Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope this finds you well. I would like to share that as a school community, Footy Colours Day last Friday raised $309.70. In addition to this, the Year 4 boys and their origami stall raised $298.70, which means the Cancer Council will receive a donation of $608.40 from our school community.  Well done to everyone, especially our Year 4 students who dedicated their own time to this cause.

Last Friday was a lovely opportunity to be able to wish Mr Brad Colquhoun all the very best and to thank him for his dedication to the community of St Columbkille’s.  Brad may be back to visit between now and the end of the year, but acknowledging him with our staff, students, P&F and parents on Friday was a fitting farewell, that Brad very much appreciated.  

I hope that you enjoyed the opportunity to read thruugh your child/ren's Mathematics, HSIE/Science work books this week and that you took the time to read over the learning, to ask your child questions about their learning, wrote an encouraging commment for your child.  A huge thank you to parents who have returned the work books to school.  If you haven't done so already, please ensure that all books are returned ready for learning on Monday.   

Enjoy the coming fortnight! 

Warm regards, 

Maria Disibio 

Acting Principal

Catholic Mission Launch

Yesterday myself and our school captains, Rosalie and Kynan, attended the Catholic Mission Launch at St Michael's Thirroul. This year the focus country is Mongolia. Money raised during October (Mission Month) will provide nutritious meals to help children grow up healthy and strong, purchase essential school supplies to support their education and provide warm winter clothing for the cold Mongolian winters. 

Year 5

Year 6

First Holy Communion

Our first weekend of Communion Masses was held last Sunday. Father Anthony celebrated the Eucharist with our students, their families and our parish. It was a wonderful celebration in which these children received the body of Christ for the first time. Every future Mass is another opportunity to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ. This Sunday and the following Sunday the remainder of our First Holy Communicants will receive this gift of Jesus. We continue to pray for these students in their faith journey.

Have a wonderful fortnight!

Mrs Joanne Herring

Religious Eductaion Coordinator

We are engaging in our school's Cyclic Inquiry in October. This is an opportunity to celebrate the great work that we are doing here at school, but also to identify areas for improvement. As part of this, we require parent representatives to come in on 23rd October to meet with members of the Cyclic Inquiry Panel (from the Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Wollongong). 

If you are interested and available, please email me at perrec01@dow.catholic.edu.au.

Thank you.

Students will have a Pupil Free Day on Friday 27th September 2024, while our staff engage in a Spirituality Day.

Last day of Term 3 for students will be on Thursday 26th September 2024. 

Monday 14th October will also be a Student Pupil Free Day while our staff engage in Professional Learning. Students' first day of Term 4 will be Tuesday 15th October. 

We truly have an amazing range of gifts and talents at St Columbkille's school!

Michelle Lace

Leader of Enrichment

On Monday 9 September some Year 4 and Year 6 students went to the Digger's Nursing Home to entertain the residents by performing our dances. We did Rockin' Robin, the Hand Jive, Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys and NSYNC dances. A few students also sang some songs, and one of the residents, Betty, played the piano and we all sang the anthem and You are my Sunshine.

The residents commented that it was really good and they loved our dancing so much that some of them will be attending the Dance Through the Decades event on Tuesday 24 September.

Thank you to Mrs Lattimore and Mrs Disibio for accompanying us.

Carter Milne and Isobel Santillan

The AO All In Block Buster Tennis Challenge! is open to solo participants aged between 8-18 years old, this version of the competition allows participants to showcase their creativity and skills using Minecraft Education. If your child is interested you can find the details on https://ael.org.au/aochallenge#homeschool and follow the prompts to particpate as 'a child whose school is not participating in the AO Schools Block Buster Tennis Challenge'

Harry Franklin had the amazing opportunity to jam with Keith Urban last week.  What a wonderful experience for both musicans to learn from each other!  

Congratulations Harry!

Orders for Issue #6 of the Book Club magazine have now closed. We’re hoping to receive the orders by the end of next week and we’ll send them home with the students as soon as they arrive.

If you purchase early Christmas presents for your children through the Book Club next term, please don’t forget to mark these orders as a ‘Gift.’ This will allow me to contact you directly to arrange a convenient way for you to collect or receive the items.

We sincerely thank you for your continued support of this initiative. Thanks to the reward points earned from your purchases, we’ve been able to acquire some fantastic resources for our students this year.

Student School Library Books

We currently have a number of student school library books that are overdue. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be sending reminder notices to students for overdue books. I apologise in advance if your child receives a reminder for a book they no longer have. As I’m not in the library full-time, I don’t have complete oversight of how all books are returned via the library system and occasionally books may be shelved without being properly checked back in. This is something I’m aware of and I’m actively exploring ways to improve the process, though I haven’t found a practical solution just yet.

If your child receives an overdue notice, I would greatly appreciate your help in encouraging them to have a quick search for the book, as it’s possible they’ve simply forgotten they still have it. I’m also aware that some books stay in classrooms for quiet reading time, so I’ll be informing class teachers of students with overdue books as well.

Please remind your child that they are always welcome to come and see me in the library if they have questions about an overdue notice, especially if they’ve already returned the book.

For students who have returned all their books, they are more than welcome to borrow new ones during the upcoming school holidays. Holiday reading time is so important!

Thank you for your understanding and support in helping us maintain our library collection.

P.S. During Book Week, the ‘Book Reaper’ made a special appearance in some classrooms to collect overdue library books, much to the amusement of the older students (though, in true Scooby-Doo fashion, the mask was swiftly removed for the younger ones!). We saw a noticeable increase in overdue books being returned to the library afterward. Who knows, perhaps the Book Reaper will make another appearance before the end of the year…

Mrs Carroll’s Musing

Yesterday was R U OK? Day, a reminder that we should be asking the question “Are you OK?” every day, not just on a designated date. The message this year, Ask R U OK? Any Day, emphasises that life’s challenges happen daily, so our check-ins with family, friends, and colleagues should too. This annual national day of action in Australia is dedicated to promoting conversations around mental health, emotional well-being, and social connection, with the goal of preventing suicide and fostering a culture of care and support.

The hope is that R U OK? Day encourages everyone to be more mindful of the mental health of those around them—not just once a year, but every day. A small, genuine conversation can make a big difference in someone’s life. I’ve experienced firsthand how sharing struggles with a supportive friend or family member can ease the feelings of isolation, stress or emotionally difficult times. Knowing I’ve been heard and understood brings significant emotional relief and a clearer mind, which helps me tackle the areas in which I’ve been struggling.

Life is not always easy and personally I don’t think it’s meant to be. When I reflect on the difficult times I’ve faced, I realise how much I’ve grown because of them. Prior to the last few years, I struggled to see many positives during tough moments. But as my faith has deepened, I’ve begun to view these challenges differently, even as they unfold.

This year has brought its share of challenges for me. During the summer holidays, I prayed for God’s help in working on areas of self-improvement. I felt strong in mind, body and spirit, ready for real growth. And God certainly answered my prayers—He brought difficulties that have required me to absorb, understand, and work through. It hasn’t been easy, but He has guided me, and I’ve learned to seek help when I need it—though I sometimes wait longer than I should. Asking for help requires us to be vulnerable, which can feel incredibly hard when we’re going through tough times. But it’s essential to reach out to someone we trust  or a professional who is truly equipped to help.

For me, I was fortunate to be able to turn to a friend with whom I’ve recently connected. Whilst I don’t know this person very well I know them enough to be assured they share my values, are faith-filled, and are an empathetic listener. They didn’t rush to offer advice but gave me space to speak my mind, to hear my own thoughts out loud. Sometimes, just getting our struggles out of our heads is enough to bring clarity. However, with one particular challenge, I was seeking advice. I wanted to know how to remain true to my values and integrity during times of stress and confrontation. My friend introduced me to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

ACT is a form of psychotherapy that emphasises mindfulness, acceptance, and values-driven living. Rooted in behavioural science, it promotes psychological flexibility—the ability to stay present and adapt to change while maintaining focus on long-term goals. This approach helps individuals accept difficult thoughts and emotions, commit to meaningful action, and live a life aligned with their values.

Since learning about ACT, I’ve been researching it throughout this term. I even discovered a fantastic book on the subject, which has been incredibly helpful in applying this approach to my everyday life.

I encourage anyone looking for guidance in navigating life’s challenges to explore approaches like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. It offers a powerful way to remain true to the values we hold dear, even in difficult situations. While it’s not always easy, and no one gets it right every time, what matters is our willingness to try. Growth in mental well-being is a journey, not a destination. By committing to this process, we give ourselves the chance to grow, to live with integrity, and to become the best versions of ourselves, one small step at a time.

Of course, I have other ways of looking after my mental health and well-being too. Prayer is at the top of my list, but I also make time for exercise and music. Some of you might remember from a musing I wrote in a Term 4 newsletter last year that I found an exercise I absolutely love—and a year later, I’m more addicted than ever! I go daily, and it’s made me feel physically amazing, while also giving me a clearer, more focused, and calmer mind. But my go-to mood booster when I need cheering up is music, especially when it’s mixed with comedy. When I was planning the staff Book Week video—magically bringing books to life—I drew inspiration from the hilarious Flight of the Conchords. Their 2008 studio album has me laughing out loud every time I listen to it, no matter how many times I’ve heard the tracks (though fair warning, it’s not quite suitable for children’s ears!). If you ever see me out walking at sunrise and I'm laughing out loud to myself, you know what I'm listening to!

Until next time, best wishes to you all - 

Katrina Carroll

SSO/Library Administrator

Mental Health Support Services

If you or your immediate family members are feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping there is immediate support available through:

• CEDoW's Employee Assistance Program – AccessEAP (1 800 818 728). 
• Lifeline on 13 11 14 (24 x 7 crisis support)
• Mental Health Crisis Helpline 135 247 (24 x 7 crisis support)
• Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 (24 x 7 crisis support)
• Mensline 1300 78 99 78 (24 x 7 crisis support for Men)
• Kids Helpline (5-25 years) 1800 55 1800
• Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467
• Your GP

SORA - Our System for Accessing Online Books

SORA is an award-winning digital reading app for K-12 students to discover age-appropriate ebooks and audiobooks from our school libraries. While SORA is accessible to every student in our school, we typically introduce it for leisure reading starting in Year 5 when students have their own 1:1 devices.

Here are some instructions on how to login and use SORA. You can run this app via an internet browser, where you should search for ‘SORA’.

Please note, students will require their school login to access this app. If your child cannot remember what this is please contact me and I will email it to you - CarrollK03@dow.catholic.edu.au

On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Week 7 we held an Origami stall to raise money for cancer treatments and help those that have been diagnosed with cancer. We made hundreds of ninja stars, fish, birds and other animals, hand made by folding paper by year 4 students. Thank you to all the students who supported our stall.
We raised $298.70. 

Kaylan, Seb, Henry and Brae.

After the success of the last Sipahh Straw Fundraiser, Year 6 students and parents will hold another fundraiser on Monday 16 September from 8:30am to 8:50am.  Straws cost $1 and come in various flavours will all profits going towards the Year 6 Graduation.  

Please see the flyer for more details.  

National Child Protection Week runs from 1-7 September 2024.

Uniting has launched all-day Info Hubs in its Illawarra and Shoalhaven offices to ensure community members can easily access information about the NDIS and other resources. No bookings are required!

Potential NDIS participants will:

• Learn more about the NDIS and how to apply
• Understand your options if you do not meet NDIS eligibility criteria
• Discover how to use your NDIS plan to its full potential
• Speak with an industry expert about your NDIS or Disability-related questions

Here’s when and where to find the Info Hubs in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven:

• Where? 1/1 Burra Place, Shellharbour City Centre
• When? Every first Tuesday of the month
• What time? From 9.00 am to 5.00 pm
  
  
• Where? 35 Kenny Street, Wollongong
• When? Every third Wednesday of the month
• What time? From 9.00 am to 5.00 pm
  
  
• Where? Level 2b, 57 Graham Steet, Nowra
• When? Every second Tuesday of the month
• What time? From 9.00 am to 5.00 pm

Uniting has also produced several practical resources, see these at the following link:

https://lac.uniting.org/home