Newsletter

From the Principal

Mrs Belinda Burton 

 

Week 6 Newsletter

Semester 1 Reports 

Reports will be sent home electronically via the Compass parent portal on Thursday 22nd June. If parents have any questions after they receive their child's report they can contact the class teacher and request a meeting in Week 10. Please phone or email the school to arrange an appointment. 

 

As I mentioned in the last edition of the newsletter the new K-2 English and Mathematics Curriculums commenced implementation for our Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 students at the beginning of the year. The Semester One Reports have been modified to accommodate the extra focus areas that are in both of the new curriculums. An example of this is English, where before the new syllabus was implemented, there were three focus areas that our student's progress was monitored on. Now in Kindergarten, there are eleven focus areas, while in Years 1-2 there are nine. 

 

You may notice that in some reports in certain focus areas, your child may have a mark showing N/A. That means that content has not been covered in Semester 1, but will be taught in Semester 2. All of the learning areas ie: English, Mathematics, Religious Education, HSIE, Science and Technology, Creative and Practical Arts and Personal Development/Health and Physical Education all have Scope and Sequences that all of our classes follow. These documents have been carefully planned at the beginning of each school year and they dictate what content area is covered at certain times of the year.  For example in mathematics some classes won't be covering the topic Chance until later on in the school year. 

 

Our reporting formats for Years 3-6 classes will stay the same this year but will change in 2024 as the new English and Mathematics Syllabi will commence implementation at the beginning of the new school year.

 

The Semester 1 Report provides parents with an overview of their child's achievement in terms of knowledge and skill in each key learning area and their level of engagement; the degree of attention, curiosity and interest they show when learning.  

 

The government requires a five scale grading system. In place of the A-E grade, a new language is being used to describe the level of knowledge and skills demonstrated by each child: 

 

Working towards the expected level of achievement - this is split into two sections - Working towards (D)  and Working Well Below (E) the expected level

Working at the expected level of achievement (C)

Working beyond the expected level of achievement - this is split into two sections - Working Beyond (B)  and Working Well Beyond (A) the expected level       

Reports will be on Compass Thursday 22nd June Wk 9

A Compass Notification will be sent out when reports have been uploaded.

 

How to view your child's report on Compass

Log into Compass

To view the Semester 1 report either click on the link in the newsfeed or select your child's profile (photo) and click Reports, select 2023 Semester 1 Report All Classes.

 

 

Below there are also some attachments for our K-2 parents guides that further explain the content that is covered in the new K-2 Mathematics Syllabus. 

 

 

Announcement to our school community - 

Please see below the letter that was sent home today to the Year 5 parents and shared with the Year 5 students today.

 

16.6.2023

 

Dear Parents & Students in Year 5, 

 

I am writing to advise you that Miss Natalia Mayes is transferring to St Mary’s of the Angels Guyra as of Term 3, 2023. Miss Mayes has accepted a classroom teacher position in Guyra.

 

Miss Mayes joined the teaching staff at St Mary’s in 2021 and during her time here she has taught in the Infants and Upper Primary. While teaching at St Mary’s Miss Mayes volunteered to be the manager for several of the Diocesan Sporting Teams.  I extend my sincere thanks to Miss Mayes for her work and dedication at St Mary’s, and I wish her every success in her new position at St Mary’s of the Angels Guyra.

 

I know the students & parents in Year 5 will support me in thanking Miss Mayes for her work in Year 5 and wish her all the best for her new teaching position. 

 

The Catholic School Office have advertised for Teaching Positions at St Mary’s Armidale, closing date is the 26th June. The process to fill the teaching position in Year 5 will take place in the holidays and when a teacher has been appointed I will notify Year 5 parents & students and the school community. 

 

Yours sincerely, 

 

Mrs Belinda Burton 

Principal

TEACHING POSITION VACANT

https://arm.catholic.edu.au/employment/vacant-positions/

EISTEDDFOD 

Congratulations to all of our students who performed at the Armidale Eisteddfod. A very big thank you to Ms McNeall for her dedication and skills preparing the St Mary's children. 

Polding Cross-Country

Well done to Molly Kelly and Thomas Matthews who represented the Armidale Diocese at the Polding Cross Country held at Sydney International Equestrian on Tuesday. All of the students who represented our Diocese at the Cross Country should be very proud of what they had achieved and again congratulations to you all.

Mini Vinnies

Mini Vinnies held their first Winter Appeal event in week 6. Students & Staff came to school in their PJ's to raise money to purchase Backpack Beds for the homeless.  The children raised $660 ! Enough to purchase SIX Backpack Beds for the homeless. 

SAC - School Advisory Council 

Our next meeting is Monday 26th June.

P & F 

Coming up end of Term Sausage Sizzle on Friday the 30th June. 

Let's Hang It Art Competition - Friday 28th July 6pm

Congratulations to Pippi Hoy.

 

Dear Educators,

 

We are thrilled to inform you that the following student from St Mary’s Primary School is amongst a group of 60 finalists in the 2023 University of New England School Acquisitive Art Prize. There were more than 500 art entries this year, from 50 schools, and these works demonstrated the wonderful array of creativity and imagination, as well as skill of the students. The selection committee of staff from NERAM and UNE commented that there was a wonderful diversity of art media and subject matter represented which made the selection process very difficult, given the high standard. Please inform the student of their success and extend our congratulations.

 

Infants: Pippi Hoy, Yr2, ‘Mum’, watercolour

 

The opening of the 2023 University of New England School Acquisitive Art Prize (UNESAP) Let’s Hang It! exhibition will be held at 6pm on Friday 28 July 2023 at the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) in Armidale and the exhibition will be on display until Sunday 13 August 2023.

NAIDOC Week 2nd-9th July 

National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth.

 

 

NAIDOC Week will be held from Sunday 2nd July to Sunday 9th July, though at school we will hold activities early Term 3.

GENERAL SCHOOL REMINDERS 

School expectations

  1. Term 2 Winter Uniform
  2. Clean tidy hair.  Hair that is long must be tied back (general rule if it touches your shirt collar) 
  3. Uniforms are to be worn correctly and appropriately daily (if circumstances prevent this communication with your teacher is required). 
  4. General rule is no jewellery except for: watch, earrings studs or sleepers
  5. No fingernail polish
  6. No writing or drawing on self - arms, legs, hands
  7. No writing or drawing on school hats
  8. No chewing gum at school
  9. All children are to speak politely and have outstanding manners
  10. Swearing at school is not appropriate
  11. No hands or feet. Students do not use hands or feet to hurt others.
  12. Respect school and others property

Absences, Illness & Notifications

It is that time of year - cold and flu season plus COVID-19! Please let the school know if your child has tested positive to COVID so we can alert our families of COVID in the school.  

Parents please let the school know the reason for your child's absence by responding to the SMS or by contacting the school by phone, 67724441 or email smaadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au 

 

Government legislation states, notification of your child's absence must be received no later than 7 days after your child's last day of absence. 

School Hours

8:20am Doors Open & Student Supervision begins.

8:50am Classes start.

Students who arrive after 8:50 am will need to be signed in by Parents at the Front Office, if this doesn't occur parents will receive an unexplained notification for late attendance.

Thank you for signing your child in if they are late as this ensures our attendance records are accurate. 

10:50am-11:30am First Break

1:30am-2:10pm Second Break

3:10pm Classes end

3:15pm Buses are loaded

3.10-3.20pm Pick up top gate Dangar Street

3:15-3:30pm Pick up Rusden Street. 

 

All students are to be collected by 3:30pm.

After School Care is available for families from 3:10-6pm on site at school.

School Office Hours

The School Office hours are 8:20am - 4pm Monday- Friday.