Dear Parents and Carers,

Happy Book Week.

Hope that you are well and are enjoying your week.

Read, Grow, Inspire is the theme for this year’s Book Week. We have enjoyed several activities and events throughout the week. This has included Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 visiting Corrimal Library, Book Week Parade, Staff Story Performance and K-6 Book Week Quiz. Thank you to Mrs Carroll for her enthusiasm, organisation and vision for the week. Students, staff, parents and grandparents have enjoyed the festivities, fun and enjoyment that is always associated with Book Week. 

Part of the Book Week celebration was staff performing what Mrs Carroll wrote and produced called the 'Mr and Miss' play for our students. While the talent may have been questionable, the enthusiasm and sense of fun shown by staff was not. Students were entertained and with the finale being a whole school performance of the 'Nutbush' was a master-stroke. Outstanding work Mrs Carroll.

          'Reading is a conversation. all books talks. But a good book listens as well'.


Tomorrow is a Pupil Free Day - Friday 25th August 2023. The Teacher Professional Planning Day will focus on K-2 English and Mathematics Curriculum and the 3-6 Improving Writing Pedagogies initiative.

In relation to staffing, Ms Emmett will be taking professional leave from Monday 4 September 2023 through to the end of the year. Our staff and 3 Blue students will greatly miss her over the next few months. We wish Ms Emmett all the very best and every success in her new role. We welcome Miss Connery to 3 Blue and our school community. 

On Friday 1 September, we will be celebrating Father's Day with our dads, grandads, pops, uncles and brothers with a lunch and liturgy celebration. Lunch will be from 1:30pm and the liturgy commencing at 2:10pm. We look forward to celebrating Father's Day with you.

           'Dads are ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, story-tellers     and singers of songs'.

Enjoy your weekend with family and friends. Stay well and thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to our wonderful school community.  

Take care

Brad Colquhoun - Principal

Social Justice Sunday

Social Justice Sunday is this coming Sunday 27th August. The Australian Bishops Social Justice Statement is launched on the last Sunday in August each year. The theme of this statement for 2023-24 is "Listen, Learn, Love: A new engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples."

This Social Justice Sunday we encourage you to reflect on the place of First Nations Peoples, new ways we can engage and walk together, and the importance of the upcoming referendum and the outcomes that will lead to better consultation, improved policies and services, and stronger communities.

The link to the Statement and other resources can be found at this website

Year 5 Mary MacKillop Excursion

Last Thursday 17 August our Year 5 students travelled to Mary MacKillop Place in Sydney. A range of experiences were had which allowed the students to reflect on the story of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop and Father Julian Tenison Woods. Personal journeys of faith were also deepended as a result of these activities. Thank you to our Year 5 teachers for accompanying these children.

Queenship of Blessed Virgin Mary

This feast day, celebrated on August 22nd, acknowledges the queenship of Mary, our Blessed Mother. As the mother of Jesus Christ, the Lord of all creation, Mary shares in his royal heritage. She is the Queen Mother. The queenship of Mary foreshadows the glory in heaven which awaits all of us who recognize her son as ruler of the universe. As Pope Pius XII explains "Jesus is King throughout all eternity by nature and by right of conquest: through Him, with Him, and subordinate to Him, Mary is Queen by grace, by divine relationship, by right of conquest, and by singular choice [of the Father]. And her kingdom is as vast as that of her Son and God, since nothing is excluded from her dominion."

World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation / Season of Creation

In 2015 Pope Francis established 1st September as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, encouraging the Catholic community around the world to pray for our common home. The day is inspired by Pope Francis' landmark encyclical Laudato Si’, which calls on "every person living on this planet" to care for our shared Earth.

The Season of Creation begins on September 1st and the theme and invitation of this year’s season is "Let Justice and Peace Flow."  In his message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation 2023, Pope Francis reminds us that “We can and we must prevent the worst from happening. Truly, much can be done provided we come together like so many streams, brooks and rivulets, merging finally in a mighty river to irrigate the life of our marvellous planet and our human family for generations to come. So let us join hands and take bold steps to Let Justice and Peace Flow throughout our world”.

Today we give praise to God expressing our thanks for the marvellous works that have been entrusted to our care, and we ask for God’s help as we take action to protect our planet and all of its creatures.St Columbkille’s will acknowledge this day with a prayer celebration at morning assembly next Friday 1st September.

You may also like to use this "action placemat" to see how your family/yourself can be stewards of creation throughout the month of September.

Father's Day Celebrations

Next Friday 1st September our school will pay tribute to all our father figures (dads, grandads, pops, uncles, etc) with a lunch and liturgy celebration. RSVP’s need to be received by Monday 28th August at info.sccdow@catholic.edu.au. We look forward to celebrating this event with you.

Children's Liturgy

For each Sunday of September, 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th, our wonderful coordinators of Children's Liturgy will be running sessions during the Mass. Children use the Parish Centre to discuss and complete activities related to the readings of the day. At offertory time they return and take the gifts to Father Patrick and Father Anthony on behalf of the parish. The return of this wonderful inititative allows the children to talk openily about their feelings, thoughts and faith. All are most welcome.  

Joanne Herring - Religious Education Coordinator

Listen, Learn, Love - A New Engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

Tomorrow is a Pupil Free Day - Friday 25th August. The Teacher Professional Planning Day will focus on K-2 English and Mathematics Curriculum and the 3-6 Improving Writing Pedogogies initiative.

Primary Athletics Selection Trials

On Tuesday 15th August 2023, the Primary Athletics Selection Trials were held at Beaton Park. Congratulations to our team who proudly represented  St Columbkille's. 

The first two placegetters in each event, gained selection to represent the Wollongong Diocese at the Mackillop Trials. These will be held at Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush on Monday 18th September, 2023. 

Results from the Trials:

NSW /ACT/ QLD Interschools Snowsports Championships

Mrs Adelaide O'Connor - Leader of Sport

Premier’s Reading Challenge

The NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge concluded at midnight last Friday. I am very pleased to report we had 140 students complete the challenge this year and I congratulate them all.

Certificates will be issued to us, from the PRC, later this year.

Book Week 2023 Story Writing Competition

We are thrilled to announce the winners of the “Imaginative Tales - Read, Grow, Inspire” Book Week 2023 Story Writing Competition. After several weeks of anticipation, the creative minds of our students have yielded some wonderful narratives that have transported us to worlds of adventure, celebrated the power of friendship and inspired our commitment to environmental conservation.

Here are the chosen winners of each stage:

Early Stage 1:

Winner - Max O’Shea (KB)

Highly Commended - Chase Gilmore (KG)

Stage 1:

Winner - Florence Atkinson (2B)

Highly Commended - Georgie Gilmore (2B)

Stage 2:

Winner - Theia Vincent (4B)

Highly Commended - Harlan Menghi (4G)

Stage 3: 

Winner - Alissa Bishop (6B)

Highly Commended - Jessica McKevith (5G)

Congratulations to all. We will be publishing the winning stories in our forthcoming newsletters. Copies of the stories will also be available for students to read in our library.

Book Week 2023 

Mrs Carroll reflecting on a whimsically wonderful week:

Adventures at Corrimal Library and Beyond

As the sun rose on Monday, August 21st, the air buzzed with anticipation at St Columbkille’s Primary School. The corridors echoed with the excited giggles and chatter of Year 1 students. The reason for their enthusiasm? The Corrimal Library Excursion! With hats donned, they set out on their trek, passing the local shops and exchanging polite greetings with members of the public. Some were tired on the way, “Why didn’t we get a bus for this journey?” cried one. 

Upon arriving at the library, their eyes widened like doors to new worlds. Awaiting them were not just stories, but realms waiting to be explored. They were treated to an enchanting experience—an immersion in the world of stories. Three tales came to life, with two of them unfurling as live performances. of imagination and learning. 

But the journey didn't stop at entertainment. A "heads and tails" quiz, inspired by the book "A is for Australian Animals" by Frane Lessac (a CBCA 2023 shortlisted book), brought the students into a realm of questions and curiosity. Every question posed was a portal to discover, to explore, and to learn.

As Tuesday dawned, the school was once again a hive of activity. This time, it was the Year 2 students who donned their adventure hats for the Corrimal Library Excursion. 

Then came Wednesday, a day that saw the entire school transformed into a living, breathing library of characters. It was Book Week Parade Day and the atmosphere was electric. As the clock struck 9 am, a vibrant parade of characters paraded through the school grounds. From Alice in Wonderland to Harry Potter, the pages of beloved books came to life, and the air was thick with the palpable magic of imagination. Even the staff had joined the fray, dressed as the iconic "Mr Men and Little Miss" characters, painting the day with hues of nostalgia and laughter.

The highlight of Wednesday afternoon was the Staff Story Performance, a spectacle that had both students and teachers alike rolling in fits of giggles. The classroom of Mr Men and Little Misses came to life, led by the towering presence of Mr Tall, now a teacher guiding his quirky students through the comedic ups and downs of an unforgettable lesson. Laughter echoed in the hallways as the performance showcased the power of storytelling to bridge generations and tickle the funny bones of all ages.

Thursday, the grand finale of the week, burst forth with a double dose of literary delight. Kindergarten students set foot in the library for their very first Corrimal Library Excursion, wide-eyed and ready to begin their own lifelong love affair with books. Meanwhile, the entire school engaged in a battle of wits with the Whole School Kahoot Quiz. The quiz not only tested their knowledge but also sparked fierce yet friendly competition. Cheers erupted as two winners emerged from each grade, their victory a testament to their dedication to the world of words.

As we bid adieu to this remarkable week, the classrooms of St Columbkille’s Primary School resound with the echoes of laughter, imagination, and the rustling of pages. The Corrimal Library Excursions, the enchanting Book Week Parade, the side-splitting Staff Story Performance, and the brain-teasing Kahoot Quiz – each event etched a chapter in the book of memories, fostering a community that celebrates the joy of learning and the magic of storytelling. With hearts full of inspiration and minds teeming with ideas, the students and staff of St Columbkille’s Primary School look forward to the next chapter of their literary journey, ready to explore new horizons and create more unforgettable moments.

With much gratitude to you all for supporting our 2023 Book Week  

Regards

Mrs Carroll - Librarian

Our Fathers Day Stall will be held on Thursday 31 August. All students will have the oppotunity to buy gifts for the special men in their lives.

Amazing gifts will be available for purchase at $5, $7 & $10. Gift bags and cards will also be available.

We need volunteers to help us sell on the day. If you are available please leave a message on our P&F Facebook page (link below) or contact the school office.

Footy Colours Day - Friday 1 September, is a national fundraising campaign held during the month of September to support kids living with cancer. Schools, workplaces, groups and clubs across Australia are encouraged to wear their favourite footy team’s colours and host an event to raise much-needed funds. Every dollar raised supports Fight Cancer Foundation’s education programs to help kids with cancer continue with their education during treatment and recovery.

As a school community, we will be celebrating Footy Colours Day on Friday 1 September. Students and staff are encouraged to wear a jersey from their favourite sports team or colours of their favorite sport and provide a gold coin donation.

You may wish to donate directly online on our Fundraising Page. 

Thank you in advance for your support of the day.  

Mrs Maria Disibio - Assistant Principal

An important message for Parents:

As parents are aware the school office operates between 8.30pm to 3.30pm Monday to Friday.

There are (2) office staff employed who are very busy looking after our students in sick bay, answering phone calls and assisting staff and students throughout the day. 

We kindly ask for parents to please be mindful of this and if you may provide the office staff with NOTICE should you require to take your child/ren out of school early.

Please call the office on 4284 7987 or email us at info@sccdow.catholic.edu.au to advise us of an early sign out.

Please provide your full name, your students name and their Class group.

Please give us a reason as to why you are signing your child out early (medical appointment/sporting event, approved travel, personal reasons, etc).

Example:

Mr and Mrs Darren and Rachel Smith -

Jessica Smith - Year 5 Blue - Medical Appointment. Please sign out at 2.15pm.

Parents who turn up without notice may have to wait whilst we liase with other important tasks such as sick bay injuries and other urgent requests.

We thank you kindly for your cooperation.

The Office Team

This is a friendly reminder if you need to access the school to pick up a child, please remember to use the small front gate on the Princes Highway side and administration will buzz you in.

The other gates are NOT recogised by a buzzer.

Thank you.

The Office Team

Road Rules Awareness Week is an initiative from Transport NSW aimed at raising awareness of NSW road rules. The week will run from Monday 21 to Sunday 27 August 2023.

The campaign explores and will feature a host of road rules including:

Vulnerable Road Users

• Using a footpath or nature strip when walking
• Red signal
• Giving way to pedestrians
• Bicycle riders, high-vis clothing

Speed

• Do not exceed the speed limit
• Slow down at curves and follow speed advisory signs (secondary message)
• Risks of death or serious injury at different speeds (secondary message)

Fatigue

Giving Way at

• Intersections with give-way signs
• Roundabouts

T-Intersections, Roundabouts

Giving Way

Drink Driving (BAC)

Child Restraints

Line Markings

Tailgating / Stopping Distances

Road User Handbook

A toolkit of resources (see link below) has been developed to promote this important area that includes social media assets, web tiles, road safety animations, and a variety of quizzes.

Road Rules Awareness Week aims to keep people in our communities safe in and around traffic environments.

Ride Wollongong Festival of Cycling is a celebration of life on wheels! On September 23rd and 24th get involved in the FREE community ride, FREE family ride, FREE all abilities ride or competitve road races! A celebration of cycling, inclusivity and community. The Festival will have something for everyone! Alongside cycling the festival will also feature a community expo, food stalls, entertainment, all abilities exhibitors, bike workshops and more! For information and to register for one of the FREE community rides see the following link