Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to the start of the 2021 school year.

It has been wonderful see St Columbkille's, Corrimal come back to life again with the enthusiasm, joy and energy that our students bring. Thank you to our parents, grandparents and staff for their support and hard work in making the transition back to school so successful.

A very warm welcome to the many new families to our school community - Al Achkar, Atkinson, Beckman, Britton, Browne, Bulley, Cario, Carroll, Durling, Eldridge, Elliffe, Ferguson, Gilmore, Grewcock, Hyslop, Lewis, Lloyd, Macgee, McIntyre, Patris, Redpath, Ryan, Sartracom, Sinko, Sloan, Sorensen, Thompson, Timpano, Trezona, Troughton, Zemaitis, Ukotic, Woelner, Gilmour, Leigh, Hume and Bortolazzo. We look forward to developing our relationship and working with you.

Yesterday, we welcomed the Kindergarten class of 2021 to our St Columbkille’s school community. Thank you to our staff, parents and grandparents for their organisation and commitment in making this possible. It was great to see our Kindergarten parents present to celebrate the start of a new journey for our Kindergarten students. 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 Perre (2G and Middle Leader), along with our new staff members Mrs Runko (4G), Mrs Gilmore (1B) and Mrs Carroll (School Support Officer). 

This morning, our Year 6 students where inducted into their leadership positions for 2021, with a special a presentation in the Monsignor Downey Hall. Thank you Mrs Disibio, Mrs Tyrrell, Mrs Gaffney and Mrs Barrett for supporting the students throughout today's presentation, Year 5 for their attendance and Year 6 parents for their active participation. I wish our Year 6 students every success in their new roles as student leaders within our school community.

Our Parent Information Evenings will be held during Catholic Schools Week (Week 6) - Tuesday 2 March from 6pm for Years 1, 3, 5 and Wednesday 3 March from 6pm for Years 2, 4, 6. Kindergarten will be focused on students Best Start results and will take place from Monday 1 March through to Friday 5 March. This is an opportunity to connect with class teachers and gain a greater understanding about your child/rens learning. Detailed information will be made available re: Catholic School Week including parent information evenings in the coming weeks.  

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 2021. 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 this year to 'The Tops Conference Centre', Stanwell Tops. This venue is a move away from Berry Sport and Recreation Centre due to ongoing renovations. The Year 6 students along with Mrs Gaffney, Mrs Barrett, Mrs Tyrrell and myself are looking forward to three wonderful days of teamwork, developing leadership skills, testing challenges, good food and lots of fun. Thank you to the staff who given up their personal time to attend and to parents for providing their children this exciting opportunity

St Joseph is a wonderful model for Christians as we live in the world. The Word of God spoken in the Scriptures guides us, but many times we have to apply that Word in everyday situations where we must see the reality around us, decide what God desires us to do and then act courageously, justly and with compassion. St Joseph shows us how to be persons of the Word of God, whether it is written in books or in the face of God’s creation, unfolding in history.

Once again, welcome to the start of the 2021 school year. We look forward to seeing you throughout the term.

Enjoy your weekend.

Take care

Brad Colquhoun (Principal)

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 our wonderful school. 

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 beginning weeks. Take some time to talk about these values at home.

Ordinary Time

For a large part of every year, we celebrate Ordinary Time in the church’s calendar. Ordinary Time is called "ordinary" not because it is common but simply because the weeks of Ordinary Time are numbered. The Latin word ordinalis, which refers to numbers in a series, stems from the Latin word ordo, from which we get the English word order. Thus, the numbered weeks of Ordinary Time, in fact, represent the ordered life of the Church—the period in which we live our lives neither in seasons of feasting or fasting, but in watchfulness and expectation of transformation that comes through our encounter with Jesus Christ.

As school returns for this year with its own order, take some time this week to

• be still and listen to the invitations God is giving you and discern the way you will respond
• ponder the scriptures
• notice and experience the extraordinary in the ordinary of each day
• be grateful

Year 6 Leaders Induction

This morning our Year 6 students and their parents/carers celebrated their induction as leaders of our school within their respective groups. We keep these students in our prayers as they embark on their leadership journey. 

Project Compassion Lenten Launch

Our Year 6 students will attend the Lenten launch for Project Compassion on Tuesday 16 February via Zoom. Schools from within our Diocese, and nationwide, will take part in this celebration acknowledging the beginning of Lent.

Sacramental Program

Sacrament of Confirmation Dates:

Sacrament of Reconciliation Dates:

Sacrament of First Holy Communion Dates:

Joanne Herring - REC

Congratulations to Christine and Cameron on the birth of their son, Duke Utah just before Christmas. We wish Christine, Cameron, Wintah, Nixon and Duke, all the very best as a family moving into the future.

Our blessings, and onging well wishes go out to the Breakspear Family. 

The first week for Kinder 2021 captured in photos. 

Key Area 1: Catholic Life and Religious Education 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 2: Students and their Learning 2.5 Pastoral Care

Goal: Student Diverse learning - differentiation and adjustments of student behaviour and learning. Staff will become highly effective in drawing on appropriate services, resources and programs so that we are able to support students learning and behavioural needs

Key Area 3: Pedagogy 3.1 Curriculum provision

Goal: All staff will provide for flexible learning experiences so that all students to experience success in their learning.

Key Area 5: Resources, Finance and Facilities 5.2 Use of resources and space

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

Welcome to the 2021 school year! 

I very much look forward to teaching your child/ren about the Italian culture and lanagugae throughout the year.  I have commenced teaching the Gold classes this semester and then of course will teach the Blue classes in Semester 2.  The study of Italian in K–10 enables students to communicate with others in Italian, and to reflect on and understand the nature and role of language and culture in their own lives and the lives of others.

I encourage you to talk to your child/ren about their Italian lessons, share with them your knowledge of Italy, it's culture and lanaguage and connect activities you complete or foods you eat to their Italian knowledge.  You may even choose to download the Languages Online App (iPad or computer) to learn and practice the language together with your child/ren.  

"Contemporary research and practice have established a clear link between the learning of languages and improved literacy skills for both background speakers and second or additional language learners. Through the development of communicative skills in a language and understanding of how language works as a system, students further develop literacy in English, through close attention to detail, accuracy, logic and critical reasoning. Learning languages exercises students’ intellectual curiosity, increases metalinguistic awareness, strengthens intellectual, analytical and reflective capabilities, and enhances critical and creative thinking." (Italian K-10 Syllabus) 

A presto! 

Signora Disibio 

Leader of Languages - Italian

As you would be aware a number of our students have food allergies to nuts, eggs, fish and shellfish.  In keeping these students safe from food reactions including anaphylaxis, we ask that you take great care when packing lunch boxes for your child/ren school each day. 

We ask that you pack:

No raw nuts (nut muesli bars)

No nut products (peanut butter, Nutella, coconut water)

No nuts in cooked items

No raw eggs

No cooked eggs (egg sandwich, egg in a salad, egg based mayonnaise)

No meringue 

No raw fish

No raw shellfish

No cooked white fish, salmon or shellfish 

Items that are OK to include in lunchboxes are:

* tinned tuna

* egg within cooked foods (cakes, biscuits, quiche or zucchini slice) 

We ask all who consume these foods to wash hands thoroughly after consumption and to ensure that they do not share their food with others.

The following website, ‘Kids with Food Allergies’ contains a number of recipes that are as free of many different food allergens as possible.  If you struggle with what to pack your child, this site is worth a browse.

http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/page/recipes-diet.aspx#res

Also, just a reminder that NO dogs are permitted on school grounds as we have a student very allergic to dogs. 

Wollongong and Corrimal libraries are starting  ‘Library After hours’ sessions for children, young people and adults with Autism or other sensory processing difficulties and their families.

See details below.