Dear Parents and Carers, 

Another two weeks filled with celebrations, faith and learning at St Columbkille's. Father's Day celebrations, excursions, overnight trip to Canberra, workbooks sent home and Go Green today.  

I thank you for supporting the Carroll family. An amazing $2 966 has been raised and will be passed on to the family to support their medical and general expenses. We will continue to sell raffle tickets for the football, AFL and NRL jerseys and swimming googles during the next week. These funds will also be add to our fundraiser total. The raffle will be drawn at our Week 9 Friday Award Assembly. 

The classroom audio visuals have been updated with new and larger televisions in Years 3 to 6 and in coming weeks, the Kindergarten to Year 2 classrooms will have interactive TVs installed. We thank the Catholic Education Office for assisting us with this upgrade.  

From the beginning of this week we have formally transitioned into our Summer uniform.  I thank you for your co-operation and support in ensuring your child/ren are wearing the correct uniform.  

This week is National Child Protection Week (7–13 September 2025). The 2025 theme is: “Every conversation matters: Shifting conversation to action.”

This year’s theme is a reminder that our everyday conversations and interactions with the students in our care do matter. These conversations and meaningful actions can be an important catalyst for a safer world for children and young people. At this time, in Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong, we acknowledge with deep appreciation every person involved in caring about and protecting the students in our care.

This Sunday, 14 September 2025, we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Each week in the classroom, our students and teachers engage in a Gospel Reflection on the upcoming Sunday Gospel story. This week, students will unpack the meaning of the Cross not as a symbol of defeat but of loving sacrifice —inviting all to look upon Jesus lifted up and find new life. Together, they will explore what it means today to embrace God’s love, share it with others, and live with hope and purpose in response.

Over the past week, each individual artwork has been on display for our school community to view. It has been wonderful celebrating the creativity, faith, and effort of our students as they share their artistic reflections on the Christmas story. I congratulate all of our students for their efforts in creating such thoughtful art pieces. 

In viewing these artworks, six students have been chosen as our finalists in the competition. Congratulations to the following students:

- Year 5: Claire Potter, Brook Cicolini and Xavier Switaj-Zwolinski 

- Year 6: Matthew Bertacco, Chamonix Peace and Roma Aimasso 

We look forward to hearing of the outcome of our wonderful entries. Best of luck!

First Holy Communion

A reminder that First Holy Communion forms are due back to the Parish Office via email or at Mass by 18 September. 

Mrs Libbie Tyrrell

Acting Religious Education Coordinator

Last term we held two parent listening assemblies and also provided an opportunity for parents to provide feedback through the Tell Them From Me Survey.

Based on this feedback, as well as our school identified improvement priorities, we are seeking your thoughts based on some things we have started doing to address these.

If you are able to provide your feedback through this quick survey, it would be greatly appreciated. The link to the survey is: https://forms.gle/extLcWNCoancqkfj7

The survey will close on Friday 26th September.

On 25 October 2025, the Council for Catholic School Parents (CCSP) is hosting a special anniversary celebration conference for all NSW/ACT parents and carers with children in Catholic schools! It’s going to be a value-packed day of connection and collaboration where their expert presenters will provide specialist advice on parenting in a modern world.

Dr Justin Coulson: co-host and parenting expert on Channel 9's Parental Guidance and the founder of happyfamilies.com.au 

Michelle Mitchell: sought-after author and speaker on parenting tweens and teens

Daniel Principe: a passionate youth advocate and educator, and nominee for Australian of the Year.

This conference will cover areas such as managing technology with young people, consent and respectful relationships, cybersafety, building your child’s resilience, sleep, managing anxiety, screens and brain development, supporting your child’s learning at home and at school and more!

Date: Saturday 25 October 2025

Time: 8.30 am – 3.30 pm (doors open at 8.00 am)

Location: Novotel, 350 Church Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150

Parking is available at the venue, Novotel Parramatta, for a day rate. Please contact the hotel for more information: (02) 9630 4999. Other options include Eat Street Parking. Novotel Parramatta is offering special rates for conference guests. Please call the reservations team on 02 9890 0850 or email novotel@nmsp.com.au to book and advise them that you are attending the conference. Valid until 9 October 2025, subject to availability at the time of confirmation.

Find out more information here.

Buy a ticket here: Supporting Families: Working Together in a Modern World Registration.

As Year 12 students come to the end of their Catholic education in our schools, Matthew’s gospel reminds us that the Holy Spirit is in our midst when we gather in community and between the lines when we communicate in writing.

Our senior students will be facing the challenge of final exams early next term, having navigated a range of disruptions and pressures throughout their high school years. As a school community and broader diocesan community, we stand with them in solidarity as they approach this important milestone in their learning journey. They remain in our thoughts and prayers.

The HSC starts on 16 October 2025 (Week 1, Term 4).

As a Catholic community THE7 Miles to Emmaus Outreach Challenge is to create a Note of Hope for a Year 12 student.

This challenge is being offered to school students and staff and the broader CEDoW community.

This Note of Hope is designed to remind our senior students that we are a broad and diverse community, even if at times our connections have been shaped by distance, changing circumstances, and new ways of learning. It is also intended to motivate and encourage them as they begin their HSC and prepare to graduate in Term 4.

“To Christians, the future does have a name, and its name is Hope. Feeling hopeful does not mean to be optimistically naïve and ignore the tragedy humanity is facing. Hope is the virtue of a heart that doesn’t lock itself into darkness, that doesn’t dwell on the past, does not simply get by in the present, but is able to see a tomorrow.”
Pope Francis, 2017

Our beloved Pope Francis’ message in 2017 is still relevant today for our current Year 12 students. If he were with us today, the same message would include a slight addition –

“The future does have a name, and its name is Hope”… and its name is the Class of 2025.

Instructions regarding involvement in the outreach to the class of 2025 are provided in the links below:

• Primary – The Class of 2025: Notes of Hope
• Secondary – The Class of 2025: Notes of Hope

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11

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 tool. 

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.

Service Amendment Notification (PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENT)

We are writing to advise that from Monday 15 September 2025, the following services will be amended:

• S408 – service will no longer operate

• Route 90 – timetable updated

• Route 92 – timetable updated

The changes follow a review by Transport for NSW to ensure that school travel services continue to meet current student demand and that resources are directed where they are most needed. As part of this review, services with consistently low student usage were re-evaluated.

We understand some changes may affect students who previously used a service that will no longer operate. Please be advised students have access to regular route services in the area that accommodate travel to school. Please see details below.

We ask that you please share this information with your school community to ensure a smooth transition.

Please feel free to contact us if you require further information or assistance.

02 4243 8888

PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENT

Year 5 Students from our school have recently undertaken an education tour of the national capital on Thursday 4th and Friday 5th Septemeber 2025.

Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage, and democracy.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding to our school in the amount of $30 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.

Representative Sporting Pathway 2026 - Year 5 + 6 students in 2026 only

The representative nominations for 2026 sporting pathways are now open. Please see the attached note, including sport-specific details.

Some of these trials for 2026 teams commence in Term 4 2025, therefore it is important that nominations are completed now. Nominations due Friday, 17 October 2025. (Cricket due Monday, 13 October 2025). 

Gymnastics NSW 2025 State Championships

Jett 4G competed at the state championships over the weekend for level 5. Jett placed 4th on bars and was the highest country score. Big achievement!