Armidale Catholic Schools

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A solemnity and a Holy Day of Obligation, we celebrate the end of the earthly life of Our Lady, who was taken, body and soul, into the fullness of heavenly glory. The Assumption signals the end of Mary’s earthly life and marks her return to heaven to be reunited with Jesus. This great feast is a testament to the hope promised to all the faithful: that we too, may one day share in her blessed reward.

On Saturday, we celebrated the feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop 🌟

Our Diocese has a rich history with the Josephite sisters, with St Mary MacKillop having personally visited many of our schools.

As we honour Saint Mary MacKillop, may we be renewed by her steadfast faith, carrying forward her legacy in our schools and parishes by living out her call to “never see a need without doing something about it.” 🙏

Taking those first steps into Kindergarten is a huge milestone for our little learners (and their families!). Our schools have fantastic Kindergarten Transition Programs, welcoming those who are almost ready for school to get them familiar with new classrooms, meet our teachers, and make new friends before they even start.

St Joseph’s Primary School, Warialda had a Teddy Bear’s Picnic today to welcome some of their kindergarten transition students! 🧸

If you're interested in transition programs across the Diocese you can visit our website to contact your local Catholic School arm.catholic.edu.au

Nominations are officially open for the 2026 Family Partnership Excellence Awards!

Big news for catholic schools across NSW 💙 Nominations are officially open for the 2026 Family Partnership Excellence Awards, celebrating outstanding collaboration between families, schools and communities!

If your school community has an initiative worth shining a light on, this is your moment to be recognised and have the chance to win a grant to take it even further!

👉 Head to https://www.ccsp.catholic.edu.au/awards to check your eligibility and submit your entry today.



Armidale Catholic Schools Catholic Education, Diocese of Bathurst Catholic Schools Broken Bay Catholic Education Wilcannia-Forbes Catholic Education, Diocese of Wagga Wagga Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong Catholic Education- Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Catholic Schools of Maitland-Newcastle Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
Catholic Schools, Diocese of Lismore Sydney Catholic Schools

🔥 Ascend! Our Armidale Catholic Schools students and staff were incredibly inspired at the Ignite Catholic Youth Conference in the Broken Bay Diocese!

Joining over 1,000 pilgrims from across Australia and New Zealand, our group experienced a powerful weekend of renewal. The energetic rallies with Emmanuel Worship, impactful testimonies, workshops, Mass, adoration and reconciliation were massive highlights.

A huge thank you to Bishop Michael Gielan of Christchurch, Fr David Ranson, the Diocesan Administrator of Broken Bay, and all the clergy and religious who guided our youth through this unforgettable experience. 🙏✨

Behind every great school community is a team that helps us pause and reflect. 🤍

Our incredible Spirituality Team travels across the Diocese bringing inspiring retreats to our school staff. Most recently, Liz and Kerrie were at St Mary of the Angels Primary, Guyra leading moving conversations focused on "being still with God," cultivating a gaze of wonder, and recognising the unique gifts we all hold.

A huge thank you to the team for helping our staff deepen their connection with God!

50 Years of Deadly- Celebrating NAIDOC Week

For five decades, NAIDOC Week has celebrated the voices of our communities; steady, unapologetic, and proud. Each year, its themes have called for truth, celebrated culture, honoured resistance, and reminded the nation of who we are.

Fifty Years of Deadly marks a milestone. It’s a tribute to the people who built this movement. the Elders who stood firm, the organisers who made space, the artists who turned resistance into expression, and the communities who keep showing up, year after year.

The 2026 National NAIDOC Week poster is a stunning artwork titled Paralpi, created by Zaachariaha Fielding. Paralpi reflects movement, energy and continuity, carrying the stories of Ancestors forward while celebrating the creativity and cultural power of the next generation.

Some of our schools celebrated NAIDOC last week, with more of our system schools to celebrate officially after the school holidays.

Resources are available here:
https://www.naidoc.org.au

A beautiful day of celebration in Armidale! ✨
We were blessed to officially open the outstanding new and refurbished facilities at O'Connor Catholic College Armidale. This incredible $20+ million project represents a visionary 10-year endeavour, blending the rich heritage of the Ursuline Sisters and De La Salle Brothers with an agile, contemporary learning environment designed for the future.

As Pope Francis reminds us, education is a "we" endeavour. These new spaces are a physical investment in our young people, built to foster collaboration, community, and excellence.

A massive thank you to Bishop Peter Murphy for blessing the site, the Commonwealth Government and Catholic Block Grant Authority for their vital support, and our school families, leadership teams, staff, and project partners who made this dream a reality.

Thank you to school principal, Phil Gibney, past principal and ACS Director Regina Menz, Charlie Allen, Clare Healy, Robert Holstein, Steve Chapman, Mellissa Bell, Damian Roff, Eli Simpson, Simon Fleming, Chris Smyth (former Director), Laszlo Szoboszlay, Neil Mangelsdorf, Linda Page and the late Gary McSweeney for your leadership in creating these spaces for inspired learning. To the teachers and support staff who have spent countless hours working on this project, thank you for your resilience and patience.

Together, we are proving that postcodes should never dictate opportunity. A rich tradition of Catholic education in the New England area, ensures that regional students are never left behind. Congratulations, O’Connor! 🏫

As we look back on the past eleven weeks, we are so incredibly proud of the learning, culture, and connection shared across our Armidale Catholic Schools community.

A huge thank you to our dedicated students, staff, families, and Parishes for your hard work and continuous support. We wish everyone across the Diocese a safe, happy, and restful winter break!

Our very own Karen Tighe will be speaking at the Tipiac x Riley Callie Resources First Nations Education Conference in August.

Not only is she presenting on our unique system initiative - the Wii Gaay ‘Clever Child’ program, she will be representing the only Catholic School system at this national conference.

This conference is more than an event - it's a movement toward educational practices that honor Country, celebrate community voices, and provide practical tools for creating inclusive, culturally responsive classrooms. Thank you to all those who work towards this in our Diocese and we can’t wait to showcase Wii Gaay to educations across the nation.

Meet the speaker: Karen Tighe

Karen is a proud Ngemba and Gamilaroi educator and currently serves as the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Education Consultant K–12 for the Armidale Catholic Schools Office.

With extensive experience across rural and remote NSW, Karen has worked as a Deputy Principal, Executive and Classroom Teacher, Beginning Teacher Mentor, and Student Mentor.

She is passionate about the transformative power of education and is committed to supporting students to reach their full potential. Karen’s work focuses on creating strong cultural identity, wellbeing, and a deep sense of belonging, helping young people explore meaningful pathways toward a hopeful future.

We are thrilled to welcome Karen to the program!

Book your ticket today: https://firstnationseduconference.com.au/registration