Dear Parents and Carers, 

I hope the start of Term 3 has started gently for you and that you and your family enjoyed the break from school routines.

It has been a celebratory start to the term with NAIDOC Liturgy, celebration of Grandparents Day, Confirmation Retreat and 100 days of Kindergarten. I thank all staff involved in preparing and assisting with these celebrations and hope that your families have enjoyed celebrating with us.   

A reminder that my moral purpose and vision for learning as Principal is grounded in the belief that all students can learn. Establishing learning environments where all students feel safe and supported and explicitly teaching, through guidance, scaffolding, and ample opportunities for practice, is the most effective way to support students.  This is a collective and collaborative responsibility between school and home. As we are all educators, it is our role to not only teach students the content, but also the skills needed to access learning. These skills extend from regulating emotions to critical thinking. This reminds me of the well know African proverb - " It takes a village to rasie a child". 

We are looking forward to the P&F Colour Explosion on Wednesday 17 September.  Further information is located within this newsletter and flyers went home on Thursday of this week. 

We pray for the many Year 6 students preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. May their preparations bring them knowledge and comfort. Year 6 also look forward to celebrating Mass with the Bishop and fellow Year 6 students from other schools in the Diocese.  

We also wish Mrs Herring all the very best with her upcoming leave. We hope that she travels safely and throughly enjoys her time.  I again thank Mrs Rostron for teaching 5 Blue full-time during this time, for Mrs Cotterill who will be teaching 3 Blue an additional day and I welcome Miss Sekulovski who will teach 3 Blue each Monday.  During this time, Mrs Tyrrell will act in the role of Religious Education Coordinator and Stage 3 Leader.  

Go well into the fortnight.   

Warm regards, 

Mrs Maria Disibio 

Acting Principal

NAIDOC CELEBRATIONS

On Wednesday 23rd July, St Columbkille's acknowledged NAIDOC Week with a liturgy and special dance celebration. Our Aboriginal students set the prayer space, while Mrs Johnson and Mrs Rostron led the school in prayer. Our special guests, students from John Therry Catholic College, then performed 2 dances. The first was choreographed by the students whilst the second was a lyrebird dance. They were accompanied by two male students playing their didgeridoos. It was wonderful to have our special guests and families join us for morning tea. Hopefully we will see more from these students in the near future.

CONFIRMATION 

Last Thursday Year 6's retreat day was held with the Youth Ministry Team guiding them through many fun and faith filled activities. Thanks to everyone who helped in the day, our staff, members of the Sacramental Team and the parishioners who helped feed the students, with sausage sandwiches and ice creams. On Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th August these students will receive the sacrament of Confirmation at a liturgy led by Bishop Brian. We keep these students in our prayers, and pray they continue to use the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit to love Jesus and love others.

GRANDPARENTS/GRANDFRIENDS DAY

A huge thank you to our Year 3 staff and students for leading us in our grandparents/grandfriends celebrations last Friday. Not only do we give thanks for the gift of our grandparents but also remember Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, the grandparents of Jesus, who handed on the faith to their daughter Mary and grandson Jesus. It is so heart warming to see our hall filled with such smiling faces, both from our grandparents and students. It is also exciting to have them visit our classrooms and tell stories about their own childhoods.

Prayer: We thank You for our grandparents and all the elderly. Their quiet witness and lasting love have shaped our homes, parishes, and schools. We commit to cherishing their dignity, listening with respect, and honoring their role in Your saving plan. May our actions reflect our gratitude. May our hearts remain open to the wisdom of age. And may our lives, like Joachim and Anne, hand on the faith with joy. Amen.

YEAR 6 GATHERING MASS WITH THE BISHOP

On Wednesday 6th August our Year 6 students will take part in a gathering Mass, led by Bishop Brian at St Therese Church West Wollongong. Not only does it allow these students to share in the Eucharist, but they also get to meet and catch up with other Year 6 students from nearby schools. Three of our students, Maisie Caine, Amity Fuller and Keira Fabon, have a special role, whereby they will sing the responsorial psalm. A huge thank you to Ms Patton for rehearsing with and finetuning their singing talents.

RELIGIOUS LITERACY ASSESSMENT

On Monday 4th August Year 4 will undertake the annual Religious Literacy Assessment. Online questions will be answered associated with learning from Kindergarten to Year 4. We keep these students in our prayers and thank their teachers for preparing them for this diocesan assessment. The results drive future teaching and learning in Religious Education.

NATIONAL ABORIGINAL & ISLANDER CHILDREN'S DAY

Every year on the 4th August, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day is held to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. This day gives all Australians the opportunity to learn about the importance of culture, family and community to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Year 4 will lead the school in an acknowledgement of this day, and students will use resources within the classroom to learn more.

ST MARY OF THE CROSS MACKILLOP FEAST DAY

On Friday 8th August our school and parish will join for 12 midday Mass to celebrate Australia's first saint, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. Thank you to our Kinder staff and students for organising and leading this Mass, where we reflect on the life and values Mary demonstrated- faith, service and compassion. Families are welcome to join us for our celebration.

Have a wonderful fortnight, and I will see you back at the beginning of Term 4!

Mrs Jo Herring - Religious Education Coordinator

Take a look at some of Kindergarten students speaking about what they love about our school.  

Press Here

In response to parent feedback from the Listening Assemblies and more recently through our Tell Them From Me Survey Results regarding a need for more regular communication/updates about your child's learning, all classes K-6 are now utilising the Seesaw Platform. 

Each student will share a minimum of 1 piece of work with their family each week based on an agreed focus across both classes in the grade (e.g Maths, Spelling, Writing, Science).

An important component to ensure the success of this sharing, is that families take the time to discuss this piece of learning each week. This will help to build on the partnership between home and school.

If you haven't already, please link to your child's account by following the instructions given by your child's class teacher.

We welcome any feedback that you may have as we move through the term.

Transition to Summer Uniform: Monday 1st September (Week 7) - during the transition week, students may choose to wear either the Summer or Winter Uniform, but not a combination of both. 

Change Over to Summer Uniform: Monday 8th September (Week 8) - all students must wear the Summer Uniform.

Parents & Carers are welcome to join us for an afternoon of entertainment.

All students K-6 will be involved in 'A Dance with Disney'.

More information to come soon. 

This is a friendly reminder that students are NOT permitted to bring toys from home to play with in the classroom and/or playground. This includes soft toys (e.g. Labubu), teddies, football cards etc. 

Exceptions include:

- When an item is being shown for news (in this case, it is to remain in the school bag for the duration of the day and only to be taken out for news)

- Those students who have been permitted to have a fidget toy. 

Each Sunday, we provide a weekly school event update for the upcoming week via Social Media (Instagram and Facebook). We have had so much positive feedback about these being helpful in family planning for the week. 

Last term we also started adding some family activities that help reflect on the Sunday's Gospel Reading. As a proud Catholic School Community, we strongly encourage all families to talk about the reading and the messages of the Scripture.

If you are able to engage in the suggested family activities, we would love for you to send us photos/written reflections that we could share via our newsletter or social media. These can be sent directly to Mrs Perre at perrec01@dow.catholic.edu.au

We will also be unpacking the Sunday's Gospel with our students each Thursday during Mindfulness K-6. This supports our work on our School Strategic Priority that by 2028, staff and students are able to articulate their faith and our mission as a proud, contemporary Catholic school, through word and action.

If you do not already follow our school's page on Instagram and Facebook, we highly recommend you do as it contains the most up-to-date information about weekly events. 

Mrs Christine Perre

Acting Assistant Principal

Application for Extended Absence - Greater than five school days

Complete this form for an absence of greater than five school days that is due to one of the following reasons: misadventure or unforeseen event; participation in special events not related to the school; domestic necessity such as serious illness of an immediate family member; attendance at funerals; travel in Australia and overseas; recognised religious festivals or ceremonial occasions.

Previously when families took leave within the school term, schools issued a certificate of extended leave, approving leave for holidays and other personal matters. As of 2025 the CEDoW Attendance Policy has been updated to reflect the importance of school attendance for all students. This means that schools now issue an Acknowledgment of Extended Absence. This acknowledgement indicates whether the explanation for the absence has been accepted by the Principal or not. An explanation that is not accepted is recorded as an unjustified absence. Generally, an explanation for extended absence for the purpose of travel outside the school holiday period can not be accepted by a Principal, unless there are exceptional circumstances, such as urgent family situations, illness, funerals or special religious ceremonies.  

Please email the completed form and supporting documents to info@sccdow.catholic.edu.au
If you have any questions please contact the school office.

Harry Franklin was asked to be the musical entertainment at the Sydney premiere of Superman in the first week of the holidays. He played the new 2025 Superman theme. Check out the promo clip from Warner Bros Australia. 

Well Done Harry.  

The passing of F on 8 July 2025 brought great sadness to the Diocese of Wollongong and beyond. You can read the memorandum from Most Rev Brian G Mascord DD here.

You can also read the article in The Catholic Weekly:
“Wollongong priest Fr David Catterall remembered for his commitment following his death aged 52” (10 July 2025) here.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

Shellharbour Junior Football Club is proud to be launching its very first Football4All program. This inclusive football initiative is designed specifically for children living with disability, offering a fun, supportive environment to learn and enjoy the game—no matter their experience or ability.

Sessions are set to begin next month. Attached is a flyer with more details and a QR code where families can express their interest in joining the program.