Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope that you are well, and that both you and your child/ren have enjoyed what has been a sensational start to the term and school year.  It has been wonderful see the school come to life again with the enthusiasm, joy and energy that our students bring. Thank you to both our parents, grandparents and staff for their support in making the start to 2020 such a successful and positive one.

We welcome many new families to our school community. Welcome to the Vu, Robinson-Roach, Jackson familes, as well as our new Kindergarten familes; Caughey, Faulkner, Franklin, Milne, Scekic, Worthington (Charlie), Worthington (Hunter), Barclay, Brescianini, Bui, Elliott, Hammet, Hartup, Karakolevski, Martelozzo, McIndoe, Murray, Switaj-Zwolinski.

On Wednesday, we welcomed the Kindergarten class of 2020 to our St Columbkille’s school community. Thank you to our staff, parents and grandparents for their organisation, energy and commitment in making this possible. It was great to see so many parents, grandparents and friends present to celebrate the start of a new journey for our Kindergarten students and their families. We thank you for choosing our school to share this journey and look forward to many celebrations and working together through the challenging times that life at school brings.

In relation to staffing, we welcome our back Mrs Stephenson (Dance/Drama) and Mrs Barrett (6G), along with our new staff members Mrs Calvert (2B), Mrs Griggs (3G), Mrs Hennock (Reading Recovery) and Mrs Olima (Physical Education).  

Our Parent Information Evening will be held during Catholic Schools Week on Tuesday 3 March from 6pm for Years 1 to 6, with Kindergarten on Monday 17 February at 4pm.  This is an opportunity to connect with class teachers and gain a greater understanding about your child/rens learning.

This afternoon we celebrated the induction of our Year 6 students leaders with our leadership presentation in the Monsignor Downey Hall. Thank you Mrs Disibio, Mrs Tyrrell, Mrs Herring, Mrs Gaffney and Mrs Barrett for supporting the students throughout today's presentation, and to the parents and grandparents for your presence and active participation. I wish the Year 6 students every success in their new roles as leaders within our community.

School Review and Improvement is a process of self-evaluation, targeted growth and performance across a given year. We have developed ‘School Action Plans’ that outline our strategic intent for 2020. These plans (listed below) include the areas and components that we will be working towards successfully achieving. If you have any questions in relation to these plans, please let me know.

On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Week 4, our Year 6 students will will leave for the annual excursion to Berry Sport and Recreation Camp. The Year 6 students along with Mrs Gaffney, Mrs Barrett, Mrs Tyrrell and myself are looking forward to three sensational days of teamwork, leadership opportunities, testing challenges and lots of fun. Thank you to the staff who given up their own time to attend and to parent/carers for giving their children this exciting opportunity.

Once again, welcome to the start of the 2020 school year. 

Enjoy our weekend.

Take care

Mr Brad Colquhoun - Principal

School Priorities:

• School, parent and parish partnerships in regards to Catholic Life and Religious Education

• Student learning in the area of Writing through the process of collaborative inquiry and consideration of classroom environment

• Targeted professional learning linked to collaborative learning to support case management

• To develop contemporary classrooms that support the learning needs, adjustments of all students

• Teacher Professional Development and continued improvement is evidenced by myPAD using SMART goals to inform PDPs

School Review and Improvement

Key Area: Catholic Life and Religious Education

Component:1.4 Parents, parishes and the broader Church

Goal:The school, parents and parish will work collaboratively so that they will continue to grow in faith and celebrate Catholic life.

Key Area:Students and their Learning

Component:2.1 Educational potential

Goal:Consistent pedagogy in Writing will be in place across the school so that all students achieve the expected learning gains

Key Area:Pedagogy

Component: 3.7 Professional Learning

Goal: Student Pastoral Care and Wellbeing Policy will be unpacked and implemented across the school so that our students feel safe, supported, engaged and challenged 

Key Area: Resources, Finance and Facilities

Component: 5.2 Use of resources and space

Goal: Our school will have contemporary classroom spaces and furniture to support the unique learning needs of students and enhance teacher practice.

Strategic Intent

Staff will collaborate at appropriate levels to implement the Assessment and Instruction Framework in Literacy and Numeracy ensuring that:

• The development of learning goals at school and classroom level drive explicit teaching

• There is a sustained focus on early intervention K-3

• Formative assessments will drive learning and identify students not achieving minimum standards

• Staff professional learning opportunities will support staff and student learning needs

• Student learning will be monitored through the School Assessment Overview and will be tracked on the Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions with all students being landed in a minimum of 8 sub-elements by the end of 2020.

Welcome back to a new year of learning and celebration. I trust you enjoyed the holiday break with family and friends.  As we begin our new year as a school community, we welcome new students, families and staff. We especially welcome our Kindergarten students who begin their journey at St Columbkilles.

Our vision “Learning Together, Shaping Futures” and our Core Values of Faith, Responsibility, Respect, Learning, Community and Celebration are a focus in our Religious Education lessons over the next few weeks. Take some time to talk about these values at home.

We are in a period of Ordinary Time in the church. Some people think it is a time when nothing much happens.  Yet it is important because we are growing to be more like Jesus in our everyday lives by listening to the words of scripture each week. Life is not only about the special events and celebrations, it is about who we are in our day to day interactions.

 Year 6 Leaders Induction

This afternoon, we celebrated our Welcome Liturgy and inducted our Year 6 leaders into their respective leadership groups. We pray these students continue to guide and serve us throughout the year by being the best leader they can be.

Project Compassion Lenten Launch

Our annual Project Compassion Lenten launch will take place on Tuesday 25 February at St Benedicts Catholic College in Oran Park. Schools from within our Diocesan will take part in this celebration acknowledging the beginning of Lent. Our families can give generously during this time by bringing in any loose change from home to place in our class money boxes. We continue to pray for all peoples and nations to live in solidarity showing values of justice, love and compassion. Mr Colquhoun and our School and Vice Captains will be attending the launch.

World Day of Prayer for the Sick

On Tuesday 11 February we acknowledge World Day of Prayer for the Sick. Pope John Paul II initiated the day in 1992 to encourage people to pray for those who suffer from illness and for their caregivers. The Pope himself had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s a year before, in 1991, and it is considered that his own illness was impetus for this day. World Day of the Sick was first observed on February 11, 1993. February 11 is also the Catholic Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, a name given to the Virgin Mary in honour of the apparitions that were said to have been seen in and around Lourdes, France, by a young girl called Bernadette Soubirous. The Church canonized Bernadette as a saint several years late.

National Apology to the Stolen Generations

On Thursday 13th February we mark the 12th anniversary of the Apology to the Stolen Generations. In 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd presented this apology in the Australian Parliament. (To view the clip visit this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3TZOGpG6cM)

As a school we are committed to walking together with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sisters and brothers in a spirit of reconciliation towards healing.

PRAYER: Creator God, Creator Spirit, God of the Dreaming, empower us to honour the history of this Great South Land.
Help us to remember the story of those who have gone before us and to ensure the future is one of peace, reconciliation and harmony for all who walk this land. AMEN.

Parish / School Masses

In 2019 the parish and school implemented a combined Mass on the first weekend of each month. A number of students and their families were involved by way of reading, offertory and choir. Not only did families enjoy celebrating the Eucharist with members of the community, they also stayed behind for a wonderful morning tea/supper and chat. Each family would bring a plate to share. We have planned these gatherings again this year so if your child/children and other members of the family are willing to be involved by reading, offertory, choir etc please let me know. Our first celebration will be held on the weekend of 7/8 March.

Have a wonderful fortnight!

Yours in faith

Mrs Jo Herring - Religious Education Coordinator

School fees have been invoiced to families and they are available to view in the Compass Parent Portal.  We anticipate that school fee statements will be issued by email within the next 10 days.  We apologise for the delay in distribution of statements, which was unanticipated and due to system issues.  For your information payment requirements are as follows:

• For families who pay annually, payment in full is due on 28 February 2020.
• For families that have submitted a Request to Pay by Instalment or who previously had a School Fee Agreement in place, a schedule of the required payments and the due date will be issued with school fee statements.  The first instalment payment will be due on 28 February, 2020.  Parents may commence payments earlier if they wish, however, it is important that any existing regular payment is equal to the instalment amount provided on the schedule and that payment is made on or before the due dates on the schedule.  Reference should be made to the Request to Pay by Instalments on the school’s website for conditions relating to payment in this manner. 
• For families who have a Fee Concession in place, you will be contacted prior to your review date to complete annual documentation and arrange an interview with the Principal.  If you have a current payment plan in place, and you are unable to increase your payments to meet your 2020 school fees, you may continue to make these payments until your next review date.
• Parents should be aware that our new accounting system will send automatic reminders for overdue payments.

The following documents are available on the school’s website for the information of families:

• Diocesan School Fee Management Policy
• Diocesan Frequently Asked Questions
• Diocesan Request to Pay by Instalments
• Information regarding school Fees at our school

Congratulations to O'Brien's and Bennett's on the new additions to their families. The O'Brien's - Pam, Aaron, Randy and Sonny welcomed their brother Tatum Troy, along with the Bennetts - Chelsea, Wiremu, Hudson and Boston who celebrated the birth of their sister Indigo. Our blessings and best wishes go out to the O'Brien and Bennett families.

'A baby is a blessing. A gift from Heaven above, 

A precious little angel, to cherish and to love'.

A couple of week’s ago Willow Russell from 3 Blue participated in the Welcome to Country dance at a bush fire fundraiser in the Southern Highlands. She was very proud to involved to support the fund raising and to participate with members of her family. 

School Banking with the Commonwealth Bank has been occuring at St Columbkille's for a number of years.  Over the past 5 years Romany Rosengren has assisted with the banking process from the school end.  We thank Romany for the many hours of counting money, completing forms and ensuring student receive their banking rewards.  Many thanks Romany.  

As Romany is no longer able to assist us with the banking process, we are asking for a new volenteer.  If you are able to assit one day a week, for a few hours, please indicate your interest with the School Office.  

The role will include taking students deposits, balancing all deposits and taking all monies to the Commonwealth Bank on the same day. Romany will happily handover and train the new volunteer. 

Take a look at the revamped St Columbkille's website and take a virtual tour! www.sccdow.catholic.edu.au Pass on the link to someone who is considering enrolment or simply browse the site and find some familiar faces.    

Many thanks for Jessica Sparks from the Catholic Educatoon Office for her co-ordination of the revamp.  Much apprecaited.  

Maria Disibio - Assistant Principal

Congratulations to the 85 students who have completed the Holiday Reading and/or Mathematics Challenge. All these students will be award with certificates in the coming weeks.  It has been great to see so many of our students reading during the holidays and I'm sure their reading skills have improved because of their practise, and it has also been wonderful to see so many students giving the Mathematics Challenge a go. Well done everyone!

Mrs Maria Disibio - Assistant Principal

No dog are permitted on the school premises, for any reason, as we have a student in our school that has an Anaphylaxtic reaction to dog fur/hair. 

Additionally, we have a number of students allergic to a variety of foods including nuts, eggs and fish.  We ask that you refrain from sending these items to school. 

We thank you for your understanding of this very serious matter.  

We wish to thank everyone for their amazing support, collecting the lids for Envision "Lids for Kids".  They were initially looking to collect 2 million lids and they have received over 5 million.  Again, thank you for your amazing support.

A Parent Information Evening will be held for Kindergarten parents on 17 February at 4pm.  

Our Year 1 to Year 6 evening will occur on the 3 March at 6pm.   

Our local Parish Church are looking for volunteers to become involved in a group of our parishioners commited to raising funds for restoration of the Church and other projects.  It is a wonderful way to become involved with our Parish Community and the wider community.  Please contact Father Patrick on 42843000 or Millie on 0409999196, if you are interested in becoming a Committee member.

Many of our students and their parents, along with members of staff attended the NBL's Indigenous round game between Illawarra Hawks and New Zealand Breakers at the WIN Entertainment Centre, last Sunday. Thank you to Kiah's dad, Kane Eliis for generously providing the tickets to our students, parents and staff. It was greatly appreciated.

In the school holidays Sophia's dad, Tom Martinus installed a new play area (fixed logs) for the students next to the natural play equipment in the Paddock and additional seating in the Infants playground. Our students have used both areas extremely well and I thank Tom for giving up his time and resources in supporting our students.

Thanks again Kane and Tom.

Mr Brad Colquhoun - Principal

Date:      Saturday 29 February

Time:      7:30pm

Veune:    St Columbkille's Catholic Primary School, Corrimal

Movie:     Sing   

See link below for online ticket sales.

Food and drinks will be available on the night. More information will be avaible shortly.

www.dow.catholic.edu.au/partnershipframework