Dear Parents and Carers,

In these challenging times, both personally and professionally, I would like to thank you for your ongoing support, sense of calm and patience, along with the positive mind-set that has been evident throughout our school community - we will see this through together. Our students, staff, paretns and grandparents have been outstanding in their response to following Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) protocol and procedures, and I thank them for their continued efforts.

'The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members'

CEDoW has launched a new COVID-19 Information Centre on its website. It is the best place to find the latest information about CEDoW's systemic response to COVID-19.

Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong continues to receive advice from NSW Health, the Department of Education, Catholic Schools NSW (CSNSW), and other agencies to ensure our processes and plans are in line with best practice and the latest expert advice.

At this stage, there has been no direction from government or CSNSW to close any schools, except in response to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis in a student or staff member. All CEDoW schools, including ours, continue to operate as normal, subject to the directives outlined on the link below via the COVID-19 Information Centre. www.dow.catholic.edu.au/covid19

We will continue to provide you with updates if the situation changes and as soon as new information becomes available.

As stated in a Compass alert earlier in the week, please refer to the information below re: Health and Cleaning Protocols

• Additional cleaning - cleaning will be upgraded to daily for high touch areas including desks and door handles - please ensure desks have nothing on them at the end of each day
• Hand sanitiser will be used in all classrooms following eating, returning form the playground and toilets.
• Hand pumps and sanitiser have been ordered for each individual classroom, MD Hall and Library
• Ensuring that we are modelling good practice to our students.

For further and updated information please refer to the NSW Government - Health website link: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au

Harmony Week celebrates Australian multiculturalism which is an integral part of our national identity. It is about inclusiveness, respect, dignity, belonging for all Australians regardless of cultural background. These key characteristics of Harmony Day support and promote our own school vision’ Learning together, shaping futures’ and our Core Values of Community, Celebration, Respect, Responsibility, Learning and Faith.

Outlined below are some some interesting facts about Australia’s diversity:

• nearly half (49%) of Australian were born overseas or have a least one parent who was
• we identify with over 300 ancestries
• since 1945 more that 7.5 million people have migrated to Australia
• apart from English, the most common languages spoken in Australia are Mandarin, Arabic, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Italian, Greek, Filipino, Hindi, Spanish and Punjabi
• more than 70 indigenous languages are spoken in Australia.

Our P&F Executive for 2020 has been finalised. I would like to congratulate Nicky Bishop on accepting the position of President and welcome to the team - Rosie King, Kelly Saveski, Kirsten Immens and Pina Martelozzo. Thank you for accepting their respective roles with our school.

President: Nicky Bishop Vice Presidents: Sarah Foster and Pina Martelozzo

Secretaries: Kirsten Immens and Kelly Saveski Treasurer: Rosie King

Thank you to Melissa Docherty for her work as secretary throughout 2019. Mel's support of the P&F and students has been greatly appreciated and will be missed. To Wayne Rohoseink, who has provided 6 years of wonderful service to our school community as P&F President. Thank you to Wayne for his leadership and support of the P&F, along with the numerous improvements to our school including the ongoing grants for school production, ICT, literacy resources and grade excursions, air conditioning in the MD Hall and the building of our natural playground in the paddock. Other events have included the overseeing of many discos, Fetes and social events. A sincere thank you from St Columbkille's.

With our Award Assemblies and Class Celebrations currently postponed, it is important that we continue to affirm the wonderful work of our students across the week. Commencing next Friday afternoon, class teachers (within their classrooms) will give out Core Value and Merit Awards and I will present Principal, Mary MacKillop Awards and St Columbkille's Medallions to students within their respective classrooms.

Enjoy the next couple of weeks, during this time of Lent - pray, give, serve and continue to look after one another.

Take care

Mr Brad Colquhoun - Principal