Welcome Back to Term 2

Principal's Message

Welcome Back:  We hope everyone had a wonderful break and is ready for an exciting term ahead. We are incredibly proud of our students who participated in the ANZAC march, displaying immense pride as they honoured our fallen soldiers. It is vital that we continue to educate our future generations about the significance of ANZAC Day and the sacrifices made for our country. This term is packed with exciting events, including the Gulgong Eisteddfod, various sports knockouts, Mother's Day celebrations, athletics immersion and carnival, Kindergarten Safaris for our 2026 Kindergarten students, a Year 1 excursion to the Dinosaur Museum in Bathurst, and our Support Unit students competing in Boccia. We’ll also see the start of Peer Support in Week 3 and then the continuation of our Aboriginal Dance program later in the term as we lead into NAIDOC Week. These activities are just a glimpse of what’s in store, and I'm really looking forward to seeing all that unfold. 

Staffing Updates: We have a number of changes to staffing. 

• New SAM: A huge congratulations to Helen England who has been appointed through merit selection as our new School Administrative Manager (SAM). Congratulations to Helen on this appointment
• Relieving SAO: Helen's promotion has left a position vacant for a relieving SAO for Term 2. Through an EOI process, congratulations to Eryn McDonell who will be joining our office team for this term.
• SLSOs: We have a number of additions to our SLSO team in the mainstream. These valuable staff members will be providing a range of supports and interventions across our school. 
  • Welcome Ash Bartlett (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday)
    
  • Welcome Melissa Thornell (Thursday and Friday)
  • Amy Brady has been working 4 days per week and will now be working 5. 
• Belinda Single: Mrs Single will be taking leave on Mondays and Mrs Amy Gallagher will be teaching Meerkats on this day.
• Erin Johnson (nee McWhirter): Mrs Johnson will now also be working on a Tuesday alongside her Thursday and Friday in the RFF role. 
• New Director Educational Leadership (DEL): At the end of last term, our DEL, Daniel Hurd, informed us he was appointed a new position as DEL for the Carlingford Network in Sydney. I would like to thank Daniel for his amazing work as DEL for the Mudgee Network. Over the holidays we were informed of the appointment of Monica St Baker. I had the privilege of meeting Monica in the holidays and on Day 1 this term. Monica comes with a wealth of experience as a principal, Principal School Leadership and Relieving Director. On behalf of Mudgee PS, I would like to welcome Monica to the role and look forward to working with her. 
  

Playground Time Changes: This term we will be trialling new bell / break times throughout the day.

The new proposal would see all breaks      : Morning, recess, and lunch, would be 30 minutes in duration.  This change does not reduce overall break time, but rather distributes it more evenly across the day.

• Recess: 11:20 am – 11:50 am (with a 5 minute eating time from 11:15 am – 11:20 am)
• Lunch: 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm (with a 10 minute eating time from 1:20-1:30)
• All learning session lengths will remain the same:
• Morning session – 2 hours
• Middle session – 90 minutes
• Afternoon session – 75 minutes

This proposal has been developed with careful consideration of several key factors that impact the daily experience of both students and staff. One of our primary goals is to support the wellbeing of our school community by ensuring that break times are balanced and purposeful. By standardising all breaks to 30 minutes, we aim to provide consistent opportunities for students to rest, reset, and recharge throughout the day. Additionally, the proposed structure allows for improved supervision and monitoring on the playground, which in turn supports our ongoing efforts to support positive behaviour and address concerns proactively. A more predictable break schedule also opens up valuable opportunities for structured extra-curricular activities, including sport and interest based clubs, as well as training for sports and creative arts groups, without disrupting learning time. We believe this change will create a more supportive and productive school environment for all.  We will talk to all students about this in the morning at morning assemblies. 

Kindergarten Information Evening:  We are excited to remind everyone that our Kindergarten Information Evening for 2026 students, is taking place next Tuesday, 6 May, at 5:30pm in the Kindergarten rooms. This is a wonderful opportunity for prospective parents and caregivers to learn more about our Kindergarten program, meet our staff, and discover how we create a nurturing and engaging environment for our youngest learners.

Enrolments Now Open! We are also pleased to inform you that enrolments for Kindergarten are now open! If you have a child ready to start their educational journey at Mudgee PS, we encourage you to enrol as soon as possible. Join us at the Information Evening to get all the details you need about the enrolment process and what to expect in Kindergarten.

We look forward to welcoming you and your family to our Kindergarten Information Evening!

School Development Days - High Potential and Gifted Education: Yesterday, all schools across NSW had a statewide focus on High Potential and Gifted Education. This initiative is integral to our commitment to nurturing the diverse talents of our students, particularly in our local context.

During our professional learning sessions, we focused on identifying the strengths and opportunities present in our regional, rural, and remote environments. This exploration allowed us to tailor our approach to better serve our students with high potential and gifted abilities.

Teachers deepened their understanding of the various domains of HPGE, including physical, social-emotional, creative, and intellectual aspects. This holistic approach enables us to recognise and support the unique needs of gifted learners, ensuring we provide a well-rounded educational experience.

Additionally, our teams concentrated on explicit teaching strategies and how they can significantly benefit HPGE students. By honing our skills in this area, we are better equipped to deliver targeted instruction that meets the distinct learning requirements of these students. 

Mother's Day Stall and Breakfast: Next week all our Mother's Day celebrations begin. Our Mother's Day Stall will be on Monday and Tuesday. There are a range of items, all of which are between $1 and max out at $10. The P&C are looking for volunteers to man the stalls on both days as well as support the set up of the stall this Sunday afternoon at 3:30pm.

The Mother's Day Breakfast is scheduled for next FRIDAY 9 May which will be before school. A note will go home tomorrow with information as to how to RSVP for catering purposes. We look forward to celebrating with all our special mums and role models next week. 

Have a week ahead.

Mr Carters

Principal