AUTUMN 2026 | Mid-Western Living | 25 Powered by A Bright Start to 2026 It’s wonderful to be back at school after a refreshing summer break. The school looks vibrant and welcoming with freshly painted classrooms and ongoing building and garden maintenance. All 15 students returned on Monday, looking smart in their uniforms and excited to reunite with friends and engage in new learning experiences with their teachers. Our School Captains, Wyatt and Bentley, are enthusiastically looking forward to the year ahead and the many opportunities it will bring. We are also delighted to welcome three new Kindergarten students - Ebony, Mahalia, and Toby - and are confident they will come to love Ilford Public School just as much as we do. We have an exciting range of events planned for 2026. Our swimming carnival, held in conjunction with the other Mudgee Small Schools, is scheduled for February. The finishing touches are being put on our artworks for the Rylstone-Kandos Show. Music lessons with Bob will also commence again. This term, the students are thrilled to have tennis coaching return with Jackson. In March, our Year 3 and Year 5 students will participate in NAPLAN assessments. To round off the term, we will host our ever-popular Easter Hat Parade and egg hunt. By embracing and living our school values of Kindness, Respect, Tolerance, and Trust, we are setting a strong foundation for a successful and joyful year ahead. 6943 Castlereagh Hwy, Ilford (02) 6358 8507 Above: Bentley & Wyatt Left: Ebony, Mahalia, and Toby Students Shine at Australia Day Celebrations St Matthews Catholic School was proudly represented at the 2026 Mid-Western Regional Council Australia Day celebrations at Rylstone Memorial Hall, with four current students and one former student recognised for outstanding achievements in community service and sport. Former student Ellie Rowlands was named Young Citizen of the Year for her exceptional commitment to volunteering, advocacy and inclusion. Ellie has supported initiatives such as Clean Up Australia and National Tree Day, volunteers twice weekly with the Mudgee Wellness Program assisting senior citizens, and has led a campaign promoting accessibility in local businesses. Current student Thomas Rogers (Year 11) was also nominated for Young Citizen of the Year. Through his involvement with the Mudgee Junior Rural Fire Service, Thomas has shown strong leadership after completing a Certificate II in Active Volunteering in 2025, serving as a crew leader and assisting with training new recruits. Sporting success was recognised with Year 10 student Mckayla Grobler receiving the Sports Award after being crowned Australian Under 16 Girls Shot Put National Champion, breaking both meet and national records, and finishing the season ranked 34th in the world. Year 7 students Ella Martyn and Angus Kelly were also acknowledged. Ella represented NSW Schools in Touch Football, while Angus achieved Polding representation in eight sports and represented NSW in Rugby Union. Both were recently honoured at the CSNSW Sports Awards at the SCG, with Ella receiving a Maroon Award and Angus named Most Outstanding Athlete for Catholic Primary Schools 2025. St Matthews Catholic School is proud to celebrate these students and their strong connection to the wider Mid-Western community. stmattsmudgee@bth.catholic.edu.au (02) 6372 1742
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