARTEN 2027

Online Enrolments are now open for Kindergarten 2027.

through Compass and website https://stpatrickswalcha.catholic.edu.au/

Healthy Harold Visit-Life Education Van

I would like to thank our school community for their patience and understanding regarding the recent changes to our Life Education Van schedule. Due to an unforeseen family emergency for our instructor, we experienced a slight delay in getting our workshops started.

I am pleased to report that the van was officially back in action on Monday! Our students in Year 1, Year 2, and Year 5-6 had a wonderful time finally taking part in their interactive sessions, learning valuable lessons about health and wellbeing.

Kindergarten and Year 3-4 students don't have to wait much longer—their special workshops are scheduled for tomorrow! I know they are going to have a fantastic time and I look forward to hearing all about what they learn.

P and F Meeting this upcoming Tuesday

Our Parents and Friends (P&F) committee plays a wonderful role in supporting our school, and we would love for you to be a part of it! Our first meeting for the term is coming up this Tuesday, 19th May, commencing at 5:30 pm.

I understand that evenings can be busy for families, so we are broadcasting the meeting live via Google Meet alongside our face-to-face gathering in the Year 3-4 classroom. Grab a cuppa and log in from home, or pop into the classroom to say hello in person.

Staff Development Day- Monday 25th May

Please be advised that Monday, 25th May will be a pupil-free day at St Patrick's Primary. All of our staff will be traveling to O'Connor Catholic College in Armidale to participate in the Armidale Cluster Schools Staff Development Day.

I sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this mid-term closure may cause your family. When scheduling staff development, my priority is always to place these days immediately before or after the school holidays to minimise disruption to our families. However, on this occasion, the event organisers scheduled the day to coincide with the beginning of Catholic Schools Week so that schools across the region could gather together. Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support.

School Hours & Supervision

Teachers commence duty at 8:30am and finish duty when the last bus leaves St Patrick’s approximately 3:10pm.

Supervision begins at 8:30am in the COLA

School starts: 9am (Bell - 8:50am)

Recess: 11:00am – 11:30am

Lunch: 1:30pm – 2:10pm

School finishes: 3.00pm.

SCHOOL OFFICE HOURS

The school office hours are 8:30am to 3:30pm

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.

Mini Vinnies

2026 Mini Vinnies Committee Members